The Ladder of Justice: An Inquiry into the Structure and Evolution of Human Society

This book presents a new sociological model. Chapter One introduces its basic assumptions and key concepts. Based on four core assumptions—the Framework Assumption, the Cooperation Assumption, the Resource Scarcity Assumption, and the Attraction–Avoidance Assumption—the author aims to describe the logic underlying human social relations and historical development. Chapter Two uses these assumptions to argue that evil is the state of good when it exceeds its proper range. Since every form of good has limits, actions outside that range may produce evil. Chapter Three applies Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to model the structure and evolution of human societies. History is divided into five stages: the Family-Centered Society, Tribal Society, Monarchical Society, Constitutional Society, and Great Harmony Society. Each stage corresponds to satisfying Survival, Safety, Belonging, Dignity, and Self-Realization Needs. A stable and progressive society—called a Healthy State—requires balance among three forces: the Aristocratic Group (Wealth Elite), the Intellectual Group (Knowledge Elite), and the Bureaucratic Group (Practical Elite). When power is balanced, society matures and members approach the needs of their historical stage. If one force dominates, society becomes Pathological. Aristocratic dominance causes inefficiency; Intellectual dominance leads to idealistic radicalism; Bureaucratic dominance creates regression toward an earlier stage. Each historical stage also has a distinct notion of justice: Self-Interest Justice (Family-Centered), Ethnic Justice (Tribal), Moral Justice (Monarchical), Procedural Justice (Constitutional), and Result Justice (future Great Harmony). Conflicts arise when these notions cannot be reconciled, offering an explanation for social conflicts throughout history. Today’s world is in the early Constitutional era, where mature and pathological Constitutional Societies coexist with a late Monarchical Society. Because citizens in a Constitutional Society play the role of the Aristocratic Group, the Aristocratic class is larger than ever, and the line between elites—especially Wealth Elites—and the general public is historically blurred. Moreover, Dignity Needs, pursued in this era, represent an unprecedentedly high category of needs. These issues form the core challenges of the modern world. Chapter Four therefore addresses human rights, Procedural Justice, social stratification, social security, development gaps between nations, and the future of society. Chapter Five provides further discussion and critique of the model. This book was completed through repeated discussions with ChatGPT and Grok. The author expresses gratitude for their insights and their help with translation and editing.