The first facet pertains to the evolution of social structures. I will concentrate on the
semblance and connection between democracy and egalitarian bands of hunter-
gatherers which prevailed through most human evolution. The second facet pertains to
the pursuit of recognition. Building on Francis Fukuyama's (1992) work, the End of
History and the Last Man, I will argue that the pursuit of recognition is indeed the
causal factor that brings about democracy. I will elaborate on, and give a fuller
account of, Fukuyama's correct observation regarding the pursuit of recognition based
on recent research from social psychology and a combined research of genetic and
psychological factors. The two facets and levels of analysis are complimentary: the
first pertains to environmental (or exogenous) factor, the second to human nature.
Setting Democracy in a Larger Evolutionary Context
Definitions of Democracy in the 20
th
Century and their Shortcoming
Democracy at the beginning of the 21
st
century is a term that denotes a variety
of regimes that share similar main characteristics. Democracy has a thin procedural
definition and thicker definitions. The thin definition of democracy is a political
system with universal suffrage and "whose leaders are elected in competitive multi-
party and multi-candidate processes in which opposition parties have a legitimate
chance of attaining power or participating in power" (Freedom House 1999: 1).
Thicker definitions of democracy require effective and enlightened participation as
well as human rights and freedoms beyond what is necessary for a democratic process
(Dahl 1998; Jones 1994: chapter 8). Thicker standards of democracy usually relate to
liberal-democracies, namely democratic countries which are free and respectable to
human rights. The two categories, however, are not necessarily synonymous
(Fukuyama 1992).
Defined by these criteria, however, democracy is a very recent invention that
appeared only in the 20
th
century after women gained voting rights. The merits of
3
Convention