| Summary: | The conventional explanation of the rise of social order in medieval Iceland, the so-called Commonwealth period, is constructivist in nature. In light of medieval legal thought, the explanation is unconvincing. The story of the decline of that social order is also problematic, in that no integrated theory seems to lie behind the explanation. By applying cooperation and rent-seeking theories to the historical record an attempt is made to provide an explanation that is more convincing, integrated and spontaneous in nature. Two main questions are posed; first, how did the Commonwealth emerge, and, second, why did it break down. Copyright George Mason University 1993
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