The state: concept and origin theories

From the moment of the occurrence the state was ambiguously treated in the history of political thought as at various stages of history of mankind on the foreground there were those or its other functions and properties.

So, Aristotle considered the state as an embodiment of reason, justice, beauty and general welfare. In its opinion, it is reflexion of patrimonial essence of the person as «political animal», aspiring to «joint co-habitation». «The person who has found the end in the state, - noticed Aristotle, - absolute of creations. On the contrary, the person living out of the law and the right, occupies жалчайшее a place in the world».

On the contrary, English thinker T.Gobbs compared the state to Leviafanom - a monster described in the Bible: «its mouth leave пламенники, jump out fiery sparks. From its nostrils there is a smoke, as a boiling pot or a copper. Its breath heats coals, and the mouth leaves a flame. On its neck force lives, and before it the horror runs...»

In the European political science it is possible to allocate two images of the state: 1) understanding of the state as special type of коллективности, arisen for the sake of the general welfare, happy life, and 2) state interpretation as sets of institutes of the public power, officials, bureaucracy.

The first tradition proceeds from Aristotle who saw in the state the union, association of free and equal citizens. The state appears as the form of political dialogue, and its core is «the power in which force the person dominates over people similar and free». The understanding of the state as political community dominated in a political science up to XVI century Foma Akvinsky also perceived the state as political community: «the City-state is a perfect generality».

In a similar way considered the state and I.Kant. He noticed that «the state is a society of the people, which itself extends and operates itself». Besides, under the remark of the philosopher, «the state (civitas) is association of people under the aegis of legal laws».

From XVI century other interpretation of the state is formed. Its development is connected with a name of French scientist Z.Bodena (1530-1596). In work «Six books about the state» it has defined the state through concepts "sovereignty" and «the constant and absolute power of the state». It supervises over a generality of people, carries out this management by means of the sovereign power. The state the governor personifies, authorities.

The similar understanding of the state was defended also by T.Gobbs. The general power, capable to keep people in awe and by that to order their interactions to direct their aspirations for the public good, is concluded in the monarch. The monarch is an embodiment of essence of the state, its sovereignty, only it is capable to give the world subject and to provide their safety. Subsequently the state associated not so much with the governor, bureaucracy, the state device, how many with norms, relations, roles, procedures, institutes etc. So, марксисты, the states recognising presence only in классово the divided society, considered the state as the car for suppression of one class by another, as body to which is entrusted with the law observance, and in transitive from state to безгосударственному to a condition the period - as «the committee operating common causes».

The nature and social appointment of the state in a political science are understood ambiguously.

The theocratic theory

The theocratic theory considers the state as the Divine craft, being based on the thesis that «all power from God». The theocratic theory had under itself the real facts: the first states had religious forms (board of priests), the divine right gave to the government authority, and to state decisions - compulsion.

The patriarchal concept

The patriarchal concept treats the state as the big family in which relations of the monarch and its citizens are identified with relations of the father and members of a family. The state results from connection of sorts in tribes, tribes in a generality, the states. The monarch should care of the citizens, and those should obey the governor.

In XVII-XVIII centuries there is a contractual theory of an origin of the state. People with a view of reliable maintenance of the began to understand the state as the public contract, according to which

The natural rights, freedom, protection of the person and the property agree to create the state. Under the remark of French thinker D.Didro (1713-1784), «people have quickly guessed that if they will continue to use the freedom, the independence and impetuously to indulge in the passions position of each separate person becomes more unfortunate than if he lived separately; they have realised that each person needs to renounce a part of the natural independence and to obey will who would represent itself will of all society and would be, so to say, the general centre and point of a unification all of them воль and all of them forces. Such is an origin of sovereigns».

The Marxist theory (XIX century)

The Marxist theory (XIX century) explains an origin of the state society split on antagonistic classes owing to division of labour and private property occurrence. Economically the ruling class creates the state for submission to itself deprived. «The state, - underlined V.I.Lenin, - there is a body of class domination, body of oppression of one class another, there is a creation of" an order "which узаконяет and consolidates this oppression, moderating collision of classes».

According to supporters of the theory of violence, the state grows out of direct political action - internal or external violence, a gain. A consequence of a victory of the majority over minority or stronger tribe over weaker is the establishment the winner of the state. It becomes controls won. As a result of a gain arises not only the state, but also division of a society into classes, a private property.

In the considered theories one of aspects of social essence of the state is marked: it serves interests of a society and the person or acts as means of suppression by the propertied classes of the deprived. At certain stages of historical development the class nature of the state prevailed, however defining always was it общесоциальное appointment. If parties, movements express group requirements the state urged to represent general interest. The state acts as the major factor of social and economic and spiritual development of a society, integration of various groups round the conventional purposes. In this connection the state can be defined as the special form of the organisation of the political power in a society, possessing the sovereignty and exercising administration of a society on the basis of the right by means of the special mechanism (device).

Occurrence of the very first cities-states concerns to IV-III to millenia BC in Mesopotamia, in Mountain Peru etc.

However the term "state" has appeared only in XVI century It began to designate all state formations which were called before "republic", «a city community», «princely domination» etc. the Merit of introduction of concept of the state belonged N.Makiavelli using for a designation of the state the term «stato» (from an armour. «status» - "position", "status") which it united such concepts, as "republic" and «autocratic board». From now on the state and a civil society began to differ.