E-LESSON-6 POLITICAL SCIENCE-1

IDOL Institute of Distance and Online Learning ENHANCE YOUR QUALIFICATION, ADVANCE YOUR CAREER.

B.A.English 2 All right are reserved with CU-IDOL POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 Course Code: BAQ110 Semester: First SLM UNITS : 6 E-Lesson: 6 www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110)

POLITICAL SCIENCE-I 33 OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION . In this unit we are going to learn the theories of The student will be able to understand the the state :-The social Contract Theory, The Kinship Theories of the Origin of the State Theory and Evolutionary Theory The student will be able to understand the The student will also understand the theories on Theories of the Nature of the state the nature of the state:- The Juristic Theory, The Organismic Theory, The Mechanistic Theory and The Idealistic Theory . www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) INASllTITriUgThEt aOrFeDreISsTeArNveCdE AwNitDh OCNUL-IIDNOE LLEARNING

TOPICS TO BE COVERED 4 1. State : Meaning POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 2. Theories of the origin of the State (The Theory of Force, The Social Contract Theory, The Kinship Theory, The Evolutionary Theory, The Marxian Theory) 3. Theories of the Nature of the State (The Juristic Theory, The Organismic Theory, The Mechanistic Theory, The Idealistic Theory) www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

STATE : MEANING 5  The state is regarded as the central theme of political science. It is most universal and most powerful of all social institutions. It is a natural, necessary and universal institution.  In ordinary parlance the term ‘State’ is eased with a great deal of looseness and ambiguity. It has been erroneously eased as a synonym of ‘Country,’ ‘Nation’, ‘Society’ and ‘Government’.  But in political science the term ‘State’ has a definite and scientific meaning. In its scientific sense, it means a collection of human beings, occupying a definite territory under an organised government and subject to no outside control. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

6 THEORIES OF THE ORIGIN OF THE STATE  The origin of the state is one of the controversial topics in Political Science has given rise to much speculation by political scientists, who have expressed different view through their theories.  The Theory of Divine Origin, The Theory of Force, The Social Contract Theory, The Kinship Theory and The Evolutionary Theory are some of the fundamental theories www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE THEORY OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN 7 The Theory of Divine Origin is the oldest theory regarding the origin of the State. The Jews Old Testament contains the best defence in support of this theory. Statement of the Divine Origin Theory: The central idea of Divine Origin Theory is that the State is a divine institution. God had created the State.  God created human beings on earth, so he also created the State to live in. God is looked open as the immediate source of royal power. He appointed the king to rule on earth on behalf of him. Thus it is the supreme will of God that went into the creation of the State. This theory states that the God creater and ruler of the universe, created the State. The God also appointed the King to rule over the state. The King appointed by God is responsible to God alone. As the King is the representative or incarnation of God, it is the duty of all to obey him and resistence to his authority is sinful. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE THEORY OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN 8 The following are the notable features of Divine Rights of kingship: Monarchy is divinely ordained. The king is the direct descendant of God on Earth. The king derives his power from God and he is answerable to none except God. Hereditary right is indefeasible. Succession to the throne is governed by the Law of promogenture. It is the upper most duty of subjects to obey the King. Resistance in the authority of the King is a great sin. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE THEORY OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN 9 Evil Effects of the Theory: The Theory of Divine Rights of kings led to one of the darkest periods in the history of nations. Kingship became hereditary. This theory was responsible for the monstrous growth of royal absolutism. The will of the Monarch was law. Kings ruled according to their whims and caprices. This established in era of oppression and exploitation on people. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE THEORY OF FORCE 10 The Theory of Force is one of the oldest theory as to the origin of the state. The main idea of theory is that the state originated as a result of force. The primitive society was tribes. In this way the victorious clan or tribe established its authority and supremacy over the vanquished ones.  After subjugating one tribe or clan, the successful tribe proceed to bring other tribes or clans under his feet. In this process of one mightiest tribe absorbing other weakest tribes. The state came into existence. In other words, ‘might is right’ was a governing principle of primitive society. The force theory believes that the State emerged through physical coercion or compulsion. To put in a nutshell ‘War begot the state.’ www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE THEORY OF FORCE 11 Merits of the Theory: The Force Theory stands on following merits: There is a grain of truth that was and conquest have been responsible for the building up of the state. Force continues to be an indispensable element of the state. In fact, the state maintains huge army and forces to maintain its unity and integrity. This theory supports a sections of view of political scientists that law is obeyed because it is backed by force. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY 12 The most important speculative theory relating to the origin of the state is Social Contract Theory. It was the most popular and influential theory relating to the origin of the state and the nature of political authority during the 17th and 18th centuries. It had also played a very important part in the development of the modern political theory. The exponents of the theory hold that the state is the result of a deliberate and voluntary agreement (contract) entered into by primitive men who originally had no governmental organisation. So, this theory states that “the state is a product of contract, a handwork of the individuals, neither a creation of God nor the result of force.” www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY 13 The idea of contract is very old and goes back to the writings of Plato and Sophists of ancient Greece and Kautilya’s “Arthasatra” in the middle ages, Hooker a noted political philosopher also spoke of the idea of contract. However, the idea of the social contract in its modern form originated in the 17th and 18th centuries in the writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau.  These three celebrated political philosophers have given different versions of this theory in keeping with the changing circumstances of 17th and 18th centuries. There are five main points of their analysis i.e.: Human nature State of Nature Social Contract State and Sovereignty, and Relation of individuals and the state. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY 14 Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) Hobbes, who was said to be the product of the Civil War of 1642, has provided lucid description of the Theory of Social Contract in his book “The Leviathan” in 1651. The sovereign is the product of contract and secured a commanding position. The sovereign was above the contract as he did not enter into a contract with the subjects. The theory of Hobbes gave an absolute power to the sovereignty. The supreme power of sovereign has no limits. Sovereignty could be located in the hands of a few or many, but Hobbes favoured its location in the hands of one person. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE KINSHIP THEORY 15 The Patriarchal and Matriarchal theories, jointly known as the “Kinship theories” seek to explain the origin of the state in terms of the expansion of the family which is the oldest social organisation and basic unit of society.  According to the Kinship Theory the organisation of the state began in the primitive family. Family has got all the essential characteristics of the state, its members constitute population, its house represents the territory, the head of the family symbolises government, and its freedom from interference and sanctity of the household shows its sovereign character. To this theory, the state is nothing but on enlargement of the family. The family served the simplest and earliest link in the evolution of the most complex of all human organisations the state. Long back Aristotle believed that the state came into existence as a result of the natural expansion of family.  Thus family is regarded as the basis of origin of state but there were different of views regarding the trace of decent in the family. Some say it is father while other group took it as the mother. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE KINSHIP THEORY 16 Patriarchal Theory: Patriarchal Theory says, the origin of the state can be traced to group of families held together by the authority and protection of the eldest male descendant. In a patriarchal family descent is traced through males. The father or the patriarch occupies a dominant position in the family and all members pay respect to him. Matriarchal Theory: This theory as distinguished from the Patriarchal Theory, holds that matriarchal family is the earliest form of social organisation. Descent in such societies was traced through females. Evolving through a number of stages the matriarchal family ultimately gave rise to the state. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY 17 Among all the theories, so far as the origin of the state is concerned the Evolutionary or Historical Theory is the most important, well accepted and highly satisfactory.  In rejecting the earlier speculative theories, the Evolutionary Theory has dominated the Political Theory till now. According to this theory, “the state is neither the handwork of God, nor the result of superior physical force, nor the creation of resolution or convention, nor a mere expansion of the family.  It is the result of the long process of evolution for which many factors are responsible.” As Leacock has pointed out “The state is a growth, an evolution, the result of gradual process, running throughout all the known history of man and receding into remote and unknown past.” The state was not created at any single part of there. It is the product of a slow historical evolution extending over a long period. Just as Rome was not built in a day. So also the state was not built in a day. Slowly and imperceptibly the state developed from simple to a complex political organisation of the modern type. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MARXIAN THEORY 18 The Marxian theory of the origin nature and functions of the state is quite different from the liberal theories discussed earlier. Marxism is a socio economic and political philosophy of the working class.  Marxist theory not only challenges the basic concepts of liberal state but also emphases that it enslaves majority men of society for the realisation of its aims it is to be abolished or smashed without which the emancipation of common men will never be possible. However, a problem about academic analysis of Marxist theory of state is that no where Marx has methodically analysed the theory. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THEORIES OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE 19 The Juristic Theory: The Juristic or Judicial Theory, as the very name implies, embodies the point of view of jurists. This theory originated in the 19th century in the writing of a group of German thinkers like Stahl, Stein, Gerber, Lasson and later by Gierke, Treitschke, Bluntschli, Jellinek and others.  These writers regarded the state as a legal person having a distinct personality and will of its own. It exists to protect the rights. Life and property of the people by maintaining necessary law and order as well as legal basis.  The state can express its will in wards and acts and as the creator and possessor of rights. As a legal person the state can sue and be sued. It acts as guardian of public interests and represents the collective interests of the community. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THEORIES OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE 20 The Organismic Theory: The Organismic Theory or the Organic Theory of the state presents a biological conception of the state. It pictures the state as a living organism, a real person having organs that perform functions analogous to those of an animal or plant.  It views the individuals who compose the state as analogous to the cells of an animal or a plant. The Organismic Theory considers the state as the result of organic growth based on unity and interdependence among its constituent parts. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THEORIES OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE 21 The Mechanistic Theory: This theory of state may be contrasted with the Organismic Theory. It regards the state as a machine created by man for his own purposes rather than an organic growth.  This theory was a product of the scientific progress of the 17th century. This theory regards the state as a machine created by man for his own purposes.  The state is artificial and genuinely free creation of men and not natural growth. The exponents of the theory are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill. This theory looks upon the state as something made by man to suit his purposes. Men can drastically change the state and its apparatus to suit their conveniences. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THEORIES OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE 22 The Idealistic Theory: This theory of state variously known as the absolutist theory, the philosophical theory the ‘mystical’ theory and the metaphysical theory forms an integral part of the great tradition of philosophical idealism.  It had its origin in the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle as they assigned to the state all functions relating to over all development of the individual, his moral, physical and intellectual calibre. Plato and Aristotle regarded the state as natural and necessary. The 19th century idealists like Hegel, Green and Kant, etc. Have revived this theory. Hegel regarded the state as the march of God on earth. Green, Bosanquet and Kant considered the state as an all comprehensive, all powerful and all embarrassing institution. State is man’s best friend. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

SUMMARY 23 The Marxian Theory neglects the non-economic factors which contributed to the rise of state. It fails to explain the true nature of state. Marxism emerged as a scientific revolutionary philosophy which aimed at a perfect social order free from injustice and exploitation.  Generally speaking the idealistic theory regards the state as the supreme ethical institution which glorifies almost to the point of deification. This theory of state variously known as the absolutist theory. The Mechanistic heory of state may be contrasted with the Organismic Theory. It regards the state as a machine created by man for his own purposes rather than an organic growth.  The Organismic Theory or the Organic Theory of the state presents a biological conception of the state. It pictures the state as a living organism, a real person having organs that perform functions analogous to those of an animal or plant. The Juristic or Judicial Theory, as the very name implies, embodies the point of view of jurists. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. ‘The Leviathan’ is written by _______. 24 (A) Machiavelli (B) Hobbes (C) Jeremy (D) John Locke 2. ‘The Two Treatise on Government’ is written by ______ (A) Karl Marx (B) Hobbes (C) John Locke (D) Plato 3.‘The Social Contract’ is a famous book of _____________ (A) Locke (B) Seeley (C) Marx (D) Rousseau 4._______________ among following supports absolute sovereignty. (A) Hobbes (B) Jeremy (D) Seeley (C) Machiavelli  Answers: 1.(B) 2. (C ) 3.(D) 4.(A) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110)

Frequently Asked Questions 25 What do you mean by state of Nature? What is Social Contract? What was Hobbe’s views on Human Nature? What was Locke’s views on State of Nature?  What was Rousseau’s views on Sovereignty? Explain the Social contract theory regarding origin of the State. “State is a Product of Evolution”. Examine. Discuss Marxian views on origin of the state. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

REFERENCES 1. Asirvatham, Eddy, Political Theory, 1957. 26 2. Barkers, Earnest, Social Contract, 1946. All right are reserved with CU-IDOL 3. Garner J.W., Political Science and Government, 1955. 4.Gilchrist R.N., Principles of Political Science, 1961. 5. Gooch G.P., Political Thought in England. 6. Laski H.J., Political Thought in England. 7. Maclver R.M., The Modern State, 1950. 8. Sabine G.H., A History of Political Theory, 1957. 9. Suda J.P., Elements of Political Science, 1952. 10. Wayper C.L., Political Thought, 1974. 11. Willoughby W.W., The Nature of the State, 1907. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110)

27 THANK YOU www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BAQ 110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL