E-LESSON-5 POLITICAL SCIENCE-1

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B.A.English 2 All right are reserved with CU-IDOL POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 Course Code: BAQ110 Semester: First SLM UNITS : 5 E-Lesson: 5 www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110)

POLITICAL SCIENCE-I 33 OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION . In this unit we are going to learn the Marxian View about the state The student will be able to understand the meaning of a State from different thinkers/philosophers’ point of view The student will be able to understand the The student will also understand the Liberal views importance of force and law-order within a state about the state The student will be able to understand ht The student will also be able to understand importance of non-violence and individuals’ rights Gandhian view about the state in the state . www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) INASllTITriUgThEt aOrFeDreISsTeArNveCdE AwNitDh OCNUL-IIDNOE LLEARNING

TOPICS TO BE COVERED 4 1. State : Meaning POLITICAL SCIENCE-1 2. Marxian View About the State 3. Liberal View About the State 4. Gandhian View About the State www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) 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-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MARXIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 6  Karl Marx and his followers are known as Marxists. They clearly reject major propositions of the Liberal theories about the state. They believe that irrespective of how ‘Liberal’ or ‘democratic’ a state claims to be, it is mainly an instrument for the domination, oppression and exploitation of the economically weak class i.e., the class of poor by the powerful and dominant class i.e., the class of rich.  Briefly put, the state is principally a tool for the establishment and maintenance of the hegemony of the rich and the powerful over the poor.  Indeed in an antagonistic class society, the state is a political instrument, a machine for maintaining the rule of one class over another. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MARXIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 7 Marxists theory of state based on the framework of the material interpretation history and a historical approach which interconnects the substructure of society i.e., the mode of production and its corresponding production relations and the super structure of society, namely, the whole network of social, political, legal and intellectual life of society. Marxists believe that three major attributes of the state can be identified. These are: 1. It is a public power in contrast to the direct organisation of the armed people which existed in tribal society. 2. The state organisation of society presupposes the levying of taxes that are needed for the upkeep of the apparatus of power. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MARXIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 8 3. The subjects of the state are divided not according to blood relations but on the basis of territory. The power of the state is exercised directly over a creation territory and its population and this territorial division of people effects the development of economic ties and the creation of political conditions for their regulation. 4. For the Marxists, the state is primarily on instrument used by the class of wealth people for the suppression and domination of the ‘have-nots’ and it came into being only at a particular stage in the historical development of human society. 5. Marxism tells that the mode of production of the material means of life determines in general the social, political and intellectual processes of life. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MARXIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 9 6. Karl Marx says that according to the relentless law of history, a particular class owns and controls the means of production and by virtue of this exploits the rest of the people. 7. The capitalist class makes use of the state as an instrument of oppression and exploitation. Thus at every stage i.e., primitive communist stage, ancient stages, feudal stage and capitalized stage, there are broadly two classes. The owners of means of production and exploiters on one side and the exploited on the other. 8. Marx says that capitalism carries with it the seeds of its own destruction. Capitalism will destroyed by capitalists themselves and not by professional revolutionaries. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

LIBERAL VIEW ABOUT STATE 10 The individualistic theory comes under the Liberal view relating to the sphere of state action. The Liberal view stands for ‘Laissez Fair’ i.e., unrestricted free competition in economic and, later, political activities.  It began essentially as an economic doctrine to asset in the growth of emerging capitalism. However, the root of this theory may be traced back to the writing of the Greek sophists who advocated full freedom of the individual. John Locke, an English political philosopher of the 17th century, was the first modern writer to advocate liberalism. This theory came into prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries. Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer and F.A. Hayek are main modern exponents of this theory. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

LIBERAL VIEW ABOUT STATE 11 The liberalism is otherwise known as ‘the Laissez Fair Theory’. The term ‘Laissez Fair’ in the French language means ‘Let alone’ or ‘Leave alone’.  According to this theory the state should ‘Leave alone’ the individuals and should not interfere in the sphere of individual activities. It puts emphasis on individual happiness and prosperity.  It assumes that individual is the centre of activities in any social system.  The Liberal theory considers the state as a “necessary evil”. It is because it encroaches upon the freedom of individual. As it is an evil, it is better to have as little of it as far as possible www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

LIBERAL VIEW ABOUT STATE 12 The Liberal theory advocates maximum freedom of individual and minimum functions of the state. It supports the idea that “the state is best which governs the least”  The state is regarded as an aggressor rather than a protector of individual Liberty.  Liberalism stands for a police state.  Most of the Liberals allow the state to perform the following two categories of functions: A) Maintenance of law and order within the state B) Protection of individuals against the external aggression or internal rebellion. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

GANDHIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 13 Like the ‘Christian Fathers’ (except for Acquinas) and the ancient Hindu, Gandhiji looked upon the state as originating in the sins of man. But there was a difference between them.  The ancient Hindus and Christian fathers because of their assumption of the ‘natural wickedness of man’, recognised the necessity and value of the state and gave the state a place of respectability by entrusting it with the maintenance of law and order.  Gandhiji had tremendous faith in the infinite capacity of human nature to improve upon itself. Gandhiji was a philosophical anarchist who conceived a ‘state less idealist society’ based on truth and non-violence. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

GANDHIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 14 No-doubt Gandhiji and Marx toed the same line of thought i.e., ‘stateless society’, but with a difference. Marx envisaged a ‘stateless’ society but advocated a ‘transitional all powerful state’ with dictatorship of the proletariat who will be instrumental in establishing a ‘class-less’ and ‘stateless’ society. But Gandhiji admitted the existence of a transitional state with limited power and the society would be ‘state less’ gradually with the moral and spiritual development of the people.  Gandhiji, like Tolstoy was opposed to the existence of the state based on immorality and violence. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

GANDHIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 15 Accordingly Gandhiji drew the sketch of a new ‘Ideal society’ in which there will be freedom, spontaneity of action, truth and non-violence.  It will be a society free from oppression and exploitation as people have an abiding faith in God. Every social activity will be based on love, service and co-operation.  Like any other anarchist, Gandhiji also highlighted, individual freedom and total democracy.  But like other anarchists, Gandhiji never believed that the state will be abolished over-right by revolution.  He admitted that the idea of a classless and stateless non-violent society was unrealizable as “a government cannot succeed in becoming entirely non-violent because it represents all the people. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

GANDHIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 16  Gandhiji also discarded the idea of an all-powerful state.  Gandhiji laid emphasis on democracy in the villages where life is simpler, power diffused and the economy decentralised. Further he said that the existing system of direct election led to many evils like corruption manipulation etc. So he suggested that the panchayats should be organised to run the village administration.  Gandhiji did not rule out the need for ‘police force’ because in such a state also there may be anti- socials to create violence and break the law www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

GANDHIAN VIEW ABOUT STATE 17 No doubt Gandhiji’s views on state reflected his anarchist ideals but unlike other anarchists he was both a visionary and realist.  While allowing the state to remain in existence for a temporary period, he was assigned several duties to it. These duties are meant to promote the development of the individual.  If the state fails to perform these duties properly the individual shall have the right as well as duty to resist it.  The individual shall be right to resist the Law which has not been made by people or which violates public or private morals. If the government oppresses or harasses people, they will be right in resisting it. The individual has the right in disobey a government which supports dishonesty and terrorism. Gandhiji attaches supreme importance to the moral judgement of the individual in his state. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

SUMMARY 18 Gandhian view about state has similarity with Marxian view on state. Both favour the withering away of the state. Both of them also accept the inevitability of a transitional state. But both differ on the character of this transitional state.  According to Marx, the transitional state will be all powerful; it will be marked by the dictatorship of the proletariat. But, according to Gandhiji, the transitional state will have limited sources. On the other hand liberal view of the state is different from Marxian and Gandhian view.  Liberal thinkers consider state as a necessary evil. They admit the existence of state to protect the state from external aggression and internal rebellion and also to maintain law and order in the society. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 19 1. According to _____view the state is a necessary evil. (A) Marxian (B) Liberal (C) Socialistic (D) Gandhian 2. ______________view supports maximum individual freedom and minimum state action. (A) Marxian (B) Socialistic (C) Gandhian (D) Liberal 3._____________view considers state as a mean of class division and class-struggle. (A) Socialistic (B) Liberal (C) Gandhian (D) Marxian 4._______________ view on state believes in village republic. (A) Gandhian Unit-5 (BAQ110) (B) Liberal (C) Marxian (D) Socialistic Answers:1.(B) 2.( C) 3.(D) 4.(A) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL www.cuidol.in

Frequently Asked Questions 20 1.Q What do you mean by Laissez Fair? 2.Q What are the functions of the state as per the view of Liberal thinkers? 3.Q What do you mean by class struggle? 4.Q What do you mean by Dictatorship of proletariat? 5.Q What is village republic? 6.Q “State should be wither away” (Marxism) Explain. 7.Q “State is a necessary evil” (Liberal View) Examine. 8.Q Make a comparison between Gandhian view and Marxian view about the state. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

REFERENCES 21 1. M.P. Jain, Political Theory, Liberal and Marxian, 1985. 2. L.T. Hobhouse, Liberalism, 1911. 3. H.J. Laski, The Rise of European Liberalism, 1936. 4. G.H. Sabine, A History of Political Theory, 1963. 5. D. Deol, Liberalism and Marxism, 1979. 6. V.R. Mehta, Marxism in the Modern World, 1978. 7. Das Harihar, Indian Political Tradition. 8. Mohanty D.K., Indian Political Tradition. 9. Gokhale B.K., Political Science (Theory and Government Machinery). Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai, 1964. 10. Ray and Bhattacharya, Political Theory, 1964. 11. Marshruwala K.G., Gandhi and Marx, 1956. 12. Sharma, B.S., Gandhi as a Political Thinker, 1956. www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

22 THANK YOU www.cuidol.in Unit-5 (BAQ110) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL