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Political Science 1.
Political Science 1.
Since the begin of the political consciousness, men have always asked
themselves how did the state come into being? How has it developed?
Thinkers have given us various explainations and theories about the
origin and development of state. The reason was the knowledge of the
ancient history and the society did not exist in the past. When the
historical knowledge fails, men resort to speculations (Imaginations). So
the philosophers assumed about the causes and conditions in which the
state originated. They found various speculative theories of the origin
of state.
The study of speculated theories gives assistance in understanding the
truth. To examine and reject a fallacious theory is often a means of
arriving at the truth . As Leacock has rightly said that,
“ The rejection of what is false in the spaculative theories of the past
will aid in establishing more valid conclusions on the residual basis of
what is true”.
By discussing incorrect theories, we can discover the correct theories of
the origin of state.
The theories of the origin of state are :
1. PATRIARCHAL THEORY
2. MATRIARCHAL THEORY
3. THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN
4. THEORY OF FORCE
5. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY
6. THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT
One of the most powerful factors in the evolution of the state was the
rise in property or the need to regulate economic relations. It
transformed the partiarchal tribal groups into tribal states. It created
the need for authority which was able to define and enforce the rights
of families and individuals to the shares in land and property of the
settled community.
The growth of property created economic classes, based on inequality
of wealth. Adam Smith, the father of classical economics, writes,
“Where there is no property or at least no more than exceeds the
value of two or three days labour, civil government is not so
necessary”. Economically dominant classes became also politically
dominant and vice versa. In short, the rise of the state was determined
by the growth of property relations and classes.
WAR AND FORCE
War and force played an important role in the evolution of state. In the
beginning, might was right. In the ancient tribes, war began for the
economic purpose. War and wealth went hand by hand in the early
societies. War had a powerful influence on it, and the constant
warfares led to the rise of permanent leadership. When a tribe was
threatened by war, it had to choose a leader who would lead it against
its enemies. Thus the leader became the tribal chief. The successful war
leaders became kings and emperors. Thus military and economic
factors transformed the primitive patriarchal tribes into the ancient
territorial kingdoms.
THE POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS
The slow rise of political consciousness is also an essential factor in the
growth and development of the state. Political consciousness means
the the thought or knowledge of certain ends and purposes to be
attained through political organization (Such as the need for defense
and attack, the protection of life and property, the regulation of the
social relations of marriage and family and the need to maintain law
and order).