Divine Right Theory

o oldest theory on the origin of a state o the state was created by God and the rulers were ordained and given authority by God to govern the people o to oppose the divine rule is an act of heresy o The King does no wrong. o The king was subject to the judgement by God alone but not by his subjects or the people. (passive obedience) o unlawful exercise turns to tyranny

 Divine Right Theory

o opposed by the church/popes since they believe they are the rightful representatives of God o the people then questioned the kings authority saying he does not have the right to act irresponsibly and his duty is bound to respect the law of the land o able to enforce unity and discipline among the citizens

Social Contract Theory

o the state was formed thru an agreement (social contract) among men who lived in the state of nature o state of nature men lived together w/o anyone to enforce peace and order and settle conflicts o was made known by 3 political philosophers:

 Thomas Hobbes
o his theory was influenced by the civil wars

in England o state of nature is despicable, nasty and brutish hence man must submit their natural right to a great Leviathan who will bring peace, order and security. o The Leviathan holds absolute power and the people has no right to revolt or go against him o Men are so naturally mean and aggressive that only the strongest power in a state can hold and check mens violent impulses.

 Thomas Hobbes
o not really a social contract since no agreement between the ruler and the ruled o the ruler has no obligation towards his subjects at the same time they cannot limit the exercise of power of the ruler.

 John Locke
men are rational beings and can make use of the law of nature for their own good o in this social contract, voluntary consent is given to create the state whose purpose is to promote and preserve the rights to life, liberty and property of the people o this theory that man themselves gave up the state of nature to form a civil society
o

 John Locke
when the government does not serve its purpose anymore it can be removed or overthrown o man should retain natural and the authority to rule (sovereign power) should be given to the monarch but to the peoples representative. o man is not impartial to the shortcomings of friends o human frailty could lead to the abuse of power
o

 Jean Jacques Rousseau

a social community (true state) that possesses the general will is the rightful substitute of anarchy in a state of nature o whoever refuses to obey will be compelled to do so by the whole body o a direct democracy is the only free government o the government is a mere agency with delegated powers and can be withdrawn or abolished anytime
o

 Force Theory
o the state came into existence out of conquest, force or coercion o the strong conquerors consolidated or merged their territories o Only force rules. Force is the first law. o Might makes right doctrine o a government needs power to enforce the law so as to have security and stability o agreed to by Machiavelli and Hobbes

 Force Theory
o once the person who holds power loses it, he can be overthrown by the people through a revolution o it paves the way for superiority in the international community o "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

 Natural Theory
o the state is a natural institution that unified its citizens o man needs the state for a man living without the state is either a god or a beast. o the state is a living organism that grows o it is but natural for man in a state to join the activities because through it he grows and gets his needs

 Patriarchal Theory
o the state is a product of evolution which evolved from the smallest unit of society the family o prototype of this theory is the barangay

 Instinctive Theory
o the state was created because it is the natural inclination of man to be politically associated with others o association is for self-preservation and security o the state is good because it does not only develop man as a rational being and enhance his political involvement but also maximizes the peoples participation in politics

 Economic Theory
o the state is a product of mans economic wants o an isolated man cannot produce everything he needs, therefore he needs another to provide those needs o achieved through the exchange of goods and services o societies are formed because of the needs of man that can only be satisfied through cooperation

State, Government and Nation

A state cannot exist without a government

but a government can exist without a state. A state possesses permanence while government may change without affecting the state. A state is the ideal entity of political unity while the government is the instrument of this entity.

State, Government and Nation

A state is a juristic or political concept

while a nation is a racial or ethnical concept. A nation can exist without a state but if a state exist there is at least one nation A state may be made up of more than one nation. A state must have a government and territory but a nation does not need those to exist.