THEORIES OF THE

STATE
By Danilo R. Reyes
Professor
National College of Public Administration and
Governance
University of the Philippines
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE NATURAL THEORY – THE STATE WAS
ESTABLISHED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
BASICALLY GOOD AND SOCIAL BEINGS BY
NATURE.
 THEY GATHER TOGETHER, AND INTERACT TO
FORM A COMMUNITY. THE RESULTING FORMAL
ORGANIZATION OF THIS COMMUNITY IS THE
STATE.
 AMONG THOSE WHO ESPOUSED THIS BELIEF
ARE ARISTOTLE, THOMAS AQUINAS, JEAN
JACQUES ROUSSEAU AND EVEN BENITO
MUSSOLINI.
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE FORCE THEORY – THE STATE WAS
CREATED BY CONQUEST AND FORCE,
GROWING OUT OF THE FORCEFUL IMPOSITION
OF THE STRONG OVER THE WEAK.
 BUT WHILE FORCE CREATED THE STATE,
RATHER THAN BEING EVIL, IT FURTHER
DIGNIFIED THE STATE (TO FORM THE
CONCEPT OF STATISM).
 AMONG THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THIS
PROPOSITION ARE FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE AND
GEORG HEGEL.
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE DIVINE THEORY – THE OLDEST OF THE
THEORIES ON THE ORIGINS OF THE STATE,
THIS ASSUMES THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE GOD’S
CHOSEN ONES, AND HAVE BEEN ORDAINED TO
FORM AND LEAD THE STATE.
 IT JUSTIFIED THE THEORY OF THE TWO
SWORDS (SPIRITUAL AND SECULAR POWERS).
 THE CHURCH PROPAGATED THIS VIEW AND
ADHERENTS INCLUDE ST. AMBROSE, ST.
AUGUSTINE AND POPE GREGORY THE GREAT .
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS THEORY –
THIS PROPOSITION ENHANCED THE DIVINE
THEORY BY CLAIMING THAT ALL POWER COME
FROM GOD, AND THAT MONARCHS HAVE BEEN
CHOSEN AND VESTED WITH POWER TO RULE
OVER ORDINARY PEOPLE.
 THERE ARE NO LIMITS ON THE MONARCH’S
POWER.
 AMONG THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THIS
THEORY ARE JEAN BODIN, MARTIN LUTHER
AND JOHN CALVIN.
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY –
THIS THEORY PROVIDES THAT PEOPLE
MADE AN AGREEMENT TO CREATE THE
STATE AND AGREE TO A SOVEREIGN FOR
THEIR OWN BENEFIT AND PROTECTION.
 AMONG THOSE WHO DEVELOPED THIS
PROPOSITION ARE THOMAS HOBBES
AND JOHN LOCKE.
 THEORIES OF THE STATE
 THE MARXIST VIEW – THE STATE IS AN
INSTRUMENT OF THE RULING CLASS
ESTABLISHED TO PERPETUATE ITS POWER
AND EXPLOIT AN OPPRESSED CLASS.
 THIS VIEW WAS DEVELOPED BY KARL MARX TO
SUPPORT HIS ADVOCACY OF THE CLASS
STRUGGLE AND THE SUBSEQUENT WITHERING
OF THE STATE.

Source: Baradat. 1994. Political Ideologies, Their Origins and Impact . pp. 45-50.
THEORIES OF THE STATE
THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY!