state | Definition, History, Figures, & Facts | Britannica

The state is a form of human association distinguished from other social groups by its purpose, the establishment of order and security; its methods, the laws ... state Sections&Media Article IntroductionHistoricalconceptionsGreekandRomanprecedentsMachiavelliandBodinHobbes,Locke,andRousseauHegelBenthamandMarxContemporaryviews FastFacts 2-MinSummary RelatedContent Media Images AdditionalInfo MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Politics,Law&Government Politics&PoliticalSystems state sovereignpoliticalentity Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. 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ExternalWebsites BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. stategovernment-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) stategovernment-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica | ViewEditHistory FastFacts 2-MinSummary Raphael:detailfromSchoolofAthens Seeallmedia RelatedTopics: internationalrelations constitution sovereignty utopia city-state ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ state,politicalorganizationofsociety,orthebodypolitic,or,morenarrowly,theinstitutionsofgovernment.Thestateisaformofhumanassociationdistinguishedfromothersocialgroupsbyitspurpose,theestablishmentoforderandsecurity;itsmethods,thelawsandtheirenforcement;itsterritory,theareaofjurisdictionorgeographicboundaries;andfinallybyitssovereignty.Thestateconsists,mostbroadly,oftheagreementoftheindividualsonthemeanswherebydisputesaresettledintheformoflaws.InsuchcountriesastheUnitedStates,Australia,Nigeria,Mexico,andBrazil,thetermstate(oracognate)alsoreferstopoliticalunitsthatarenotsovereignthemselvesbutsubjecttotheauthorityofthelargerstate,orfederalunion.HistoricalconceptionsGreekandRomanprecedentsThehistoryoftheWesternstatebeginsinancientGreece.PlatoandAristotlewroteofthepolis,orcity-state,asanidealformofassociation,inwhichthewholecommunity’sreligious,cultural,political,andeconomicneedscouldbesatisfied.Thiscity-state,characterizedprimarilybyitsself-sufficiency,wasseenbyAristotleasthemeansofdevelopingmoralityinthehumancharacter.TheGreekideacorrespondsmoreaccuratelytothemodernconceptofthenation—i.e.,apopulationofafixedareathatsharesacommonlanguage,culture,andhistory—whereastheRomanrespublica,orcommonwealth,ismoresimilartothemodernconceptofthestate.TherespublicawasalegalsystemwhosejurisdictionextendedtoallRomancitizens,securingtheirrightsanddeterminingtheirresponsibilities.WiththefragmentationoftheRomansystem,thequestionofauthorityandtheneedfororderandsecurityledtoalongperiodofstrugglebetweenthewarringfeudallordsofEurope.MachiavelliandBodinItwasnotuntilthe16thcenturythatthemodernconceptofthestateemerged,inthewritingsofNiccolòMachiavelli(Italy)andJeanBodin(France),asthecentralizingforcewherebystabilitymightberegained.InThePrince,Machiavelligaveprimeimportancetothedurabilityofgovernment,sweepingasideallmoralconsiderationsandfocusinginsteadonthestrength—thevitality,courage,andindependence—oftheruler.ForBodin,hiscontemporary,powerwasnotsufficientinitselftocreateasovereign;rulemustcomplywithmoralitytobedurable,anditmusthavecontinuity—i.e.,ameansofestablishingsuccession.Bodin’stheorywastheforerunnerofthe17th-centurydoctrineknownasthedivinerightofkings,wherebymonarchybecamethepredominateformofgovernmentinEurope.Itcreatedaclimatefortheideasofthe17th-centuryreformerslikeJohnLockeinEnglandandJean-JacquesRousseauinFrance,whobegantoreexaminetheoriginsandpurposesofthestate.NiccolòMachiavelliNiccolòMachiavelli,oiloncanvasbySantidiTito;inthePalazzoVecchio,Florence.MondadoriPortfolio/agefotostockHobbes,Locke,andRousseauForLockeandRousseau,aswellasforLocke’sEnglishpredecessorThomasHobbes,thestatereflectedthenatureofthehumanbeingswhocreatedit.The“naturalcondition”ofman,saidHobbes,isself-seekingandcompetitive.Mansubjectshimselftotheruleofthestateastheonlymeansofself-preservationwherebyhecanescapethebrutishcycleofmutualdestructionthatisotherwisetheresultofhiscontactwithothers.ForLocke,thehumanconditionisnotsogloomy,butthestateagainspringsfromtheneedforprotection—inthiscase,ofinherentrights.Lockesaidthatthestateisthesocialcontractbywhichindividualsagreenottoinfringeoneachother’s“naturalrights”tolife,liberty,andproperty,inexchangeforwhicheachmansecureshisown“sphereofliberty.”JohnLockeJohnLocke.©EverettHistorical/Shutterstock.comRousseau’sideasreflectanattitudefarmorepositiveinrespectofhumannaturethaneitherHobbesorLocke.Ratherthantherightofamonarchtorule,Rousseauproposedthatthestateoweditsauthoritytothegeneralwillofthegoverned.Forhim,thenationitselfissovereign,andthelawisnoneotherthanthewillofthepeopleasawhole.InfluencedbyPlato,Rousseaurecognizedthestateastheenvironmentforthemoraldevelopmentofhumanity.Man,thoughcorruptedbyhiscivilization,remainedbasicallygoodandthereforecapableofassumingthemoralpositionofaimingatthegeneralwelfare.Becausetheresultofaimingatindividualpurposesisdisagreement,ahealthy(noncorrupting)statecanexistonlywhenthecommongoodisrecognizedasthegoal.Jean-JacquesRousseauJean-JacquesRousseau,undatedaquatint.TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork;theElishaWhittelseyCollection,theElishaWhittelseyFund,1975(accessionno.1975.616.11);www.metmuseum.org LoadNextPage