At all times people aspired to knowledge. First of all, mankind wanted to know about its origin. In the process of learning, people understood that the whole world around them was built much more complicated than it might seem at first glance. At the same time, society is a constituent element of an even more complex structure, namely the state. It is as part of this large mechanism that humanity lives, creates masterpieces, fights, evolves, and more. Society and the state are inextricably linked, so the study of the latter should be as detailed as possible. Perhaps, through knowledge of the state, people will be able to unravel the mysteries of their origin.
The state and the process of studying it
At its core, the state is a complex socio-political formation that has a number of factors inherent only to it, namely:
- sovereignty;
- political power;
- specific control apparatus;
- territory;
- apparatus of coercion.
In other words, the state is a form of social interconnection. Thisthe mechanism appears as a result of the activity of the person himself. Simply put, the state comes from society, and not vice versa. In the process of studying the state, many scientists put forward different versions of the origin of this socio-political mechanism. Thus, certain theories appeared, each of which in its own way explains the process of the emergence of the state. One of these theories was put forward by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. The patriarchal theory of the origin of the state, invented by him, has a number of characteristic features, which will be discussed below.
What are theories of the origin of the state?
There are many theories that reveal the process of the origin and evolution of the state. In each of them the same thing is considered, from the position of different points of view. Any theory proves that the state is a socio-political formation, however, in each theory, different ways of society's arrival to it are presented. This complex mechanism is a product of the evolution of humanity and its consciousness.
It follows that any theory of the origin of the state, patriarchal or any other, is a framework that considers one common factor in the evolution of society - the state.
The history of the formation of the patriarchal theory of the origin of the state
Practically all the concepts that provide theories of the origin of the state originate from the 17th - 18th centuries, when humanity was on the verge of a transition to a new era. Nevertheless, there is a theory of the origin of the state, the patriarchal basis of which originated inancient Greece and Rome.
Her popularity in those distant times was due to the trends that existed in society. In both Roman and Greek society, the male figure was the key. A man was considered a man and a full citizen. Such paternalistic trends led to the emergence of patriarchal theory. Looking ahead a little, it should be said that the patriarchal theory implies a psychological predisposition of society to unite. In this sense, the father and the state are identified with the father and the family. Religion played an important role in the development of patriarchal theory. Religious beliefs largely explained the features of this theory, especially during the Middle Ages. Representatives of the patriarchal theory of the origin of the state were sure that initially, God granted royal power to Adam, thereby making him Pater (head of the family).
The essence of the patriarchal theory of the origin of the state
The whole concept is based on the belief that the state arose from a large family, and the power of a sovereign, king or king - from paternal power in the family.
The whole idea is built on the fact that people by nature are creatures that need to be united. The desire to create one family is their natural attraction, in other words, a hereditary factor. Patriarchal theory of the origin of the state, the author of which is consideredAristotle explains the fact that mankind has constantly created families, which later developed into a state. This evolution occurred due to the large number of families. In order to provide more competent management and control, the usual power of the father has evolved into a form of state government.
According to the patriarchal theory, the relationship between the ruler and society should be based on the principle of "family - father." At the same time, we are talking not only about the sole power of the monarch or king, but about the administrative apparatus as a whole. Indeed, even in the time of the ancient Romans, there was a democratic system of government.
Paternalist theory
The theory of the origin of the state, the patriarchal essence of which has become tougher over time, has been transformed into a new concept - paternalistic. The essence of the latter is that it directly correlates the state and the family. At the same time, no deviations from this main concept are allowed. The head of state, regardless of the political system and form of government, is always the father, and the state itself is the country. A similar theory was advanced by Confucius.
In his opinion, government should be based on the following virtues:
- taking care of the younger ones;
- respect by younger elders;
The paternalistic theory was very much confirmed during the existence of the Russian Empire. Relations in the state were built on faith in the king-father.”
Patriarchal Theory – Pros and Cons
Of course, the theory of the origin of the state, the patriarchal essence of which creates the construction "father - seven", in many ways sheds light on the fact of the emergence of the state. Historical evidence of this concept exists, since initially the social system was on the verge of a tribal community. However, it is impossible to directly identify modern states with an ordinary family, since the internal processes, the apparatus of power and other structures of the state are many times more complicated than in an ordinary family.
So, the patriarchal theory gives a detailed description of the fact of the origin of the state, but in the process of human evolution it has ceased to be a key one. It cannot be said that it is fundamentally wrong, there is a rational grain, but in general it cannot be called the main one.
