The Liberal and Marxist perspectives are very important in understanding the nature of the State’

Introduction

THE LIBERAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE STATE

The Liberal perspective of the State is based on the philosophy of Liberalism, which broadly represents freedom, modernity and progress. Emerging around the same period as that of the evolution of the modern States, it came to signify the attempt to define a private sphere independent of the State. Gradually, Liberalism became associated with the doctrine that freedom of choice should be applied to matters as diverse as marriage, community, religion, economic and political affairs. In fact, to everything that affects daily life (Macpherson, 1973). In this view, the world consists of free and equal individuals with natural rights. The concern of politics should be the defence of the rights of these individuals in a way that must enable them to realise their own capacities.

The Liberal and Marxist perspectives are very important in understanding the nature of the State

The mechanisms for regulating individuals, and pursuit of their 3 respective interests were to be the Constitutional State, along with private property, the competitive market economy and the family which was distinctly patriarchal. Liberalism is hailed for upholding the values of reason and toleration in the face of tradition and absolutism (Dunn, 1979). No doubt, Liberalism celebrated the rights of individuals to life, liberty and property, but liberal individual was generally the property owning male and the new freedoms were first and foremost for the men of the new middle classes. It is notable that the Western world was liberal first and only later, that too after extensive conflicts, it became democratic, when universal franchise became the norm all over.

The Liberal and Marxist perspectives are very important in understanding the nature of the State

Broadly, a Liberal conception of the individual and the State consists of at least four basic elements. First, it is individualistic. It asserts the moral primacy of the person against the claims of any social collectivity. Second, it is egalitarian. It confers on all individuals the same moral status and denies relevance to any legal and/or political order of difference in moral worth among human beings. Third, it is universalistic. It affirms the moral unity of human species and accords a secondary importance to specific historical associations and cultural forms. Fourth, it is meliorist. It acknowledges the corrigibility and improvability of all social institutions and political arrangements (Gray, 1986).

THE MARXIST PERSPECTIVE

The Marxist Perspective, also commonly regarded as the class theory of State, is basically a perspective, which has evolved from the writings of Karl Marx and Freiderick Engels and some other classic Marxist theoriticists such as Vladimir Lenin, L. Trotsky and A. Gramsci. It is worth remembering here that Marx did not offer a theoretical analysis of the State as such. His work on the State comprises a fragmented series of philosophical reflections, contemporary history, journalism and incidental remarks. It is not surprising, therefore, that Marx rarely focused directly on the complex concept of State.

The Liberal and Marxist perspectives are very important in understanding the nature of the State

From the beginning, Marx made it clear that the point is not to contemplate or interpret the world, or the State, but to change it. Therefore, it is difficult to acquire any clear unitary theory of the State from the diverse writings of Marx and Engels themselves. More so, because the emphasis of Marxism has not been to understand the State in itself, but rather to explain it as a result of a more fundamental reality, which is usually economic in character. Thus, it is the functional role of the State within the economy, rather than its Constitutional or institutional form, which is significant.

Basically, Marxism is a ‘praxis’ philosophy mostly responding to immediate events and issues. The closest Marx ever comes to a systematic treatment of the State is in his early work, “Introduction to a Critique of Hegal’s Philosophy of Right”, but there too, he engages in mainly negative criticism.

The Liberal and Marxist perspectives are very important in understanding the nature of the State

It is intrinsic to Marxist perspective that the State is seen as a universal but temporary phenomenon which ultimately has to be done away with. Most of the Marxist writings have been directed to the fact that the ultimate end of history and class struggle is Communism, which has to be a Stateless condition. Despite such theoretical constraints, there is one central concept in Marxist theorising about the State – the idea of class (Ostrom, 1974). The State is seen as the expression or condensation of class relations, which implies a pattern of domination and oppression that are other general elements of Marxist perspective.

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