Understanding Theories of State and Democracy in Modern Society
Theories of State and Democracy in the world, with the rise of the bourgeoisie, were intended to establish theoretical bases of interests and a new interpretation of reality based on reason. For this, elaborate theories on reason intended to replace the previous theological world.
1. The Theocratic Alternative to Power
This concept supports the natural law that encourages the modern state, claiming that state legitimacy lies in the rational nature of man and is not derived from divine law.
2. Social Nature and Legitimacy
We analyze whether the state has a social nature or not, and connect the legitimacy of this social status.
3. Theoretical Reasoning in Political Philosophy
The political philosophy developed these contractarian theories, which are connected with the scientific method that Descartes proposed during the modernity of the seventeenth century, using the analytic-synthetic method. This involves:
- Analyzing reality into its basic elements.
- Reconstructing from them, developing a theory that gives meaning to the new way of understanding reality.
Contractarian theories do not purport to describe historical events or facts; they only intend to reflect on the elements that are the backbone of the state and society. Contractarian theories face a triple task:
- To think about the state of nature in relation to the socio-political community.
- To consider state-society connections.
- To reflect on the conditions and limits that support state-citizen relations, pointing out the limits of the state and the rights of citizens.
The Contract as Submission: Hobbes (1558-1679)
His work is called Leviathan, or the matter, shape, or power of an ecclesiastical or civil status.
- All reality, and therefore people and the state, are matter and motion.
- The state of nature describes the positional nature of man. All persons feel entitled to everything, and interests collide with one another, leading to confrontation. Therefore, every human is an enemy to the rest; “Man is a wolf to man.”
- The state is the solution to violence; it is a higher power that imposes common peace through a social contract with the following characteristics:
- Each individual supplies power.
- One chooses someone to represent the will of all.
- All powers are credited to impose peace.
- Security is provided by each person to every other person, not the sovereign who cedes absolute power.
- The relation of the sovereign power of the state regarding the company’s control over society is composed of subjects, not citizens.
Society can be defined as the coexistence in the framework of satisfying needs. One can distinguish at least two types of needs: basic needs like food, and more complex needs such as security and trade in products and activities of society. Society is a means to live as best as possible. Following Aristotle’s scheme, we can distinguish different social dimensions or levels. The most basic is the family, while the more complex is the city or the state. When we refer to the political nature of man, we refer to the needs we have to live in cities and states, and how society relates to life and the development of our skills for happiness.
Power, Legality, and Legitimacy in the States
Power is not a simple feature of some people; it is a form of relationship between persons that arises within a complex situation connected with elements such as force, violence, legitimacy, and acceptance. The power as a form of human relationship can be understood in two ways:
- A negative interpretation of power, presented as a form of oppression and domination or manipulation of some people over others.
- A positive interpretation of power, viewed as a rational relationship between equals aimed at developing a common goal.
In this case, power is linked to the concept of capacity to develop happiness. Max Weber defined the state as a relation of domination between people based on legitimate or legal violence. The definition of a legal interpretation of power legitimizes the state and extends its control over citizens and institutions. The soul of the state is the laws. A legal interpretation of power means that the state exercises this violence through laws and institutions. Modern liberal and social democracies provide a kind of state that acts as a social entity representing the rational and conservative interests of citizens to promote the proper development of individuals. These three concepts are connected but different. We say that something is legal if it conforms to the laws established in accordance with the law. We say something is legitimate when it is fair and just, and when our conscience tells us it must be so. In a democratic state, whose power represents the rational interests of the citizens, the government consolidates its power in legality, legitimacy, and justice. Examples include:
- Authority supported in “conformity” and the traditional recognition, such as in traditional monarchies.
- Authority based on the “power of charisma” in devotion to a person or hero (e.g., Mussolini, Chavez).
- Authority based on rational legitimacy in the state, which serves the interests of citizens.