give an account of marxian theory regarding the origin of state
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Answer:
Marx, Engels and their supporters (particularly Lenin) had no faith on the social contract
theory as the origin of state. They have observed the origin from a materialistic’ viewpoint
which emphasises that though the state is the formation of man, behind this there is no
emotion, idea but the influence of material conditions which they termed as economic
conditions.
They have divided the development of society into old communist social system, slave
society, feudal society and industrial society. In the old communist society, there was no
state because there was no existence of private property. The system of private property
worked as a potential cause of the rise of state. The owners of private property felt
insecurity as to its protection and they felt the requirement of a super power which could
provide protection eventually.
1. As soon as there was private property, two classes of men there appeared such as one was
the owner of property and the other was without property.
2. The conflict between them became prominent. Property owners wanted to subjugate the
other class.
3. Property owners formed a force within the society and this force ultimately assumed the
status of state.
Marx and Engels have established that the state for all practical purposes, was set up in the
slave society. Because in the slave society, there were mainly two classes, the owners of
slaves and the slaves themselves. The owners of the slaves required an organisation to
control and dominate slaves.
Engels in his The Origin of Family, Private Property and State has intricately analysed the
origin and development of state. The state is not something originated from the society. It is
the product of society. It is quoted that “The state is, by no means, a power forced on society
from without Rather it is a product of society at a certain stage of development”.
People living in society laid the foundation of state for the realisation of their class interests.
Engels in this book has firmly stated that the interests of the owners of property are at
completely opposite to those who are not the owners; because of this there were rattles of
interests between these two classes and the interests were irreconcilable.
Simultaneously, there developed a hostility between these two classes and again this
antagonism could not be settled. All these led to a situation which necessitated a state
structure. The owners of the property came to be regarded as a separate class whose only
aims were to control the persons who were not the owners of property and to develop a
mechanism to help the property owners. The state in this way was created as a public power.
The man-made state had two main functions that include to provide security to the owners
of wealth or owners of means of production and to collect taxes from the members of
society. Engels has observed that though the state is the product of society, gradually but
steadily it became the owner of huge power and it stood above society.
But though the state stood above the society, it was always responsive with the owners of
property. It is to conclude that the state is the outcome of human contrivance and was made
with specific aims. According Marx and Engels, the origin of the state has nothing to do
with the social contract or the divine right theory. They have analysed the origin from
materialistic standpoint.