The State

The more tribal or primitive a society is, the less everyone is able to live the good life. We see that the woman, in order to nurture, has to work as a slave and do her part while the men go out to defend and hunt. Neither male or female can enjoy the good life or a life of leisure since providing necessities takes up all their time and defines their role in life. But when families get together and help one another, the burden becomes lighter for everyone. This becomes a village. The first rule that comes out of a village is the monarchy, with a chief or a king, since the father and eldest in families naturally end up making the decisions in a similar way they would in a family.

When the society has a king, they will assume their gods rule in the same way. It is natural to look to a higher power as similar to themselves and cultures, as a rule, will match the authority of their gods with their present view of hierarchy. If a society remains primitive, it will remain primitive. If it becomes a just society, the view of god will change to where he is just too.

As villages join in confederations, the unit becomes a state. Forming a state is the natural course for humans. Animals don't contemplate, organize and negotiate with language on the level that humans do. So we can say with certainty that forming a state is what comes natural to humans. It is a part of the inherent nature of man. When reasoning ability is at its peak performance, men will form states that make each other's lives easier. Aristotle claims that man is a Political Animal. In the same way that good character depends on virtue, there is also virtue in politics, the good of a society.

Men who avoid politics and go out on their own usually do so out of bitterness, anger or wanting to avoid responsibility. But it is obvious by nature that humans perform at their best when there is cooperation. People who live in the wild with no human association will become vicious since their only concern is survival. Without others, there can be no virtue practiced and without virtue, there is a poor concept of justice. Man by nature needs social interaction and the ultimate interaction is a state. It is where justice is practiced and the details are negotiated among men. Justice is the bond of men in a state.

Presently as our population has grown, some ascribe to the theory that this principle continues on to the entire population and we should work toward a one world government. Others observe that the further the governing authority is from the individual, the less it serves their needs and the more corruption affects everyone. The founders of the United States sought a compromise where the states determined justice for themselves while a federal government would keep them all in unity. The debate goes on today as to how much authority should be given to a distant government and how it affects the well-being of the citizens in a state. It is a debate that has gone on in various forms throughout the centuries after this was written.

We will continue and look at how we form units of authority and their purpose in book three.