What is a state? The term has been defined and understood in various ways throughout history, reflecting the evolving nature of human society. Sir Harold Laski describes the modern state as “a territorial society divided into government and subjects, claiming within the allotted physical area a supremacy over all other institutions.” This concept has its roots in the ancient Greek notion of the ‘City-state’ and has evolved into what we now recognize as the nation-state. As a central institution of social control, the state wields supreme authority within a defined territory, establishing laws and governance structures that shape the lives of its citizens. This article explores the evolution of the state as a unique form of social organization, tracing its origins and development through various historical contexts.
What is a State? The Expert Opinions
“The modern state,” as Sir Harold Laski defines it, “is a territorial society divided into government and subjects, claiming within the allotted physical area a supremacy over all other institutions.” While the ancient Greeks spoke of the ‘City-state’ (sometimes termed the polity), today we refer to the nation-state. As a distinctive form of human association, the state occupies a key position in the social distribution of power, ruling by means of a supreme government over a defined territory. As Max Weber stated, the state is “a human community which successfully claims the monopoly of physical force within a given territory.” As the supreme authority in society, the state lays down rules, or laws, which shape and determine the contours of our lives. Thus, the state is a unique institution of social control, establishing a legal order within which individuals and groups must operate. While there are ongoing debates regarding the exact process by which human groups evolved into political or legal entities, one clear conclusion is that the state is a product of society at a specific stage in its development.
The Notion of State among the Primitive
Historically, there have been societies—under the primitive communal and gentilic systems—that had no concept of state or formal government. In such systems, private property in the means of production did not exist. Primitive hunting communities were organized into tribes or large familial groups, where all members were equal, shared common interests, and were guided by common customs or norms. In these conditions, there was no need for any special governing machinery. The tribal community was typically led by elders who imposed sanctions for breaches of the collective norms. However, this tribal form of social organization did not wield any power that was separate from and stood above the society.
The concept of actual government understood as the formalization of rules, appears to date back to the rise of a pastoral economy and the institution of private property. Both of these developments created problems that called for stronger social controls and leadership—often under the authority of a single chieftain whose rule eventually became hereditary.
In a later period, the rise of an agricultural economy, coupled with an increase in population and social differentiation based on property ownership, necessitated the establishment of a specialized governing organization. This led to the emergence of an apparatus of political power that was no longer identical to the population but was separate from and superior to it. Thus, the state arose out of the social need for an organized system of binding rules and distinct enforcing agents. Legally, the state represents the manifestation of the social will, which is expressed through laws binding upon all within its territorial jurisdiction.