Establishing a State: A Vital Necessity

For many, the presence of the state is so natural that we do not question its occurrence. However, if you think carefully, the state has not always been with humanity. The nation only started 5,500 years ago in the Mesopotamian region; it has a short history since humans first emerged around 2 million years ago. If you only count the modern state we usually think of, its history becomes more brief. 

Then, why did the state come into existence? According to the philosophers, we artificially made the state to guard ourselves. In 'The Republic,' Plato argues that we formed the state because we are not self-sufficient. We need others to help us. It became relatively truer in the modern pluralized society we live in. Imagine what would have happened if all the farmers, police, or factory workers had gone. Plato continues that for a state to have a just and harmonious social order, it must have a moral foundation led by a philosopher-king. While critics have raised concerns about authoritarian elements of Plato's vision, his emphasis on happiness for all and the claim that the state should have morals remains timeless. 

The theory of social contracts also claims that we formed the state with a purpose. Famous philosophers of this theory include Hobbes and Locke. Hobbes asserted that the state of nature, the status before the nation, is nothing but chaos. It is where the famous phrase the war of all against all comes from. To defend ourselves, we gave the king, the leviathan, the responsibility of protecting us. While the critics of Hobbes have condemned his idea of the state for advocating an autocratic region, it is noteworthy that the essential role of the state is to ensure the safety of its citizens. 

Locke emphasizes the rights of individuals more. Locke asserts that while humans have freedom in the state of nature, we can also hurt each other for our benefit. According to Locke, people entrust a ruler with their rights so that we avoid this situation. Unlike Hobbes, he sets a safety net in preparation for the state violating people's rights. He advocates for a limited government formed with the consent of the governed, where citizens can revolt if the ruler abuses his authority. 

However, as Locke emphasizes individual freedom and the right to possess, critics argue that his idea could lead to inequality and does not adequately address the needs of the less fortunate. Indeed, excessive freedom resulted in social problems such as human rights violations of workers. Scholars like Marx fulminated the state as an instrument of the ruling class. He believed that true morality is in a classless society where we collectively own the means of production, insisting that the state would someday vanish. Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakunin had a more unfavourable view of the state. He argued that the means of production should not belong to the state as all states eventually lead to oppression.

Besides the controversy around their criticism of capitalism being legitimate, abolishing the state seems impossible in the current condition. Even if we somehow manage to revolt against the bourgeoises, as seen in the case of the Soviet Union, the dictatorship likely continues. But it is not like we can ignore human rights violations by the state either. 

The possible solution here is to have a democratic government that considers economic, social, and cultural rights. Economic, social, and cultural rights, also known as ESCR, is a right to demand the government adequate food, adequate housing, education, health, social security, take part in cultural life, water and sanitation, and work. In a welfare state that ensures ESCR, the government plays a central role in reducing poverty, improving public health, and fostering social cohesion. It exemplifies a commitment to social justice, recognizing that the strength and prosperity of a nation are measured not just by its economic indicators but by the well-being and dignity of its citizens. 

The morality of the state is a multifaceted philosophical issue, and different philosophers have presented diverse perspectives. Plato stresses the importance of a just and harmonious social order, Hobbes emphasizes the need for a strong central authority to maintain order, Locke champions individual rights and limited government, and Marx critiques capitalism and envisions a classless society. These perspectives continue to shape contemporary debates about the role and morality of the state, underlining the enduring significance of these philosophical inquiries. Ultimately, the state, in its various forms, remains a potent vehicle for moral progress, social order, and the realization of the common good.