Philosophy of Society

Political Philosophy (Theory of the State)

Functions of the State

The question of what functions a state ought to perform is a lively subject of debate within political philosophy. The role that the state is to play in various aspects of human life is determined by political ideology. Proponents of liberal ideologies argue that the state should assume a minimal role in people's lives. The functions of the state should be reduced to that of a policeman, who intervenes only when someone breaks the law; in the absence of wrongdoing, the policeman is unnecessary. Similarly, in liberal ideologies, the state is tasked with limiting any violations of the law and protecting the interests of the people and the integrity of the state, but it should not intrude into those areas of life where civil society can manage independently. Thus, religion, the economy, education, civic engagement, culture, science, and other spheres of social life should remain entirely free from state interference.

Conversely, advocates of protectionist ideologies contend that the state should set the tone across all facets of the populace's life. The government must oversee the education system, develop religious policies, shape the cultural agenda, and establish norms for civic participation, among other responsibilities. Representatives from all political camps agree that the state must maintain a monopoly over law-making, the military, taxation, the judicial system, policing, the penitentiary system, foreign policy, the safeguarding of democratic principles in nation-building, currency issuance, and customs control—essentially, all domains whose protection is indispensable for the free and stable life of the populace. To fulfill these functions, the state’s own institutions must be of high quality. The centuries-old European tradition of statecraft demonstrates that a prerequisite for state development is the separation of powers and the non-interference of one branch of power in the competencies of another. There are three branches of power: legislative, judicial, and executive. This division was first established by the United States Constitution in 1787, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, and the French Constitution in 1791.