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State as a Natural Institution - Aritotle || UPSC Mains GS-VI (Optional) Short Notes

Aristotle regards state as a natural institution for following reasons - 

  • State is created automatically by people as no people can can have a good life without being part of state. The following hierarchy may be formed to clarify this statement:
  • Other associations can only provide only a particular aspect of good life. But state provides good life as a whole.
  • Without society or state, a man is like other animals. 
  • 'State is prior to man'. Man is not a man if he is not a part of state.
    • to justify this statement, Aristotle gives examples as follows
      • Idea of 'Full' comes before the idea of 'half'.
      • 'hand' or 'foot' cannot be imagined without imagining 'body'. 
  • 'Man is by nature a political animal'. 
    • A man who is not in need of state is either beast or god. When animals live in group but their only purpose is survival. But is interested in having good life leads him to become a political animal.
  • 'Organic theory of the state' of Aristotle - 
    • Men are like organs and state like a body. Like different organs of a body perform different functions, different people perform different functions in the state. Their common interest lies in maintaining the social system. Just an organ cannot be imagined without body, in the same way, an individual cannot be imagined without state.
    •  

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