The Development and Sustainability of the Concept of the State

Abstract

Introduction:The present paper is a research studies the concept of the state and examines its development and sustainability. In general, it is about analysing the concept in a way that it could be understood as an abstract concept through the history of political philosophy. It, moreover, will go under discussion in a way that the elements would be highlighted in more than one perspective. Here, state has been considered from different perspectives as a multi-dimensional and multi-aspect concept. This is to find the contractions and paradoxes in human thoughts and practices on the states. All of these could led the paper into a conclusion that can prove which the state as a concept is developing its appearances and manifestations, and preserving its essence and its core nature at the same time.Background of the Study: The concept of the state has always been the focus point to those who study politics; this is to an extent that politics has been defined as the study of state. The fact is that, the state still is what mainly shapes the life of individuals within a society and also the way that the international relations are functioning. This, simply, means that the state still is an undeniable and a functioning actor. Beside this sustainability, the state has been developed in terms of both its conceptual meanings and functional tasks. However, it is still almost what it was, as an abstract concept. Thus, it can be argued that the essence of the modern and contemporary state is almost the same as the ancient and medieval ones. The conceptual and technological developments of human life have re-designed and re-masked the state; however, it could not change its essence. Nowadays, while the four essential elements of state still are there, state has become a multi-aspect phenomenon which also embraces some more moral, legal, political and civic aspects. The Significance of the Research: The present study aims at analysing why and how the state remains as the same as it was, while almost everything has changed during these millennia. The research tries to rethink, if not redefine, the modern and contemporary understandings of the state as a concept. It discusses the related paradoxes of the concept of the state within philosophy, law and practical politics. In doing so, the research would argue how now statehood can be shaped and to what extent the power and interest of the others are having role in it. Thus, it evaluates the power, as main essence. These discussions would highlight the concept of the states in ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary era, as well as in international law and politics too. It is also about finding the real nature of the state, when it was shaped based on natural theories, developed by theocratic ones, then established by the social contract theories. The Questions: The paper would ask several questions, such as: to what extent the contemporary state could be considered as the extension of modern, medieval and ancient ones? What are developments that the state as a concept has expe...