The Relation between State and Society According to Karl...

The Relation between State and Society According to Karl Marx The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie. (1) This is the clearest assertion of the basic tenet of Marxist theory of the state. The state acts in the interests of the dominant class. Marx never elaborates on the topic of the state - the task of putting forward a full theory of the state was one the aims of the incomplete Das Kapital. In order then to find a Marxist theory of the state, modern scholars must piece one together from the references scattered throughout Marxs work. The above quote, however, is by far the most succinct way of putting forward the basic message of a Marxist theory of the†¦show more content†¦It exists to serve the interests of society as a whole. Conversely, Civil Society expresses the interests of individuals. It consists of the private relations between individuals within the laws and regulations of the Political State. All these relations can be seen as being motivated by self-interest. This includes non-political institutions such as the Corporation and marriage. According to Hegel, Civil S ociety and the Political State are organically connected. He claims that Civil Society is based upon the rules and regulations of the Political State. The purpose of this is to make sure that the individual actors in Civil Society act in accordance with the interests of society as a whole. Hegel sees social change as the result of disharmony between the Political State, Civil Society and the ethical values of society. This disharmony requires a shifting of these three areas in order to regain social stability. As the Political State is the area under direct influence of man, the State is the area which adjusts to fit changing society and values. It can be seen that Hegels ideas greatly influenced those of Marx. Like Hegel, Marx sees the Political State and Civil Society as separate, but claims the causal relation between them is in the opposite direction. Instead of society forming under and in accordance with the laws of the State, Marx claims that the actions of the state are dete rmined by society. The function of theShow MoreRelatedThe Views of Marx Weber, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim on Religion 1475 Words   |  6 PagesMarx Weber, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim Ordinarily, religion is one of the rationales of social orientations, that in one way or another influences the society’s social stability. This is because religion is the impelling force for regulations in the society as well as a destabilizing drive for transformation. Marx Weber together with Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim were very influential personalities in the course of the 19th century, and even now. 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