What is the Marxist and liberal approach towards the state? On what grounds the theoretical differences between them are premised? Explain.

Understanding the State: Marxist and Liberal Approaches

The state, as a political organization, is a subject of profound debate in political philosophy. Liberal and Marxist theories offer distinct lenses through which to understand its role, function, and purpose in society.

1. The Liberal Approach to the State

The liberal perspective views the state primarily as a neutral arbiter, a necessary institution created by individuals to protect their rights, maintain order, and facilitate a harmonious society.

• Origin: Social Contract Theory: Liberalism, drawing from thinkers like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes, posits that the state arises from a voluntary agreement or 'social contract' among individuals. People surrender some of their natural freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for security, protection of natural rights (life, liberty, and property), and the enforcement of laws.
• Nature: Limited Government and Rule of Law: Liberals advocate for a limited government, where state power is constrained by a constitution, separation of powers, and the rule of law. This ensures that the state does not become tyrannical and respects individual liberties.
• Role and Functions:
  • Protector of Rights: The state's primary role is to safeguard individual rights and freedoms from infringement by other individuals or the state itself.
  • Maintainer of Law and Order: It provides a framework for justice, resolves disputes, and enforces laws impartially.
  • Facilitator of Free Markets: Classical liberals endorse a 'laissez-faire' approach, where the state's intervention in the economy is minimal, allowing free markets to operate efficiently. Modern liberals, however, advocate for a welfare state, where the state actively intervenes to ensure social justice and provide public welfare.
  • Promoter of Public Welfare: In its modern iteration, the liberal state aims to create conditions for individual growth and prosperity, including education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
• Key Thinkers: John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith.

2. The Marxist Approach to the State

In stark contrast, the Marxist approach, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, views the state not as a neutral entity but as an instrument of class domination, serving the interests of the economically dominant class.

• Origin: Product of Class Antagonism: Marxists argue that the state emerged historically with the development of private property and the consequent division of society into antagonistic classes (e.g., bourgeoisie and proletariat). The state is seen as a mechanism to manage class conflict and protect the interests of the ruling class.
• Nature: Instrument of Class Rule: The state, under capitalism, is not neutral; it is inherently biased towards the capitalist system. Its laws, institutions, and coercive apparatus (police, military, judiciary) are designed to maintain the dominance of the bourgeoisie over the working class. As stated in the Communist Manifesto, "The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie."
• Role and Functions:
  • Legitimizing Exploitation: The state perpetuates economic exploitation by creating and enforcing laws that protect private property and facilitate capitalist accumulation.
  • Suppressing Dissent: It uses its coercive power to suppress any revolutionary activity or challenge to the existing class structure.
  • Ideological Control: The state also plays an ideological role, disseminating ideas that justify the capitalist system and maintain false consciousness among the working class.
• Future of the State: Withering Away: Marxists believe that after a proletarian revolution, a transitional 'dictatorship of the proletariat' will be established. Ultimately, with the abolition of class distinctions and the establishment of a communist society, the state itself will 'wither away' as it becomes unnecessary in a classless, stateless society.
• Key Thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Antonio Gramsci.

Grounds of Theoretical Differences

The theoretical differences between the Marxist and liberal approaches to the state are profound and are premised on contrasting foundational assumptions about society, human nature, and power. These can be summarized as follows:

Grounds of Difference	Liberal Approach	Marxist Approach
1. Origin of the State	Arises from a voluntary 'social contract' among rational individuals to protect natural rights and ensure order.	Emerged as a consequence of class divisions and private property; a tool to manage class conflict and maintain ruling class dominance.
2. Nature of the State	A neutral arbiter, impartial and standing above societal conflicts. It is a 'necessary evil' or a 'necessary good' for protecting individual liberties.	An instrument of class oppression, inherently biased in favor of the economically dominant class (bourgeoisie). It is a 'special repressive force'.
3. Purpose/Role of the State	To protect individual rights and freedoms, maintain law and order, provide public services, and promote the common good (especially in modern liberalism).	To perpetuate the capitalist mode of production, legitimize exploitation, suppress the proletariat, and ensure the reproduction of class relations.
4. Relationship between State and Society	The state is distinct from society, serving as its regulatory framework while respecting civil society's autonomy.	The state is deeply intertwined with and determined by the economic base (mode of production) of society, reflecting the interests of the ruling class.
5. View on Democracy	Champions representative democracy as the best system for reflecting the will of the people and protecting individual rights.	Critiques liberal democracy as 'bourgeois democracy,' a facade that conceals class rule and perpetuates economic inequality under the guise of political equality.
6. Future of the State	A permanent, evolving institution essential for societal stability and progress.	A transient institution that will 'wither away' after a proletarian revolution, leading to a classless, stateless communist society.
7. Conception of Freedom	Emphasizes individual freedom, liberty from state interference (negative liberty) and enabling conditions for self-realization (positive liberty).	Focuses on collective emancipation from economic exploitation and alienation, believing true freedom is only possible in a classless society.

These fundamental differences underscore the ideological chasm between liberalism and Marxism, with one legitimizing the state as a guardian of individual rights and the other de-legitimizing it as a tool of oppression.