In ancient Greek political thought takes the form of theories, with their inherent features and system integrity. Life insurance policy, or city-state, requires development of tools, methods of living together of individuals and groups with different interests. The policy lesson in politics was the right and duty of all free citizens. The concept of citizenship had different meanings.
Aristotle considered the desire of people for living together and for a political dialogue as natural. According to Aristotle, the individual is a political entity, which means that it social and carries the instinctive desire to ‘joint cohabitation’. But it should be noted that Aristotle did not separate the idea of a society and the idea of the state. The first result of the social life he considered family education, such as husband and wife, parents and children, etc. The need for mutual exchange of communication led to families and villages. Thus the state arose.
Aristotle identified three main layers of citizens: a very wealthy, very poor and the middle, standing between them. Aristotle was hostile to the first two social groups. The state arises only when the communication is created for the sake of the good life between families and clans, for the sake of the perfect life. In the opinion of Aristotle, the poor and the rich are in the state of elements that are diametrically opposed to each other, so that depending on the superiority of one or another of the elements installed and the appropriate form of the state system. (Annas 75)
Also, Aristotle noted that the state is a natural product, as it reflects the interests of policy, society, for the essence of the person as a political animal is inextricably linked with the civil society and the state. On the basis of the political nature of individuality and all other spheres of human activity politicized: moral of family and marriage, economic, etc. In the Greek polis citizens were considered only those who participated in the court, and the national assembly, which means in the political life of society. (Kraut 109)
But the English materialist philosopher John Locke developed the doctrine of early bourgeois liberalism and he spoke about certain natural rights that can’t be alienated by anyone (the right to life, liberty and property). Formed by the state social contract is intended to guarantee the inalienable rights of these and be able to ensure the security of every citizen. Social Contract defines the shape of the state, as well as the structure of the government (as the preferred Locke singled constitutional monarchy).
The purpose of the state, in his opinion, is to ensure the natural rights of man. The state is the result of people's agreement as a guarantee of protection of the individual and property, freedom and equality. The need for the formation of the state related to the fact that in its natural state there are no bodies, which would be able to impose penalties for those who violated the existing laws. This state is called upon to resolve the disputes impartially. The set of people, combined into one under the auspices of the state, which is governed by the law common to all. This seems appropriate to the creation of some of the court in the jurisdiction where it should be right to find a compromise between people and subjecting perpetrators punished. Thus, the state is endowed with political power. In drawing up the social contract men give up some of their rights, such as the right to self-defense spontaneous. Ensuring the safety of every citizen becomes a privilege and duty of the State. (Locke 88)
So, according to Aristotle, civil society is a set of political citizens and the state as a political citizen communication. Aristotle does not distinguish civil society from the state, they are unanimous. Aristotle distinguishes between two types of political people: those who take part in the deliberation and the judiciary, elections and adoption of reporting officers and those who occupy positions. If you have a second property, the first it did not have, which means that the latter differ goodness. For man does not have the property to be virtuous, it can’t be a full citizen. Thus, according to Aristotle, the basis of civil liberty, the basis of civil society is private property. And analyzing the views of Aristotle, we can conclude that private property is the cornerstone of the existence of civil society, government and independent citizen, the individual as a political animal.
The man from his birth is endowed with inalienable rights. We are talking about natural rights such as the right to life, liberty and property. And as these rights can’t be disposed of, the power of the state in this regard is limited - it is not omnipotent. Moreover, the fundamental purpose of the political community and is the ability of each person to realize and preserve their civil interests. The question arises: by what means? The answer to this is as follows: the separation of powers needed to better ensure legality, the best choice for the nation's form of government. In addition, people should have the right to revolt in the event that there is an abuse of power. There are other means. Indispensable features of the law are the long duration of action and stability. The law itself becomes a law only if it indicates the person on the behavior that is not contrary to the interests of the individual and at the same time is in accordance with the interests of the entire society. Laws proclaimed by the people. The person (or group of persons), in power, must govern the state only within the limits established by the majority of these laws. Everyone is part of a single political entity is obliged to act on the decision of the majority, which is the ultimate solution.
According to the teaching of Aristotle on the state, a person does not live for himself alone, but by nature created for public life - sex and blood ties, language, birth moral instincts connect it with other people. He needs them for the most successful defense against the dangers to meet immediate needs, as well as just to meet their social instincts. A person needs to communicate with its own kind, not only to maintain and improve their physical life, but also because only in human society, perhaps a good education and streamlining the rules of life and the law.
John Locke claimed that the people have a higher sovereignty than the state. That is why, if the people is not satisfied with the way the governor performs the circumstances drawn up of the social contract, then he has every right to revolt.
Aristotle defined the duties of citizens on the basis of the practice of Athenian democracy, which is very different from the present electoral system. According to him, all citizens should learn to dominate and be subservient to, and for this they have to alternately abide in this and in another state, in addition, they are required to participate in the work of the council and the court. Aristotle believed that the citizen is obliged to participate in the work of the Board and to sit on the court, so it is excluded from the number of craftsmen and artisans citizens, they do not have to do the necessary leisure. Another reason, according to Aristotle, was the fact that manual labor enslaves the soul and makes it insensitive to the true virtues.
Therefore, the opinion of Aristotle, speaking of insight and perspicacity of the philosopher, who was able to create a project, is the closest to reality at that time. According to Aristotle, a source of social evil - not so much property, as the infinity of human desires and his greed, the latter also seeks to honor and, therefore, ‘should take care more to equalize the desires of citizens, rather than their property’. And John Locke is the first modern thinker. The method of reasoning of the philosopher's very different from the thinking of philosophers of the Middle Ages. One difference is that the human consciousness of the Middle Ages was all permeated with thoughts of unearthly world. The mind of John Locke's empiricism was characterized by practicality. The human mind was adventurous. Philosopher interest and issues related to, for example, so what is the use of poetry. John Locke believed that people should be supported by the duties which are imposed on it in the world where he lives.
Works cited
Annas, Julia. Aristotle on Human Nature and Political Virtue. The Review of Metaphysics 49 (1996), 731–54.
Kraut, Richard. Aristotle: Political Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Locke, John. Two Treatises on Government. London: Printed for R. Butler, etc., 1821; Bartleby.com, 2010.
