State, Society And Individuals

[apathy maybe]

What is the state? People (including my self) often talk about the state, and how 'evil' or nasty it is. But what actually is it? It is not an abstract thing, it consists of people in roles.

And what of society, society is obviously made up of individuals, but I think that few here would support the quote "[T]here is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families."

So how do we distinguish between the abstract forms and the persons who inhabit positions, do we even want to (or should we even?)

What do you think?

[Leo]

What is the state? People (including my self) often talk about the state, and how 'evil' or nasty it is. But what actually is it? It is not an abstract thing, it consists of people in roles.

State is a collective ruling mechanism that is completely alienated from the society, and also alienated in its own ranks with hieararchy through its course of development througout history. Modern states have multiple functions, but there is one thing in common: they all work for capitalists, in the modern society. States had always been tools of the oppressors throughout history, in fact they were created for this purpose, to serve the oppressor, to serve the rulers.


And what of society, society is obviously made up of individuals

It gets a little trickier here. There isn't just one society, yes, there is an 'ultimate' society, that is the human society, but that is obviously not the only society. Humans form 'collectives' without even knowing it, a common interest, a common job, supporting a team etc. Those societies eventually start identifying the individual, so in a way, not only society is made up of individuals, but the individuals are also made up of societies.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by apathy [email protected] 21 2006, 07:10 AM
What is the state? People (including my self) often talk about the state, and how 'evil' or nasty it is. But what actually is it? It is not an abstract thing, it consists of people in roles.
It's on the one hand the economic oppression of one class by another but it is also, specifically, the structures of control used to defend the interets of a ruling class. It's inherently centralised and hierarchical and can only function through the use of violence and the subjugation of those it means to control.

[Rawthentic]

And all the elements of a state in the United States per se, would be what sepcifically? The police, government, ??

[apathy maybe]

Perhaps I am not explaining my self. The state exists despite the people in power. So the state obviously is apart from the people in power. Yet it cannot exist without someone in power.

A similar and related problem is that of society. It is made up of individuals, yet exists independently of those individuals.



I do know what both the state and society are, I am trying to discuss the link between them and the individual.

[apathy maybe]

Perhaps I am not explaining my self. The state exists despite the people in power. So the state obviously is apart from the people in power. Yet it cannot exist without someone in power.

A similar and related problem is that of society. It is made up of individuals, yet exists independently of those individuals.



I do know what both the state and society are, I am trying to discuss the link between them and the individual.

[apathy maybe]

Perhaps I am not explaining my self. The state exists despite the people in power. So the state obviously is apart from the people in power. Yet it cannot exist without someone in power.

A similar and related problem is that of society. It is made up of individuals, yet exists independently of those individuals.



I do know what both the state and society are, I am trying to discuss the link between them and the individual.

[Rawthentic]

So the state is obviously ruled by people, but this creates alienation from the working class? Making them spectators to government or state policies and activities?

[Rawthentic]

So the state is obviously ruled by people, but this creates alienation from the working class? Making them spectators to government or state policies and activities?

[Rawthentic]

So the state is obviously ruled by people, but this creates alienation from the working class? Making them spectators to government or state policies and activities?