The Two Routes For The Separation Of State And Civil Society

Locke proposed that the government should be devised by contract,namely that "the natural state" people, because of all sorts ofinconvenience, released part of their power to establish agovernment(state), basing on an agreement. The government (state) hadthe legislative power, executive power and the diplomatic power. Thegovernment took protecting people's property and freedom as theprimary purpose. If the government authority violated this goal, thepeople were authorized to disintegrate the government. The government(state) played the utilizable role, but it was the people thatcounted.Thus it manifested Locke's idea that society preceded andwas more important than the government (state).Marx inherited this thought that national and the society shouldbe separated, thinking that the government was only the tool servedfor the ruling class; the equality is only an illusive form. Thestate's foundation existed in the society, the society decided thestate. Marx appealed that all the proletariates should be united tooverthrow the capitalism, broke the old governmental system toestablish the real democratic countries and achieved the liberationfor everybody.Marx's theory on civil society, which was different from Locke's,was based on the people, the facts, experience and was a scientificargumentation through which historical materialism corresponded withlogic. This argumentation clarified the source, essence and future ofthe state and society, and it aimed at liberating all the human being.In this respect, Marx created the fundamental for materialism.