Man is a political being because he lives in society and chooses to act ethically, that is, with freedom and responsibility. The act of choosing is a political action and politics is collective action. Who represents the collectivity is the State, however the Greek philosopher Democritus said that “When the State is in healthy conditions, everything prospers; when it is corrupted, everything falls into ruins.”
The history of humanity shows divergent positions regarding the conception and function of the State. For some, state authority and laws come from God, so they cannot be challenged or modified. For others, state authority comes from customs; customs become laws and everyone must obey the law because the state is more important than each citizen. However, the German philosopher Nietzsche said that “Societies consist of a series of promises, explicit or implicit, that group members make to one another”.
The Greeks formulated words to designate the authority of the State: Arché = "principle that is ahead", "that commands". Compound words with arky express the number of those who have the principle in the state. Monarchy = "one has the beginning"; Oligarchy = "some have the beginning"; Polyarchy = "many have the beginning"; Anarchy = "no one has the beginning". Kratos = "supreme power or authority."
Compound words with cracia designate who is in power. Autocracy = "one person has the power"; Aristocracy = "the power of the best"; Democracy = "the power of the people". All this leads us to think about what the Italian philosopher Machiavelli said: “Injuries must be done all at once, so that, by savoring them less, they offend less, and the benefits must be done little by little, so that they are better savored.”
Politics is the exercise of power by the State when it is supported by a legitimately elaborated Constitution. When dictated by the ruler's personal will, the law is arbitrary. In this case, there is no political regime, but despotism and tyranny. When the law is flouted, there is anarchy.
The State that governs according to the Constitution and justice is a legitimate political regime. The state that does not govern according to the Constitution and justice is an illegitimate political regime.According to Aristotle, “The good is the end of all the sciences and the arts, and the greatest good is, above all, in the supreme art of all, which is political power”. For this philosopher, the citizen must find a way to exercise conscience and establish a personal position in the face of themes that are present in human coexistence and, therefore, only in political power can man be fair.
Thus, the variety of positions derives from each historical moment, that is, from the historical, ideological and social contextualization. But the principle of the state is the inalienable sovereignty of the collective interest. According to British writer Benjamin Disraeli, “When men are pure, laws are unnecessary; when they are corrupt, laws are useless.”
Finally, living well, being happy and leading a virtuous life should be the goal of every human person.
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