Who among the following made the statement: "Sovereignty is the supreme power of the State, over citizens and subjects unrestrained by law"?
J. Bodin
Understanding Sovereignty and its Definitions
The question asks about a specific definition of sovereignty and identifies the political thinker who made the statement: "Sovereignty is the supreme power of the State, over citizens and subjects unrestrained by law". Sovereignty is a core concept in political science, referring to the ultimate authority within a territory.
Analyzing the Definition
The given definition emphasizes the supreme nature of the state's power, highlighting that it is above both citizens and subjects and is not limited by existing laws. This view represents a particular perspective on the nature and extent of state authority.
Identifying the Thinker: J. Bodin
This definition is famously associated with Jean Bodin (1530–1596), a French political philosopher and jurist. Bodin extensively discussed the concept of sovereignty in his work, "Six Books of the Commonwealth" (Les Six Livres de la République), published in 1576. He is considered one of the first to systematically formulate the concept of sovereignty as an absolute and perpetual power within a commonwealth.
Bodin argued that the sovereign power must be absolute because it is the source of law itself. While he acknowledged that the sovereign is bound by divine law and natural law, his definition of sovereignty over citizens and subjects, unrestrained by human law (positive law), is captured by the statement in the question.
Why Other Options Are Not Correct
- H. Gardner: This name is not prominently associated with this specific, classic definition of sovereignty in political theory.
- Harold Laski: Harold Laski was a prominent British political theorist known for his pluralist theory of the state, which argues that sovereignty is not absolute but is shared among various associations within society. His view directly contrasts with Bodin's idea of absolute sovereignty.
- Ayatollah Rohallah Khomeini: Ayatollah Khomeini was an Iranian cleric and political leader, known for his role in the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic. While he exercised supreme authority, this specific theoretical definition of sovereignty from a classical political science perspective is not attributed to him.
Therefore, the statement "Sovereignty is the supreme power of the State, over citizens and subjects unrestrained by law" is the definition provided by J. Bodin.
Revision Table: Key Thinkers on Sovereignty
| Thinker | Key Concept/View on Sovereignty | Associated Work (Example) |
|---|---|---|
| Jean Bodin | Absolute and perpetual power; source of law; above human law. | Six Books of the Commonwealth |
| Thomas Hobbes | Sovereignty arises from social contract; absolute power needed for order. | Leviathan |
| John Locke | Popular sovereignty; limited government; power derived from the consent of the governed. | Two Treatises of Government |
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Popular sovereignty; general will; indivisible sovereignty. | The Social Contract |
| Harold Laski | Pluralist sovereignty; power shared among associations. | A Grammar of Politics |
Additional Information: Aspects of Sovereignty
Sovereignty has several important aspects:
- Internal Sovereignty: The supreme authority of the state within its own territory, having ultimate power over all people and associations.
- External Sovereignty: The independence of the state from external control, meaning it is equal to other states and free from foreign domination.
- Legal Sovereignty: The authority that has the legal right to make and enforce laws (e.g., the Parliament in many countries).
- Political Sovereignty: The power behind the legal sovereign, which ultimately controls the state (e.g., the electorate in a democracy).
Different political thinkers have emphasized different aspects or interpretations of sovereignty, leading to various theories like monistic (where sovereignty is indivisible and absolute) and pluralistic (where sovereignty is shared or distributed) theories.
Important Questions from Political Theory
Which of the following statements is not correct about Austin’s Concept of Sovereignty?
Who among the following thinkers had said that 'State is an individual writ large'?
Who has written that "The Leviathan of the state of the nature of Hobbes can never be a man"?
- Which of the following are correct statements?
A. Universalist argue that everyone is entitled to the same basic rights simply by virtue of their humanity
B. Cultural relativism means opposition of western values
C. Universalist do not consider polygamy as violation of gender equality or rights of women
D. Cultural relativism posits that human rights should be defined and interpreted within cultural framework of particular society
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below : - Rights are the external conditions necessary for the greatest possible development of the capacities of the personality. This statement belongs to :
