Legitimacy of Political Power: Theories and Modes
Legitimacy of Political Power: Legal and Social Validity
- If we ask whether a rule is legal or illegal, we face the question of its legal validity or legality. This aspect corresponds to the right to discuss the legal validity of a rule, as used in Constitutions and international treaties.
- When we ask about the social validity of a rule, we refer to the social effectiveness that the standard may have. This aspect is of interest to sociology. The opinions of people change, so the force of a social norm can vary over time, from acceptance to disuse.
Arguments to Legitimize Political Power
Throughout the history of political thought, various authors have responded to the question of the legitimacy of political power by offering different arguments:
Theological Arguments
Political power exists because God wanted it that way. The gods, or God, have established a hierarchy between men and have drawn some to command while the rest must obey.
Naturalistic Arguments
Political power is a necessity of the human species. Like other groups of animals, human beings living in political communities greater than the family and the village must be governed by someone to whom others obey, as Aristotle and his followers argued.
Functionalist Arguments
Many modern philosophers have argued that political power exists in most human societies because it is useful and beneficial to their members. A political authority is needed to maintain social order and peaceful coexistence.
Main Modes of Political Power
Most philosophers have argued about who should hold political power. Aristotle studied constitutions, differentiating them based on existing political models and ranking them based on two criteria: the number of inhabitants and the interest of the rulers.
Democracy
From the Greek kratos (power, government) and demos (people), “government of the people.” Democracy is considered a political order in which the authority and legitimacy rests with the people. To date, there have been several models of democracy:
Greek Roots
- Government in the hands of citizens
- Model assembly-exclusive
- Meeting with direct participation
- Rational argument as a basis for legitimacy
- The intrinsic relationship between citizenship and participation as a basic feature of the citizen
- Civics: the idea that democracy cannot function without well-educated citizens.
Differences from democracy today:
- The size of the communities was less
- Compact and economically independent companies
- There was no state as an institution separate from society
- Democracy was a way of life; the everyday citizen focused on political issues (policy today is, in many cases, unaware of our personal fulfillment).
Republican Estate
- Direct participation of the people disappears
- Allows the belief that political power is only justifiable (legitimate) when pursuing the common good and is recognized by citizens.