The origin of the state in the studies of P.A. Kropotkin

Abstract

The etatogenetic views of P.A. Kropotkin,pulsating from factor to factor, did not differ in clearly expressed monism. Despite the volatility of the composition of the factors of state formation, elite needs and goals, violent activity of elite groups, primarily military, in relation to urban and rural communities, have always remained a priority. In the same direction, pursuing the same goals as the soldiers, judges and legists acted, using Roman-Byzantine law to ensure the emerging political domination of the elites. Although the idea of the military origin of all European states of the modern era is less noticeable in the construction of factors of state formation than in the concept of “military states”, it is, in essence, a convincing evidence of their violent nature. With this interpretation of the process of state formation, P.A. Kropotkin's etatogenetic concept is not a judicial or legal concept of the origin of the state, but a special version of the theory of violence.