state monopoly on violence | political science and sociology

state monopoly on violence, in political science and sociology, the concept that the state alone has the right to use or authorize the use of physical force ... statemonopolyonviolence TableofContents Introduction FastFacts RelatedContent More Contributors ArticleHistory statemonopolyonviolence politicalscienceandsociology Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/state-monopoly-on-violence More GiveFeedback Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites By AndréMunro • EditHistory RelatedTopics: state violence ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ statemonopolyonviolence,inpoliticalscienceandsociology,theconceptthatthestatealonehastherighttouseorauthorizetheuseofphysicalforce.Itiswidelyregardedasadefiningcharacteristicofthemodernstate.Inhislecture“PoliticsasaVocation”(1918),theGermansociologistMaxWeberdefinesthestateasa“humancommunitythat(successfully)claimsthemonopolyofthelegitimateuseofphysicalforcewithinagiventerritory.”Underfeudalism,nolords,includingtheking,couldclaimamonopolyovertheuseofviolence,sincetheirvassalspromisedtoservethembutremainedfreetoexercisepowerintheirfiefdoms.Moreover,thekingandthelandednobilityhadtosharepowerorcompetewiththeRomanCatholicChurch.Themodernstate,accordingtoWeber,emergedbyexpropriatingthemeansofpoliticalorganizationanddomination,includingviolence,andbyestablishingthelegitimacyofitsrule.Astheuseofthetermlegitimateunderlines,thisconceptdoesnotimplythatthestateistheonlyactoractuallyusingviolencebutratherthatitistheonlyactorthatcanlegitimatelyauthorizeitsuse.Thestatecangrantanotheractortherighttouseviolencewithoutlosingitsmonopoly,aslongasitremainstheonlysourceoftherighttouseviolenceandthatitmaintainsthecapacitytoenforcethismonopoly.Thestatemonopolyonthelegitimateuseofviolenceisalsonotrefutedbytheuseofillegitimateviolence.Criminalorganizationsmayundermineorderwithoutbeingabletochallengethestatemonopolyandestablishthemselvesasaparallelsourceoflegitimaterule.Thestatemonopolyonthelegitimateuseofphysicalforcecanbechallengedbyanumberofnonstateactorssuchaspoliticalinsurgentsorterroristsorbystateactorssuchasthemilitaryforcesclaimingautonomyfromthestate.Somescholars,however,divergefromWeberand,followingthetraditionsetbyThomasHobbes,insteadarguethattheidealofthemonopolyofviolenceconcernsnotonlyitscontrolbutalsoitsuse,suchthatthestateisthesoleactorthatcanlegitimatelywieldviolenceexceptincaseofimmediateself-defense.Seenfromthisperspective,thestatemonopolyonviolencecanalsobejeopardizedbyphenomenasuchasthegrowthofprivatesecuritycompaniesororganizedcrime. AndréMunro