The Growth Logic of Modern States——On the History of Western Political Thoughts

摘要

As a modern concept,the word "state"dates from Europe of the 16th century and matures at the end of the 18th century.The concept of state is accompanied by the concept of sovereignty; if there is no sovereignty,there is no state at all.This paper studies the key writers in the history of the western political thoughts in modern times.It can be concluded that constitutional democracy is the result of seeking balance between"being governed"and"being non- oppressed".On the one hand,it ensures that sovereignty will not be threatened,and on the other hand,it avoids centralization of authority.