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Српска политичка мисао 1/2025

THE DEFENSE FUNCTION OF THE STATE – TRADITIONAL AND MODERN UNDERSTANDING

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UDCUDC 323::355(497.11) Pages85-108 Year2025
Download PDF 10.5937/spm89-53773
Research overview

Abstract

A vast body of literature in political science, security studies, and military affairs provides general definitions of the state's defensive function but lacks a deeper understanding of its essence – namely, the fundamental characteristics that define it and distinguish it from other state functions. Based on this premise, the research question arises: What constitutes the defensive function of the state? In pursuit of an answer, this paper draws an analogy between the defensive mechanisms of the state and those of the human body. By identifying the essential characteristics of human defense mechanisms, the study seeks to determine what the state defends, the threats it faces, and the nature of its responses to those threats. Applying this analogy, the authors conclude that defense falls within the category of protective state functions but differs from other functions of this type in two key aspects. First, it is specifically aimed at safeguarding the survival and vital values of the state from violent threats. Second, its protective actions are also of a violent nature. For this reason, the defensive function of the state was long equated with its military function. However, in recent decades, there has been a shift away from the traditional military-centric understanding of this function. The authors argue that the growing significance of non-military threats to the survival and vital values of the state drives this shift. This evolution inevitably affects how the state conducts its defensive actions, altering the essence of its defensive function.

Sources and literature

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