Criticism against Patriarchal theory regarding the origin of the State. The patriarchal theory has been criticized by seven writers on the following grounds :

The patriarchal theory has been criticized by seven writers on the following grounds :

1.State came into existence by a number of factors:

The patriarchal theory is one of the simplest explanations of the origin of the state, but one of its chief weaknesses is this very simplicity. The human society has been, as Sir J.C. Frazer tells us, built up by a complexity of  causes.

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2.The theory is incorrect as the primary social unit was a matriarchal family:

It has been established by certain writers that the theory is not supported by history. Meclennan, Morgan and Edwa Jenks who are staunch advocates of the matriarchal theory, claim that | polyandry and the matriarchal family were the primary social facts and that polyandry later developed into the monogamous family, and the matriarchal family, in the patriarchal state.

3. Order of social development is wrong:

The order laid down by Sir Henry Maine in which state ultimately was formed out of family which was alleged to be the original unit, has been criticized by Edward Jenks.

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Jenks holds that the tribe was the earliest primary group, then came the clan, and finally came the family. He quotes historical evidences of certain societies among the primitive races of Australia, Malay Archipel­ago, etc., in support of his contention.

4. State has not grown out of family alone:

The State is not the family writ large. There are essential points of difference between the two. The authority of the patriarchal family is natural whereas that of the state is one of the choice.

Further the domination of the father over the children of his family almost ceases to exist as soon as the children come of age. The domination of political authority in the state is, on the contrary, perpetual.