The nature of the State has been interpreted differently by liberal and Marxist thinkers. While the liberal perspective generally views the State as a necessary institution that maintains order, protects rights and promotes the common good, the Marxist perspective regards the State primarily as an instrument of class domination arising from unequal economic relations. The liberal perspective developed around the ideas of individual liberty, equality before law, private property and limited government. Thinkers such as John Locke, J.S. Mill and later liberal theorists considered the State necessary for protecting individual rights and maintaining social order. According to Locke, individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty and property, and the State derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed. The State is therefore not an end in itself but an institution created to secure the rights and interests of individuals. Classical liberals generally supported a limited State. They argued that excessive governmental intervention could threaten individual freedom. The State was expected to maintain law and order, administer justice, defend the territory and protect property. With the development of modern liberalism, however, the