balanced state, the interests of the economically dominant class are still protected by the state. In terms of originality, Marx's state theory clearly stems from that of Hegel, although the causal relation between state and society is reversed. For Marx, the economic structure of society produces a dominant class, and the state reflects that dominance, and helps to reproduce it. In the final analysis, neo-Marxist scholars are able to form coherent and defensible positions on the state, while not betraying the essential Marxist nature of their theories.