Three Components Of A Good Society

Thomas Paine begins Common Sense with the idea that government and society have different means and are often confused with each other. He states that “society is produced by our wants”, it is positive by “uniting our affections”, it “encourages intercourse”, and is a “patron” (Paine). Paine describes government as begin the opposite. He describes government as being produced by “our wickedness”, it promotes “negatively by restraining our vices”, “creates distensions, and government is a “punisher” (Paine). In conclusion to this, he describes government as “a necessary evil” (Paine).

Throughout history, humanity has always yearned for better. When a leader, as an individual or an entire government, ceases to fuel their nation’s drive for better, the citizens take it into their own hands. From this sovereignty of the people, the idea of revolution is born. This idea has become prominent many times. One can analyze a country like France. Due to the government’s selfish actions, the third estate revolted. In countries like Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico, the citizens were tired of strict rule from a power that is an ocean away. This caused the people in Latin America to revolt against their leader, Spain. Although the French and Latin American Revolutions both were inspired by the American Revolution and Enlightenment ideas, the French Revolution was vastly unsuccessful compared to the Latin American Revolution which brought freedom to many countries.

A longstanding debate in human history is what to do with power and what is the best way to rule. Who should have power, how should one rule, and what its purpose should government serve have always been questions at the fore in civilization, and more than once have sparked controversy and conflict. The essential elements of rule have placed the human need for order and structure against the human desire for freedom, and compromising between the two has never been easy. It is a question that is still considered and argued to this day. However, the argument has not rested solely with military powers or politicians, but philosophers as well. Two prominent voices in this debate are Plato and Machiavelli, both

Another reason why is that the government didn’t reinforce or support the main ideas of the revolution. Robespierre invoked The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which was made to protect the people from the government. But according to Document G, in 1794, he was saying how they must smother the enemies of the republic. A lot of the enemies though were French citizens that challenged the government, they made chaotic state. In the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” it states “No one should be silenced on account of his opinions, including his religious views.” In that case, people are being brutally killed for expressing their own opinions. The government discriminated same-sex relationships and treated people

A successful economy is perhaps the most key ingredient leading to a successful nation. An economy is a delicate balance of many different conflicting and coexisting elements. Naturally, an economy’s success can often be measured by the amount of wealth it contains, not to mention the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of its distribution of the wealth. Effective distribution of wealth is no easy feat. Wealthy and poor people will always need to coexist- this is an inescapable truth. The government’s job in many cases becomes that of a referee. Naturally, perfect peace and harmony between two totally different classes would be a utopia, and probably will never be completely achieved. A government must, therefore,

In 1789 the French felt that their basic needs were not being met and revolted against the monarchy. The National Convention, which was the new pro-French Revolution government, created a new constitution that gave the people rights called the Declaration of the Rights of Man. As a man named Robespierre came to power, he began something called the Reign of Terror to try and stop the revolts happening in France. This was a time of mass killings and executions where evidence was no longer needed to be accused or sentenced. If the Reign of Terror was just going to be like the monarchy in order to switch back to a Republic later on, than the Reign of Terror was just as bad and unjustified as the horrible way the monarchy treated its citizens before. This is largely due to the fact that it hugely benefitted Robespierre and the rest of the National Convention by creating fear and panic in order to stop revolts against them. The Reign of Terror was unjustified because it was just like the monarchy in the fact that they took away the rights they had just given to the

The duty of government is described in John Adams as to, “inculcate the principles of humanity, charity, industry, frugality, honesty, sincerity.” (224) In summation, the government’s ideals ought to be to instill virtue to its citizens with persistent instruction. However, Politics takes command of government when men disagree on when, how, and to what extent those virtues ought to be instilled. Politics controls people, which brings a motivation for corruption; and at the same time, people control politics, allowing that corruption to become manifest. However, politics cannot be corrupt on it’s own, rather through its composition of men and their thoughts contributes to its corruption. Politics will only be corrupt if those composing it

A strong and productive society requires a collaboration of efforts from both leaders and individuals, all working together to improve the community as a whole. For hundred of years, philosophers have encouraged this through pieces such as: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which through the tale of three prisoners in a cave encourages everyone to be open to a wide range of differing realities, Cicero’s piece “Duties of the Individual to the State,” that goes through the natural duties of the individuals in a society, and Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” that explain the manners, expectations, and roles necessary for one to successfully lead people. Through these elements philosophers have deemed necessary for a community, strong foundations for thriving

Throughout history, there have been dozens of times when people were extremely upset with the government that was ruling over them. However, these angry citizens only revolt a fraction of the time, due to fear of the government. Two examples of when people stood up for their rights and revolted are the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution. These revolts are loosely connected, as many say that the Haitian Revolution was inspired by the French Revolution. The French Revolution started in 1789 and continued all the way until 1814. The people in France had discontent with the classes, as 98% of the French population was living in serious poverty. The French people

Society is everything that the people join together to do which is positive. Government, however, is meant only to protect us from ourselves. Government is described as a “necessary evil,” and should only be judged on how well it accomplishes that goal.

Government is an administration defined by the Constitution, but is also a constantly adjusting foundation by the efforts of its citizens. By Litherland (2014), government is defined as policies set in order to lead a body of people (p. 395). Over the span of time, the idea of government has been stretched, changed, and applied to various communities throughout both the nation and the world. Whether it was back in the eighteenth century, current, or in the very near future—government has existed and will continue to exist for its people and the nation it has built its foundation upon. With the use of multiple authors, those of: “Difference between Direct and Representative Democracy” (n.d.), “Federalism - Dividing Power between States and the

In the society illustrated by John Locke, the human nature is characterized as free and independent; however, the problem with society is that it has too many small inconveniences, which could be as trivial as a tree blocking the sidewalk. To solve these problems, a legitimate government, characterized by explicit consent, checks on institutions and the right to revolt by the people, is needed. The utmost legitimate government, in comparison to Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is based on John Locke’s social contract in Second Treatise of Government because each aspect of a legitimate government protects the citizen’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through each aspect, the people can actively participate in government to prevent the sovereign from taking advantage of their powers to further their own goals.

A people that are repressed and have a strong national identity are prone to violent and unpredictable revolutions and uprisings. We see examples of that precept in the French Revolution and the tumultuous republics that followed in the aftermath of Emperor Napoleon.

An ideal society is considered to be a utopian society, defined as a society where everything is as good as it possibly can be for everyone living in that society. However this type of society has never existed before and continues to be a dream that remains locked up in our minds. Three philosophers who seem to propose an ideal just society are John Rawls, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman. I will be explaining what my vision of an ideal society is and what are the basis and fundamental principles that Rawls, Marx and Friedman use in order to obtain a just society.

one essential conviction, expressed in the word democracy itself: that power should be in the hands of the people. Although democracy today has been slightly inefficient in this idea, with the wealthy, elite class challenging this right, “it nevertheless claims for itself a fundamental validity that no other kind of society shares….” To completely understand the structure of democracy, one must return to the roots of the practice itself, and examine the origins in ancient Greece, the expansion in the Roman Empire, and how these practices combined make what we recognize as today’s democratic government.