Lesson 2
Why Do We Need Government?
So that people won’t go crazy and start doing whatever they want
Objectives:
✔ explain what the Founder believed to be the natural rights of human beings,
✔ explain why the Founders believed that the people need a government,
✔ explain how people create governments.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Thinking like a political philosopher (pg 15)
Instructions: After reading “How did the ideas of John Locke influence the Founders?” and “What might life be like in a state of nature?” p. 14. Answer the following questions.
What might life be like in a state of nature?
What might be some advantages and disadvantages of living in a state of nature?
Advantages
You can do what you want
You can easily get
…show more content…
No rights because if someone didn’t like what you were doing they’d just beat you up or something
What might people who are stronger or smarter than others try to do? Why?
Some people who are strong or smarter would manipulate other so they can get what they want or need but without having to do as much work
What might people who are weaker or less skilled than others try to do? Why?
They might try to befriend stronger or smarter people so they can protect them
What might life be like for everyone living in a state of nature?
It would be pretty chaotic and if people left the state they’d be confused that they cant do whatever they wan’t
Would anyone have the right to govern you? Would you have the right to govern anyone else? Why?
No one would have the right to govern anyone but people would probably still boss people around
What are some things the people could do to protect their lives, liberty, or property?
They could keep guns to protect themselves and not let others manipulate them into doing something
2. What ideas about government might you develop from thinking about life in a state of
The duties of government was one of the main things the people started questioning. Without a government everything and everyone would be a mess, they would not know about anything going on. Document F states that “ the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes
The Federal government can declare war and can provide an army and navy, while the state can hold elections, and establish schools. That helps guard against tyranny because it doesn't let one government get too much
MC / Vocab Practice #1 - Thomas Paine, Common Sense Paraphrase Paragraph 1: Scholars have come to see society and government as the same entity Society and government are actually polar opposites Society is positive effects Government has negative effects Paragraph 2: Government is not necessary to run a successful state Humans believe that they are illogical beings, causing them to create government to provide protection Man must give up a portion of his freedom for a government to exist Paragraph 3: In order to see the true side of government, imagine a group of people landing in an uninhabited island Natural rights will be the first focus of the settlers A single man would not be able to support himself so they must group together One man
would try to stand up to them, or diminish their power. The government can be certain that if nobody has freedom, or personal rights, they will remain in complete control.
From a cruel monarchy to a federal system, our country has come a long way. However, what would’ve happened if we stayed a confederal system instead of a federal? Would we have been overruled by a different country or would our nation be into pieces? Although we are a federal system now I believe a confederal system would never work for the United States because our states would never agree upon anything. Each state has its different problems and solutions.
The government had some positive aspects that were created by the constitution. It was a positive aspect due to the fact that there are no more kings anymore. If we had a king it would be unfair due to the fact that no one can tell him that he is wrong. Also, the king would be able to do what he wants to.
With the power in one place instead of the states, it would easily be abused. In the text Madison said this would not be the case because of the constitution. It would establish a government that was powerful enough to keep control. However, it would not have enough to take over unobstructed. Madison argued that the government's power did not exist because it declared it did. There was no reason to concerned about a central government that had more powerful than each individual state. This was because the powers it had come from what the individual states gave it and therefore came from the people. The ones deciding on taxation would not be men from only a few bloodlines. The men would be from the same places the ones in charge of the individual states were according to Madison. People like Patrick Henry would not have to worry. The government would be fair because the same kind of men would be making the decisions as
Details: describe how nature played considerable roles in human lives. Demonstrate nature’s impact on other people who around us. Giving some examples about simple studies about nature.
The year was sixteen hundred and eighty-nine and a man by the name of John Locke wrote Second Treatise on Government (Zinn 73). In it, Locke wrote that in a natural state everyone, all people, are born free and equal, and possess certain rights. He said that these “natural rights” were life, liberty, and property. He also said that the evildoers who conspired to deprive others of their life, liberty, or property ruined the good life of the state of nature (Locke). The only way to protect these rights is by joining together to form governments. The power of government, then, stems from the consent of the governed, which entrust the government with responsibility for protecting
Due to the extreme levels of male camaraderie shown throughout the book, a counterbalance of estrogen was created and served to enhance the recurring theme of death. In Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Catherine’s starch and stereotypical feminine traits (such as her loyalty and intelligence) are explored by Hemingway through devices like foreshadowing and symbolism to solidify the morbidity of this work.
For all of history there has existed the struggle between the strong and the weak. The establishment of government gives the power to a particular group to decide the amount of freedom the majority is allowed, however, though not ideal it provides necessary order. The benefits of security that limitations on freedom provides must be balanced with the individual's pursuit of happiness for citizens to be content. To prevent the governed majority from destabilizing the rulers and seeking power, the government will oppress political and personal freedom of thought. In result, the majority will live under the illusion of contentment and not wish to revolt; those enlightened to the idea that the government should be ruled by the governed, would associate happiness only with ignorance and consequently seek freedom.
If the plane that I was on crashed onto an island and there was no way to get off this island, than we would have to try and create a civil society and coexist with each other and avoid slipping into a state of nature. The way that I would avoid slipping into a state of nature is to set up some sort of government. The reason I would set up a government in a democratic manner is because if you had a monarch then people are more likely to rebel. If you had an even spread of power over the people where they have some say in what everyone does then they are more likely to agree with you and be more willing to follow you. If the people choose their own leader and if they are bad leaders then the people of the island will be able to repeal them and replace them with someone else who they think would be a better leader. However They should go through a council which will be represented by the people they had chosen to be in power and make up their democratic government. This council will see to it that the people are heard and they will list out why this person should or shouldn’t stay in the council. The citizen will be able to vote every year for different people in the government, the reason this is going to happen is because it is a new society and different people have different ideas. Have people with different ideas in government will help improve the community and how it is run. The government will maintain power by knowing what everyone is doing and making sure everyone is
Government would be used minimally as a tool to help to prevent injustice’s from being done to the people. Government would protect the people from foreign attack, to guarantee contracts, and to uphold the peoples right to private property.
What would the American government be like today if it was not for the mind and political theory of John Locke? Some historians and philosophers believe that without John Locke our government would only be a shadow of what it is today. Arguably, one of his most important political and philosophical works was his Two Treatises of Government. There he argues that the function of the state is to protect the natural rights of its citizens, primarily to protect the right to property. John Locke, in many eyes, can be viewed as one of the father’s of Democracy. He embraced many of ideas in his theories on the state of nature and the rise of political society today. In Locke’s political society,
Philosophers have struggled with determining the proper role of government. In the absence of government and laws, people could do whatever they wanted, and some of them would try to slaughter others and steal their property. This is the state called anarchy. People have realized that the safety of the people and the country would be in jeopardy in such a state. Thus, it is necessary for a country to have a government and/or ruler. However, a ruler must not have absolute power nor lack authority. But the protection of the people and the country alone is not enough for a country to prosper. The property and the natural rights of the people and the government must also be protected. Thus, the proper role of government is to protect the