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Example research essay topic: Jean Jacques Rousseau John Locke - 1,773 words

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Compare and Contrast John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau on the Theme of Equality The notion of equality was much discussed by modern and ancient philosophers. All of them I think contributed to the level of contemporary understanding of this notion. I think that the brightest and the weightiest works dedicated to equality were written by John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau in 18 th century. The motive of disputes about equality comes from social disharmony.

We live in the world which is ruled by rich, where poor are oppressed. Such order exists and has existed long before. Jean Jacques Rousseau in his work What is the Origin of Inequality and is it Authorised by the Natural law (1754) remarked about the society order: The mind is shocked at the cruelty of the one or is induced to lament the blindness of the other, and as nothing is less permanent in life than those external relations, which are more frequently produced by accident than wisdom, and which are called weakness or power, riches or poverty, all human institutions seem at first glance to be founded merely on banks of shifting sand. [ 1 ]. Thus, it may seem that the human society is based on inequality which results in such, to my mind, unfair social order and evident breaking of human rights. Jean Jacques Rousseau noticed that historically humans were inculcated to put up with inequality by religion.

There were widespread points of view that God created some people to become servants and some people were made to be their maters. Thus that form its early ages mankind had to bear inequality. Rousseau distinguished two types of inequality: natural and social. Maybe the origins of the natural one are closely connected with the historical peculiarity of humans. Every social order in our history was based on subordination and subjection.

Even today those countries which are considered to have the most democratic regimes enforce rigid laws of subordination. Can people have any social order which would preserve human equality? Jean Jacques Rousseau described the society, in his opinion, members of which would be equal. If I had had to make choice of the place of my birth, - he wrote, - I should have preferred a society which had an extent proportionate to the limits of the human faculties; that is, to the possibility of being well governed: in which every person being equal to his occupation, no one should be obliged to commit to others the functions with which he was entrusted: a State, in which all the individuals being well known to one another, neither the secret machinations of vice, nor the modesty of virtue should be able to escape the notice and judgment of the public; and in which the pleasant custom of seeing and knowing one another should make the love of country rather a love of the citizens than of its soil. [ 1 ]. I think this kind of social equality, depicted by Rousseau, seems more to be utopian.

The philosopher understands the concept of human equality as equal social roles performed by members of society. Every person, according to Rousseau should be equal to his occupation. But then, who will judge whether a person fits a certain job or not? Is it to be done by the institution of government? Then, what kind of personal characteristics should such people in the government posses to be able to produce such judgement? Rousseau noticed that in equal society individuals should not have secrets from each other in order to enable the community to preserve the moralities of their private life.

I would not consider this as a good demonstration of equality because, to my mind, it denies human rights for private life. I think that equality of the utopian society, described by Rousseau, is achieved by means of elimination of a human individuality. John Locke introduced his idea of a state of equality in his work The Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690). According to Locke, a state also of equality wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another, there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty. [ 3 ]. I think that John Locke's interpretation of human equality implies not social equality but a natural one.

He stated that all creatures were born equal by nature and that is why all they all should use the same facilities and live without subordination. That means - no lords, no masters will dictate their will. I think that by having no more that another Locke implied an equal range of property which every member of state of equality will possess. Obviously, in this way the author of The Second Treatise of Civil Government suggested to equalize the difference between rich and poor and thus to solve the problem of the influence of tangible wealth on a position in society.

To my mind, Locke's view of equality implies progressive changes in human consciousness. Maybe our future generations will succeed in realizing that all humans born equal regardless of their nation, religion, language and culture. Then all social and cultural boundaries will be extinguished. Our society will be cured of such diseases as racism, wars and terrorism. Humans will learn to exercise patience in relationships with each other.

The idea of natural equality presupposes that there is no need in any institution of government in society. Boeing equal in mind, people will naturally accept moral norms of behaviour and their common sense will the best judge in all cases. Locke wrote: The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one: and reason which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life health, liberty, or possessions: for men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise maker; all the servants of one sovereign master sent into the world by his order and about his business; they are his property, whose workmanship they are, made to last during his, not one another's pleasure: and being furnished with like faculties, sharing all in one community of nature, there cannot be supposed any such subordination among us that may authorize us to destroy one another as if we were made for one another's uses. [ 3 ]. John Locke suggested the concept of society without hierarchy and subordination.

Then who will rule in his state of equality? I am sure that every society must be governed and this point of view is proved by the social history of mankind. In any case, if the institution of government was created then it means that human society needed it. Anyway, I think that if a society without at least political subordination can live, if it is not anarchistic, of course, then John Locke foresaw a historical turning point in a human existence. According to Rousseau the right to govern should belong to magistrates. And that even they should use it with so much caution, the people, on its side, be so reserved in giving its consent to such laws, and the promulgation of them be attended with, so much solemnity, that before the constitution could be upset by them, there might be time enough for all to be convinced. [ 1 ].

So, the great philosopher assumed that equal people can be ruled, and, I think that this must be an extremely different form of government which, following the ideas of Rousseau, will be concentrated on human rights protection and preserving equality in human society. John Locke denied the any form of government headed by certain people and instead suggested really a democratic variant: every man upon this score, by the right he hath to preserve mankind in general, may restrain, or where it is necessary, destroy things noxious to them, and so may bring such evil on any one, who hath transgressed that law as may make him repent the doing of it, and thereby deter him, and by his example others, from doing the like mischief. And in the case, and upon this ground, every man hath the right to punish the offender, and be executioner of the law of nature. [ 3 ]. Thus, John Locke gave the functions of a government to common but equal people, who should be conscious enough to obey the laws of nature, to judge offenders and to execute the judgement themselves. John Locke was sure that every human is equal from birth and there are no exceptions from this rule. This equality of men by nature, and beyond all question, that he makes it the foundation of that obligation to mutual love amongst men, on which he builds the duties they owe one another and from whence he derives the great maxims of justice and charity. [ 3 ].

Jean Jacques Rousseau thought that equality must be acquired by people. He wrote that peoples once accustomed to masters are not in a condition to do without them. If they attempt to shake off the yoke, they still more estrange themselves from freedom, as, by mistaking for it an unbridled license to which it is diametrically opposed, they nearly always manage, by their revolutions, to hand themselves over to seducers who only make their chains heavier than before. [ 1 ]. Summing up, I think that both John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau's ideas about equality deserve precise consideration by their descendants. I also believe in positive changes will happen and mankind will come realize the right of every single human for equality. Bibliography: Jean Jacques Rousseau.

A Discourse on a Subject Proposed by the Academy of Dijon: What is the Origin of Inequality among Men, and is it Authorized by Natural Law? Constitution Society. 1994. 10 Dec. 2004. < web > Jean Jacques Rousseau. The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right. Constitution Society. 1994. 10 Dec. 2004. < web > John Locke. The Second Treatise of Civil Government. Oregon State University.

Campus Search. Friday, April 23, 2004. 10 Dec. 2004. < web > Classic Philosophers. The Radical Academy. 1998. 10 Dec. 2004 < web >


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