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Political System Philosophy Several f the greatest philosophers f the past identified themselves in the world history nt by nly writing the philosophical wrk's but als by defining the ideal (t their pint f views) political structure. Three f the mst important are Jan Like, Thomas Hbbes, and Jean Jacques Russeau. In particular, Jan Like influenced Western political thought immensely. He lived during the age f political upheaval, the Genius Revolution. During this time, the Tries and the Whigs, England's first tw political parties, joined together t rid their country f the tyrannical James II and welcome as their new c-rulers his daughter, Mary, and her Dutch husband, William. Like witnessed these events frm the Netherlands, where he had fled in 1683 because he fresh the access f the absolutist and Catholic-leaning James II.
These events greatly influenced his political there. Thought his writings, Like argued that people had the gift f read. Like thought they had the natural ability t given themselves and t lk after the well being f society. He with, The state f nature has a law f nature t given it, which treats everyone equally. Read, which is that law, teaches all mankind that being all equal and independent, n ne unit t harm anther in his life, health r possessions. Like did nt believe that Gd had case a grup r family f people t rule countries.
He rejected the Divine Right, which many kings and queens used t justify their right t rule. Instead, he argued that gvernment's should nly perate with the content f the people they are governing. In this way, Like supported democracy as a frm f government. Like with, We have learned frm history we have read t conclude that all peaceful beginnings f government have been laid in content f the people. Gvernment's were free, according t Like, t project the right t life, the right t free, and the right t property. Their rights were absolute, belonging t all the people.
Like als believed that government power should be divided equally int three branches f government s that politicians will nt face the temptation t grasp at absolute power. If any government abused these rights instead f protecting them, then the people had the right t rebel and frm a new government. Jan Like site ut against the cntrl f any man against his will. This cntrl was acceptable neither in the frm f an unfair government, nr in slavery. Like with, The natural liberty f man is t be free frm any superior power n earth, and nt t be under the will r legislative authority f man, but nly have the law f nature fr his rule.
In addition, Like felt that when had the ability t read, which entitled them t an equal vice- an unpopular idea during this time in history. Despite fearing that he might be centre, he with, It may nt be want t for new ideas when the ld traditions are apt t lead men int mistakes, as this idea f fatherly pwer's probably has dne, which seems s eager t place the power f parents ver their children will in the father, as if the mother had n share in it: whereas if we consult read r the Bible, we shall find she has an equal title. If yu try t justify why human society ges frm a wonderful and positive state f nature int a mostly uncontrollable political state, it is virtually impossible. Russeau feels that when we enter int this political state, r society, that it is an inevitable. Humans will reach their potential, however at the same time society takes us away frm ur natural state and corrupts us.
Human tendency will revert back t nature nce it is free frm restraints. These human inclinations are what Russeau describes nature t be. They are ur sensations that we are brn with. They get and strengthen with the growth f sensibility and intelligence, but are replaced by beliefs when under the pressure frm pure habit. Russeau's gal f education is t develop single-minded individuals wh are focused n what they want and nt swayed by ther's. They must be self-disciplined in re t make their wn decisions and t get what they want frm life, making them in a way selfish.
The are concept basically explains Russeau's idea f perfect politics. Thomas Hbbes, n the ther hand, had a completely different view f human beings and hw government should function. This is due t his background f growing up in England, during a time f religious, social, and political disc. Hbbes, was very interested in why people allowed themselves t be ruled and what would be the best frm f government fr England.
In 1651, Hbbes with his mst famous wrk, entitled Leviathan. In it, he argued that people were naturally wicked and could nt be trusted t given. Therefore, Hbbes believed that an absolute march- a government that gave all power t a king r queen- was best. Hbbes believed that humans were basically selfish creatures wh would d anything t better their position. Left t themselves, he thought, people would act n their evil impulses.
According t Hbbes, people therefore should nt be trusted t make decisions n their wn. In addition, Hbbes felt that nations, like people, were selfishly motivated. T Hbbes, each country was in a constant battle fr power and wealth. T page his pint, Hbbes with, If men are naturally in a state f war, why d they always carry arms and why d they have keys t lck their drs? Government was created, according t Hbbes, t project people frm their wn selfishness and evil. The best government was ne that had the great power f a leviathan.
Hbbes believed in the rule f a king because he felt a country needed an authority figure t provide direction and leadership. Because the people were nly interested in pricing their wn self-interests, Hbbes believed democracy would never wrk. Hbbes with, All man kind is in a perpetual and restless desire fr power that stp's nly in death. Consequently, giving power t the individual would create a dangerous situation that would start a war f every man against every man and make life solitary, pr, nasty, brutish, and short. Despite his distrust in democracy, Hbbes believed that a diverse grup f representatives presenting the problems f the can person would hopefully prevent a king frm being cruel and unfair. During Hbbes lifetime, business began t have a big influence n government.
The wh could contribute my t the government were given great status, and business interests were very powerful. In re t fast the growing power f business, Hbbes believed that an individual could be heard in government by authorizing a representative t speak n their behalf. In fact, Hbbes came up with the phrase vice f the people, which meant that ne person could be case t represent a grup with similar views. However, this vice was merely heard and nt necessarily listened t- final decisions lay with the king. Bibliography: The Calvinist origins of Lockean political economy / Richard Boyd. // IN: History of political thought. 23 (2002): 30 - 60. Hobbes, Thomas.
Leviathan. New York: Judas Press, 1976. Blum, Carol (1986) Rousseau and the Republic of Virtue: The Language of Politics in the French Revolution. Cornell UP
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Research essay sample on Political Thought F Nature
