The definition of a just society can be described as a society with equality and solidarity where everyone is treated the way they deserve to be treated. The government today has control over the people to avoid chaos but tries their best to best serve its people. People in society deserve to be treated fairly based off their natural rights of being human. The Declaration of Independence states that the consent of the govern is applied to serve its citizens with the best laws and regulations to keep the people in a state of contempt and delectation. Governments are supposed to protect and give the people of a nation the rights and justice they deserve with the consent of the governed.
The government must protect the safety of its people and protect itself from internal revolutions and external invasions. Also, it attempts to improve the general welfare of its people by resolving collective dilemmas, minimizing negative externalities and providing collective goods wherever possible. To do this, the government must specify and enforce the rights and duties of its people. The four roles are... ... middle of paper ... ...mit freedom to a point, but it is only done in the interest of the people by attempting to maintain the greatest form of democracy known to the world today. The application of the nine roles of the government needs to be conserved for the benefit of democracy in America.
In order for mankind to achieve self liberty, a government or organization is necessary, but only through government that is chosen by and representative of the people of the society. Through this government that provides power to the people, liberty is preserved by protecting rights, giving a voice to the general society, and if need be, creating a way to keep in check or remove a corrupt government. Forward thinking John Locke described the government’s purpose in his Second Treatise on government. To this great thinker, political power is “a right of making laws…only for the public good” (Locke). This idea of organization is key to liberty.
Threats of force and coercion, and deception and fraud, must be excluded as they impede on security and sustainability for a sociopolitical group’s collectivist mindsets of equitable power dynamics (235). As a result, when justice as fairness is fully realized in a well-ordered society, the value of full autonomy is realized. In order to be cooperating members, people have the powers of reason, thought, and judgement, and two moral powers: a capacity for a sense of justice and a capacity for a conception of the good (233). They also have the responsibility to strive towards what’s valuable in human life (244). I presume these granted powers would allow individuals to freely live their life and strive towards maximum
Individual liberty is the central concern of both Montesquieu and Locke, but each has a different approach to achieving it. Locke’s universalism and Montesquieu’s balance of power both seek to maximize the freedom and liberty in society. But really how free are we under universalism? Are those in the minority truly free and equal in society? Is it better to live in the extreme of an ideal or one more tempered?
The purpose of government is to protect the fundamental rights of life, liberty, health and property, but differences in opinions as to what these rights could mean may create a conflict within society itself. As John C. Calhoun suggests, man is driven by his individual impulses, where his needs and desires are more important to him than the needs and desires of others in the community. It is for this reason that a government must be established so that it protects all people who have differing ideas from being oppressed by the opinion of one group or ruler. The question then occurs as to how government can protect the fundamental rights without oppressing the people or abusing its power. James Madison and John C. Calhoun both came up with very similar solutions to this problem; however, both ideas create new problems with society as their ideas are based on the perfect society, rather than the actual society.
Liberals want to change things to increase personal freedom and tolerance, and are willing to empower government to the extent necessary to achieve those ends. This is against the idea of Beiner about what liberalism is. They want to help individuals to take more control over their own lives. This requires environment where choices are not arbitrarily removed. Also enough information should be offered so that choices can be understood and made intelligently.
In this case, should government be able to use its authority in any way it pleases as Hobbes argues or should there be a limit placed on governmental power as argued by Locke and Mill? I believe that a powerful government can exist and provide its citizens with the necessary security while being limited. There is no need for government to be large in order to achieve this. Although both Locke and Mill have a just understanding of what the limits of government should be, I find Locke’s understanding more persuasive. Locke writes that while government should restrict our freedom in order for us to avoid returning to the state of nature , the amount of restriction should be limited.
According to one source, two things should be expected from a state with political legitimacy. Firstly, a legitimate state should be more flexible and secure when dealing with any type of political, social, or economic crisis. Secondly, any rulers will be compelled to execute practical and effectual political and/or social policies to keep the state running smoothly. Because of these characteristics, having a legitimate state will provide the essential factors to create a basis of a sovereign state. For example, Declaration of Independence of 1776 provides an example of how, in a sovereign state, citizens have the power to affect political
The power is held by those who are being ruled, and they have equal rights in deciding their political outcomes. Locke explains that “wherever law ends, tyranny begins”, so once the rights of the people are suppressed this injustice begins (Locke 102). Locke also explains that if a government was to act unjust, not with the best interest of the majority, then it is the right and the responsibility of the people to overthrow “tyranny” (Locke 102). The people, who have the power, should always defend their human rights, especially from unlawful rulers. This view of government shifts with Hobbes’ perspective.