From past to present human beings have been living under determined laws and patterns and consequently the state exists necessarily. It has particular responsibilities such as promoting the welfare of the individual or protecting citizens from jeopardy toward the citizens who live in there. However, these responsibilities are not unilateral. In other words, as a member of community, although the citizens have a certain privileges, there are also liability that are required from citizens toward the state. There are three main responsibilities that are required from each individual to be a good citizen: Civic responsibilities, cultural responsibilities and moral responsibilities. First of all, a good citizen is required to fulfill civic responsibilities which are personal and participatory responsibilities. Before anything else, we must ask ourselves a very important question in order to clarify necessity of these responsibilities: Why we need these kind of obligation? Cannot we live without these rules? The answer is no, of course. Every people lives in a certain society and we must...
In this society, one does not think, speak, or act, in a way that is beneficial for oneself. Every single citizen is indoctrinated with the belief that by acting for one’s own benefit, they are sinning. From a young age, they are taught the mantra of their society, “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen” (21).
The principles of proper civic duty are to find the issue, discuss it, find a solution, and then carry out the solution. All of this should be done while following the “‘Civic Golden Rule’-that neighbors should treat neighbors as they themselves would like to be treated” (p.135). In this excerpt, Nader shows an example of how civic duty should be carried out by alluding to the actions of his mother. After a devastating hurricane hit Nader’s hometown of Winsted, his mother came up with a solution to prevent the same amount of destruction from happening the next time a hurricane hit. After realizing that a dry dam was the solution to prevent destruction, Nader’s mom pushed the town to build a dam. Even after being rejected once, she tried once again with even more determination and succeeded starting a project to build a dam. After the dam was built, there has not been another flood in their town. Nader’s mom was able to carry out her civic duty by identifying the issue, finding a solution, and executing her plan. The tradition of civic duty is teaching people how to improve their community in the proper
One of Locke’s broadest conclusions is his definition of the role of the state. He defines the states only real role is to ensure justice is done based on what he states are unalienable rights granted to all: life, liberty and the pursuit of estate. Because society has given birth to the state to defend these rights that define justice, society also grants legitimacy to the state. We see echoes of Locke’s theories manifested in societal archetypes like democracy and perhaps even certain anarchist theories.
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 people’s natural rights, their property, and the people themselves.
Locke states that the correct form of civil government should be committed to the common good of the people, and defend its citizens’ rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. He expects that a civil government’s legislative branch will create laws which benefit the wellbeing of its citizens, and that the executive branch will enforce laws under a social contract with the citizenry. “The first and fundamental positive law of all common-wealths is the establishing of the legislative power; as the first and fundamental natural law, which is to govern even the legislative itself, is the preservation of the society and (as far as will consist with the public good) of every person in it.”1 Locke believes that humans inherently possess complete and i...
Morality is the principles and standards set by society for evaluating between right and wrong. “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws” (A Natural Law Approach 284). Unreasonable laws created by a democratic legislature can very e...
Laws are implemented to enforce civil proceedings in society, thereby enabling individuals to operate and function within a morally stable population. But there is a delicate and uncertain balance between doing so and restricting personal freedoms--for though individuals should not be wholly free to conduct themselves as they please (for fear of anarchy), neither should they be confined to a level by which they are unable to direct their life’s course and pursue personal betterment. When citizens feel this to be the case, they have the right to peacefully display their grievances with enacted law for the advocation of positive change in the society. For if a society is truly free, the government
4 These consist of Freedom to express yourself, freedom to worship as you wish, right to a prompt, fair trial by jury, right to vote in elections for public officials, right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. 6 citizenship, and the right to run for elected office, freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Responsibilities are what is expected by the government from the people. 7 These consist of Support and defend the Constitution. 4 Stay informed of the issues affecting your community, participate in the democratic process, respect and obey federal, state, and local laws, respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others, participate in your local community, pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities, serve on a jury when called upon, and defend the country if the need should
Since it was believed that human beings reach their highest levels of morality and virtue by participating in government, (pg. 6) it would only make sense to create a government for the people by the people. But in order to limit the government and protect the rights of citizens, the new government would have to consist of checks and balances type of system. This is the reason for the three...
- the main function of the state is to protect the rights of the citizens
In this essay I will be discussing how the formal theory of the rule of law is an erroneous means of establishing laws within a state. A central theme to addressing this is essay is the distinction between formal and substantive theories of the rule of law. In order to reach my conclusion of the formal theory being proven to be insufficient, one must first appreciate the significant advantages which the substantive theory obtains. However, before doing so, I will briefly mention the importance of the rule of law in society and the requirements it needs to fulfil.
A state is sovereign when its magistrate owes allegiance to no superior power, and he or she is supreme within the legal order of the state. It may be assumed that in every human society where there is a system of law there is also to be found, latent beneath the variety of political forms, in a democracy as much as in a absolute monarchy, a simple relationship between subjects rendering habitual obedience, and a sovereign who renders obedience to none. This vertical structure, of sovereign and subjects, according to this theory, is analogous to the backbone of a man. The structure constitutes an essential part of any human society which possesses a system of law, as the backbone comprises an essential part of the man.
Alice Elliott Dark’s fictional story “Rumm Road, ” discusses the influence that one citizen could potentially have on an entire community. Dark’s story talks about a group of girls who all happens to be involved in a conflict down on Rumm Road, which is “one in the richest streets in town.” (Dark 3). The narrator and her friends didn’t pay much mind to these girls due to the conflict didn’t directly affect their neighborhood, until it is discovered that one of these girls originated from their community. Dark’s story “Rumm Road” ultimately takes a position on the responsibility of being a citizen. The position that the story takes is that the responsibility of being a citizen is to be more involved and aware with their society. As for this story, it shows how the characters aren’t following their responsibilities until a critical event happens and awakens them to be more involved and aware. This awakening allows the characters to take forth the responsibilities a citizen should have. Dark uses of pronouns in her writing, awareness of the characters, assumption among the characters, and implanting feelings in the characters, she is able to state how citizens in general should be more aware and involved in their society and carry out that as their responsibilities.
While I ponder the idea of citizenship, I become aware that I am a citizen of many communities. I find that for each community the idea of citizenship is different. I belong to a school, a family, and a country. Each of these communities tell me how to be a citizen, but the idea of a good citizen is still an abstract concept. At school to be a good citizen you must follow the “Honor Code”. At home, being a good citizen means doing your chores and not talking back. In America, being a good citizen means obeying and supporting your authority while staying politically and socially active in your local community. The pressure of being a good citizen is placed on us by our peers and by those who are of a higher status than us. It
Personal responsibility to me means taking accountability for your own actions, Making a commitment and sticking to it. In order to be a success in college, you have to apply your life learned lessons to the equation, to balance both school and out of school priorities. Because You are responsible for the choices you make, you are ultimately responsible for your success. Becoming a master organizer and learning how to manage your time efficiently, will help you achieve your goals. Taking responsibility for all that happens while you are in college will help you prevail in areas, where you may have lacked confidence. Critical thinking and a desire to succeed will help you accomplish your goals.