Applying Political Theories to US Politics

Applying Political Theories to US Politics Collin Laguzza Dr. Jividen Tocqueville argued that Puritanism was almost as much a political theory as a religious doctrine. Puritan’s were influenced by Christianity and deeply applied that to their life style. Their main beliefs were based on the justice and perseverance of God. Since the Puritans believed in God’s grace and salvation, they were also led to self-government. The main element of their life style was based on the approach of the covenant where all relationships within the Puritans were established under the terms of a covenant. A political theory values justice and power and the Puritans justice and power were based on God. This is why Tocqueville claims that Puritan politics and their religious beliefs intertwine. Tocqueville and Locke suggest that there is an important distinction between liberty and license. Liberty is having freedom within the laws of nature but also recognizes consequences. License is the freedom to do as you please. This is where the distinction between liberty and license is argued. This is because one doesn’t have the right to kill oneself or another. Therefore, one must preserve themselves and mankind. However, the contradiction mostly lies in where the boundaries lie of having the right to enforce natural law against those who violate their rights, and the punishments of their violators. Locke expresses that the State of Nature is not a State of License. Overall, law provides freedom to do as what one wants. However, one’s freedom lies within the boundaries of that law. Tocqueville argues that America was able to combine the spirit of two things thought to be in perpetual tension. These two things are religion and liberty. Tocqueville expresses that religion is responsible for human capability while liberty perceives religion and most importantly the security of laws. These work together because liberty pertains to the freedom of one and their choice of beliefs. This results in every individual to have their own distinctive beliefs without violating law and secures their equality. Locke’s definition of political power is: The right to make laws for protection and regulation of property. In my understanding, Locke feels as if laws only work because they are accepted by people and have a positive effect on the public. In the State of nature, an individual claims his private property that was something that was originally held common when that individual uses his or her own labor to come into possession of something. Locke states that one can only accommodate as many things that are in reasonable use. Land has become scarce because nature offers necessities and the more mankind can make use of it, less land will be available. Locke believes that war is caused when one human’s action makes a menace attempt towards another human. In the State of Nature, there are certain inconveniences. The State of Nature grants the right to punish any violator. To solve inconveniences within the State of Nature, Locke answers by anticipating a right of revolution. This grants the people the right to change or over throw government if the government fails to protect natural rights of the people. The majority of the people decide whether the government is protecting the rights of the people. Rights are unalienable when they cannot be taken away. All humans possess unalienable rights at birth. These rights cannot be given to another being, or surrendered with the exception of the holder of those rights. According the John Adams, tyrants sought to discourage the people from learning. They did by ordering the people to do simply do as they say because the tyrants oppressed the people. In my opinion, general enlightenment is crucial to free government because each individual should have knowledge of their government and what laws they are to abide by. According to Hamilton, morality is sown into human nature. He expresses that their maker, gives them reason to acquire the natural rights that are built into their nature. Hamilton explains his difference of the State of Nature with Thomas Hobbes’ State of Nature is that humans are born with rights, whereas Hobbes argues that humans are given rights until they are born within a formed government. Hobbes states that morality bonds with politics and that our moral actions are only performed for our survival knowing that a government can punish us for violating such laws. James Otis claims that sovereignty is ultimately derived from the people. His statement of â€Å" the government is founded on the necessity of our natures,† means that our government was formed to allow humans to freely think, feel, or act naturally and independently. This also means that the government is to protect natural rights in order to maintain equality amongst the people. According to the Declaration of Independence, the statement â€Å" all men are created equal,† means that human being are all born and will remain equal in the eyes of law. Governments are instituted among men to secure natural rights and whenever government does not secure the peoples natural rights, the people have the right to alter government and develop a new government. Essay A. 625 words Traditional American politics suggest that man is endowed at birth with inalienable rights. The origin of inalienable rights influenced America’s founding fathers who sought to protect people from conflict by providing law and order. These rights are incapable of being taking away or given up. The government of the United States was founded on the principle of that all human beings are naturally and equally endowed with inalienable rights. Inalienable rights have impacted several aspects of America’s government which originated from several enlightenment thinkers. John Locke, an English Philosopher, argued that rights are given to man that cannot be taken or given away. These rights are known as natural rights. The formulations of these rights are life, liberty, and property. In his book Two Treatise of Government, Locke intertwines the idea of natural law, equality, and the state of nature. Natural law holds humans subject to morality. Morality is essentially human’s duty to abide to natural laws. Mankind’s right is basically moral fact leading to the sole purpose of government. That is to safeguard the rights of mankind. Locke highlights the state of nature, claiming that men are free, equal, and at liberty to do what they want. However, mankind’s action’s must be done within the boundaries of the law of nature. This supports that natural equality of inalienable rights serve as the moral and theoretical basis of government by consent of the governed. Since humanity acquires natural and unalienable rights at birth, humankind must enter a society that accepts those rights, and protects them. Before government is formed, man lives in a state of nature. In this state of nature, man is guided by God’s intentions of the laws of nature. Locke’s Second Treatise of Government highlights the importance of equality in which forms from the state of nature. Man is free and equal according to the state of nature. Locke feels that man will be assured that he is free and equal when he enters a society making equality the driving force of Locke’s political argument. Equality is key to the establishment of government as long as government holds responsibility of maintaining a safe and stable society that protects natural rights. Man is born free but gives up some freedom in order to establish government to maintain social order. Thomas Jefferson stated that unalienable rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Locke highly influenced Jefferson as Jefferson used Locke’ s concepts of how rulers only rule through the consent of the governed. This mirrors Locke’s political documents. Locke’s works however, had some inconveniences. If the government violates the people’s rights of life, liberty and property, then then people have the right to alter or abolish their government and create a new one that suits their needs. For example, a government may grow tyrannical and no longer represents the people taking away their freedom and rights. In solution, Locke claims that the people have the right to dissent against government. Natural equality and inalienable rights also serve as the basis of limited government. Limited government is based on consent where the people’s rights may not be violated. Locke thought that this proper role of government would allow humanity to blossom because of their God given ability of reason. Overall, government solely exists for the people’s well being. If a government fails to protect rights, then the people have the right to over throw and replace. Governments are only factors that contribute to humanities morality. Because of humankind’s morality, human beings are naturally and equality endowed with inalienable rights that have influenced America’s way of government. John Locke and Thomas Jefferson were two men who sought to create leadership that worked with the people, not an individual who had total control of the people. Essay B. 279 Puritanism is felt across American because the Puritans were the first settlers who spread their ideas and values throughout the land. Alex de Tocqueville considered the Puritans as America’s founders. This is because of their influence on America’s character. John Adams also supports that the Puritans had great contribution to the development of America. The Puritans settled in American and where English protestants who became unhappy with the church of England. They felt as if to much power rested with priests, bishops, and cardinals who were the highest officials in the church. The Puritans stressed Bible readings and wanted religious community members to be directly involved with church. According to Tocqueville and Adams, the Puritan value affected American society in a positive way. They developed the concept of limited government as they believed that no single person or group of people should be trusted to run the government. They had a highly emphasized education which led to American school systems and we have also adopted their ethics of honesty, and work. I agree with Tocqueville and Adams who state that the Puritans were the stepping stoles of American democracy. The fact that the Puritans believed that government should be limited and not ran by a single individual reflects in several enlightenment thinkers whose works h ave highly influenced our government. For example, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Deceleration of Independence using John Locke’s philosophy. Without the Puritans, American Democracy could be altered in several ways. The Puritans are important in the development of American democracy because they have instilled many features upon our government. Culturally they have influenced self-reliance and a strong emphasis on education.

John Gibbons Truth in Action :: John Gibbons Truth Action Essays

John Gibbons' "Truth in Action" ABSTRACT: John Gibbons tries to show that the notion of similarities and differences between different cases of events reveals the relevance of relational properties, which are of causal relevance. Based on such considerations, Gibbons' main claim is that the truth value somebody assigns to his or her beliefs has causal power. This means that the deflationary theory of truth becomes false. The questions therefore are: (1) What are the similarities and differences between different cases? (2) What kind of properties are relational properties? (3) What is the causal relevance of such relational properties, and why should the truth value be of causal relevance? (4) Why can Gibbons not show that the truth value has the relevant causal power? On the basis of some examples John Gibbons tries to show that the notion of similarities and differences between different cases of events reveals the relevance of relational properties, which are of causal relevance. Based on such considerations Gibbons' main claim is that the truth value somebody assigns to his beliefs has causal power. And so the deflationary theory of truth becomes false. So, the questions are: what are (i) similarities and differences between different cases, (ii) what kind of properties are relational properties, and (iii) what is the causal relevance of such relational properties, and why should the truth value be of causal relevance? (iv) Why Gibbons cannot show that the truth value has the relevant causal power? (i) What are similarities and differences between different cases? Gibbons assumes events (1) to speak about cases of particular actions and of particular physical states of affairs, however, he does not distinguish them, he simply speaks in both cases about behavior and their causes or about behavioral events. The example of behavioral events E1 and E2 Gibbons uses is the following: The pure actions A are: A1 Marcia stopped at the red light. A2 Greg stopped at the red light. The action for achieving A: (2) AA1 squeezing a lever with the right hand AA2 pressing a pedal with the foot Additional features of A: af1 cast a shadow in my direction ??? af2 ??? (3) The aim of action A is: aiml wanted to avoid getting a ticket. aim2 wanted to avoid getting a ticket.

Crime in Our Society Essay

This is a painful fact we don’t want to face. There is no effective form to change character. All those qualities in life that makes us what we are also help us become criminals. Heredity and environment, interaction of the individual in society, the totality of human nature and experience. Crime reflects more than just the pitiful few that commit it, it reflects the character of society. How did these people capable of stealing a car, or mugging a cripple become that way? All that they are and all that they have experienced is what drove them to commit a crime. Crime is not just sordid happenings, it is human nature. People commit crime. Some think that man is essentially good, and that given the chance, he will develop as a benign being. Others conceive man to be essentially evil and believe that he must be controlled for his own protection and the existence of an ordered society. Crime is a â€Å"Carry On† type industry. It never stops and always keeps growing on. The society has its own rule. Our society says that â€Å"One is innocent until he or she is proven guilty† and it never gives unusual and cruel punishment. Actually the terrific truth is that society itself creates the criminals and laws are there for them to live free. Crime does not require any kind of education or work experience and there is not that much risk, so the person who has nothing to lose can easily choose crime as his or her career. http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/german-machine-gun.jpg http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/science/gun1.jpg Gun ownership as American Gun Culture describes looks at the masculinity side of why men own guns. Also explains that family legacy of gun ownership is often a factor in determining whether one will become a gun owner. Many of young people got their first guns as gifts from parents. In the US guns are very easily and non-complicating purchase. It is legal to buy and to own a gun or any other life threatening machine. When the parent had taken more care to teach and exemplify proper gun-handling skills and other firearms knowledge, there is a much greater chance that the recipient of this legacy will embrace (rather than reject) it. Gun collecting has many aspects, but most focus on the historic, technical or artistic merits of the arms which make them appealing to collectors. Some collectors cherish a rusty bayonet, or musket ball recovered from an old battlefield. Ammunition collectors delve into the minute details and has all kinds rituals and cleaning time is greatly involves. Some collectors seek to fill a collection with arms of a single maker, others of a single historic period, some concentrate on a specific caliber, or country of origin. Many just want to own guns that they like for various reasons. Many arms collectors enjoy shooting their guns, and many people interested in living history become arms collectors as an outgrowth of that hobby. While not purely collectors, they are potential future collectors, and their experiences can provide valuable information to collectors. Hunting as indicated is a fine reason to own a gun, or several guns. According to the FBI’s national crime statistics, 1.2 million violent crimes were committed in the United States in 2010. About the same as were committed in the US in 2009. These violent crimes include such crimes as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. All saw declines nationally between 2009 and 2010. The largest decrease was in the number of reported robberies, dropping by 9.7% during this year. US crime statistics also report that property crimes saw a drop between 2009 and 2010, dropping from 9.08 million to 8.9 million in 2010. Property crimes include larceny, burglary and motor vehicle thefts. The rate of larcenies decreased the most, dropping by 6.98% since 2009. http://www.delrayrecoverycenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Amphetamine-300Ãâ€"268.jpg http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/images/cocaineSmall.jpg Many people wonder about the social effects of drug abuse. Drug abuse develops the social life of the addict, tearing apart his family, friendships and professional relationships, work which links with his or her occupation and mainly the behavior of the person. Without intervention, the drug addict can wind up alone, with the drug being his only â€Å"friend.† People who are addicted very often turn to crime as a means of paying for their addiction. This can involve stealing or fraud to obtain the funds necessary to bankroll their addiction. This can start with stealing from one’s partner, family or friends but can spread to include their employer or several organizations. Another aspect is that of the cost of maintaining a police force that have to deal with the after- effects of addiction. One such example and one that we hear a great deal about in the media is that of ‘binge drinking. People who have developed an addiction to alcohol very often engage in drunken, anti-social behavior, usually in town and city centers up and down the country. The police have the job of dealing with fights or semi-conscious people lying in the street which is due to the effects of excessive alcohol consumption. The majority of crime committed is http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/9/14/1347635831075/Prescribed-drugs-008.jpg Usually drug-related. Burglary, robberies are all ways of funding an addiction and the more serious the addiction the greater the chance of these being accompanied by violence. There are people who are so desperate to have a ‘fix’ or are completely controlled by their addiction that will do anything to service this. If this means using violence then they will do so. In this case their needs have overtaken any thoughts of rational or civilized behavior. They are not thinking of anyone else but themselves as they are consumed by their addiction. The changes that I think are important to focus on, and the solutions for them to tackle from bottom up are not as simple as it could be imagined. Well, I think that fixing the economy to assure as many people as possible are employed and you have much of the problem of crime resolved. Also finding a way to eliminate drugs from society would help attain the social crime issue. Think about all the crimes that can be associated with addiction: Drug trafficking. Drug dealing. Drug use, Robbery, Assault, Battery,Burglary,Rape. Domestic violence, Illegal weapons possession, Illegal weapons sales. The list goes on and on. This topic is not one of the easiest to tackle but if we eliminated one of the main reasons the crime appears in our society, it would definitely become a much safer place for us citizens to live in. http://calgarycommunities.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a5.jpg

The Giver Essay - 562 Words

Summary The Giver nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This book is about a boy names Jonas. Jonas lives in a futuristic society where there is no pain, fear, war, and hatred. There is also no prejudice, since everyone looks and acts basically the same, there is very little competition. They have also eliminated choice. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;You have to apply for a spouse. You cannot just chose who you want and marry them, the community does it for you. His dad works as a Nurturer of new children, and his mom works at the Department of Justice. He also has a little sister named Lilly. You can’t have a child on your own, you have to apply for them too. There are mothers that all they do is have children.†¦show more content†¦Jonas receives memories of color, something that is absent from his community. He realizes how absent his community really is. Jonas hurts inside to tell people in his community what they are missing. The only person that he can really open up to is The Giver. They grew really close, and it became like a grandfather, grandchild relationship. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Jonas is helping his family take care of a problem newborn. His name is Gabriel, he had problems sleeping at the Nurturing Center. Jonas helps Gabriel sleep by transmitting memories to Gabriel. They become really close. Jonas finds out that Gabriel is in danger of being released. He talks to The Giver and finds out that release means the same thing as death. Jonas gets really mad knowing that his father killed the babies. That was his father’s job. Jonas wants to create a plan to change the community forever. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Giver and Jonas plan for Jonas to escape to elsewhere. Once he had done that, all his memories would be sent back into the community. The Giver would stay behind and help the community cope with their new feeling, emotions, and thoughts. Jonas is forced to leave earlier because his father tells him that they were going to release Gabriel. Desperate to save Gabriel, Jonas takes his father’s bike and they head off. Little by little, he enters a world of animals, color, weather, and also hunger and exhaustion. They travel a long time until they comeShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Giver Essay781 Words   |  4 PagesLord, Elyse. Overview of The Giver. Novels for Students. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. Elyse Lord is one of the many critics who describe â€Å"The Giver† as terrifying but offering â€Å"hope and a constructive view† of the Utopian world in the book. She explains that other critics prai se the book with many awards such as the Newberry Medal. Lord goes on to reason that the story is favored by different readers for its complexity, symbolism, metaphors, ambiguous endingRead MoreFree Giver Essays : The Giver922 Words   |  4 PagesThe Giver Essay How would it feel if this world didn’t let people have choices, didn’t let people share, or if they didn’t let people celebrate birthdays, holidays, or just celebrate anything? Well that’s what it was like for Jonas in The Giver. Jonas lives in the future in a community where The Giver is the only one who knows everything, but soon all that changed for Jonas. He became the the community s new Receiver of Memory, and soon Jonas learns the terrible secrets of this â€Å"utopian†Read MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry940 Words   |  4 PagesLois Lowry’s 1993 young adult novel â€Å"The Giver† captured audiences worldwide with its fascinating characters and dystopian society. The book was long due a film adaption, which finally came in 2014 from director Phillip Noyce. 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In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Award winning novel The Giver, the main character, Jonas, lives in a world exactly as described. In his community, nobody at all can remember anything, choose, or feel any emotion. All of these things are banned is because his community wanted everything to run smoothly. They wanted a community without hate, war, or conflict. While reading LoisRead MoreThe Giver - Original Writing1759 Words   |  8 PagesAlexander Hernandez David A. Stosur 2/16/2017 The Giver Just imagine living in a emotionless world where everything you do and say is monitored, and you have no understanding of what was there before you. Once Jonas gets the power to experience these things he comes to an understanding of himself by being more independent, and having the freedom of choice. Jonas realizes after he escapes his community that he would much rather choose his own destiny than have the comfort and safety from his communityRead More The Giver Essay481 Words   |  2 Pages The Giver: Book Report The story starts as Jonas, a twelve- year-old boy, who is waiting for his life assignment. When he is given his assignment, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver he has to get every memory from all over the world from the old Receiver he calls The Giver. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Giver: The Giver is the man who is the old Receiver. He is also the one who gives Jonas the memories. In the community were Jonas lives is everythingRead MoreThe Giver Symbolism Essay874 Words   |  4 Pageschange the way we act and how other people act, negatively or positively. In the book, The Giver, written by Lois Lowery, a perfect world is created where there are no emotions nor color. Could you give up emotions for a perfect society? 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