A Cornucopia of Views on Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Cornucopia of Views on Democracy - Essay ExampleAristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, and Kant are philosophers who have taken hu while nature and natural laws into context when they discussed democracy. Hobbes, for one, digs into mans right to life and survival. According to him, natural laws are governed by the fact that man needs to fight for his survival. It is natural for man to seek peace in his life but if he gets into conflict with others due to competition, diffidence, and glory, then he has the right to defend himself in order to furbish up his peace. With competition, he fights for gain, with diffidence, he fights for safety and with glory, he fights for his own reputation. Thus, although he seeks peace and knows he deserves it without hurting anybody if he is threatened of such(prenominal) peace, then he faecal matter wage war in order to get his peace back. Hobbes likewise contends that a persons rights, when renounced or transferred to others, are entered into social co ntracts, such as when people allow for their rights to a ruler. This means that all persons must mutually agree to transfer their right to a political sovereign or in Hobbes term, the state of Leviathan. It is also agreed that this state punishes violators of the agreement to obey the laws of society. The rulers power should come from the natural right of people to live in peace. Similarly, Locke believes that man is governed by natural law but goes further in saying that it is the manifestation of human reason which restricts the egoism of pure self-interest such as having ones individual peace.... Hobbes also contends that a persons rights, when renounced or transferred to others, are entered into social contracts, such as when people entrust their rights to a ruler. This means that all persons must mutually agree to transfer their right to a political sovereign or in Hobbes term, the state of Leviathan. It is also agreed that this state punishes violators of the agreement to obe y the laws of society. The rulers power should come from the natural right of people to live in peace. Similarly, Locke believes that man is governed by natural law, but goes further in saying that it is the manifestation of human reason which restricts the egoism of pure self-interest such as having ones individual peace and liberty, and promoting more sociable benefits. Locke proposes that man has three basic natural rights to life, liberty and property. When people entrust a leader to these, it should non be absolute but only partial. Rulers are also vulnerable to the temptation of hoarding power. People are comfortable obeying the government as long as their individual rights are protected, thereby enhancing their freedom. Should they feel that it fails to do so, or that government violates their rights, they would feel the need to fight against it to regain their rights. Aristotle believes that the state should cater to the needs of its citizens and does not exist only for the sake of maintaining lives, but more than that, achieving good lives. He believes in communal service, that all citizens should share in the administration of justice and should not encourage one to live only for himself. Those who are self-sufficient and do not need others to survive are seen as outcasts because it is believed that a social disposition is implanted in all people by nature. Since