Ideas Of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, And Jacque Rousseau

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jacque Rousseau are all highly regarded as great political philosophers of their time. Many nations have used their strong rhetoric to create their own civil rights and liberties in order to get away from imperial monarchs. Although they had very different ideas compared to one another, their thoughts and essays are studied in depth when thinking about the world of politics today. If one was to look at these three philosophers in today’s political climate, many would view Hobbes as a conservative, Locke as a moderate, and Rousseau as a liberal. Depending on how one may feel about the world they live in today, one will have a very different opinion on these three philosophers, given the society and government†¦show more content†¦He sees fault and selfishness in the basic nature of people. Hobbes views the lack of morality in men instead of the potential of a harmonious society that could be. However, he believes that this can all be altered when a strong, central, and authoritative government is present. The idea of a government, or a social contract, to Hobbes is the notion of a collective agreement by the population to give up all freedoms and powers to a sole ruler. Hobbes believes that to negate all of the norms of negative human nature a strong government is needed to control rather than to represent its citizens and their sovereign nation. To do that Hobbes believes that an authoritarian monarchy would be the most legitimate and effective government. Under this government, a sole leader would dictate all of the rights and freedom of its people. To Hobbes, the government is there to impose laws and order in order to prevent a state of war. When reading Hobbes’ essays, I did not agree with the negative state of nature that he proposes. I do not see people as having a lack morals and therefore do not agree that a monarch is needed to â€Å"fix† all of these flaws. Therefore, due to Hobbes’ pessimistic attitude towards the state of nature and his need for an absolute ruler, I do not believe that Hobbes could create a strong, trusted, or favored government for the public of a nation. As I quickly realized that I did not agree with Hobbes’Show MoreRelatedViews of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau815 Words   |  4 PagesArden Bentley AP Euro 3/9/13 Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Racques Rosseau were philosophers who stated their belief of human nature and how we should govern mankind. Although Rousseau was born a different time than Hobbes and Locke, they all had a very strong influence on the way governments should function. They created a revolutionary idea of the state of nature, the way men were before a government came into play. Each philosopher developed guidelines and responsibilities that the governmentRead MoreEssay on The Natural Ways of Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau1207 Words   |  5 Pageshuman nature, but rather a plethora of concepts surrounding the idea. With the rise of capitalism, social structure is reformed; it is during this rise in the early seventeenth and eighteenth century, that John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduce their varying opinions surrounding man in nature. The western philosophers mainly concern themselves with the concept of the social contract. Rousseau, Hobbes, a nd Locke begin with the conception of the individual, because in the naturalRead MoreJohn Lockes Views On The State Of Nature1272 Words   |  6 Pagesmost well-known book Leviathan, philosopher Thomas Hobbes claimed that, â€Å"During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man† (Hobbes and Gaskin, 1998: p.77). In simpler terms, Hobbes is claiming that he believes mankind’s State of Nature is a constant State of War. Over time, philosophers and political theorists have come to disprove Hobbes’ theory, demonstrating that the State ofRead MoreEvolution and the Modern Social Contract Theory : Essay Outline1050 Words   |  5 PagesThe Emergence of the Modern Social Contract Theory Essay Outline POLS 14033 – Political Ideas and Ideologies The Emergence of the Modern Social Contract Theory Essay Question: Firstly, in this essay, we will describe and analyze the various concepts of the evolution and emergence of the modern social contract theory thru the analysis of several of its key political thinkers. We will provide a detailed review of the concepts that have developed and that were crucial for theRead MoreJohn Locke: Founding Father of Modern Era Liberalism1444 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and John Locke are all great thinkers who were greatly influential in forming philosophies that would affect the future of politics. By analyzing each philosopher’s ideology, we can identify which thinker’s theory reflected modern era liberalism the most. For this paper I will be arguing that, John Locke provides a more compelling framework of modern era liberalism because of his perception of the state of nature, the social contract and the function of governmentRead MoreThe State Of Nature : Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, And Jean Jacques Rousseau902 W ords   |  4 Pagesstate of nature. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Each theorist had some similar and different views Thomas Hobbes was not a positive person. He believed it was a dog eat dog world, and every man for themselves. Hobbes was no supporter of democratic government. He did not agree with the laws, and believed they shouldn t be enforced. His solution to problems would be to form a monarch. One person is to control who has the given right, such as; a king or queen. Hobbes visualizes aRead MoreRousseau, Locke, and Hobbes Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pagesthe grounds of equality, justice, and freedom. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were all members of The Enlightenment movement, and each had their own idea on how human society should be structured and run. Locke and Hobbes lived around the same time, and some of their political theories were the same, however, by the time Rousseau came along, much had changed. Born in Geneva to a middle class watch maker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was to become one of the most influential thinkersRead MoreConceptions of the Social Contract Theory924 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were political philosophers who formulated their own version of the social contract theory. The social contract theory is a treaty or an agreement that developed a set of laws, organized a functional society, and created the need to be governed. It was put into place when man realized that there was no law. Mankind eventually sought the desire for security and order. To receive security and order people shall voluntarily give up all their rightsRead MoreThe Relationship Between Locke And Rousseau On Human Nature2003 Words   |  9 PagesINTRODUCTION This essay is aimed at discussing how human nature in Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau impact the way that the role and function of the state is viewed. Human Nature is referred to as the essential and immutable character of all human beings. Others may refer to it as the biological or genetic factor suggesting that there is an established and unchanging human core. It highlights what is innate and natural about human life, as opposed to what human beings have gained from education or throughRead MoreThe Social Contract Theories Of Thomas Hobbes And John Locke1210 Words   |  5 Pagesand contrast the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke In the beginning of time, there was no government to regulate man. This caused a burden on society and these hardships had to be conquered, which is when a social contract was developed. The social contract theory is a model that addresses the questions of the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over an individual (Bahuleyan). It rests on the idea that every person has certain natural and evident

Californias Direct Means of Democracy Essay - 1336 Words

California is a democratic republic consisting of three branches of government. The first is the executive branch, i.e. the governor and a group of elected constitutional officers. Second is the judicial branch which consists of the Supreme Court of California and the various local courts. Officials are appointed by the Governor and ratified in the next general election. The third branch of government in California is the legislative branch. It is a bicameral body which includes California’s Senate and Assembly. The Assembly makes up the lower house of the California State Legislature and consists of eighty members, one representative from each county, who serve for up to three two year terms. There are forty state senators who are able†¦show more content†¦In 1910, California Progressive Party member Hiram Johnson ran for governor. â€Å"Restore absolute sovereignty to the people that we may yet live in a free republic† was his slogan. In years prior to the election Californians began to notice a trend in their state government. Californians were not being represented properly by the legislature (Kesler). This is a reflection of California at the time. The gold rush had brought massive amounts of people into the state. This led to an unprecedented opportunity for new business. The Southern Pacific Railroad among other big business infiltrated politics and corruption followed for decades. Law makers passed laws which benefited them. The Progressives sought to give the people greater say in making and dismantling legislation. In doing so the Legislative branch lost power. To accomplish their goal in 1911 they enacted the ballot measures in order for citizens to bypass legislature approval and have a measure placed on the ballot. An initiative is a proposal for a new law that allows any citizen or organization to gather a state defined amount of citizen signatures to qualify. Another ballot measure enacted by the Progressives is a popular eferendum. This allows citizens to create a ballot measure to repeal a specific legislative act by gaining a predetermined number of signatures. â€Å"Voters ratified these amendments in a special election of October 10, 1911† (Initiative Reform Institute). Since their enactment,Show MoreRelatedThe Current Realities Of Poverty And Homeliness1155 Words   |  5 Pagesexplains it, poverty did not trade one location for the other but instead affected both cities and suburbs as it grew. Second, given the much larger size of suburbia— its population is more than double that of cities—â€Å"keeping pace† on the poverty rate means that the suburban poor population expanded by a much greater margin than the poor population in cities (20). Poverty simply kept pace with the migration from the metropolitan core to the suburbs. 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The Special Education for the Visually Impaired Free Essays

Special education has come a long way since the room down the hall with the crayon books and easy work. There was a time that special education students were placed together in a classroom, given easy work to do that would not challenge them and provided separate recesses and lunch periods so that they would not mingle with the regular education students. It was a stigma that nobody wanted for their child but it wasn’t until the mid-1960’s that it began to change. We will write a custom essay sample on The Special Education for the Visually Impaired or any similar topic only for you Order Now Beginning with Brown vs the school board lawsuit, stemming from a Black student who wanted to attend a predominately white school, the life of a special education student has transformed significantly. Today, special education students are protected from discrimination and segregation by federal and state laws. Students with special learning needs are educated in the least restrictive environment and school systems are ordered to accommodate their special needs so that the playing field will be level for their educational journey. Blind students are classified special education by the very nature of their disability. They are classified as such so that the federal education statutes with regards to special education can protect them from being segregated or shunned by the regular education system. Blind students have their inability to see in common, however, outside of that they are as individual and diverse as their sighted peers. There are federal guidelines in place regarding the education and interventions that pertain to blind students however. A student who is blind can present challenges when it comes to behavioral interventions because some of the tried and true methods are not applicable when it comes to a blind student. Making a student write an essay, write sentences or run laps is not feasible when the student needing the intervention is blind. While many behavioral interventions that apply to sighted students will in fact work with blind students it is important to have alternative plans in place for the behavior intervention of those who cannot see. When the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was passed, educators, parents and students began to hammer out plans and pathways to the fair treatment and education of those who had special needs. The students who were blind had previously been sent off to schools for the blind, where they only associated with other blind students, worked with blind geared materials and learned that they were blind in a sighted world. Today, blind students who want to attend regular public schools are not only encouraged to do so they are given the right by federal law to do so, and the school must take whatever steps are needed to allow that education(Anderson, 2004). The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the resulting final federal regulations published in 1999 describe related services as an essential component of a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for many students with disabilities(Anderson, 2004). † Those related services include everything from transportation to counseling services that will assist the special education student in their quest to receive a public education with their peers. Every special education student, including those who are blind is provided with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). This plan outlines the student’s educational needs, the way those needs will be met and what accommodations will be provided by the school system in providing that education(Zabriskie, 2003). While the federal law protects all special education students there are areas of interest that are specifically geared to the education of blind students(Kozub, 2006). As part and parcel of an blind student’s IEP it is important to consider the disability and remember its limitations when planning the student’s curriculum, extra curricular activities and physical education abilities. Because a blind student is often at a disadvantage when it comes to physical activity in both during the routine school curriculum and the aspects of physical education the IEP team must consider alternatives to include these elements in the school day. In addition the IEP team must consider appropriate behavior interventions for the blind student that acts out due to frustration about not being able to participate as fully as their sighted peers. This frustration may be from the child’s anger at his or her limitations or may be founded in messages being sent to that student by well meaning parents who are concerned about their child’s physical development as well as educational development. â€Å"The need for heightened levels of fitness in order to navigate barriers found in both home and community settings is important for children and adults with visual impairments. This is a critical mobility issue for children given the need for independence in daily living activities that increases with age and becomes a necessity during adulthood. In addition, issues of mobility within the larger community are a concern later in adulthood if individuals who lack vision rely on public transportation (which may or may not be accessible depending on fitness levels needed to independently reach bus stops). In all, it is imperative that adequate levels of physical activity are encouraged in children and adolescents with visual impairments to facilitate independence into adulthood. The following study is an initial investigation using a family systems framework of activity levels in a select group of children and adolescents with visual impairments(Kozub, 2006). † These and other concerns raise a need for behavioral interventions that are specifically geared to meet the needs of blind students(Robinson, 2001). â€Å"School success may be minimal for students who have difficulties building social relationships and ultimately fail at developing social competence. As a result, social skills training is often provided to increase pro-social interaction. Despite evidence of the effectiveness of teaching appropriate social functioning, there is concern about generalization and maintenance of learned skills(Gilles, 2003). † Blind students are at a specific disadvantage in the regular classroom setting. They are unable to determine when the classroom is noisy when it is appropriate to speak out, when it is appropriate to remain quiet and how to gain the teacher’s attention by finding her by sight then moving toward her(Bricker, 2004). It is situations such as these that create a problem when it comes to behavior for the blind student. Not only are inappropriate behaviors a risk when a student is frustrated by being blind, but there are every day behaviors that must be addressed for the blind student and the regular education student to blend into a classroom and create a positive and cohesive learning environment. A student who cannot see where the teacher is to gain his or her attention will often times yell out or shout out the teacher’s name. This can not only be disruptive to the classroom from a educational standpoint, but it can also provide a foundation for mimic behavior from the sighted students(Prochaska, 2002). A classroom with 15-23 students all shouting out names of the teacher or others that are needed will quickly become an impossible learning environment. It is important to develop a behavioral intervention for such situations and implement that intervention with the blind student(Bricker, 2004). One intervention would be to provide the blind student with a bell, with which he could ring it once and then patiently wait for the teacher to either arrive at the desk or verbally let the student know he or she will be there momentarily. A blind student may become loud and disruptive when frustrated or angry. It is important for teachers to understand that the frustration may not be with any one person in particular but may in fact be about not being sighted the way the other students in the classroom are. It is important o have appropriate behavior interventions in place from the beginning so that the students who are blind can depend on the consistent response to certain behaviors. When a student acts out and become verbally loud and disruptive it can be disruptive for the entire classroom. Whereas a sighted student can be told to go to the hall or go to the principal the sending of a blind student is more complicated as they will require an aide to accompany them. If less drastic attempts to reduce the undesired behavior are not successful then an aide should be appointed to escort the student from the classroom, however, there should be mandated approaches built into the student’s IEP for behavioral interventions before that point arrives. One step that can be taken in behavior intervention with a blind student is to have the student learn how to self direct the anger. If he or she is feeling frustrated it is important that the student have a place to vent that frustration so that it does not come out in inappropriate behaviors in the classroom. Allowing that student to be excused to talk to the guidance counselor about the current frustration is one behavior intervention that will allow the student to address the frustration while at the same time preserving the integrity of the classroom setting and the lessons being taught to the remaining students. Another approach to redirecting undesired behavior will be touch and sound. A blind student cannot read social cues from other students and teachers by the look on their face. It is important to help the student who is blind find ways to read social cues using the other senses. Teachers should instruct the seeing students in ways to use hearing and touch to convey cues to the students who are blind. In addition the students that are blind should be guided in listening to voice cues and other sounds that can clue them to the social attitudes and feelings of those around them. It is important that blind student intervention programs provide clear cut guidelines in helping the students redirect themselves and their behavior to more acceptable avenues. It is important for teachers and students to recognize the very real limitations that a blind student must face on a daily basis. The student who is educated in a regular education classroom is subjected to a well rounded experience, while at the same time must face frustrations that he or she would not have to deal with in a school for the blind. It is important that behavior interventions for the blind student take into consideration the disability and how that disability impacts the student not only from an educational standpoint, but also from a social and emotional standpoint as well. Behavior interventions should include guidance for future behaviors that will provide a foundation for the student to build on successful encounters with each passing year. The federal government mandates that accommodations be put in place but it is up to the individual school to design the accommodations that fit the individual blind student. Blind students are as diversified as sighted students and as such must have behavioral intervention plans in place that address their individual needs. How to cite The Special Education for the Visually Impaired, Papers