Social Contract Theory In Thomas Hobbess The Leviathan

In light of political philosophy, and more specifically contract theory, there is one philosophy that is undoubtedly inferior to the rest. This happens to be Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory as articulated in his book The Leviathan. There are many conceptual errors in Hobbes’s theory, but I will first present his theory and then highlight two major issues. The first issue being that his state of nature is irrationally portrayed and his assumptions of apolitical groups are inaccurate- as examples of successful government-free societies exist. This will then lead to the second issue which is that his requirements for his contract theory, tied to his theory as a whole, are not preferable. On these grounds, we will be able to reject†¦show more content†¦Thus, Hobbes draws the conclusion that individuals ought to form a group and enter a contract. This contract would deem the most powerful individual or group the Leviathan. Individuals would then give up right s to this Leviathan to achieve order and security among the group. The Leviathan is then given total authority; whatever the Leviathan wants is enforceable on the group. Hobbes believes this is preferable as now civilized society is possible, even though some rights may be given up. What we find first, though, is that his portrayal of the state of nature and subsequent state of war are both flawed. Hobbes attains a very negative outlook on human nature and the human condition. He claims that humans are essentially so self-interested that they could never achieve peaceful coexistence without being coerced into doing so. Furthermore, he argues that the mechanisms of civil society, such as industry and production cannot be achieved either. Not only are Hobbes’s claims a bit extreme and ridiculous, but in the case of human nature, they are provably false. First, I would assert that man does not need government or a coercive power to achieve standards of right and wrong or to the orize moral frameworks. While governments may make laws that can achieve justice and outline a basic sense of what we believe to be right and wrong, this authority is not necessary for morality. ItShow MoreRelatedPolitical Philosophy And The Natural Law856 Words   |  4 Pagestried to conceptualize what constitutes a political philosophy. Several theorists produced valid points, highlighting the epitome of both politics and citizenship. Consequently, there was one philosopher that was able to produce a much more valid theory. John Locke philosophized that the political system is rooted from the law of nature. The law of nature states that all persons are equal, inducing limitations or restrictions on human freedom and personal liberty. 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As stated earlier, his most famous piece of work, â€Å"Leviathan† was a platform through which Hobbes expressed his ideas of how an ideal state ought to look like. The term â€Å"Leviathan† is used in the Bible in the book of Job, where the creatureRead MoreAnalysis Of Jean Jacques Rousseau s Perfect Freedom Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pagescontrary to the suggestion of Thomas Hobbes that perfect freedom is an intrinsic condition of human nature. The only true natural association is the family; its characteristics are primarily widespread beyond the primitive needs from which it originates. Where Hobbes might suggest that there is a measure of independence supplemented in family, John Locke on the other hand might argue that the family unit fulfills a natural law. From its inception, the presence of social constraints on the institutionRead MoreThe Social Contract Theory Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pages1a. The Social Contract Theory According to the Social Contract Theory, it suggests that all individuals must depend on an agreement/ or contract among each person to form a society, in which they live in. The concept emphasizes authority over individuals, in other words, the social contract favors authority (e.g. the Sovereign) over the individuals, because men have to forfeit their personal right and freedom to the government, in exchange for protection and security, which I will further elaborateRead MoreAnalyzing the Ideas of Locke and Hobbes on the State of Nature704 Words   |  3 Pagesof social contract theory, with the esoteric term being used to describe the hypothetical human condition which logically preceded the institution of organized government. 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Thomas Hobbes believed that all humans were born with sin. He believed that all humans were evil, cruel, greedy, and selfish. Even though he thought we were naturally evil, his theories also stated how they can be kept under control. He argued if countries wereRead MoreHobbes vs. Locke2028 Words   |  9 Pagespower? In answering this question explain Locke’s argument against Hobbes’s understanding of â€Å"paternal† and despotical power. On the discussion of power and social structure, both John Locke and Thomas Hobbes introduce their theories on paternal and despotical power in Second Treatise of Government and Leviathan respectively. Both men believe that social order is constructed artificially and not by a divine being. In Leviathan, Hobbes’s discusses the differences between paternal and despotical power

The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms - 1617 Words

Since its inception in 1982 the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, very much like its primary architect Pierre Trudeau, has been one of the most celebrated yet controversial elements of Canadian politics and governance. Revealing how this dynamic emerged requires a nuanced understanding of the motivation behind the Charter and the techniques it employed to succeed. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, like the entire patriation process, was motivated by and mobilized support through, constitutionally enshrining democratic core values, multiculturalism and a sense of nationalism. However, it should not be seen as merely a symbolic gesture on the part of Britain and Canada or merely a strengthening of core values. Instead it was a fundamental reinvention of Canadian federalism that shifted power away from the provinces to the federal government and from the Parliament to the courts. This was accomplished by incentivizing provincial acceptance, developing common interests, and, as a result, formalizing a national identity where the protection and expansion of core values was encouraged as fundamental. This dynamic allowed the reinvention to, by and large, succeed. An understanding of the provisions and effects of the Charter and how it ultimately succeed as a re-invention of the Canadian Government requires knowledge of the patriation process. Before 1982, the formal power to amend the Canadian Constitution was held by the British Parliament. This was seenShow MoreRelatedThe Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms1613 Words   |  7 Pages The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms simply referred to as the â€Å"Charter†, is a significant document in regards to the Canadian constitution. Its primary aim is to uphold individual rights and freedoms and promote equality in administering justice. 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The CharterRead MoreThe Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms883 Words   |  4 PagesRainbow Nation of South Africa in 1994, the first democratically elected government was tasked with drawing up a new constitution that would properly enshrine the human rights that had so long been denied the majority of citizens. One source drawn upon in developing the new constitution was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, itself then little more than a decade old. It is not necessary to be a constitutional scholar to detect many similarities between the two; indeed, Canada’s pride in thisRead MoreThe Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms2016 Words   |  9 PagesFreedom of expression, set under sectio n 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is one of Canada’s most valued rights in the bill of rights of the Constitution. It has paved the way for the society in which thirty-five million people reside today. With this level of influence and admiration, it is truly a fundamental right. However, many ground-breaking cases have illustrated the need to limit freedom of expression. A prime example is the landmark case that took place in 1990 surrounding

A baby was born on July 12 or 13 of 100 BC in Rome Essay Example For Students

A baby was born on July 12 or 13 of 100 BC in Rome Essay . Little did the proud parents of this baby know that he would rule most of the known world. This baby was born to the name of Gaius, his personal name, Julius was the name of his familys clan and the name of his family was Caesar meaning hairy. Caesar was such an amazing man that many people couldnt believe that he was born the same way as them. Over time stories have arisen about Caesars birth. One story says that Caesar was pulled from an incision in his mothers stomach. This is where the medical term of Cesarean section came from, from Caesars birth. Not everyone paid that much attention to the birth of Caesar, it was overshadowed by exploits of his Uncle Gaius Marius. Marius was a politician, he was a new man or a plebeian politician. He married into the aristocratic Caesar family so he would have a name to back up his words. Marius did not receive a first-class education or a lot of other advantages some politicians had. Marius was elected consul in 108 BC, once in office he pr oved himself as a brilliant general. He persuaded the senate to send him to Africa and replace the general in the war there. He took over for General Metellus. Soon he ended the war that had been dragging on for many years. When he returned to Rome Marius found another chance for fame. Nomadic German tribes had invaded the north of Italy and winning a couple battles over Roman armies. Marius took the spotlight away from this little bundle of joy named Caesar. No matter what he wanted he was propelled into politics. Many of his relatives were senators or held other important political offices. He listened to many political discussions between his family which had substantial influences on him. He was trained to be a politician by his tutor Antonius Gnipho. He studied Greek and Latin literature, philosophy, and most important, rhetoric or the art of persuasive argument. At the age of twelve he was brought to the senate house to watch speeches and debates. As a kid he wrote numerous poems and plays. Augustus believed that these writings might tarnish his reputation, when he became emperor he burned all of Caesar works. Caesar was a very handsome boy and for that matter man too. He dressed in a style all his own. He was not very strong as boy. All male children were expected to be good athletes. Caesar acquired skills in running, fencing, and horseback riding. He became capable of physical feats that would astonish his childhood friends. His health was a bit frail as a kid. At an early age he became somewhat deaf and after he was thirty he suffered occasionally from fits of epilepsy. He was rather tall for a man from his time, he grew to be about five feet eight inches tall. In Roman tradition the fathers arranged their childrens marriages at an early age. Caesars father arranged his marriage with a young woman named Cossutia. Caesar hated this idea. He wanted to control his own life. He had a strong will of his own. But he had lots of respect for his father so he agreed to marry Cossutia. The marriage did not last long, only a few months. Soon after the wedding Caesar divorced his bride. A little later Caesars father died. When Caesar was nineteen he fell deeply in love with a woman named Cornelia. Cornelia was Cinnas daughter and Cinna was Marius most powerful colleague and co-consul. This entangled Caesar even more with politics. Having Marius as an uncle and Cinna as a father-in-law. Soon after the marriage Caesar and Cornelia had a daughter, whom they named Julia after his aunt and Marius wife. Marius and Cinna were elected consuls while Sulla was at war with Mithridates in 86 BC. Soon after both Cinna and Marius died. It left their party leaderless and could not stop Sulla from taking control of the republic. When Sulla took control he forced Caesar to divorce Cornelia as a test of loyalty. He refused to divorce the love of his life. He knew that men had been killed for far less serious things. He knew his life was in danger, he avoided execution by leaving Rome for the hilly country side near Rome. Caesar eluded hunters and police with a small group of his slaves for a few weeks. Then he became weak and sick from exposure, exhaustion, and a lack of sleep since he had been sleeping on the ground. While he was sick his slaves carried him around. One night Caesar and his slaves ran into one of Sullas men in the hills, even in his state of being he managed to keep the man from arresting him and bringing him into Rome. Soon after this incident Caesar found out some of his powe rful friends were going to try and get him a pardon. He returned to Rome. After Cornelia nursed him back to health he was summoned to the forum. He went there and came face to face with Sulla who with a slight move of hand could have him executed on the spot. His friends pleaded that he was just a boy; hotheaded, and his refusal had nothing to do with politics. Sulla granted Caesar a pardon by saying, You have made your point, and you can have him, but always bear in mind that one Caesar is worse than a dozen Mariuses. Even though Caesar had a pardon he knew that he was not safe in Rome. He would leave the first chance he got. In 81 BC he got his chance. He was offered a spot on the staff of proconsul Thermus. He immediately excepted the offer. Thermus was going to Asia Minor to control the rebellious Mytileneans. Soon after arriving in Asia Minor Caesar was sent to make sure Nicomedes, king of Bithynia on the Black Sea, had kept his promise to bring his fleet of ships to help Thermus control the Mytileneans. When Caesar arrived in Bithynia he was astonished by the kings luxuries. The king really showed off his wealth. On Caesars first night in Bithynia he slept on a bed of gold and on the second he was the guest of honor at a banquet. Caesar and Nicomedes became close friends and the king gave his young friend who he had come to admire gifts of money. Caesar did not forget his mission and the ships were sent to Thermus aid. Caesar had to leave Bithynia and return to his duties in the army, which he did reluctantly. Mytilene was taken by storm and Caesar won the civic crown, Romes highest award for courage . Caesar was kept busy with administrative duties in Asia Minor. Caesar was going to join up with the navy to stop the pirates in the eastern Mediterranean until he got word that Sulla was dead. Artemis EssayCaius Cassius was the ringleader in a conspiracy against Caesar. Cassius gathered a small group of citizens to join him in a plot to murder Caesar. In those days the killing of a ruler for patriotic reasons was not a crime! In February of 44 BC he was appointed dictator for life. This pushed his assassinators over the edge. Caesar wanted to lead armies again in new and glorious conquests. He made plans to leave Rome for two years and lead an army. He was to leave on March 19. This meant the assassination had to take place soon, Cassius had to make final plans. Caesar knew something was wrong he had spies everywhere and a soothsayer openly said that he would be killed. He refused to take precautions and even dismissed his bodyguard. This whole time he refused to be crowned king. Caesar was scheduled to attend a meeting on the Ides, or fifteenth, of March, that was the day the conspirators would attack. On March fourteenth Caesars wife had terrible dreams of her husbands death. In the morning his wife pleaded with him not to go. Caesar postponed the session. One of the conspirators named Decimus Brutus came to Caesars house and persuaded him to come to the session. He gave in and came to the session. His wifes try to save him failed. When Caesar entered the Senate a group formed around him and stabbed him to death. He was stabbed 23 times then fell on a statue of Pompey. So Caesar died. Caesar had a great life and then was stabbed because people were jealous of him.

The Fundamentals Of Television Essays - Television Technology

The Fundamentals of Television In this report on television I will discuss television signals, the components the make up a television, and how a television produces the picture and sound for the final output. The sound carrier is at the upper end of the spectrum. Frequency modulation is used to impress the sound on the carrier. The maximum frequency deviation is twenty-five kilohertz, considerably less than the deviation permitted by confessional FM stereo. As a result, a TV sound signal occupies less bandwidth in the spectrum than a standard FM broadcast station. Stereo sound is available in TV, and the multiplexing method used to transmit two channels of sound information is virtually identical to that used in stereo transmission for FM broadcasting. The picture information is transmitted on a separate carrier located 4.5 MHz lower in frequency than the sound carrier. The video signal derived from a camera is used to amplitude modulate the picture carrier. Different methods of modulation are used for both sound and picture information so that there is less interference between the picture and sound signals. The full upper sidebands of the picture information are transmitted, but only a portion of the lower sidebands is suppressed to conserve spectrum space. The color information in a picture is transmitted by way of frequency division multiplexing techniques. Two color signals derived from the camera are used to modulate a subcarrier that, in turn, modulates the picture carrier along with the main voice information. The color subcarriers use double-sideband-suppressed carrier AM. The video signal can contain frequency components up to 4.2 MHz. Therefore, if both sidebands were transmitted simultaneously, the picture signal would occupy 8.4 MHz. The vestigal sideband transmission reduces this excessive bandwidth. Because a TV signal occupies so much bandwidth, it must be transmitted in a very high frequency portion of the spectrum. TV signals are assigned to frequencies in the VHF and UHF range. United States TV stations use the frequencies between 54 and 806 MHz. This portion of the spectrum is divided into sixty-eight 6MHz channels that are assigned frequencies. Channels 2 through 7 occupy the frequency range from 54 to 88 MHz. Additional TV channels occupy the space between 470 and 806 MHz. The video signal is most often generated by a TV camera, a very sophisticated electronic device that incorporates lenses and light-sensitive tranducers to convert the scene or object to be viewed into an electrical signal that can be used to modulate a carrier. To do this, the scene to be transmitted is collected and focused by a lens upon a light-sensitive imaging device. Both vacume tube and semiconductor devices are used for converting the light information in the scene into an electrical signal. The scene is divided into smaller segments that can be transmitted serially over a period of time. It is the job of the camera to subdivide the scene in an orderly manner so that an acceptable signal is developed. This process is called scanning. Scanning is a technique that divides a rectangular scene up into individual lines. The standard TV scene dimensions have an aspect ratio of 4:3; that is, the scene width is four units for every 3 units of height. To create a picture, the scene is subdivided into many fine horizontal lines called scan lines. Each line represents a very narrow portion of light variations in the scene. The greater the number of scan lines, the higher the resolution and the greater the detail that can be observed. United States TV standards call for the scene to be divided into a maximum of 525 horizontal lines. The task of the TV camera is to convert the scene into an electrical signal. The camera accomplishes this by transmitting a voltage of 1 volt for black and 0 volts for white. The scene is divided into 15 scan lines numbered 0 through 14. The scene is focused on the light-sensitive area of a vidicon tube or CCD imaging device that scans the scene one line at time, transmitting the light variations along the lines as voltage levels. Where the white background is being scanned a 0 volt signal occurs. When a black picture element is encountered a 1 volt level is transmitted. The electrical

Electoral College in Todays World essays

Electoral College in Todays World essays Electoral College in Todays World On November 7th, 2000, registered citizens of United States voted. I believed that my vote would make a great difference as to who would be president. Later that evening the news slowly displayed the progress of each state as all of the votes were tallied. There was much confusion as I watched. I didnt know that the president and vice president were elected by a non-direct, nation-wide vote. What was the purpose of the electoral vote? Did my vote even make a difference? I needed to better understand exactly how we elect the president and vice president. What is the Electoral College? I learned that every four years you vote. When you vote, each individual vote helps decide which candidate receives your states electoral votes. The electors elect the president and vice president by casting electoral votes for the presidential candidate who carries their state. Each states allotment of electors is equal to the number of house members to which its entitled plus two senators. Essentially the Electoral College system is a method of indirectly selecting the President of the United States. It is part of the elite theory of making sure that direct voters did not select a poor candidate for President, if direct election split the vote and a poor candidate was elected by popular vote. The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government. The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as stated in article 2 of the Constitution. This system allows the sharing of power between states and government in an organized manner. Each state shall appoint [...] a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress. But no Senator or Representative, or person holding an of...

Big Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Big Four - Essay Example They founded Central Pacific in 1861. They were also responsible for starting the American transcontinental line. Construction of the rail began in Sacramento, California, in 1863 which reached south to Arizona in 1877. The Central Pacific met the Union Pacific at Promontory, Utah, in May 1869. Stanford was born on March 9 1824, and he passed on June 21, 1893. He was an American mogul, industrialist, politician and forefather of Stanford University. He remade himself in gold rush era in California as a merchant. He left the Midwest to become a partner in a wholesale grocery industry created by his brothers. He was slow to speak, a deliberate thinker, and he was characterized by a steady nature that repeatedly provoked his railroad partners. Stanford headed east to lobby for the undertaking and gain biased support for his gubernatorial tender. Stanford appointed Theodore Judah and Doc Strong as nominating committee, and, perhaps swayed by his political gravity, they in turn named Stanford president. It was a insignificant to company mastermind Huntington, who had to settle for vice president and the beginning of bad blood that estranged him from Stanford and drove Judah away from the Central Pacific. Bad choices cost Stanford his governors office by the end of his first term- characteristic was his May decision to appoint business partner E. B. Crocker to the California Supreme Court.Political position had allowed him to funnel state money to the railroad; free from the responsibilities of office, Stanford turned his full attention to railroad duties. In 1868 he signed a million-dollar draft without their consultation, making the company captive to the Bank of California Collis P. Huntington was born in 1821 and passed on in the 1900. He went to California in1849 on news about gold. He had an uncanny intelligence for buying and selling. There he became a partner with Mark Hopkins in a successful wholesale-retail firm that specialized in miners’

GIS is Dead. Long live GIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GIS is Dead. Long live GIS - Essay Example 161). Still, there is no denying the fact that GIS do happens to be a relatively young field. It is a different matter that the antecedents of GIS could be traced back to hundreds of year, in the disciplines of mapping and cartography (Pacione 1999). In a technological context, GIS came to life at sometime in the 60s (Davis 2007). Hence, in an academic context, it is really interesting to trace the development and origins of GIS. The eventual development of GIS happened to be the result of the interest evinced by some key companies, groups and individuals backed by the prompt emergence of key concepts (Monmonier 1998). The onset of computer technology accompanied by commensurate developments in graphics and hardware gave way to much change in the cartographic analysis (Wood & Demko 1999). This was followed by the emergence of many theories of spatial processes, as resorted to by regional science, anthropology and social and economic geography (Weiner 1999, p. 164). This led to a tren d towards the integration of varied informational dimensions in a spatial context. Canada Geographic Information System happens to be an apt example of the earliest form of GIS, which emerged in the 60s (Kuper & Kuper 2004, p. 416). The development of the Canada Geographic Information System certainly furnished valuable technical and conceptual contributions. The primary purpose of this system was to analyze the information garnered by the Canada Land Inventory and to produce the requisite statistics for contriving land management plans pertaining to the big tracts of rural Canada (Reilly & Rahtz 1992, p. 89). This led to the CLI preparing maps having seven primary map layers (Reilly & Rahtz 1992, p. 89). Certainly, this necessitated the development of multiple new and costly technologies based on the perception that once the data input is taken care of, the computers could readily accomplish a complex analysis (Reilly & Rahtz 1992). The CGIS led to the emergence and recognition of some key ideas that were to impact the GIS technologies of the future. Following Canada Graphic Information Systems, further development of GIS could be traced to Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis (Chrisman 2005). This saw the coming into existence of general purpose mapping software, which was widely distributed and which contributed immensely to the building up of an application base for GIS (Chrisman 2005). This led to the creation of subsequent Harvard Packages like SYMAP, CALFORM, SYMVU, GRID, PLOYVRT, ODYSSEY, with each package being more robust and efficient as compared to the previous ones (Chrisman 2005). In the context of the development of GIS, the Federal Bureau of the Censuses do deserves a noticeable mention. It was the Federal Bureau of the Censuses that recognized the need to assign the data collected by it to correct geographical locations. This led to the recognition of the need for a comprehensive and holistic approach towards census ge ography. Consequently, the 1970 census happened to be the first geocoded census of its kind and DIME files happened to the central component of this approach towards geocoding (Chrisman 2005). This led to the emergence of the atlases comprising of computer generated maps attributing the select statistical variables to select locations (Chrisman 2005). The British experience with GIS though shared some similarities with the North American experience,