Machiavelli Machiavelli’s The Prince is a handbook for rulers on how to run a state. Unlike previous works on this topics Machiavelli starts by describing the true nature of man. Previous works were based on an ideal model of citizens, were people are honest, loyal, law abiding, and generous. Machiavelli says that in reality “men are ungrateful, fickle, dissembling, cowardly, and jealous.” Machiavelli argues that princes must use ruling techniques that are effective given mans nature. Likewise, the prince must have qualities that are less than ideal in order to be an excellent ruler.
The first issue was that of what people would be involved in the government. This problem was centered on the idea of different classes of people that were in the nation. By limiting the types of people in the government however, it would limit the types of personalities that would play a role in the government. Some argued that the private men, the working class individuals who represented the majority, had no business being involved in politics and government. Thomas Gordon argued against this because he thought that if anyone would know how the government worked, it would be the private men.
For one reason owning private property breaks down the state of equity where no one person as more than another. And if mankind has a right to their own preservation do they need the consent of every man in order to appropriate, can he not enclose property without the consent of his fellow commoners. But when God gave man reason to make to make use of nature to the best advantages of life and convenience that made reason for the use and need of private property, therefore not needing the consent of his fellow commoners. If humans fail to use nature to the best advantage we as humans are committing a sin. Even if the state of equity is broken down it is up to each individual to inquire what he needs it is not up to all of mankind to provide for each other.
Paine thinks the distinction between King and Subject is different from other societal distinctions among people because he says originally the world lived in equality. All men are born equal and has no right to establish his family over another. Other distinctions have religious or natural reasons, but the distinction between of men into Kings and Subjects has no specific reason. Paine says that when Kings were made it was a mistake, because man was supposed to only have god ruling them. He says the reason for this distinction, could most likely be due to sin.
I humbly bow to your attempt to challenge man to think beyond their own beliefs by simply questioning just what their beliefs are. You have revealed the concept that when man truly believes in something, he should undoubtedly be able to support his ideals. Your arrest though, proves my thesis that man is inherently evil especially when they arrest people for simply going against the majority. Should we just lie down and accept this relentless oppression? No, we should rally the minority and oppose those whom first opposed
As a government that provides the natural freedoms of man to its citizens, it should do all it can to protect its citizens who are threatened. The natural rights of man are a code. If you break the code and abuse your fellow man, you have lost your privileges to these rights. As citizens of a government that keeps us safe, it is not our business to know what steps the government takes to protect us. We are to keep the peace among the nations of the earth because that is our belief as a people, but we must know our enemy, we must know their intentions and what they wish to carry out.
Another idea related to this is the idea of predestination which was the view of the philosopher- John Calvin. Predestination is the idea that our lives are set/planned out previous to the start of our lives. Calvin said that man is “inherently evil and is not capable of good as his free will chooses to reject God”. Therefore, this suggests that God has predestined our lives as to those who will be saved and who will not. This further reinforces that we have no choice or influence on our lives and the events that happen, so therefore God will know the ethical decisions we will make as he has already predestined them in our lives.
Right to Revolution What follows is an excerpt from John Locke's Second Treatise (1694). §222. The Reason why Men enter into Society, is the preservation of their Property; and the end why they chuse and authorize a Legislative, is, that there may be Laws made, and Rules set as Guards and Fences to the Properties of all the Members of the Society, to limit the Power, and moderate the Dominion of every Part and Member of the Society. For since it can never be supposed to be the Will of the Society, that the Legislative should have a Power to destroy that which every one designs to secure, by entering into Society, and for which the People submitted t hemselves to Legislators of their own making; whenever the Legislators endeavour to
Alexander Hamilton once stated, "Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint." By saying this, Hamilton meant a government is required because people cannot make decisions based upon their instincts. The voice and thoughts of one are too irresponsible or unreasonable to make decisions. Mankind needs laws and obligations to live by, not only to keep peace but to protect ourselves from our basic nature.
The government should not be used to control the people but to direct them in the right direction. Henry Thoreau writes about how maybe we should not even have a government because the government does not do much. The government did not keep us free, settle the west, or educate us but instead the people did these things. He believes that things would be more successful if the government did less interfering. The government us what brings out the evil in people because when people have too much respect for their government and laws they seem to not remember their conscience.