Assignment 1 Jacques- Benigne Bossuet, “The Theory of Divine Right” LaDayna Franklin “Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1627-1704) is an excellent example of the “old school” of European political thought…” His belief was the monarchy system which was a political system believed to be ordained by God, gave kings the right to rule by divine right. Bossuet stated “Monarchial government is the best”. By this he is saying that there is no better form of government because kings are ordained by God and with this action there is an automatic natural order that forms this proper government. The Theory of the Divine Right aimed at instilling obedience by explaining why all social ranks were religiously and morally obliged to obey their government. The Theory of the Divine Right was directed at convincing the cultured and wealthy groups that they should serve as royal officials not try and seize power for themselves.
According to Voltaire “The best government seems to be that in which all ranks of men are equally protected by the laws” (Doc. 4) he is trying to tell his beliefs on democracy. John Locke also believed of men being equal “Men being … by nature all
Mostly the Anti-Federalists thought that the Constitution created too strong of a central government. They felt that the Constitution did not create a Federal government, but a single national government. They were afraid that the power of the states would be lost and that the people would lose their individual rights because a few individuals would take over. As a result, they proposed The Bill of Rights, to make sure the citizens were protected by the law. They believed that no Bill of Rights would be equal to no check on our
At the end of the American Revolution the Articles of Confederation established an Anti-Federalist paradise in the United States. A weak league of friendship was formed between each state, angering Federalists who sought a stronger central government and causing political, economic and social problems. Shay’s Rebellion, inability to collect taxes and the worthless state currency were all problems that lead to the formation of a new constitution. After becoming free from the tyrannical rule of the British crown the Anti-Federalists were hesitant to establish a strong central government. This set into motion the forming of the Articles of Confederation which created a weak bond between states and a congress with essentially no power to put any law into motion.
Both federalists believed the new Constitution would help with providing protection, the general welfare of the people and enforcing the laws. (Doc 1 & 3) Two men, Patrick Henry and Amos Singletree, were both antifederalist and opposed the Constitution. Patrick opposed the Constitution because he believed the states would lose power. He thought it was too late to try to fix something that separated America from Great Britain. Amos Singletree believed the men who drafted the constitution are using it as an excuse to gain more power and money for themselves.
In short, this essay will examine both Burke and Paine’s views of human nature, natural rights, and the rights of man to overthrow their government. Burke and Paine came from two opposite ends of the political spectrum. Burke was an archetypal conservative, valuing history, tradition, and the status quo. Paine was a firebrand of the left, advocating revolution and popular democracy. Ironically, Edmund Burke sympathized with the colonists in North America during the period of turmoil there, but he did not support the complete social revolution which took place in France during the last years of the 1700s.
Common Sense spoke against tradition and in favor of revolution for the economic and political advantages. It gave a voice to what would later be known as Democracy. Democracy represents fairness, acceptance and freedom. Common Sense was written to inspire the ambivalent colonists into joining the revolution against the British monarchy but also to encourage colonists to organize their own government. Paine was the first to articulate political injustice in a way that was relatable.
In the 1780's, when the American government replaced the articles of confederation with the constitution, the peoples view of this change was widely varied. Some people whole-heartedly supported the change, while others hated the idea of it. Some people were indifferent to it, they thought it was a good overall idea, but some things need to be changed first. George Washington, in a letter to Henry Knox, Showed his high hopes and expectations of The Constitution. He thought it would clear "the clouds of evil which threatened not only the hemisphere of Massachusetts, but by spreading its baneful influence, the tranquility of The Union.
The idea of freedom and pursuing democracy is especially pushed within classical liberalism and this can be seen through thinkers such as John Locke who envisioned individuals as being free and equal, having given consent to the government and therefore authority deriving from them not the people above. The French liberal Benjamin Constant said that the main enemies of liberty were over “powerful governments” and J.S Mill backed this point up with his view that the only purpose which power can rightfully be exercised over a member of a civilised society, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. Through the ideas of these thinkers within classical liberalism it is clear that because democracy defends freedom, it is promoted by liberalism as it allows citizens to protect themselves from tyrannical governments and not be repressed by the state. Furthermore, one can see that through democracy a political consensus is promoted which leads to political stability, if not everyone is given an equal chance to voice their opinion and views then this would go against the idea of giving the people free speech and steering away from an over paternalistic government. Indeed, it can be
Maima D.Beer English 12 Prof.Friedkin Date: 04/02/12 America an imperialistic nation or Not There are two different perspectives of how the US is viewed by its citizens and by the world. The US view itself as a democratic force that only seeks to defend democracy, by helping other nations and spreading this democracy. But the world on the other hand views the US as an Imperialist Nation that seeks its own interest, by exploiting weaker nations and controlling these nations at the same time. Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force; and the US is guilty of this. The US for years has denied the fact that it’s an imperialistic nation, which in fact we are.