In his eyes the people should support only what they want to support, nothing more or less. Thoreau quotes “ It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend its to his will.” If men in power want war, they will get war. Some say that Thoreau is an anarchist, because of his reference to a government that is best which governs not at all. That is not the case because he makes several references throughout his esssay that he does not wish to abolish government, he just wishes a better one. Here, a quote from Carl L. Bankston the third from “Thoreau's Case for Political Disengagement”, states “Nevertheless , while he would like to see government governing less, he does not carry this to the end of abolishing government.” Thoreau says that slavery and
4 Pg. 1) It is clear the writers of the constitution used views on natural law when they put in, “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The makers of the constitution wrote this because they believed the people of the colonies were not being treated fairly by British government and they were not happy. They believed this gave the citizens of the colony every right to overthrow the government based on natural law when they said, “it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government,
Thoreau believes in a government that puts the needs of the people ahead of the needs of the unjust few. His belief can be misinterpreted as a cry to abolish the government but he makes it clear by stating, “But to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government” (Thoreau 830). This sentence is the most important statement made by Thoreau because it is the starting point of what he wants in an American Government. He does not ask for a perfect government but a fair and free government. He goes on to say that some injustice was far too great to overlook, such as slavery.
However, the citizens wanted to make their own rules to follow, sensible and understandable rules. Further on Paine explains “the sun will never shine on a cause of greater worth?” I think that Paine is saying that it is such an issue that we should look to reform it in any way so that it is more fair to all citizens. The struggle of having a King or a Monarchy for the people at that time was difficult. The community wanted a more fair and equal government, while the king was not giving that to them. Let’s take for instance when Paine refers to the past writings of another author, Mr. Pelham “they will last my time.” The name of ancestors will be remembered for their great deeds by future generations with destinies of their own.
Jefferson believed in a strict view of the constitution while he was an advisor. When he became president, his view changed. He supported a more loose view of the document in accordance with his policies. In order for the Constitution to be understood, the chaos around the time it was written must be first understood. Yet that chaos in not the same as now, therefore the constitution must be interpreted loosely in a way that it fits society nowadays.
They are being taken over by detail and spreading attention over many responsibilities instead of being able to focus on a few. Today, Thoreau’s writing on simplifying people’s lives and minds, and keeping a moral obligation to one’s self, is a key aspiration to being an individual. Thoreau presents these points in “Civil Disobedience” through an analysis of the government and its relationship to people under their control. He believes that the government and society infringe on the personal rights and thoughts of individuals by imposing taxes and laws that can violate an individual’s morality. He believes, “that government is best, which governs least.” (Civil
Government has its origins in the evil of man and is therefore a necessary evil at best.” He goes on to say that “government's sole purpose is to protect life, liberty and property, and that a government should be judged solely on the basis of the extent to which it accomplishes this goal.” Basically, Paine is stating to the common people that they have the opportunity to form their own representation of government and do it in a way that truly represents their wants and needs. He is also knocking the form of government the British have and elaborating on why they need to separate due to their own needs for America. Paine would later go into more depth of the style of government Great Britain rules with. The second and perhaps most important key point Paine was trying to explain was the Monarchy rule
Each party has their own beliefs on why or why not these documents should or should not be passed and what power is justified. It is these different ideas which helped shape the future of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Anti-Federalists, such as Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, were against ratification of the Constitution. They believed that the closer the government was to the people, the easier it was for the people to keep it in check and making it harder for the government to become tyrannical. Anti-Federalist tried to appeal to western settlers with ideas of voting right to everyone and not just rich land holders.
Legalists believe that people have to conform, or adapt, to the law. They believe that conformity to the law is the basis to a strong government. If the conformers to the law are weak then the government will also be weak and vice versa. Confucians believed that the government leaders needed to follow the straight and narrow, do the right thing, that they must
Cameron Fairchild 2-17-12 There are two ways that the ideas of Enlightenment that would affect an Absolute society. The first way is the idea of consent from the people to make or enact laws. “… I would not have you meddle with such ancient rights of mine as I have received from my predecessors, possessing them more (as ancestral customs): such things I would be sorry should be accounted for grievances.” That shows that absolute rulers did not take the opinion of others into consideration when making decisions. “... No one can be put out of this condition and be subjected to the power of another without his own consent.” The Enlightenment way of thinking states that a man has the right to decide if he may be subjected to a law or not but that contradicts what the absolute rulers are saying and believing. This would impact the absolute society by showing the people that they have the right to have a say in the law making and taxation.