In society, individuals view situations differently based on their own perspective. For instance, the color of the walls in a room may have different shades based on whose judging the color. One individual may view the room as aquamarine, one may see it as turquoise, and well another may just view the room as being blue. Every individual has their own way of thinking. It is believed by some philosophers that, human beings are born with the ability to think rationally. Rational thinking is intrinsic to humans. Thus, based on Comte and Spencer’s arguments, social order in modern society is possible through individual rational thought, understanding the society in which they live, and also maintaining a “social contract”. At the first glance of the words “social order”, one will notice that the phrase is about a stable society, with everyone having one common understanding of the world. However, if one must delve beneath the surface of the controversial phrase, one will notice that leaders of this concept created this system so that persons dwelling in that society would view certain situations, and the system itself, as being equal, fair and just. Traditionally, in order to have a society in which the persons are engaged in some form of order, a number of restrictions were implemented on freedom of speech and also the sharing of ideas among peers. The concept of “social order” allows persons in a particular society to have one constant cultural (religious), and political belief. Based on Comte and Spencer’s argument, social order in modern society should not be as strict as that in traditional society because of our ability as individuals to think rationally. Traditional society was a society which was mainly ruled by religion an... ... middle of paper ... ...ithin the society. Although the Enlightenment period was in support of individual rational thought, the views of the persons within the society should not interfere with the contract. To conclude, although traditional society had more control and stability, social order can exist in a modern society, even though individuals are engaged in more individualistic rational thought. Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer provide sufficient ways in which social order is possible in a more industrialized society. These scholars believe that individual thought, understanding the given society, and a social contract, can lead to some form of social order within the modern world. Nevertheless, in a modern society, there would always be chaos. Works Cited Hadden, R.W. (1997). Sociological Theory: An introduction to the Classical Tradition. Ontario, Canada. Broadview Press.
Mini-Q Essay A time period known as The Age of Reason or The Enlightenment was when philosophy, politics, science and social communications changed drastically. It helped shape the ideas of capitalism and democracy, which is the world we live in today. People joined together to discuss areas of high intellect and creative thoughts. The Enlightenment was a time period in which people discussed new ideas, and educated people, known as philosophers, all had a central idea of freedom of choice and the natural right of individuals. These philosophers include John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft.
The world is divided up into numerous things: Countries, states, cities, communities, etc. However, when looking at the big scope of things, one can group the vast amount of people into a society. This society is where the majority lie in the scheme of things - in other words, the common people. Individuals do exist in this society, but they are scarce in a world of conformism. Society’s standards demands an individual to conform, and if the individual refuses they are pushed down by society.
Curtis, J. E., Tepperman, L., & Albanese, P. (2012). Sociology: A Canadian perspective(3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ont: Oxford University Press.
...ple is affected by the laws and lifestyles that they follow. Many dislike the idea of change, and reject any new ideas that could alter their societies norm. Civil rights, homosexual relationships, and religious beliefs are three prime examples of how society has been changed over the course of time. Rousseau contradicted himself, stating that religion keeps the peace, however the most bloody battles in history have been over religious beliefs. Change will be adapted to one way or another, even if the morality of the people is set on two different sides. Time, politics, and war will depict the present and the future of society as a whole.
By the late eighteenth century, the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason as it was called had begun to rapidly spread across Europe. People began believing in the ideals of popular government, the centrality of economics to politics, secularism, and progress. This cultural movement was sparked by intellectuals and commonwealth thinkers such as the influential writer John Locke and the famous scientist Isaac Newton, both who emphasized the fact that man, by the use of reason, would be able to solve all of his problems-whether it be problems with the government, morals or the society. However, these ideals weren’t just limited to the European nations where they had first begun. On the other side of the world, off in the United States, American intellectuals began to reason with these ideas as well. As a result, the influence on the profound of modern economic and political thought had a huge impact on the United States, resulting in one of the most important documents in known in American history; the Constitution.
Social orders have existed for many years and have been passed down from one generation to another. In history class we have discovered that “social order” was a product of “civilized” societies. Social order was the structure of a civilized society created by human and it determines where one is placed and their duty. The way social order was justified was through philosophical and religious beliefs and morals. The wealthy and the people who reinforce these justifications are the ones who benefit from a social order. I’ll be supporting my paper on social order through information from Vedic India and China.
During the enlightenment, basic changes occurred in society. The philosophes helped bring about freedom of thought and speech, two freedoms which we often take for granted today. People became more educated, as a "print culture" emerged. Journals, newspapers and books were beginning to be widely available to the general public. This had both negative and positive impacts. The literate and illiterate became divided, and the illiterate poor only became poorer. However, the "print culture" did create the influential social force of public opinion. Writers wrote what their audiences wanted to hear, and that translated into a governmental awareness of public opinion. Governments tried to regulate and censor books, but they could not ignore the public’s criticisms of the government. The changes in society created a general sentiment of self-interest. People wanted to promote their happiness and welfare, and they were "confident and optimistic that they could discover natural law and perfect worlds." Sometimes, there was an "exaggerated belief in the perfectibility of man," such as in the sciences, which were still in early stages.2
Order and freedom are both necessary and beneficial towards the citizens and society with the aim to promote harmony, yet they both contradict each other. This contradiction has existed throughout many years and it is still hard to decide which one is ideal for the society. This essay will discuss and analyze if order or freedom is more important for political systems.
The 18th century was filled with Enlightenment philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, each contributing to the way our world thinks today. The Enlightenment prompted society to part from the ancient views of superstition and traditionalism, and transition to basing findings and concept on reason and logic. Each of the brilliant minds contributed to the worldly movement, their purpose was to reform society by challenging ideas that were grounded firmly in faith, emphasize reason and intelligence, and to advance knowledge through science and the arts. This stirred debate and completely reshaped our world’s perception of the universe, it questioned the existence of our world and what we were meant to evolve to. This mass circulation of thought would significantly affect historical events to come, such as the American and French Revolution, whose bases for government was influenced by thinkers such as Montesquieu, and his idea about the balance of power between the three branches of government, as well as Rousseau’s idea about the power of democracy and the consent of the people. Three such Enlightenment philosophes were John Locke, Rene Descartes, and Jean-Jacque Rousseau. Each of these men generally agreed that most human failure and suffering was a result of mindlessly following tradition and superstition that was fed to them by leaders of the church and state. They believed that humankind could improve itself greatly, and that Enlightenment values of reason and humanity could achieve it. The first step was to free thinking itself-to escape the darkness of the past to the light of reason.
Murray, Jane Lothian, Linden, Rick and Kendall, Diane. (2011). SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES, Fifth Canadian Edition by Nelson Education Limited, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, USA.
Appelrouth, Scott, and Laura Desfor Edles. Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory: Text and Readings . Edition 2. Los Angeles: Pine Forge Press, 2012. 256-654. Print.
Comte believes that in order for a society to function it needs social statics, and social dynamics. Lewis Coser points out in Masters of Sociological Thought that Comte believed,” The family, the estates, the guild, the local community all has their proper sphere of authority.” He believed that the only way society could function is if all of these institutions were working together. (Coser, 17-25). He believed that family was the strongest unit that society could have. If a society has a strong family structure then society will be able to function to its fullest extent.
Social contract theory is a philosophy about the nature of morality and the origins of society. Its adherents believe “social organization rests on a contract or compact which the people have made among themselves” (Reese, 533). This concept was first articulated by the Sophists, who said societies are not natural occurrences but rather the result of a consensus of people (Reese 533). Plato expresses these ideas in The Republic when he says that society is created to meet human needs (Encyclopedia 1). Various other philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham, Marsilius of Padua, and Richard Hooker, incorporated the concept of a social contract in their applications to political theory (Encyclopedia 1). None of these philosophers, however, made the social contract their primary focus. They included the theory as just one component of their main philosophies. It wasn’t until much later that social contract theory was developed as a unique and separate philosophy.
When Aristotle famously said: "Virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, being determined by rational principle as determined by the moderate man of practical wisdom", not many could fathom the message intended for during his time. In fact, his ideas of decisions based on logical thinking were largely rejected by the Greek public in favor for traditions. Fast forward close to two thousand years, the Age of Enlightenment arrived. Francis Bacon instigated a revolution in the human thought in the 17th century. The thinkers began to question the rigid traditional ideas and institutions in placed using reasoning and science. The principles of reasoning and rationalism behind the Age of Enlightenment were widely accepted by society and it was a product of the Scientific Revolution that started in the 16th century. More philosophers were born and further enhanced the idea of using reasoning and logic to substantiate decision makings. The Age of Enlightenment and its predecessor, the Scientific Revolution has brought numerous discoveries in recorded history. However, the Age of Enlightenment was thought to have ended when the French Revolution led to the rise of democracy and nationalism in the late 18th century [1]. Although the Age of Enlightenment has long passed us, its principles still remain unchanged to be the foundation of current our systems as it aligns humanity with science, prevents the use of unnecessary violence to solve conflicts and also encourages an educated society.
Parsons, Talcott. (1938). The Role of Theory in Social Research. American Sociological Review. 3(1), 13-20.