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Aristotle and citizenship
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We Did Not Lay Aside the Citizen
The United States of America was founded on the idea that from a power beyond this earthly realm, man has been bestowed with sacred rights and liberties which cannot be justly taken away save by the consent of those to whom they were first ordained. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the minds of the creators of this nation, freedom was much more than a privilege that they could be seized from a governing hand, given enough strength and wit; rather it was the divine right of all mankind. With this sacred right came a sacred charge:
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But again, the creation of our government was only the application of ink to paper, it can only succeed if the conditions of democracy, our social contract, are observed and “we the people” play an active role in its workings. Aristotle, one of the first democratic thinkers in history said, “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” As citizens we must be participants in order to preserve liberty and equality. We hold to our end of the social contract by obeying the law, and respecting the rights and liberties of others “For to be free” said Nelson Mandela “is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Furthermore as citizens we must be informed and participate in the political process in a meaningful manner, if we don’t understand the issues at hand there is no way that we can defend our personal liberties and interests. We don’t have to all be professionals in the field of politics, this is one way that our representative form of government protects us, but we do have to understand the basic issues and be able to voice our opinions about those. By all these means, we as citizens have the solemn duty to defend the principles that made and keep our country
A democracy can not function without people engaging in it by carrying out tasks that include voting. If one does not know much about an activity or group, they are less likely to participate in it, revealing that education on government involvement is exceedingly important. The appeals to logic help the readers understand the necessity of civic learning and how crucial it is to get students to take part in and fully comprehend what a democracy
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is something that every American should be willing to do anything in order to maintain. We may have weapons of mass destruction, but when it comes to living in a peaceful, American lifestyle, our freedom is our greatest weapon.
In what follows, I shall consider Aristotle's’ argument of the polis, or the city-state, as presented in his Politics I.2, and expound on the philosophical implications of this particular thesis; namely, a thesis which claims that the city-state exists by nature, and correspondingly, that a human being is ‘by nature a political animal’. Along the way, I shall present two objections leveled against each claim. The first pertains to the invalidity of the argument on ends; specifically, I shall protest that when a thing’s process of coming to be is completed, even if we regard this as an end, this does not necessarily confer that such an end is a natural end, for artificial processes too, like natural processes, share the potential to arrive at ends. The second pertains to the ‘part-whole’ argument, which in a sense takes from the argument of function. Here, I shall discuss that it is not quite clear whether the claim that human beings - as parts of the whole - are necessarily political animals, and so the view that the state is ‘prior by nature’ is uncertain. After that, I will present two Aristotelian responses against these objections; and judge whether or not these appear succeed. I conclude that he is correct in asserting that the city-state exists by nature, and correspondingly, that a human being is a political animal.
Aristotle's Legacy in the Federalist Papers While the government of the United States owes its existence to the contents and careful thought behind the Constitution, some attention must be given to the contributions of a series of essays called the Federalist Papers towards this same institution. Espousing the virtues of equal representation, these documents also promote the ideals of competent representation for the populace and were instrumental in addressing opposition to the ratification of the Constitution during the fledgling years of the United States. With further reflection, the Federalists, as these essays are called, may in turn owe their existence, in terms of their intellectual underpinnings, to the writings of the philosopher
As I am a recent participant in the Assembly, some of you may not be familiar with my person. I am Simon, a cobbler from the Deme District of Athens in the Kydathenaeum. It was through my profession that I met Socrates, of whom I am a follower. He was my inspiration to attend the Assembly and to become an active participator in its discussions. Through Socrates and my visits to the Assembly, I gained my belief that those citizens who participate in the Assembly and serve as jurors in the law courts should not receive compensation because they are taking part in their civic duty as Athenians.
Few issues will motivate Americans to put down their cheeseburgers and pick up a shotgun faster than the threat of infringement upon their civil liberties. The right to choose what toothpaste to buy, what color socks to wear with those sandals, or what spiritual doctrine to follow, is fiercely defended by both conservatives and liberals alike. In fact, this commitment to personal liberty is what defines us as Americans, and sets us apart from the rest of the world (even if only in our own minds). This attitude is embodied in our presidential rhetoric. “America is a Nation with a mission and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs.
The king says “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This quote/statement explains that all people have rights including men, all men are created equal, all men are treated the same as any other person. The Declaration of Independence also tells us that the Government also has the job to help people have the truths that they want or want to hear from them. “That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation in such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” This is stating that the people in America should abolish and alter their rights that they do have, the government that prevents the truths need to
Political systems and their consequent removals during this time serve as a flashing indicator towards the power that exists in the mobilization of the people. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Rights of Man and Citizen, serve as reminders of the revolutionary philosophical and political attitudes belonging to the writers of these revolutionary documents. Even now, the same attitudes of equality and freedom can be seen. Whether it be through movements for racial equality on school campuses, justice for those killed unjustly, or the prevailing ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” for all races and genders, the resounding calls for people to support and affirm their brethren continue to echo (US
To this day, Americans have many rights and privileges. Rights stated in the United States constitution may be simple and to the point, but the rights Americans have may cause debate to whether or not something that happens in society, is completely reasonable. The Texas v. Johnson case created much debate due to a burning of the American Flag. One may say the burning of the flag was tolerable because of the rights citizens of the United States have, another may say it was not acceptable due to what the American flag symbolizes for America. (Brennan and Stevens 1). Johnson was outside of his First Amendment rights, and the burning of the American flag was unjust due to what the flag means to America.
One reason we must have the second amendment is to protect the freedom for which our country fought so hard to win. The Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”[1] However, if these rights were ‘self-evident’, why did the founding fathers need to grant them to the states? We might as well ask why man is the way that he is, imperfect. We all wonder about this sad truth, but the fact remains that man is fallen. These rights are self-evident, obvious to human reason, but because humans are fallen, we are sometimes blinded to these apparent truths and we err in our rationality. King George was blind to these unalienable rights, as were Na...
Values some take for granted within this society today were ignored wholesale by a tyrannical colonial authority, and the people of this land rose up, shook off the chains of oppression, and set out to devise a new governmental system under which they could live rather freely. In his iconic “Four Freedoms” speech, America’s 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, outlined said values, stating that all should enjoy “freedom of speech and expression...freedom...to worship God in [their] own way” and “ a healthy peacetime life” (46). The importance of the concept of free speech and equality to the American identity cannot be understated, as it truly the foundation upon which much of this society rests. In the United states, it is instilled in us that from birth each human is bestowed with the same freedoms as all others. However, time and time again, people are denied these freedoms on the basis of skin color, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. Luckily, when such situations arise, the core belief that each and every person is owed liberty motivates the citizens of this nation to exercise their rights. With this in mind they speak out, or fight, against injustice, to take a further step towards making that dream of equality and a “healthy peacetime life” for all a
America is a free a nation with a Bill of Rights that provides every citizen of this country the freedom and protection of the inalienable rights granted to them. However, there are certain actions that have stirred controversy as to how far those protections and freedoms can be stretched. Throughout history there have been numerous cases involving the Bill of Rights and the amount of freedom and or protection granted by each one. The First Amendment, the protection of free speech, has garnered much attention due to the increasingly negative and violent expressions America has come to know. The morality and public decency that Americans used to hold dear has been lost. In a world of constant input, Americans have becom...
When the dogmatic kings of 17th century Europe started to abuse their own people’s rights and persecute the others, the people were forced to abscond. However, where would these people go, wherever they went in Europe they were persecuted. These people were in desperate need of freedom and that is exactly what they found in the New World. On the soil of America, the Founding Fathers constructed a Constitution and a democratic government so that no one else’s rights would be repressed. The Constitution had attached to it the Bill of Rights, which contained ten amendments that all protected the rights of Americans, from the freedom of press to the right to a fair and speedy trial. These rights were in turn protected by civil liberties or “… guarantees of the safety of persons, opinions, and property from the arbitrary acts of government” (McClenaghan 772). Under this new government, a democratic nation wa...
The entire American Government is based in the belief that all human beings are born with certain rights. People do not receive their rights from the Government; its function is actually to guard the rights we already have. Citizens are protected by the first amendment, which prohibits government from acting against anyone's rights.
The lion is always considered the head of his clan but is it because he is the strongest, the most vibrant, or because his roar is the loudest? What causes this desire to dominate someone else? People want to feel superior because they are convinced that it is human nature to become superior. While Aristotle describes the idea of human nature as consisting of a natural pattern of wanting to dominate other people, often to the point of slavery, Douglass believes in the idea of education leading to people wanting to dominate other people, proving that it is a social force that affects peoples’ nature. Men are looked upon as individuals who dominate everything. White men are the common oppressors of both women and slaves. White women believe themselves to be superior to slaves and as equal as men. These groups believe the reason to their sense of superiority is human nature. But, this is not actually the case; in reality, everyone is equal.