Transcript Document

Unlocking Democracy
The Philosophical principles of a
Constitutional Society
T. Jefferson. Life, Liberty, and
the Pursuit of Happiness
 Thomas Hobbes.
Leviathan “The life
without rule of law
is the life of every
man against every
man which is
solitary, dull
brutish, nasty and
short.”
Aristotle Law enhances mans
stature as a moral rational being.
 Rights come with
responsibly.
Individuals must act in
a manner which
preserves basic rights
without infringing
upon the rights of
others.
 “He who has the
power to take part in
the deliberation of
judicial administration
of a state is a citizen in
the truest sense.”
Balancing act
 Protecting minority
rights in a majority
rule system is a very
difficult concept
which few nations
have accomplished.
What is Justice?
 Just society
 Liberty
 Just rule
 Freedom
 Just government
 Rights
 Order
 Virtue
 Rationality
Great Civilizations Have Great
Ideals
 The Greeks prized
involvement in the
political process.
 This concept more
than any is critical to
the American
Republic.
Plato, The Republic
 A just man believes in a just state and just
individuals. Thus the qualities of justice are
temperance, courage and wisdom…States
are as men they grow out of human
characters.
 The aim of the state is not the
disproportionate happiness of any one class
but the greatest happiness of the whole.
Democracy as an Archetype. A
patterning force which binds us
consciously and unconsciously.
 Greece 500BC Democracy means power of
the people not rule of the people
 Democracy is a dynamic Process of
transformation. Coming together and
separating
CONSTITUTIONALISM
 Does man create a
good and just political
structure?
 Does the political
structure create good
and just citizens?
Platonic Universalism and
Aristotelian Reductionism
 Plato a student of Socrates sought order
from universal law, eternal laws which
would provide order and govern all things.
 Aristotle a student of Plato sought to reduce
all things to their most elemental form and
thus deduct singular natural law of man.
 Both philosophers provide the foundation
for the philosophers of he enlightenment.
Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Smith.
Origin of the State
 Evolution Theory
 Government as an
 Force Theory
extension of family
 Authoritarian rule for self
preservation
 Divine Right Theory
 Social Contract Theory
 Linking of Church & State
leaders chosen by God
 Contact between
individuals & government
Democritus, “Everything Is Created of
Different Arrangement of Atoms.”
From This reductionist Theory
Ancient Greeks Sought Orderly,
Rational, Government Based on
Common Law
Law governs nature
Law governs movement of the
heavens
Laws of logic govern thought
Laws of morality govern behavior
Plato “The Republic” Sought an
Idealized Society of Enlightened
Philosopher Kings to Guide Society Not
Out of Ignorance but Through Reason.
 DEFINE
 Monarchy
 Oligarchy
 Tyranny
 Democracy
Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679
 Leviathan 1651
Written in exile during
the Puritan War
 Stressed the role of
reason, social control
to create a
commonwealth where
all could prosper
 Student of the
Enlightenment
stressing logic and
reason of hard science
Bacon, Newton,
Descartes, Galileo
John Locke 1632-1704
 Two treatises of
Government 1690
 Written in exile during
the Glorious
revolution were
parliament assumed
power over the
monarchy
 Crucial to his theory is
natural rights of man
and the right of people
to change overthrow
their government if it
fails to protect these
rights
Jean Jacques Rousseau 17121788
 Not wealthy by birth
or classically trained
he is the peoples
philosopher arguing
the need for a social
contract to control the
government
 “Noble Savage”
 It is a corrupt society
which corrupts the
people. A social
contract stressing
equality of all is
essential.
Adam Smith 1723-1790
 Wealth of Nations
1776
 Government should
keep its hands off the
economy and the role
of capitalism and self
interest to promote
 Pure market capitalism
will create dynamic
and progressive
society where the
drive to create
products will balance
out self interest.
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