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The Forms of Government and How Society Should Be Governed
The Forms of Government and How Society Should Be Governed
The form of a government is characterized by the foundation of its power and its structure of power in a given nation or state. On the other hand, a government can be described as how the policies of the state are imposed on its citizens. A form of government denotes the set of political organizations by which a state is governed. It can also be referred to as the system of government. This paper discusses the varying forms of government that exist and how society should be governed. The paper assesses the best form of government, how much authority should be given to the government, human nature as an individual right. All the discussions will be through the perspectives of Hobbes, Luther, and Plato.
The modern world has witnessed different forms of governments due to political structures, economic guidelines, and philosophical concepts. The forms of government known today include democracy, communism, socialism, oligarchy, aristocracy, monarchy, theocracy, colonialism, totalitarianism, and military dictatorship (Pestre, 2009). While it is common knowledge that anarchy (the lack of an organized government) is undesirable for a thriving society, it is also a challenge for individuals to agree on how a state should be governed. History offers sufficient evidence in how different forms of government have evolved to adapt to people’s shifting demands and conceptions, with each form of government demonstrating its advantages and disadvantages.
Currently, Western society held to their account that democracy is the best form of government compared to the other forms which have been experimented with in the past (Pestre, 2009). The citizens of most nations where power is centered on one individual, or a small group are more likely to suffer civil rights violations and inequalities. Currently, multiple nations which started as monarchies or dictatorships have advanced into more democratic systems. Democratic epitomes are known to be challenging to implement and accomplish but encourage human rights, and due to this reason, it is the championed form of government globally.
How Society should be governed According to Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who lived between the years 1588 and 1679. His conception of the world was original and is still widely applied to modern politics. His ideologies were primarily centered on how individuals in society can live peacefully and avoid civil conflicts. In his philosophy, he suggested that individuals could either be obedient to an unaccountable sovereign or await a state of nature similar to a civil war, where there will be widespread uncertainty, and everybody will be fearful for their lives (Ryan, 2012). Hobbes is commonly known as the founding father of political philosophy because he set the conditions of the basics of politics. His argument, which suggested that a society needs to accept an unaccountable sovereign as its political authority, still elicits debate among various individuals.
Hobbes’s perception of human nature asserted that humans are disadvantaged and vulnerable creatures (Hobbes, 2021). He argued that humans could be effortlessly led off track due to their effort to know their surroundings (Hobbes, 2021). Their ability to think is delicate, just like their ability to gain knowledge, which is prone to blunder and undesirable effects. He also suggested that humans act inconsiderately, thoughtlessly, or out of obliviousness based on their mistaken judgment, negative ideology, or another person’s emotive speech (Hobbes, 2021). Hobbes thought that diminutive cheerfulness could be expected of the lives of humans together (Ryan, 2012). He claimed that the best humanity could hope for is a peaceful life under the authority of a sovereign (Pestre, 2009). The worst-case scenario, according to him, was what he termed as the natural condition of mankind (Hobbes, 2021). This was characterized by violence, insecurity, and constant security threat to the lives of people. His argument highlighted that the only alternative humans had to have a government was a situation that no one would wish for. Any effort to make the government accountable to its people would undermine its role as the sovereign (Hobbes, 2021). Hobbes concluded that the only realistic choice that humans had was a sovereign authority that would also be unaccountable to its people (Hobbes, 2021).
Hobbes suggested the natural state of humans are the absence of a government, which is a non-natural authority created by men (Hobbes, 2021). He claimed that the only natural authority that existed in human beings’ lives is a mother’s authority over her child (Ryan, 2012). This is because the child is weaker than the mother and depends on the mother for its survival. He concedes that every human can take away the life of another human since even a strong person must go to sleep, and even the weak can convince others to help them (Hobbes, 2021). Due to this reason, he states that there is no natural authority to direct their lives in a society, and he is strongly against the monarch system of government, arguing that nobody has a natural right to rule over other people (Pestre, 2009).
Therefore, suppose human beings haven’t organized a form of government; they still live in a state of nature. These conditions are known to occur at the beginning of time or in prehistoric civilizations. In his argument, he believed that without an authoritarian government, society would crumble due to violent competition to secure the necessities, individuals will conflict with each other out of fear so that they can ensure their security, and people will fight to seek fame and provide security for themselves since other people will be afraid to challenge them (Pestre, 2009). According to Hobbes (2021), all humans have the right of nature, which is the right to do what they can for self-preservation. Furthermore, Hobbes also claims that humans also have a right to judge what might ensure their self-preservation (Hobbes, 2021). Therefore, if a person judges that killing another person will safeguard his life, then he has a right to kill him according to the state of nature.
How Society Should be governed According to Luther
Martin Luther was a political agitator and a reformer who lived between 1483 and 1536. He was a monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation in the Church, which started with his rebellion against Papalism in October 1517 when he glued 95 theses on the doors of the Church at Wittenberg (Brinton, 2017). He was principally a theologian, and his views on politics were trivial to theology. The Church in the middle ages asserted that it was a definitive authority of every transient inquiry, and this case originated from the holy conception of the congregation and due to the Church holding a special position between man and God. It was only through the ceremonies of the clergy; individuals could discover salvation. The Church asserted that it was approved by God to perform miracles. It could also offer the body and blood of Christ as a penance for the transgressions of humanity.
Martin Luther contested the case of the Church and dismissed the sacramental claims. Luther eagerly proliferated that individual reserved the option to follow sacred writings by themselves and make their choices based on information they could follow (Martin Luther, 2016). He proclaimed that the priests had no right or ability to forgive individuals for their transgressions (Brinton, 2017). The pardoning of sins was subject to the apology and not on clerical vindications. He set forward the regulation of Priesthood of All Believers-the conviction that there was no fundamental qualification among ministers and laymen (Martin Luther, 2016). Every one of the genuine devotees was qualified for the benevolence of God, but the Church steered clear of leniency (Ryan, 2012). Martin Luther likewise tested the ecclesiastical precept of the two blades, with its case that pope was a definitive wellspring of all authority transient and spiritual. The worldly position got its force from God, and its capacities were otherworldly.
It is apparent from his works and thoughts that Luther was an archaic scholar and the Renaissance had almost no impact on his ideas. He had a place with the late middle age German devotion. His origination of philosophy is the beginning of political thoughts. His driving thoughts of governmental issues are found in the Sermons on Good Works and the Address to the Christian Nobility (Brinton, 2017). His political composition is Of Temporal Government. It should be noted here that the sacred text is the premise of his philosophy and governmental issues.
Martin Luther’s philosophy of two regiments is very significant to his theology because it was the foundation of his ideologies. Also, it related to his theories on society and politics. He suggested that God created two kingdoms, with one being the spiritual kingdom and the other being the physical world (Martin Luther, 2016). He stated that the spiritual kingdom is governed through the word and not the sword (Martin Luther, 2016). He states that swords and laws were useless in the spiritual kingdom, and all the residents were true Christians or believers (Brinton, 2017). He described the spiritual regiment as an inner government of the soul (Ryan, 2012). It is invisible. The temporal kingdom is unlike the spiritual kingdom. The residents of this kingdom are not Christians, and neither are they believers in Christianity. Their main apprehension is to enjoy worldly desires and belongings. The people of this regiment cannot be governed by the word alone since it carries less significance. God uses sword and law to govern this kingdom.
According to Luther’s ideologies, the state was a tool created by God to punish wrong-doers. He claimed that the role of the temporal government, with the help of the sword, was to impose its people to lead a spiritual life (Brinton, 2017). In this concept, the King or government performs his duties following the directives of God through the Church. He deemed all the officials of the state as instruments of God. Luther looked upon secular power for the reformation of the Church. He vehemently challenged the propagation of spiritual ethos by temporal means. He suggested that the secular authority was designed for earthly affairs while the Church was designed to handle spiritual affairs (Pestre, 2019). He additionally stated that God ordained a secular government, and therefore the subjects needed to obey the rules (Brinton, 2017). He emphasized that rebellion was the foulest sin, and therefore he did not approve of it (Martin Luther, 2016). He concluded that the net effect of rebellion in society is Anarchy (Ryan, 2012).
How Society should be governed According to Plato
Plato lived between 427-347 B.C.E. This was when Athens was involved in a long battle with Sparta. Due to his parents’ political influence, he was supposed to take up an active role in politics, but he never did. He stated that he could not identify himself with any of the contending political seats (Plato, 2021). He was also a pupil of Socrates. When Socrates was executed unjustly, he concluded that all existing human governments were not suitable and beyond redemption (Pestre, 2009).
Plato’s area of greatest concern was political philosophy. Socrates had tried to define and simplify various political concepts. Still, in his case, Plato resolved that conceptual analysis is not the ultimatum of political philosophy but rather an initial step (Plato on Democracy, Tyranny, and the Ideal State.,2021). The following stage is the basic assessment of convictions, choosing which one of the inconsistent thoughts is right and which one is not right. For Plato, settling on choices about the right political convictions are, alongside the decision between peace and war, the main decisions one can make in governmental issues (Plato on Democracy, Tyranny, and the Ideal State.,2021). Such choices cannot be left exclusively to popularity assessments. He accepts, which as a rule needs more premonition and gets its exercises just post factum from fiascos recorded ever (Plato, 2021). In his political conception, the explanation of ideas is a prerequisite in assessing convictions, and right convictions lead to a response to the question of the best political order. Through assessment of his convictions, the development from theoretical examination to the best political order can unmistakably be found in the design of Plato’s Republic.
Justice is one of the most essential and ethical-political concepts. It may be referring to an individual or society in general. A huge portion of the Republic is devoted to describing a supreme state governed by philosophers, but the principal theme of the dialogue is justice (Ryan, 2012). The idea of the excellent state is utilized rather than show the principal proposal of the discourse that justice, generally seen as prudence and identified with goodness, is the foundation of establishing a decent political order, and as such, is to everybody’s greatest advantage. Justice, if properly comprehended, Plato contends, isn’t to the select benefit of any of the city’s set of groups (Pestre, 2009). However, it is built to benefit all of the entire population in the local area and is to the benefit of everybody. It furnishes the city with a feeling of solidarity, and hence, is a fundamental condition for the city’s wellbeing. “Shamefulness causes common conflict, scorn, and battling, while justice brings fellowship and a feeling of normal reason” (Plato, 2021).
Plato contends that one has first to see what is imperceptible yet comprehensible, the soul (Plato, 2021). One needs to know oneself. People are immortal spirits and not simply autonomous factors. Most people are selfish. However, the divine component in them makes them more than simple creatures. Acquaintances, freedom, justice, astuteness, fortitude, and balance are the crucial qualities that characterize a decent society dependent on good ideals, which should be guarded against war and factionalism. To appreciate genuine happiness, people should stay temperate and recollect God, the ideal being.
Plato’s accomplishment as a political philosopher is illustrated in that he accepted that there could be an assortment of information whose fulfillment would make it conceivable to mend political issues, like factionalism and the heresy of ethics, which can carry a city to its demise. The principle of the agreement of interests, equity as the premise of the best political order, the blended constitution, law and order, the qualification among great and digressed types of government, down to earth shrewdness as the nature of good authority, and the significance of righteousness and greatness for legislative issues are the political thoughts that can properly be related with Plato (Plato, 2021). They have significantly impacted ensuing political masterminds till modern times.
Conclusion
Currently, people believe that democracy is the best form of government, but Hobbes, Luther, and Plato thought differently. For Hobbes, a thriving society could be governed by an unaccountable sovereign, thereby avoiding the state of nature, which would be catastrophic for humans. Martin Luther, a monk, and a reformer believed that there were regiments or kingdoms with one spiritual while the other physical. He believed that it was the role of temporal authority given by God to guide its subjects. Plato’s convictions, on the other hand, dwelled on the virtue of justice. He argued that justice was the foundation of a successful political order which would benefit all its population.
References
Brinton, H. (2017). Politics according to Martin Luther. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/politics-according-to-martin-luther_b_59f778d6e4b094db8e76f794
Hobbes, Thomas: Moral and Political Philosophy | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2021, July 25). https://iep.utm.edu/hobmoral
Martin Luther (1483-1536): History and Political Ideas. (2016, July 28). https://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/political-ideas/martin-luther-1483-1536-history-and-political-ideas/1087
Pestre, D. (2009). Understanding the forms of government in today’s liberal and democratic societies: An introduction. Minerva, 47(3), 243.
Plato: Political Philosophy | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2021). https://iep.utm.edu/platopol
Plato on Democracy, Tyranny, and the Ideal State. (2021, July 26). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201607/plato-democracy-tyranny-and-the-ideal-state
Ryan, A. (2012). On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present (2 Vol. Set). Liveright. https://www.amazon.com/Politics-History-Political-Thought-Herodotus/dp/0871404656
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