response 2

 

Aristotle believed that society should be based on virtue because he believed that what really mattered was how a state ran when it did what it needed to do. He believed that a state should combine a monarch and a parliament to last and stay stable (Mitchell, 2015). In order to have a society that runs smoothly the citizens should be trained in things that would make the city stronger. Aristotle also believed that a society should have a dictator to make sure rules were set and people followed them. Aristotle agreed with Plato, “that a kind of benevolent dictatorship would be the most ideal form of government” (Mitchell, 2015). Aristotle also believed that a society should have utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is, “the right or just actions are those that ordinarily produce the greatest amount of happiness and the least amount of unhappiness in the world at large” (Mitchell, 2015). To have a society that is in a state of virtue everyone should be able to be happy and have pleasure in their lives.

2. One version of the social contract theory is John Locke’s Natural Rights of Citizens. Locke wanted to preserve the human’s natural rights and the best that is within us (Mitchell, 2015). This theory was based on people recognizing their God given rights and those of others, health, their liberty, and their property (Mitchell, 2015). Locke believed that we are, “God’s property”, and that we are meant to live our lives the right way to maintain the rights to the property we gain, our liberty, and the right to our lives (Mitchell, 2015). Within this theory the state is only able to exist as long as the citizens are happy. If they become unhappy they can rebel. This theory is like a contract, if the people believe that the state is taking advantage of power they can overthrow the state and establish a new government. The officials that were elected could be impeached midterm according to this theory. Locke’s ideas inspired the American and French Revolutions (Mitchell, 2015). The U.S. Declaration of Independence, “asserts that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed” (Mitchell, 2015). This is what Locke’s theory is based around.