Contributions of Thomas Hobbes and John Winthrop in Shaping up the Democracy - Coursework Example

The Idea of Democracy Democracy is a concept that has been widely discussed. It has formed a point of debate with its scope being the center of attraction. According to several studies, democracy is the cause of conflict in societies and nations all over the world. The aggressions resulting from democracy have been triggered by the breaching of what is believed democratic. It is therefore of great importance to understand the hub and the core elements of democracy. The democratic system that is cherished in the modern day world did not emanate from anywhere. It was also not started overnight. The governments that exist today and related organization like the United Nations have attributed their democratic tastes from the theories of John Winthrop and Thomas Hobbes. In Social Contract, Hobbes states in his Second Law of Nature that preservations are self-sought communally and rationally. Winthrop’s Model of Christian Charity comes out with several rules that are necessary for carrying out various activities. It is through the ideas of the two renowned scholars that the ideals of democracy have been adapted. The Influence of Hobbes’ Social Contract on Modern Democracy In Hobbes account of the widely respected field of human psychology, he illustrates the first law of nature (Fabre 32). The rule states that human beings are forbidden from carrying out acts that can destroy their lives or take away the means of preserving the very same lives. He further explains that self-preservation is sought rationally through a communal agreement (Fabre 34). It is, therefore, natural for individuals to give up on some freedom or liberty so as to attain the security of self-preservations. From this, Hobbes comes up with a concept that socials organizations and political settings that are present today are anchored on or pay much emphasis on them. The condition that forces individuals to give up rights at the expense of collective security is termed as a social contract. Contract emerges from the mutual transfer of the rights (Fabre 12). Nature has it that all are entitled to everything. There should be no limits to the right of natural freedom or liberty. So when individuals agree to transfer these rights to freedom, the social contract is achieved. In the place of natural right, a limited right comes in, for example, the right to property (Lijphart 45). According to Hobbes, these agreements are not made only because one is raised in a more civil society that has rules and conventions (Fabre 11). It is, therefore, by performance throughout experimentations regarding state of nature and adhering to the reasoning chain that Hobbes shows that the foundation of respect and commitment to the civic laws can be realized. The kind of democracy that exists suits today these principles. It has laws that have limited the freedom of individuals with the aim of creating a more secure and free space for everyone. Hobbes ideas allow the scrutiny of governments and social organizations with the intention of finding out their legitimacy (Fabre 32). States are entitled to law enforcement and the service to standard protection. In cases where an organization or the government appears to favor the strongest over the weakest, it is obvious that the government is exceeding its legitimate role (Lijphart 45). In the era of Thomas Hobbes, the kings governed by the virtue of divine right. They knew that God made them the leaders and whoever challenged their authority questioned God. Although, Hobbes respected the monarchy, his ideas put the power of the monarch on reason and not divinity. He came out with a more secularized politics that usherd in accountability and transparency among the rulers and governments. Today, this development has impacted profoundly in the governments and social organizations in existence. There are political parties that are categorized into ruling and opposition parties. The opposition is a watch dog of the ruling party to ensure transparency and accountability. The depiction of the state as a human body by Hobbes is ideal in modern day organizations and governments (Fabre 32). The state or the ruler is constituted of the citizens, the territory and trade or commerce. He came out with the image of an artificial man in relation to the government and the governor (Rousseau 67). Just like the human body whose organs work to sustain the life of a person, the government is made of organs that are well coordinated for efficacy. These bodies are led by people. Democratic Concepts from John Winthrop’s Model of Christian Charity Ideally, this was a sermon by Winthrop, and it is his most renowned thesis. It is based on the Christian fundamentals and doctrines and is predominantly religious. It is composed of ideals of democracy that have been adapted by modern day organizations and governments in operation. Winthrop spells out two laws that we are to walk an individual towards another. The rules are justice and mercy (Winthrop 4). These rules are distinguished by the way they operate and in their various objects. However, they may appear on the same subject. For instance, mercy might be shown to an affluent man in danger, and mere justice is duly given to a poor person regarding a given contract. The laws in the judicial systems that exist in the modern day are anchored on justice and sympathy. Mercy will be given on merit as well as fairness or justice. There exists the double law. These laws streamline the way people are expected to communicate with one another (Winthrop 6). In both, the law of nature and the law of grace should be respected so as to ensure that the rule of justice operates fairly. The ideas do not necessarily imply to Christianity. It encompasses the streamlining of religion, the judicial set up and ensuring that the laws are just. Today, religion has been widely pivotal in the formation of laws and rules by the state. The law of nature does not give the rule or guidelines in dealing with enemies since all people are to be deemed as friends regarding their innocence (Winthrop 14). The gospel law states that an enemy deserves love. This is also attributed to from the bible. In modern day democracy, this principle discourages the civilians from taking actions into their hands through punishing their offenders or enemies. Instead, the state is given the mandate to punish or pardon such people. God is almighty and is the provider (Winthrop 4). The conditions that are disposed of to human kind like poverty and richness are from him. This law acknowledges that people must be poor, must be rich, some must be powerful; others should have dignity while others do not. Modern democracy also respects this. This is why there exists representative democracy because of the problem of governing all. In conclusion, the contributions of Thomas Hobbes and John Winthrop in shaping up the democracy that is evident in the world today have been discussed. Their ideas define the scope of the ideal democracy that can accommodate many without feeling oppressed. Governments and social organizations that exist today are advised to adapt their ways of rule from the theories in the Social Contract and Model of Christian Charity. Works Cited Fabre, Cécile. "Social Contract." The International Encyclopedia of Ethics (2013). Lijphart, Arend. Patterns of democracy: Government forms and performance in thirty-six countries. Yale University Press, 2012. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. "The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right (1762)." The Basic Political Writings (2013): 141. Winthrop, John. "1630. A Model of Christian Charity." The American Puritans: Their Prose and Poetry (2012). Read More