Does the “American People” Still Exist? Coursework Example

Thomas Hobbes

Basic Positions and Views

According to Hobbes, there is a little measure of happiness that is be expected of community members from their lives together. The only thing that such individuals can hope for is being subject to an authoritarian form of governance that would provide the only chance for having a peaceful life. Conversely, Hobbes’s political ideology purports that the worst that could happen to members of the general public would be violence. Such a situation which he refers to as the natural condition of humankind would be characterized by other unfavorable events such as the prevalence of constant threat and insecurity. The primary approach of this argument is based on the development of an alternative to the government, which prevails as a situation that no single individual could have otherwise wished for.

On top of this, the involvement in any attempts to ensure that the predominant government is accountable for the occurrence of events and towards its people is bound to undermine its authority. As a result, such an occurrence is bound to threaten the situation of having a society that exists without governance, and this is an event that every individual would wish to avoid. In this regard, the only option that the members of the public are left with is embracing an authority that is sovereign, which means that it is completely and utterly not accountable to its respective subjects. The primary concern of society should be dealing with the nature’s stater which exists on the premises of the lack of government; this is also referred to as “the natural condition.”

Framing how Hobbes Might Respond to the Challenge

Based on the political philosophy created by Thomas Hobbes, the American people do not exist anymore. The reason being, Hobbes claims that having a situation of non-government is the most conducive approach towards promoting a peaceful life within the society. He further proceeds to state that if there has to be a government, then it would have to be an authoritative one because otherwise, it would result in constant threat and violence. Since America is a democratic government, that in itself is a recipe for the development of insecurity and violence because it centralizes the distribution of power for the few elites. After the entire population of Washington, DC disappeared mysteriously, including all the leaders across every avenue of governance on the 14^th of October, this resulted in the increased vulnerability and neediness from the general public. Such a depiction of human nature provides the basis for eradicating the American people as a whole, considering that they are dependent on their government to be led.

When people act by themselves, they are bound to do so in a selfish manner or in such a way that they are dominated by ignorance or impulse. This is why the American people cease to exist because, after the mysterious disappearance of their members of parliament and other authoritative figures from the government, they are bound to react under the influence of bad theology or faulty reasoning. In turn, this leads to the prevalence of insecurity and violence, which is depicted by Hobbes’s ideology of the natural condition of humankind. He argues that the state of nature only becomes natural when it is regarded in one particular sense. On this note, the political authority of a particular society is artificial, whereas people lack government in their natural orientation which is a form of authority that the people themselves develop. With the disappearance of political authority, the people are left with no natural authority that would govern their lives. This results in indulgence in malpractices such as threatening each other’s lives for the adults who Hobbes considers to possess the capability and capacity to kill another human being. In this regard, the American people would cease to exist following the disappearance of their authoritative figures and governmental structure within no time.

John Locke

Basic Positions and Views

Locke’s political ideology is founded on the element of morality, which promotes the capacity of power. Through the prioritization of morality, the entire society is arranged, and such an approach results in the creation of a legitimate society. According to his political philosophy on the state of nature, the regard for human beings and humanity, in general, supersedes communal life. In this regard, people are characterized by complete freedom. However, such a level of freedom is confined by the laws and statutes of nature. Herein it depicts that this is an equality state. Every member of the society is obliged to enforce the law while also obeying it, and such a duty provides the foundation and the legitimacy for humans to punish the people who engage in offensive activities within the same society.

Since punishing the event that one has engaged in an offense by another member of society could result in violence and injustice, the people ought to choose and recognize the authority of a civil government. This government is primarily tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the law among its people. As for society, its responsibility is to establish the framework that legitimizes contracts providing the government with the power and authority. As such, the government can exercise and implement the contracts freely and with the consent and participation of society. This is a state which proved relatively challenging to practice and guarantee. This proved more so apparent if the society lingered in a nature state, and if such measures would be occurring outside the civil society.

Framing Locke’s Response to the Challenge

Contrary to Hobbes’s response, Locke would claim that the American people still do exist. The people do exist because they are responsible for their actions, which means that they would prioritize being moral over indulging in selfish and inconsiderate activities such as violence, as depicted by Hobbes through his political philosophy and ideologies. Among human beings, a well-established natural hierarchy is practiced to promote peace, harmony, and order within society. On this note, the American people would have to elect an interim government that would promote their rights and welfare across the society in a just and fair manner, thereby embracing the concept of equality. Considering that each member of the society is obliged to obey and uphold the law, they can be held accountable for any misconduct and be subjected to receiving a predetermined form of punishment. Since Locke’s political philosophy promotes the law of nature, the enforcement of morality and the law is influenced by establishing and executing a higher authority. This means that while searching for answers on the mysterious disappearance of the government officials, the community of Washington, DC would have to establish a temporary governing authority to facilitate the process while promoting law and order.