Introduction
Economists and politicians who consider being quite exempt from intellectual influence are typically slaves of some defunct philosophers (Cahn 73). Such people prefer to back their ideas by philosopher’s Big Idea. However, some philosopher’s assumptions and thoughts are outdated and taken for granted through the social order. In the U.S, the ideas that influence most of its people are based on the liberal custom developed by such philosophers as Woodrow Wilson and John Locke. The sacred ideas of individualism, cooperation, and freedom are ingrained in the political culture and universal values of Americans (Betts 1).
Impact of Writers on Social and Political World over the Years
Politics, economic, and social activities have continuously changed the life style in different ways, particularly due to emerging theories, criticism, and various approaches based on political and social concepts. The key philosophers whose theoretical approaches continue to elicit diverging views over the years include Plato, Rousseau, Aquinas, Machiavelli, and Aristotle. Locke’s ideas that impacted the political arenas are contained in his doctrine “Natural Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property”. Locke’s work was connected to repression, civil war, and rebellion that hit England in the mid of the seventeenth century. During that time, there was a remarkable outburst of political, social, and economic tracts and pamphlets. Locke was of the view that the government was morally obliged to protect people’s life, property, and liberty (Tully 196). To achieve that, Locke postulated the need to control and limit power of the government. A representative rule that stuck to the tenet of law was the right path. The impact of Locke’s concept was the inspiration to people throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In the 21st century, Locke’s views are cultivated by many democratic states across the world where leaders observe the rule of law and defend rights of citizens, such as property, life, and liberty. Locke defended the natural law which glorious lineage dates back to the ancient Jews’ one according to which leaders had had no legitimate power to do anything wrong. In regard to the laws in the 21st century, practical men or ordinary men consulted each other. Acknowledgement that all men are equal seeks not to do harm one another and respect life, property, and liberty. Plato’s concept of soul offers a platform through which people perceive their existence, relations with the others, and the surrounding environment. Plato described body as a physical component of an individual that is trapped in a stable state of flux (Pelosi 222). The mind has the will and ability to achieve awareness of ideas from the outside world. Plato believed that mind and body are independent and exist separately. Plato stipulated that mind and body are in constant conflicts and often in opposition. The body seeks to fulfill physical desires and get the pleasure while the mind seeks for the true knowledge. Further, Plato argued that the soul is divided in three parts that include desire, emotion, and reason. From Plato’s point of view, human ability to reason, fulfill their desires and express their emotion depends on the opposition between mind and soul. When people seek for and gain knowledge in the 21st century, they are able to establish lasting relations and cultivate unity within the society.
Aristotle’s theory of Requirement of a State explains that individual happiness in life rests in exercise of virtue rather than in the external goods. Similarly, the happiness and the virtues of the state are identical to those of individuals’. Therefore, it is imperative for individuals (citizens) to take part in the affairs of the state. For this reason, there should be benefits from common properties maintained by the state. For example, Aristotle argued that ownership of land should be in part private and in part public while the city should be strategically adapted for defence. The external events that limit happiness must be assumed since individual happiness lies in the virtues that are attainable through natural disposition. Politically, Aristotle’s arguments shape the present states of affair where clauses within constitutions protect private ownership of land and properties. The state owns land for public benefits, such as provision of social amenities, schools, hospitals, and sanitations (Politis 310).
Conclusion
John Maynard Keynes’s comments, as pointed above, are exacerbated in political and sociological debates by numerous philosophers, economists, and politicians. Plato’s views that influence the thinking of practical men in the 21st century are captured in his discourse on the human soul. John Locke’s contribution to social and political thinking is illustrated in his work “Natural Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property”. Aristotle discussed individual happiness as manifested by the exercise of virtue rather than concentration on the external goods. This paper has critically examined various philosophical approaches that continue influencing the social and political world in the 21st century.
Works Cited
Betts, Richard K. “Conflict or Cooperation? Three Visions Revisited.” Foreign Affairs. 2010. Web.
Cahn, Steven. Political Philosophy, the Essential Texts. (2nd. Ed.) New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Pelosi, Francesco. Plato on Music, Soul and Body. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Politis, Vasilis. Rutledge Philosophy Guide Book to Aristotle and the Metaphysics. London: Routledge, 2004. Print.
Tully, James. A Discourse on Property: John Locke and his Adversaries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Print.