John Locke, Mill, And Rousseau - 946 Words

The state is a political consortium consisting of citizens that establish a community with a purpose or objective in the concern of it’s affiliates. In many cases, the government requires us to adhere to certain edicts and mandates according to their adjudication. Should we in fact comply with these ordinances? Why must we obey the state? Is there are a reason compelling enough to do what others say is best? I will be looking at the beliefs of Locke, Mill, and Rousseau to help answer the inquiry. I believe that we should not have to submit to an authority under any circumstances. What is a life worth living if you do not have the entitlement to disenthrallment? There is no rationale in duress. Citizens are independent people regardless of†¦show more content†¦There is also very good opportunity for corruption of the government if they have the power to persuade their followers that their ill intentioned requests are God’s word. Blindly following the herd becaus e of your devotion to faith is, quite frankly, one of the most uninformed decisions you could possibly make. John Stuart Mill was an enormously influential philosopher in nineteenth century Britain. Unlike Locke, he was to a greater extent focused on utilitarianism and harm reduction. (Heydt, 2006) Utilitarianism, or the doctrine that actions are right and moral if they benefit the majority, should compel the person to do the â€Å"right thing†. When an action is right, it promotes positive reaction among the individuals and if it is wrong, it will do the opposite. (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2015) Everything considered, Mill opined following the state was the morally right thing to do. But realistically, how many people would consider giving up their own personal gain for the gain of others? Humans are fairly gluttonous beings and to expect them to give up what matters to them in the interest of others is not a viable option. Not only is this an issue, but if something is detrimental to one or more persons in the group, would it not be ruinous to the community as a whole by upsett ing the balance and tenor of an area within the community? What