Way Does Burke's Speeches Before Parliament Reflect Some Of The Ideas Articulated By Rousseau
00-Sep-2016
Asma Ahmed Bham
Shaping Modernity - Essay Assignment
“In what way does Burke’s speeches before Parliament reflect some of the ideas articulated by Rousseau in The Social Contract?”
The social contract is about people exchanging their political freedom for protection from their ruling body. Going back to initial idea of the social contract by Thomas Hobbs, who talks about the relationship between the ruler and those they rule, says that there is an exchange between these two parties- freedoms for protection. John Locke, who built his ideas upon those of Hobbs, believed that men had certain god given rights. He said that due to the State Of Nature and its brutality, an absolute authority in the form of a sovereign was absolutely necessary for maintaining harmony in the society. (Cite) Hobbs claimed that we do not give up our freedom to the government but we enter into relationship of trust- a contract- with them. And at the end of the day if the contract is not being honoured by the ruling body (i.e. when the people are refused their god given rights) the people have the right to rebel and form a better state of government. …show more content…
In his book the social contract published in 1750 he states that instead of people giving up their freedom to the government, the people to should give up their freedom to one another and in return get their freedom back from one another. Basically what he meant to say was that individuals should be able to give up their individual powers and rights for the collective benefit of the society, which he called the general
Asma Ahmed Bham
Shaping Modernity - Essay Assignment
“In what way does Burke’s speeches before Parliament reflect some of the ideas articulated by Rousseau in The Social Contract?”
The social contract is about people exchanging their political freedom for protection from their ruling body. Going back to initial idea of the social contract by Thomas Hobbs, who talks about the relationship between the ruler and those they rule, says that there is an exchange between these two parties- freedoms for protection. John Locke, who built his ideas upon those of Hobbs, believed that men had certain god given rights. He said that due to the State Of Nature and its brutality, an absolute authority in the form of a sovereign was absolutely necessary for maintaining harmony in the society. (Cite) Hobbs claimed that we do not give up our freedom to the government but we enter into relationship of trust- a contract- with them. And at the end of the day if the contract is not being honoured by the ruling body (i.e. when the people are refused their god given rights) the people have the right to rebel and form a better state of government. …show more content…
In his book the social contract published in 1750 he states that instead of people giving up their freedom to the government, the people to should give up their freedom to one another and in return get their freedom back from one another. Basically what he meant to say was that individuals should be able to give up their individual powers and rights for the collective benefit of the society, which he called the general