Paper Example on Philosophical Anthropology and Political Philosophy

Introduction

Some of the past studies have attempted to claim that philosophical anthropology is the heart of politics. However, other scholars have disowned this claim facilitating the victory of the corrupted notion of human development to enslave the people with the idea of global growth. The opinion denying philosophical anthropology, as a result, has led to the destruction of the ecological state of civilization of human life. Therefore, reviewing the conventional understanding of the core place of philosophical anthropology, provide an ideal study for the comparison and to contrast it from political philosophy. The comparison and contrast can be achieved by interpreting philosophical anthropology and political philosophy of Plato and Thomas Jefferson as developed during post-systematic science.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Plato is well known as the inspirer of the modern sophist, politicians, and diplomats. The Republic of Plato treatise upon education in which classical writers descended. Plato profoundly influences the unity of knowledge bringing revelation of another life. As the father of idealism, Plato's Republic is deemed to have significantly shaped the modern conception of politics and philosophy. Plato's Republic mainly concerns with what he considers a good life. According to him, the perfect life is realized only under ideal society characterized by social justice. Glaucon, Plato's older brother conceived justice as an evil thing arguing that is prudence to live an unjust life. According to Glaucon, as discussed in Plato's Republic, people exercise justice only out of fear that they might be caught, punished or injuring their reputations. He illustrates this reasons using an allegory of two magic rings that when turned on the finger makes a man invisible. Glaucon then argued that average men would behave in the same manner. They would no longer desire to be just unless if they fear to be caught and punished. Instead, Glaucon claims that just men have two contrasting lifestyles. On one side, they would be just in the public sight while on the other hand would be unjust men invisible enough to be detected. Glaucon then concludes that people are only just if they find it necessary.

Plato's Republican also discusses another philosopher called Adeimantus. Adeimantus argues that people should examine what other people say when condemning injustice of glorifying justice. According to him, the exercise of justice is hereditary for the protection of social prestige and reputation. He added that parents do not emphasize the significance of justice to their children, but rather the respectability attached to justice. Therefore, people are committed to faking good reputation for having a delightful life.

As document by Plato, Socrates would instead argue that a just person is a product of own life and surroundings. According to him such justice can be achieved through education and train the society what is right and wrong. Therefore, the society itself shapes the justice. Arguably, a just person not necessarily is educated solely by the society as Socrates proclaims. Instead, just person should be taught by the family grown at and later influenced by the surrounding society. Thus, it may be possible that a just person can emanate from unjust society and live honesty life. The book of Plato Republic ideally details views of justice, questioning whether it is the better way worth living. In the Adeimantus's story, in the Plato Republic, the poets claim as long as an individual as the wealth, he or she can bribe the gods to escape the punishment. Glaucon also claims that unjust individuals live a happy life because they have the wealth and power to bribe their gods and evade the penalty. These arguments claims raise the question of the justice among major political philosophers of the day such as Thomas Jefferson.

During his first inauguration address, Thomas Jefferson, with much enthusiasms, stood in front of his electorates expressing his gratitude in return for what he claimed was the favor accorded to him. He sincerely declared his consciousness that the assigned task surpassed his talent but confirmed that he would approach it with a lot of inspiration. Jefferson perceived the American nation as a rising land full of production potential, an international commercial hub, and a country advancing rapidly beyond the imagination of the ordinary human being. From his contemplation, Jefferson could not conceal his happiness, hopes, and the honor granted to him by citizens of his beloved country. He could not afford to cover his humility in expressing the magnitude of his responsibility as the newly elected president. Jefferson confirmed that he would abide by the provisions of the constitution as the source of his wisdom and virtue. Besides, he proclaimed that he would significantly depend on other legislators as his source of encouragement, support, and guidance.

Despite the conflicting opinions, witnessed during the contest process, Jefferson confirmed his commitment along with the will of the law to unite all Americans for the common good. Although democracy provides that the will of the majority always supersede in an electoral contest, Jefferson argues that it must be accepted that the minority also possess equal right under the provision of the rule of law. Minority deserve protection, and therefore, any violation of their rights would be contemplated as an extension of oppression. Thus, Jefferson calls all citizens to remain united with one mind and one heart for the restoration of social harmony and liberty. He cited religious intolerance as one of many causes of long-suffering while also calling for political leniency. As Republican president, Jefferson argues that republic government "has so far kept us free and firm on the theoretic." According to Jefferson, Republican government is the "strongest government on the earth" that all honest patriot should best hope and devote their commitment to preserve and support it.

Jefferson perceives his country as having full of blessings and with significant potential for the prosperity of the next generations. He is delighted by the sense of honor and confidence of its citizens, equal right of production, rational and benign religion, and the full range of professions in the country. However, according to him, all these aspects are impertinent to the realization of the prosperous nation without having a prudent and wise government that can restrain its citizens from harming one another. Therefore, Jefferson argued that only the republican government is a good government that can allow its citizens to freely regulate their industrial pursuits and the one that cares for the laborers.

According to Jefferson, the administration of the Republic government should be guided and shaped by what he deemed to be the essential principles. First and foremost, Jefferson emphasized the significance of having a government that upholds equality and justice for all, regardless of the persuasion, state, political, or religion. Secondly, assert administration ought to be shaped by "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations" ("Jefferson's First Inaugural Address"). Jefferson's descriptions of a liberal administration are also the one that supports the State government with a lot of competent for the domestic issues. It is the one that cordons anti-republican behaviors. It ought to be an anchor of tranquility, both at local and abroad levels. He affirmed that with constitution vigor, his government would devote itself to the protection of the entire government.

Jefferson promised to ensure the protection of the rights of electorates from the looped abuses through limited peaceful remedies. He also deems full consent in decision making, among the majority, as a vibrant governing principle of republics. In his lengthy address, Jefferson considered a well-trained troop as the source of peace highly reliable during the war far. However, his administration was committed to ensuring the sovereignty of the civil. Besides, he promises that his government would uphold the freedom of person has contained in the habeas corpus, press and religious freedom, just labor taxation, and impartial trials.

According to authors of The Declaration of Independence, when the need for the disconnection of a political union becomes inevitable, it becomes rational for the people to declare the cause stimulate such separation. In support of their claim, these authors point out that all people are created equal and gifted with certain absolute rights such as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" ("The Declaration of Independence"). According to them, for the security of these rights, governments are established. However, these government exercises their sovereign powers as derived from the governed as consented. Therefore, whenever, the governed deem a particular government as destructive, their exercise their sovereign right by either replacing it with a new government, make alterations, and abolish the entire government. Accordingly, the institution and organization of the government, in this case, is founded on principles of democracy so that people control the way they are governed to influence their happiness and safety.

While the principle of rationality may provide that a long instituted government should not be substituted for ephemeral reasons, from experience, such proposition has shown that the governed are more inclined to suffering. However, it may be viewed that the destructive governing body is disposed to the pain due to the abolishment of the kind of government they are accustomed. Nevertheless, authors of The Declaration of Independence declares that the governed have the rights and duty to abolish a government on the ground of its persistent usurpations and abuses designed to reduce them under absolute character for the governed to protect their future security. For that reason, most colonies have endured such suffering emanating from the former system of government.

"The Declaration of Independence" was written by delegates from the U.S.A. General Congress. In their submission, these representative tables to the Supreme Judge of the world a declaration of their appealing for the goodness of their intentions, and on behave of the people of the former Great Britain colony, that the united colonies, that is the U.S.A., have right to be free and sovereign states. In the published declaration, authors appeal that the U.S.A. has henceforth liberated from all the adherence to the British Crown. The called for an entire dissolution of the "political connection between them and the State of Great Britain"("The Declaration of Independence"). They proclaimed that as an independent and Free States, U.S.A has sovereign power to impose war, arrange for peace, establish commerce, form unions, and perform other Acts independently.

The submission of this declaration came in the mid of usurpations and injuries caused by Great Britain over its colonies. Since colonial history, Great Britain established direct power and an absolute tyranny over its territories. The destructiveness of the government of Great Britain worsened when she repeatedly dissolved the House of Representative for protesting against Britain invasions on human rights. Instead of allowing for a new legislative power even after the dissolution, the king of Great Britain, instead, reinstated annihilated people to exercise their power and, thus, exposing the States to the risks of convulsions and invasion. Among other allegations made on Great Britain in the declaration included trade sanctions, unconsented taxes, denial of the benefit of jury trial, and abolishment of free English Law System. In summary, Great Britain was accused of her attempt to extend an unwarranted jurisdiction over...