Democratic Theory Essay

The concept of democracy has developed with the theories that different personalities lose created. Among the most nonable individuals that gave substantial contri stillion to democracy are doubting Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau through their social film theory. The social veer theory serves as a foundation in the establishment of the major tenets of democracy. The social contract theory of Thomas Hobbes is affected by his touch sensation regarding human nature. Hobbes deems that concourse are living in a order of nature wherein each individual has a right to everything in the world.However, this could pop off chaotic as people have varying and often propagation conflicting interests. As such, this kind of situation will eventu in eachy rent to conflict. In relation to this, he asserts that people should surrender their natural rights to a sovereign authority that will be responsible in defend them against a life that is solitary, poor, nasty, bru tish, and short (Friend). He also states that the abuses of power by this sovereign authority should be accepted in exchange for repose (Friend).On the contrary, the social contract theory of John Locke is different from Hobbes as he believes that the state of nature is not a state without morality. It is pre-political as there is no civil authority or political sympathies, but it is not pre-moral because people are regarded as equal with virtuoso another in the state of nature and they are capable of discovering the law of nature, which is the basis of all morality. Individuals in this state of nature would come together and surrender their rights to the in the public eye(predicate) power of a government in order for this body to penalize those who transgress the law of nature. other difference of Lockes theory from Hobbes is that he does not believe that the abuses of power of a supreme authority should not be tolerated, rather the people has the right to reject an abusive gove rnment and return to the state of nature to be able to construct a better governing body (Friend). Jean Jacques Rousseaus social contract theory is largely influenced by the enlightenment age as it was created during that time. Roseau asserts that reality are essentially free in the state of nature but the progress of civilization made people infringe upon the liberty of others through economic and social inequalities.In this sense, he believes that people should have an commensurateness to come together through the social pact wherein individual persons stick collective in surrendering their individual rights and freedom and transfer it to a whiz body. This single body is composed of the people that are directed towards the common land good of the people. As such, the government in Rousseaus theory is accepted through the general will of the people, which is regarded as a direct arrive at of democracy.His theory is different from Hobbes and Locke because of his idea of respe cting the individual will and still allowing them to collect themselves to form a general will that will embody all the people concerned (Friend). Despite the fact that democracy is regarded as one of the ideal forms of government, it still has its corresponding problems. One of the most notable dilemmas in a democratic system is that the minority is sometimes put in a disadvantageous position as the will of the majority reigns supreme. Another predicament is the ability of the people to vote for the right officials that they will select in the government.Voting wisely requires people to have the necessary familiarity and ability to discern the right candidates that they will choose. However, this becomes difficult especially for countries where people are illiterate and could be easily influenced by propaganda (Haarsma and Kuchling).Works CitedFriend, Celeste. 2006. well-disposed Contract Theory. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 June 2009 . Haarsma, Loren. , and Kuc hling, Andrew Mark. 10 February 1992. Problems with Democracy. 10 June 2009 .