As we previously grasped in units one and two, society are an integral and prominent part of in individual’s way of life. People tend to gravitate towards a collaborative lifestyle, in which individuals depend on the diverse skills of others to better as a whole. From reading such as The Republic and Allegory of the Cave, we learned that to receive the benefits offered by a society, all people must sacrifice or contribute something. This can be referred to as a social contract, neither binding nor inconsequential. However, the strength of these contracts are directly correlated with the strength of the society which depends on them for support. In this unit, we took this philosophical idea to a world where we may apply it: our world.
Society is established to benefit the individuals within it, mostly by offering protection and stability. This organization is provided by an institution called a government. However, it is not established to govern the people, rather to serve their interests. By sacrificing some liberties, individuals reap the benefits of such organization. For example, as citizens of America we agree to sacrifice our rights to carry our "illegal" actions, but in return we get the benefits of a safe and stable nation with additional benefits such as public education and health services. As stated in the United States Declaration of Independence, this government should rule by “consent of the governed”. A democracy is not the only justified system, but it is established “of the people, by the people, for the people” as stated by president Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address. When this contract between the individual citizens and their government fails it becomes time for reform.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that when it becomes necessary to break the "political bands" than hold a government and the people together, it is our obligation to do so. To maintain a functioning system that benefits not only ourselves but also our society reform is critical. This has been prevalent countless times in American history. Modeled after this very document, women's activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton's speech in New York clearly demanded reform. The system had failed to serve 50% of the nation's population, and women felt it was their right and their obligation to promote change. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. pushed for change during times when the enormous African American population in the US was being oppressed, a sign that the government has begun to fail at its duties. As he said in his famous speech I Have a Dream, "The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges." As part of this society, they deserved to gain and contribute to society. This came with reform.
As we are privaleged enough to attain this education, it is our obligation to apply it to help others. This was the underlying theme of Allegory of the Cave, which we read earlier in the year, but also became the values upon which this nation was built several centuries after that document. Using our power to improve our society can be done on an national scale, or as implied in John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, a global scale. This education was given to us by our society, and we in turn must protect our beneficiary by using our knowledge to improve, reform, and develope an ever improving world for ourselves, our neighbors, and the generations to come.
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