Society Is One in Which

¶ … society is one in which the government realizes individuality among its citizens and allows them to pursue that individuality as long as it does not harm another individual. In addition, the ideal society would protect citizens without being overbearing and oppressive. Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, Niccolo Machiavelli, Martin Luther King, and Elizabeth Cady Canton all express different views on how a government should operate. All signs point to freedom as a fundamental component to a successful society. A government that is too large or too small will not survive. However, a society that can find the right balance with government and individuals is not easy to establish. It takes work and sincerity. It also takes responsibility on the government to do the right thing for all parties involved.

Effective leadership is one that allows individuals to be themselves. The notion of individualism is born into every person and, instinctively, people long for freedom. Freedom must include allowing people to retain some semblance of originality. One man that understood this idea was Thomas Jefferson, who penned the Declaration of independence. He understood when the government had overstepped its bounds and understood the need for a break from Great Britain. He knew that all of us are "created equal" (Jefferson) and should pursue liberty in order to be happy. Successful leadership finds a balance between governing and control. There is no question that a government must be well structured to function optimally and it must also protect its citizens. This includes protection from the inside and the outside. Citizens must obey laws but these laws cannot be obtrusive and they must be fair. The Declaration of Independence maintains that one of the primary responsibilities of any government is to offer protection to its citizens. The government did have a responsibility in that it does work for the people it claims to represent. Any government, in order to be successful, must exert some type of control but how it exerts that control is key to success. When individual freedom is encroached upon, the system is failing because once people begin to feel as though they cannot trust their government, they lose hope and begin looking for a way out. Knowing this, a successful government cannot be too big in order to survive. People need to feel a sense of freedom and an intrusive government will not allow this to happen.

An ideal society also needs responsible citizens. They, too, have rights and responsibilities necessary for a successful society. Sometimes this is speaking out against the government when it oversteps its bounds. After all, this is the only way that change will occur. Henry David Thoreau understood this and wrote about it in his essay, "Civil Disobedience." At times, the government becomes too self-serving and selfish and, as a result, oppressive to some. Thoreau supported civil disobedience in the right circumstance. He writes, "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison" (Thoreau). Thoreau placed an incredible amount of important on one's conscience, noting that no one should ever feel obligated to do anything against it. This included something required by the government. For example, he writes if a law "requires you to be the agent of injustice to another... then, I say, break the law" (Thoreau). A government that was not open to change was headed for trouble, noting, "Action from principle, the perception and performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary" (Thoreau). Here we see that an ideal society needs citizens that are brave to stand up to the government and the government needs to listen and consider change when necessary.

Along the same vein, Niccolo Machiavelli illustrates how to demoralize a society with the Prince. This work, while it proves to be beneficial to the prince, offers little else to the rest of society. The Prince is concerned with only the prince. He states, "a wise prince should establish himself on that which is his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavor to avoid hatred, as is noted" (Machiavelli). In addition, he writes that it is best "to be both feared and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved" (Machiavelli). This type of leadership would not encourage an ideal society.

The Prince is well written and addresses issues that are needed to maintain control but, as one might guess, Machiavelli goes overboard in assuming that his idea of the role of government is better than any other. Heavy rule will always lead to destruction one way or another. Individuals can only take being oppressed for so long. An ideal society is one where the government and the people are happy.

We see the results of oppression when we look at Martin Luther King's ideas and dreams for a better society. A world apart from Machiavelli's time, King captures the plight of the oppressed individual. He knows all too well what people experience when they are held down by a government that encroaches on everyday freedom. He urges his readers to "rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice" (King). He also sees hope in the future and asks people to "make justice a reality for all of God's children" (King). Justice is part of the government's responsibility to the people. Elizabeth Cady Canton also understood the struggle for independence. She writes about a "long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object" (Canton) and how this breaks down society. She tells the people it is "their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security" (Canton). King understood the rights of citizens even in the place of an overbearing government. He knew that a mob mentality would only hinder his goal for freedom. In response to this, he wrote, "But there is something that I must say... In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred" (King). He wanted people to pursue freedom but do it with dignity. He said, "We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force" (King). Here we see how it is necessary for people to speak out against oppression and injustice so that others may not endure the same.