“Locke prioritizes liberty over equality, while Rousseau prioritizes equality over liberty and it is this difference that gives rise to their divergent views of political authority.” Agree or disagree with this statement, or modify it to fit your own assessment of the evidence. Use Locke’s Second Treatise on Government and Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality to support your response
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Divergent Views of Political Authority in Locke and Rousseau
Thesis Statement: While Locke prioritizes liberty as the foundation of political authority, Rousseau emphasizes equality as the central pillar, leading to their distinct views on governance.
Introduction
The philosophical works of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau have significantly influenced political thought and shaped the concept of political authority. In Locke’s Second Treatise on Government and Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality, the contrast between their prioritization of liberty and equality becomes evident, ultimately influencing their divergent views on political authority.
Locke’s Perspective on Political Authority
John Locke, a prominent figure in the Enlightenment era, believed that individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property. In his Second Treatise on Government, Locke argues that the primary role of government is to protect these rights, with the consent of the governed being the basis of legitimate political authority. For Locke, liberty is paramount, as individuals should be free to pursue their interests without undue interference from the state.
Locke’s emphasis on liberty as the cornerstone of political authority is evident in his advocacy for limited government intervention and the protection of individual rights. He posits that individuals enter into a social contract to secure their natural rights, but they retain the right to rebel against any government that infringes upon these rights. This prioritization of liberty shapes Locke’s view of political authority as being derived from the consent of free individuals.
Rousseau’s Emphasis on Equality in Political Authority
Contrastingly, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality presents a perspective that prioritizes equality over liberty in the realm of political authority. Rousseau argues that social inequalities and injustices arise from the establishment of private property and the division of labor, leading to the erosion of natural freedom and equality among individuals. Unlike Locke, Rousseau contends that true freedom can only be achieved through the establishment of a collective general will that reflects the common good of society.
Rousseau’s focus on equality as the basis of political authority is exemplified in his advocacy for a social contract that binds individuals together under a common will. He asserts that individuals must subordinate their individual interests to the general will of the community, thereby promoting equality and solidarity among citizens. This emphasis on equality shapes Rousseau’s view of political authority as emanating from the collective will of the people rather than individual consent.
The Divergent Views of Political Authority
The divergence in Locke and Rousseau’s views on political authority stems from their contrasting prioritization of liberty and equality. While Locke champions individual liberty as the foundation of legitimate governance, Rousseau emphasizes equality and collective decision-making as essential components of a just political system. This fundamental difference in their philosophical outlooks leads to distinct interpretations of the sources and nature of political authority.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Locke and Rousseau offer contrasting perspectives on political authority based on their prioritization of liberty and equality, respectively. While Locke sees liberty as the key to legitimate governance through individual consent, Rousseau underscores equality and collective decision-making as central to a just political order. By examining their works, it becomes clear that the divergent views of political authority in Locke and Rousseau are deeply rooted in their differing conceptions of liberty and equality.
