Can People Be Trusted to Govern Themselves?
One question that has been pondered since the times of Greece. Should the people be trusted to govern themselves? There has been great arguments, points, and responses to the question but history definitely plays a role.

Aristotle born in 384 BC in Stagira, Greece. Aristotle was a philosopher who believed that the government should be ruled by middle class men and that people should be trusted to govern themselves but only the properly educated middle class men. Aristotle analyzed all forms of government and found both good and bad examples but he preferred and favored a constitutional government. Aristotle even feared that democracy could lead to mob rule and favored the polity. His ideal form of government was more of a democracy than autocracy. Aristotle that the power of government rested with the people rather than one person possessing unlimited power. Aristotle died in 322 BC in Chalcis, Greece. In the United States, the founding fathers, in a way turned to Aristotle’s wisdom and guidance to create a fair and just democracy for the United States citizens.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born on June 28, 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His ideal form of government was Direct Democracy. A government in which citizens vote directly for the laws that would govern themselves. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophy influenced the French Revolution. He believed that human beings are good and equal in nature but modern society (government, school, media, and etc.) had corrupted the goodness in people. He wanted to find a way to protect everyone’s life, liberty, and property while everyone remained free. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s solution was a social contract. A social contra...

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