Rockridge High School
Taylor Ridge, Illinois
Teacher: Barbara Downey
The Ideal Society
By Amanda Pierson
12th grade
What do we consider an ideal society? An ideal society is defined as “a community regarded as a model of absolute perfection.” People’s ideas and opinions are the basis of what make up a society. Peter Gabel, Robert Scruton, and Ayn Rand all have their own individual opinions on the subject. Gabel and Scruton are idealists whereas Rand is more of a realist. Since many of their viewpoints oppose each other’s, can an ideal society even exist? It can only exist if each person is willing to compromise some of his/her own ideas. Individuals will always be striving for different goals. An ideal society for the individual is impossible to achieve. However, an ideal society for the community is possible.
Gabel and Plato are socialists. They believe in putting the community before the individual. They also believe that the citizens of a community should be indebted to each other so competition will be eliminated. According to them, competitiveness and individualism can easily destroy a community. Both of these men believe in a less objectified legal system where the laws change with each situation; the community should decide the deserving punishment for the crime. According to Gabel, cooperation should be the prime motivation in a society
Scruton also believes in putting the community before the individual. However, he does not believe in a less objectified legal system. He believes that punishments should be consistent. Laws face certain requirements and should have no exceptions. In Scruton’s opinion, changing the laws to fit the situation can potentially harm the community. Along with Plato, Scruton believes that the people within a community have a duty of patriotism and pride for their nation. In Plato’s book, The Republic, Plato states that there must be “guardians,” or an army, to guard the community at all times. They must only fight if absolutely necessary. Scruton believes that one must obtain a certain amount of self-sacrifice in order to protect the community. He considers it selfish to put one’s own life before the lives of thousands of others. Scruton adds that people must obtain a social contract in order to keep the nation from falling apart. People need to give up certain freedoms in return for certain protections. The society must get along and become unified or the community can easily be destroyed.
Rand’s beliefs differ greatly from Gabel, Scruton, and Plato. As an individualist, she believes people should strive for their own personal goals. In her society, competition will be unavoidable as long as people strive for their own happiness. According to Rand, honest and deserving people are the ones who will obtain happiness in the end. She believes that respectable people are those who have the qualities of a trader. A trader is one who is not corrupt and takes only what he/she deserves in Rand’s opinion. Ideas such as these are opposite of with Plato’s ideas. He believes that the individual’s needs are secondary to the community’s. Once the whole community is content, the individual will be content.
I myself am a realist; however, most of my opinions contrast with Rand’s. Many of my ideas agree with those of Plato, Gabel, and Scruton. The government should take care of the community’s needs before the individual’s or nothing will ever be resolved. I also strongly agree with Scruton when he states that each person needs to follow a social contract. If everyone has the freedom to do what he/she wishes, anarchy may start to arise in a society. Self-sacrifice is needed in order to protect the well being of a nation. Without patriotism and self-sacrifice, that nation along with other nations can crumble. Plato believes in one absolute ruler who handles every need of the community. That ruler makes sure that the citizens are not aware of the troubles or pleasantries of the community. All they need to know is their duty to the community. If the community is in financial trouble, for example, the citizens will not be able to help their community because they do not know what is going on. A community such as this cannot survive. The ruler may take advantage of his power and the society may turn into a dictatorship. People must have knowledge of what is happening in their community in order to improve it. It is impossible to improve something unknown. In order to work towards an ideal society the leader must cooperate with the citizens. If this is done, a certain level of peace can be created.
An ideal society for the individual can never be achieved. However, an ideal society for the community is possible. Conflicts will always occur in a society as long as people come from different backgrounds. America, as it exists today, is what I consider to be as close to an ideal society as we probably may get. I believe it is up to each generation to make the nation a better or worse place. One generation can only do so much before the next one comes in and reforms the nation into what they consider to be ideal.
Q1. Number the “fault lines” mentioned in paragraph one, #1 to #7 according to your personal priorities.
A1. Role of government, health care, taxes, welfare reform, abortion, gun control, environmentalism
Q2. In paragraph three, what is meant by “defeat of community”?
A2. Gabel describes that communities are falling apart due to the impersonal relationships in society. People only worry about themselves and their status in society and pay no attention to people they consider lower class.
Q3. Do you sense “the pain of isolation” in the adult’s in your community? Explain.
A3. Yes, many adults are only concerned with their own personal goals. They want to climb higher on the social ladder and do not care about the people around them, causing there to be a social division among different people.
Q4. Discuss your feelings about the SAT in light of paragraph six.
A4. I feel that the SAT puts too much pressure on young students, therefore causing them to perform poorly on the test. A person’s intelligence cannot be measured by one test. Many negative events may have taken place that same day that could have resulted in the student’s inability to focus on the test. Students should be judged on their performance throughout high school.
Q5. In considering a future career, what are your “prime motivations”?
A5. My prime motivations are fun in the work place, flexible hours (so I can spend time with my family), and a decent salary.
Q6. What do you think about a less “objectified” legal system?
A6. A less objectified legal system could harm our nation. Laws should be strict and consistent no matter what the situation is. If laws were to become less objectified, people may begin to take advantage of the leniency of the law.
Q7. Would you describe yourself as an idealist? Why or why not?
A7. I believe I am somewhat of an idealist but mostly a realist. I would love to see a perfect nation, but I do not believe that could ever happen. All people are different due to their backgrounds. I do not believe that there are any two people that could see completely eye to eye. However, compromises can be made to help the community be a better place.
Q8. Share an antidote about a local idealist over age 40.
A8. One local idealist is Mrs. Vandervinne. She recently began making miniature sleeping bags embroidered with the names of American soldiers serving in Iraq. Her intention was to have the soldiers send them back to their kids. News began to travel about her deed and many people volunteered to help. Together they produced more than 200 sleeping bags and are still working on more. She knows that she can make a difference through her deed and wants to help all the suffering people in Iraq.
Q9. How does Scruton describe the differences in political culture of Islam and the west?
A9. He states that laws in Western civilization are more socially united and the nation and state are obligated to each other whereas Islam culture is not. Government in Islamic culture is mostly dedicated to its religion and puts aside the individual needs of its people.
Q10. What does Scruton suggest are the prerequisites in Western societies for citizenship?
A10. Scruton suggests that people should be very patriotic and willing to fight for the defense of their country. He believes people must maintain a “social contract” so that the nation can be stable.
Q11. What is the danger to the Western social contract that Scruton identifies in the last paragraph? Do you think the Western social contract involves “patriotic self-sacrifice”? Should it do so, in your opinion? Why or why not?
A11. The unity of our nation could fall apart. I do think that Western social contract involves “patriotic self-sacrifice.” People should be willing to defend their country in order to keep it unified and strong.
Q12. Comment on the quote taken from Ayn Rand’s book, Atlas Shrugged. Do you agree with it? Why or why not? Have you read Atlas Shrugged?
A12. I
agree that people need to have their own goals in order to get what they want.
However, I do not believe that people should only worry about themselves. If
this is done, social division occurs. People may start to form social classes
and ignore those they consider to be lower class. I do not believe that the
trader is a “moral symbol of respect for human beings” because the trader may be
corrupt. He then would not have gotten what he deserved. I believe some of
Rand’s beliefs are individualistic and could not work in an ideal society. I
have not read Atlas Shrugged, but after reading this passage I am
beginning to have an interest in reading it.