Rockridge High School

Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Teacher: Barb Downey

 

Ideal Society

By Leanne Long

12th Grade

 

A person wakes up, the sun is shining, people are smiling, living out their lives uninterrupted by any negative influences. Is this ideal? Some would say so, but others would say this is a boring day of never encountering anything out of the ordinary.  How could one be happy all the time? Without anything to stir your emotions, would that life even be worth living? People’s ideas about an ideal society are nothing more than grandiose ideas like those of the great philosophers. Current philosophers like Rand, Scruton, and Gable, complain about the current society. Ideal society is a dream that many strive to reach but fail. An ideal society is only personal preference; it is what the individual makes it.

         

“I support my life by my own efforts so I do not seek or derive my happiness from the of others but I earn it by my own achievement.” Ayn Rand believes that injury or favors people should work to better themselves and, that if they do things for themselves, then they can achieve their own ideal society. Other people will get in the way of these achievements. This goes along with Aristotle’s idea that the individual must be happy before society can be contented. Gable and Scruton show that one should always show compassion to others in helping them achieve perfection. It is a citizen’s “patriotic duty,” in Scruton’s words, to help in the community. Some people achieve goals individually and others need help.  Scruton also believes in the “social contract” which says to take care of one another. I agree with this idea, but I do not think one should be obligated to do so if he or she works on an individual level.

         

Socrates and Plato both believe that for society to be ideal, the ruler must be a philosopher, as they are the only ones who can distinguish between reality and truth. Socrates claims that reality shifts and a regular ruler could not see true reality. This goes along with their belief that if one knows good, then one will do good. This idea ties in with Gable’s less objectified legal system. Plato believed that the rulers could keep the community in the dark about issues, because it could inspire them to be unjust. If one never knew of being unjust, how could they be? Gable believes that if someone grew up in a bad family, they know of nothing else. Someone should not be locked up for the rest of their life for doing something reflected by the way they were raised. Plato says if all people accept justice, then they can live happily in the community. This concept would work if people accepted justice, but I think that original sin would keep that from ever happening.

 

Plato believed that work should be done for the community. People should not work to grow rich, which could cause corruption and the society to become greedy. He thought that a moderate amount of money for everyone, including the leaders, would give people a life of virtue. There was to be no private property or riches. On the other hand, Rand believed that in order to be happy, one had to work individually to earn wealth and possessions. Individual possessions do corrupt people, but being poor does not make one virtuous in society either. Aristotle believed that the rich or the poor could cause revolutions. Socrates simply believed that one should just consider how to live morally, with or without money, to better society.

         

When speaking of true knowledge, Socrates believed that true knowledge is concrete. He thought real knowledge is not the appearance of things because that can change. He believed true knowledge is being able to tell what is real and what is true. In comparison, Gable has his own ideas of true knowledge. He writes about the SAT’s and how he disagrees with them. He claims the test does not measure the true knowledge of a person. The only thing it does is to convince young people that they are not smart enough if they do not get a high score. He says tests do not even come close to measuring “intelligence, aptitude, and merit.” I believe some people are just bad test takers; others are greatly educated in different areas. In society, who is to say that one’s intelligence should be measured by a standardized test?

         

In my ideal society there would be no tests to measure one’s knowledge.  The society would believe that everyone has his or her own talents.  There would be no money in society either; people would have what they needed and everyone would be content with that.  No one should have to feel the pain of mistreatment, rejection, or discrimination.  In my society, murder, rape, or crime would not exist because everyone would be treated fairly. People would work if they could and be educated from a young age.  They would not be forced to take unfulfilling classes, only those that fit their personality.  Those who were not book smart, but had common sense would be the ones to solve any slight problems that may arise in the society.

           

In this perfect society, birth and death would both be celebrated.  Birth is the beginning of a new life, and death is the beginning of a new, perfect life, as well as a life well-lived.  Everyone would live by this philosophy to prevent depression in the community.  The people would live by what is right, not by what others thought or is socially acceptable to people today.  With never being denied of needs and always having a shoulder to lean on, everyone would be happy.

         

There could never be an ideal society, since society is only what one makes of it. It could never fulfill everyone’s wishes.  Life was not meant to be perfect, or it would be.  One cannot imagine or experience a place like this until after death.  Sure, there is a lot of misfortune in the world, but things are what they are for a reason. Like pieces on a chessboard, we go on living the game of life, most of us never questioning our existence, because we know there is a divine plan for everything.   There never should be a completely ideal society.

 

Questions

                                                                                

Peter Gable

Q1- Number the “fault lines” mentioned in paragraph one, #1 to #7 according to your personal priorities.

 

A- 1.Healthcare 2. Roll of government 3. Abortion  4. Environmentalism 5. Gun control 6.Welfare reform 7. Taxes

 

Q2- In paragraph three, what is meant by “defeat of community”?

 

A- I think he means that the defeat of community is just all of the faults of the community as a whole, anything that is a result of the community not working together to accomplish goals.  He means the community has stopped thinking socially. 

 

Q3- Do you sense “pain of isolation” in the adults in your community? Explain.

 

A- I do not sense this issue in the community I live in.  The town and all the towns around me are very small.  If something happens in the community, pretty much everyone knows about it.  Everyone knows everyone else.  If anyone is isolated, I do not think they experience pain from it because they probably choose to live that way.

 

Q4- Discuss your feelings about the SAT in light of paragraph six.

 

A- When I read what Gable said, I agreed with him completely.  There are many factors why I think that the SAT’s are inappropriate in measuring someone’s knowledge.  Sometimes people are just bad test takers.  Also, everyone is good at something. If you are extremely talented in art or something else, you should not be denied admittance to a college because of your SAT score.  People are educated in different areas, why should math, science, and English be the deciding factors in weather someone is smart or not?  It really does discourage young people.

 

Q5- In considering a future career, what are your “prime motivations”?

 

A- My prime motivations are pretty simple.  If I can get through college and have my dream job as a nurse, that would be good enough.  I want to be able to earn enough money to take care of myself without the help of anyone else.  Another motivation is that when I become a nurse, I will be able to help people.  I will never be bored because I will not have to encounter the same thing day in and day out, which will make me happy.

 

Q6- What do you think about a less “objectified” legal system?

 

A- I think it is a good idea.  It is hard for many people to understand growing up in a bad home.  If you know of nothing but abuse and violence, most likely that is how you will end up, abusive and violent.  Should you be put away for the rest of your life for that? I say no, it would be nice to show a little compassion.  The only way is to get a person help instead of being so harsh. 

 

Q7- Would you describe yourself as an idealist? Why or why not?

 

A- I could say I am in some aspects because who doesn’t want the world to be perfect?  In any other sense I would say that I am not.  I accept things the way they are.  In many instances people, including myself, don’t know enough about certain subjects to make judgements.  I would love things to be perfect, but I will not strive to make things perfect or expect things to be that way.  All I know is the world works with good and bad things in it and nobody can change that.

 

Q8- Share an antidote about a local idealist over age 40.

 

A- I know a woman who is a close friend of my family.  Her name is Sharon and several years ago she had leukemia.  Even as she was losing her hair and going through treatment she was always so happy and had a good outlook.  She is very heavy into musicals and singing and she tried to do the things she loved throughout her entire ordeal.  Recently she has been re-diagnosed with her cancer.  I know her good attitude will help her through her times of trouble.

 

Roger Scruton

Q9- How does Scruton describe the differences in political culture of Islam and the west?

 

A- He argues that the basis for rule of law in the west is the social contract and the Islamic culture has to abide by holy laws.  The social contract is that everyone should help everyone else.  In the Islamic culture the holy laws are very strict; for example, the women in their culture have no rights. 

 

Q10- What does Scruton suggest are the prerequisites in Western societies for citizenship?

 

A- Scruton says that a patriotic public spirit and a commitment to the preservation of the social contract.  Which means the duty to one another is important.  You should also be patriotic toward your country. You should support its decisions and support the people in it.

 

Q11- What if 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?

 

A- Scruton says the danger is the erosion of national unity.  Without national unity our country will fall apart.  I do think that the social contract involves self-sacrifice.  If we had no soldiers, how could we do any fighting in Iraq?  It amazes me that people will give their lives like that.  We need more citizens like that.  I think the contract should involve patriotic self-sacrifice.  If it didn’t, we would be attacked like on September 11, and no one would have done anything about it.  Why should there be patriotic self-sacrifice? Because without it, our country would not be what it is today. 

 

Ayn Rand

Q12- Comment of the quote taken from Ayn Rand’s book, Atlas Shrugged.  Do you agree with it?  Why or why not?  Have you read Atlas Shrugged?

 

A- I liked the quote taken from the book.  I think her ideas are down to earth and real.  She seems to know how things really are.  I do agree with her; you are kind of on your own when it comes to your own personal goals.  You can’t really expect anyone else’s help when it comes to your goals.  I also agree that our society does reward things that are bad.  They give people welfare that do not need it, like people that could have a job but don’t.  Some people do need it but not everyone.  I also like what she said: “a trader is a man who earns what he gets and does not give or take the undeserved.”  I agree with her ideas because that is how things really are in out society.  I have not read Atlas Shrugged.
 

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