Intrinsic Human Dignity and Equality in Relation to...

Liberal democracy is prevalent in the West. This political arrangement guarantees the rights of a people in relation to their government. Many Westerners, unfortunately, cannot give a philosophical explanation and/or justification for it. Ultimately, an examination of liberal democracy will demonstrate that it rests on notions of human dignity, equality and happiness, which are not recent developments in philosophy, but have their origins in classical and scholastic thought. It is in said examination that one can reasonably conclude that liberal democracy while not the best system of government is certainly better than the alternatives. Democracy is not a contemporary phenomenon. It did not originate here in North America. Rather, its†¦show more content†¦MacIntyre wrote: A practice involves standards of excellence and obedience to rules as well as the achievement of goods. To enter into a practice is to accept the authority of those standards and the inadequacy of my own performance as judged by them. It is to subject my own attitudes, choices, preferences and tastes to the standards which currently and partially define the practice (190) It would be arbitrary and subjective for individuals to judge their own craft, may it be the arts or sciences, without referring to authoritative tradition or body to gauge the quality of their work. Thus, institutions are needed because â€Å"practices [require] a certain kind of relationship between those who participate in it† (191). This relationship is not only with contemporary practitioners, but with past practitioners â€Å"whose achievements extended the reach of the peace to its present point† (194). Thus, the dissemination of knowledge, the observance of religion and the practice of medicine require schools, churches and hospitals if future generations hope to benefit from the previously mentioned goods. Democratic practices, in short, are ensured by democratic institutions. Popular rule does not occur by simple fiat, but through institutional frameworks. Robert A. Dahl in his text, On Democracy, proposed a hypothetical situation to demonstrate the aforeme ntioned point,Show MoreRelatedThe Privacy Of An Individual1700 Words   |  7 Pagesanxiety.† With relation to the philosophy of influential thinkers such as Hobbes, he believes without organized governments humans live â€Å"short† and â€Å"brutish† lives, in a â€Å"state of nature.† In addition, he believes that citizens are in a social contract with their government, in which citizens voluntarily sacrifice a portion of their freedom, in exchange for security and protection by a political authority. 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