Research studies show the world has been facing differences since the human society arise. Almost in all communities of the world people are facing a different kind of differences whether these inequalities are social, political, economic, health, property legal or civic equality, gender inequality, etc. Jean-Jacques Rousseau a great western thinker, philosopher, and writer of 18 century, he has insight the root causes of inequalities in society. In his social theories, “Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men” he very beautifully elaborated that man born naturally free no one has authority to govern him. In his write up Rousseau elaborate that a “state of nature” was people having quiet idyllic introverted, unsophisticated lives. Nature was entertained their few needs. Due to richness of natural recourses and less population made the society less competitive and in addition there is less communication among people they couldn’t communicate each other as result there were less conflicts and wars.
Close to nature made the people simple and having pure nature and they didn’t have harmful feelings for others. But with the passage of time, human being faced certain changes in community. Technological development made health issues resolved, People gradually began to live together in families, and then in lesser societies. Inventions made life easier people enjoyed the leisure time. This leisure time certainly created people to make differences between themselves and others, as a result moral values get violated leading t people feel jealous to each other property holders felt proud over there wealth. In addition Rousseau, explained that the invention of private property put negative impact in human society a people of pure hearts, very quickly turned in to materialistic
John Lock was great English philosopher. According to Locke, Men born free and he does not need to seek the license to live his life from others. Furthermore, he highlighted that state is supposed to be a land of free not a land of license because it is ruled over by the law of nature which everyone is obliged to obey. Locke places the right to possessions on the same level as the right to life, health, and liberty. While the right not to be harmed in one’s life or authority might have seemed undisputable to Locke’s readers, the right not to be harmed in one’s possessions might have seemed less so.
Locke shared that “God gave the earth and its fruits in common to men for their use. The problem he faced was to explain how commonly available resources can become legitimate private property which excludes the right of other men”.
Jhon Locke’s writing shows that the State of nature, although a state wherein there is no civil authority or government to punish people for disobediences against laws, is not a state without ethics. The State of Nature is pre-political, but it is not pre-moral. Persons are anticipated to be equal in such a state, and therefore similarly able of determining and being bound by the Law of Nature. The Law of Nature, which is on Locke’s view the basis of all morality, and given to us by God, commands that we not harm others with regards to their “life, health, liberty, or possessions. Locke mention in his write up that “Because we all belong equally to God, and because we cannot take away that which is rightfully His, we are prohibited from harming one another.” So, the State of Nature is the State of Liberty where persons are free to pursue their interests and plans, free from interference and, because of the Law of Nature and the restrictions that it imposes upon persons.
If we made a comparison of Locke and Rousseau theories of the state of nature already differ regarding ethics, stuff, and liberty. Locke believes that men are born with morality natural in them. in them; Rousseau says that people are born with no ethics, and only follow their instinct and appetite. He claims that in the state of nature, his first law is to see to his protection clearly indicating the lack of liberty in people
Locke stated that property is a natural right and can be acquired by labor; Rousseau, on the other hand, states that in the state of nature, men do not own property. Finally, Locke claims that in the state of nature, men have freedom and liberty. In opposition, Rousseau states that even in the state of nature, men are slaves to their desires. He proposes that it is impossible for a man to be free.
Today we live in very deep and a very painful society where most of the people are suffering from all sorts of inequalities these inequalities raging health to political disability. Billions of people living in extreme poverty they cannot even fulfill their basic needs, health, education, gender equality, right to vote, food. Only developed countries are being the privilege to have facilitation of life. If we compare scenario today with Jean-Jacques Rousseau theory of Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men” it is best suited.
Because due to a rise in population in developing countries, where private property holders enjoy luxurious life and most of the people lead a pathetic life of injustice, poverty, etc. Those who have wealth, directly and indirectly, control the lives of other people and make the decision for them.
Due to injustice, prevailing in these societies especially Middle East countries, Asian Muslim countries and Africa people are facing war lost their lives.
Some economic systems are also responsible for the creation of inequalities in societies for example; in Capitalism system profit revolve only those who invest, and other beneficiaries are completely ignored, and they are failed to get profit.
So there, the world should introduce an economic system in which common man should be benefited Gender discrimination is another setback of our societies where girls are not encouraged going to schools and participating in politics; as a result, the critical element of our society failed to play their part in the development of our community.
In our unequal society, due to poverty people suffer from the chronic mental illness that leads them to drug addiction. Eventually, drug addiction causes more social issues in society, and the society’s moral values get destroyed and become a reason of more social evils. This evil builds more pressure on the community.
People having wealth get a good health facilities rest of the enormous population of the society is unreachable, and date ratio of infant rates are high in these different corporations and women are also suffering from various disease and lost their life. So the resources should be equality distributes and shared by those who are rich.
Resources
1.”Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia Of Philosophy”. Iep.utm.edu. N.p., 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
2. “John Locke Vs Jean Jacques Rousseau. Essay – 1693 Words – Brightkite.Com”. Brightkite.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
