After the traumatic terror attacks of September 11, 2001, George W. Bush, the president at the time and his administration turn to policies based on the theories of an acclaimed philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The impact 9/11 had on The United States featured Hobbesian based public policy that was soon after implemented into society. Through enforcing laws and policies corresponding to Hobbesian theory, these policies impact civil liberties of citizens, sovereignty, the social contract between the individual and the sovereign; regulating the rights and wrongs of society, natural and civil law; including public morality and private interest, and society as a whole in order to keep the citizens of The United States safe from further danger.
The Bush …show more content…
In order to come back from disaster and regain power and control the sovereign has to take control and stand up for the nation. The president and congress possess sovereignty and are the sovereigns in The United States. They are in charge of the safety of the country's citizens. After the tragic effects of 9/11 the government maintained control of society and continued to enforce policy as well as creating new policies to better ensure the safety of the American citizens. According to Hobbes, government is needed or the individuals within that society would do things to primarily satisfy their interests only and not on the community’s interests as a whole, resulting in chaos. Maintaining a strong government post 9/11 attacks proved Hobbes theory because without the government society would have collapsed. There are many similarities in what Hobbes addressed and what occurred after the attacks. Hobbes strongly believed that in order to achieve peace people had to transfer their rights to the sovereign, which in this case would have been the president and congress. With citizens giving up their rights, the sovereign’s main purpose is to maintain peace, order and security for the benefit of the individual, and the self-preservation of his citizens. The sovereign according to Hobbes is not a dictator, due to the social contract between him and his people. The contract “gives the sovereign all the legitimacy required” he acts as only the instrument of the contract, which corresponds to the sovereign in America as the person elected democratically to lead and take care of the country. When George Bush was elected as president, the United States agreed to trust in his decisions and action, similarly to the beliefs of Hobbes. He believed that once the sovereign is elected citizens have given consent to his decisions while he is in office,
The Bush …show more content…
In order to come back from disaster and regain power and control the sovereign has to take control and stand up for the nation. The president and congress possess sovereignty and are the sovereigns in The United States. They are in charge of the safety of the country's citizens. After the tragic effects of 9/11 the government maintained control of society and continued to enforce policy as well as creating new policies to better ensure the safety of the American citizens. According to Hobbes, government is needed or the individuals within that society would do things to primarily satisfy their interests only and not on the community’s interests as a whole, resulting in chaos. Maintaining a strong government post 9/11 attacks proved Hobbes theory because without the government society would have collapsed. There are many similarities in what Hobbes addressed and what occurred after the attacks. Hobbes strongly believed that in order to achieve peace people had to transfer their rights to the sovereign, which in this case would have been the president and congress. With citizens giving up their rights, the sovereign’s main purpose is to maintain peace, order and security for the benefit of the individual, and the self-preservation of his citizens. The sovereign according to Hobbes is not a dictator, due to the social contract between him and his people. The contract “gives the sovereign all the legitimacy required” he acts as only the instrument of the contract, which corresponds to the sovereign in America as the person elected democratically to lead and take care of the country. When George Bush was elected as president, the United States agreed to trust in his decisions and action, similarly to the beliefs of Hobbes. He believed that once the sovereign is elected citizens have given consent to his decisions while he is in office,