Blog 4
New ideas in politics and philosophy tend to emerge in times of social, political, and/or economic stress? How can this be explained?
At times of social, political, or economic stress, people particularly distrust the government. They don’t know what to expect but no one expects anything good. Because of this, everyone knows that changes need to be made. It usually starts with a philosophy of change, which then translates into the practical politics.
People come up with various ideas. Not many want to hold high government positions in times of trouble. However, some individuals see the desperation of others as their chance to earn respect and fame. The expectations of society combined with aspirations of these individuals bring about dramatic changes.
For example, during the Great Depression, the government, for the first time, interfered with the economy by ordering public projects so that more people could’ve gotten jobs. In ancient China, if a ruler crushed the opposition and won wars, he had the Mandate of Heavens, and therefore the people. If the ruler didn’t succeed, that meant he wasn’t supported by the Heavens and a new one was needed with new political ideas and new philosophies.
1 comment:
I agree with you about how people call for change during a time of crisis because it makes perfect sense that a person would want to have changed policies if the original ones did not work out. I thought you stated your argument well and had good examples.
- Elijah
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