Philosophical Reflections on Power, Happiness, and Society
Philosophical Reflections on Personal Motivation
Hobbes, Power, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Since I was a kid, my parents didn’t pay much attention to how I was doing things in general; they were more focused on my older brother. While studying in school, I understood that happiness was all I was looking for, and all my actions caused and helped decide my purposes in life. Aristotle discusses the importance of virtue and happiness through daily life, but also conducting yourself in a way that accustoms you to these ways, always looking towards your best self-interest and goals. Meanwhile, Hobbes states that happiness is getting what you want, when you want it. But to achieve that happiness, I needed power.
As I had a natural talent for all kinds of sports, I achieved that happiness through hard work in individual sports. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, all that power was in me and only in me; nobody would hit the ball for me. Moreover, having that power gave me friends, popularity, passion, competition, and enjoyment. However, when it came to relationships, I won not only the power aspects but also the competitive aspect of them too. For example, I was the best at playing soccer in my school, and people wanted to play with me and know more about me, but there were others trying to beat me. My family was the one that made me use my competitive will to get power and happiness, so in the future, I could achieve whatever I wanted. Thus, Hobbes is the thinker who best accounts for my behavior as the student son of my family.
Aristotle and the Example of Reason
Aristotle is the thinker that best accounts for the behavior of my dad. My dad is basically the image of reasoning. He says that in order to grow in a certain situation and choose correctly, you need to see all the aspects that surround that situation and figure out which action will be the most appropriate. He is always talking from a political perspective, inferring that you ought to choose the action that provides the most benefit for the common good. My dad is also the one who hired cleaners inside the house so my mum, my brother, and I could have more free time and leisure to achieve our own personal goals.
A Proposal for an Environment-Focused Government
Core Principles: Democracy and Meritocracy
My government will be ruled as a democracy, placing power in the hands of the people but giving the authority to rule to politicians who are the most capable for the job.
Key Initiatives and Structure
The government will focus on supporting society with facilities to protect the environment by investing in fields like recycling, renewable energies, and cleaning up waste in the seas, rivers, and lakes. To fulfill these purposes and motivate society, I will create a hierarchy among the people to maintain an order, similar to Aristotle’s ideas. The people who help the environment the most will have advantages over the rest, such as:
- More work opportunities
- Better equipment and facilities
- Better salaries
To attain its purposes, institutions, mainly for educational purposes, are required in my government. We will create national days devoted to specific contributions to the nation’s wealth and well-being. For example, donating all unneeded clothes on the last day of February. Additionally, there will be speeches about climate change, recycling, new ways of finding renewable energies, and how to generate less waste in every school and university. This will help the future well-being of our society and for future generations.
Governance and Officer Selection
The officers will be elected by the people. They will have to have a close relationship with the people’s needs and thoughts. To truly fulfill their role, they need to know and understand what the people want. Thus, the officers must be people devoted to supporting the environment and must also be at the top of the hierarchy mentioned before.
Regulations and Limitations
There will be limits on putting too much or too little money into funding. Places like hospitals and senior citizen homes will have fewer restrictions due to the essential requirements for their operation. For instance, in hospitals, the use of paper would not be limited because these papers include information that is important to each person’s well-being and livelihood.
Philosophical Justification
Locke would approve of these ideas of a government under democracy and oligarchy because it allows a society to grow within rules, having a normal life without chaos. Aristotle’s philosophy would defend my proposed hierarchy.