Ali Mason
Mr. Gabriele
Period 8/9
Reflection/Argumentative Essay
11-28-11
One of the most fundamental enlightened thinkers and writers of all time is John Locke. Spoken from true belief and wisdom Locke expresses his hypotheses and assumptions of mankind through many works. One of which was called Leviathan where he states, “in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory” (Locke 1). Locke’s claim that the nature of all men, which is comprised of selfishness and the overwhelming goal of personal glory holds true in modern society through the American pursuit to personal happiness and stability.
Occupy Wallstreet is a political protest that is sweeping the American nation. Citizens taking part in this group share common beliefs regarding the economy and the government. Some believe that they are not being paid enough; therefore the government is to blame. While others believe that the reason the United States may descend into a depression is at the fault of President Obama’s, and in order to better their own personal lives a new leader must be inaugurated. These people lack the understanding that what they are protesting is strictly for their own personal gain and happiness in this world. The distressed unemployed blame the government for their problems and will keep protesting unless they are completely financially stable and no longer have a need to blame anyone for their losses. Along with these beliefs, violence and mayhem has come about through this protests which further proves Locke’s point that quarrel is caused because of competition and glory. The young protesters are there to gain personal welfare for their lives and are competing with the rest of the country for a steady job and a hefty income that pays their extensive bills.
Through analyzing Locke’s claims and comparing them to modern society one can capture the essence of the time period Locke thrived in. In that day and age men were competing for land, for a wife, for a financially powerful family. In the eyes of most the greatest achievement was to gain the most and provide the most for a family. Understanding the view point that Locke displays through his writing is crucial to the time period it was written in and the parallels to modern day are unsettling compared to the rich content of Locke’s book on the nature of man. The idea of diffidence is contrived from the human level of self-confidence. A man may be subject to a low sense of confidence by being belittled by their government or surrounding environment or competition. A quarrel such as one caused during the time period of the Salem witch trials is another example of the selfishness of human nature. The blaming of others for doing witchcraft became an extended issue in the year of 1692 because of the claims of young girls and surrounding townsmen. People used the issue for personal gain, realizing that if they named a “witch” and succeeded with banning them from the earth a new piece of land would be fresh on the market. Thus allowing for personal gain through selfish deeds.
Personal gain, glory, and self-confidence are elements within the human soul that push the human mind to be selfish at its core. Locke is absolutely right with his claim regarding these issues. Through Leviathan he conveys a never-ending issue that the human race will always have the same underlying desires for their own life to be perfected. Whether or not they are a good person, there will always be the subconscious need for quarrel in order to retrieve what they believe is rightfully theirs. These characteristics are shown in the modern American society and have been portrayed throughout history through the actions of men and women alike, conveying Locke’s claims over and over again.
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