(Course number)
Contribute to Building and Sustaining Good Societies
Social Justice
Nonetheless, if there is fair treatment of every citizen in the society, in which his every right is safeguarded, whether it is economic, political or social, and its laws and agencies are not oppressive, then the moral obligation is incumbent upon every citizen to recognize and obey the laws. When the government or the society has all these qualities, it has every reason, political will, and moral ascendancy to eliminate discrimination and inequality among the people. Giving justice to everyone where it is due, maintaining equal protection of the laws, ensuring that everyone gets the help that he deserves, and seeing to it that every person is secured in his person, papers and effects, are just but some of the many tasks. If these are achieved, we can say that such society has the popular mandate; and as such, it has the motivation to sustain itself and to move on.
Gender Equality
It is in the nature of a man that he needs a woman; in the same way, that a woman needs a man for interaction, procreation and the propagation of the human species. To say the other way is a matter of pretense. We must admit that a man and a woman play important roles in the building of the society. For this reason, it is not correct to look down on a woman because she belongs to the misconceived notion of the weaker sex. This is, in essence, a form of discrimination against women which has long haunted our history until now. Many cultures cannot yet transform from being patriarchal to gender equality. We should look at the woman in the light of her role as an indispensable hand in the building of a better society. For all we know there are many unique characteristics in a woman, which are often taken for granted by many misogynists. These typical characteristics gave birth to the formation of a movement in which Rosemary Radford Reuther was one of its movers. This advocacy is the so-called ecofeminism. “Also known as ecological feminism, it is a branch of feminism that examines the connections between women and nature” (britannica.com). French feminist Françoise d’Eaubonne originally conceived such name in 1974. The advocates of this movement believe that there is a close relation between nature’s and the women’s characteristics, “such as reciprocity, nurturing and cooperation, which are present both among women and in nature” (wikipedia.org). “It uses the basic feminist tenets of equality between genders; a revaluing of non-patriarchal or nonlinear structures and a view of the world that respects organic processes, holistic connections, and the merits of intuition and collaboration” (britannica.com). Rather than just making females in the sideline, why not let them participate in the molding of the society? There are times when women discern better than men do. It is about time then that the society should change its outlook on women since they are part of us. Given the importance of their role in nation-building, our society will never be complete without them. Hence, something should be done with the cultural biases on women, in order that a nation can move on to have gender equality and reform the old patriarchal society. We only need to empower women the way men are so that they can use their potentials to the maximum as our partners in good governance, education, preservation of the environment, or in any field where they can be at their best. After all, women are the indispensable partners of men in the continuance of good government and people-oriented societies.
Ecological Conservation
The environment is part of us, just as we are part of nature. Each kind of life has its purpose and reasons for its being; and their existence is a constant interaction among them, which generates a certain relationship. This is the bond that ties all living beings, such as organisms, plants, insects, animals, birds, fish, including humans. Such relationship is very intricate and entwined so that each form of life greatly depends on it for its existence, security, sustenance, and propagation. Although it is somewhat complicated, this connection of all living beings has developed into a system wherein each life-form becomes interdependent on one another. Plants give food and fresh air while animals help in the propagation of plants. This endless process of mutual giving and receiving among all kinds of life are thus called a symbiotic relationship. Getting in the way of this cycle creates an imbalance in the ecosystem, in such a way that the disproportion affects the whole environment and all living beings suffer the consequences. Considering that the human beings are part of this cycle and interdependence, we cannot escape the wrath of the ecological imbalance. As a society, we depend so much on the equilibrium of our environment because our life is literally held on the line. If we continue to abuse nature, we will be on the losing side at the end since we are an indispensable part of it. At present, we are feeling the consequences of our constant destruction of our environment. Global warming is unabated in its toll; natural catastrophes are becoming strong and destructive and are bound to claim more human lives and properties. We need to conserve the ecology so that we can abate further destruction of the ecosystem since the continuance of our society greatly depends on it. For what use will the society be, if our planet ceases to exist? We need, therefore, to conserve our environment so that it will continue to provide us our needs in order to sustain the society.
Democracy
A society, whose governance has the support of the people and whose laws are just and non-oppressive, has the logical motivation to continue doing all its tasks based on the popular mandate. The will of the people as reflected through their elected leaders is the reason d'être why the society and its institutions continue to exist. It is the source of strength of every legitimate government in the execution of all its laws and in the implementation of the directives. Simply put, the voice of the people is the core of the society. In a democratic form of government, every person’s rights are safeguarded and freedoms are protected. Since it has the blessing of the citizens, there would be no problem in the execution of its rules and regulations, including its policies. The people will easily follow without any complaint or question since they acknowledge the legality of their government and they understand the laws that are being imposed.
On the other hand, a government which is devoid of a popular mandate has the tendency to produce anarchy among its citizens. This is because such government does not reflect the true will of the people as a democracy. It has no political foundation to rule its subjects. There will come a time when the administration will suffer the fangs of an uprising because the people have grown disgruntled with their leaders. The government, then, loses its moral ascendancy to execute the laws and to implement its policies and directives, which could result in lawlessness, anarchism, political turmoil and civil disobedience. The will of the people as reflected in the lawful government is of utmost importance since this is the link between its citizens and the administration. If the government has no perception of the predicaments of the people and continues to disregard their sentiments, such regime is treading on a critical and risky path to perpetuate in power. The constant and utter antagonism toward the people’s voice is a sure key to political troubles and is the nearest kin of civilian uprising.
It is the essence of the democracy that the people’s voice and their sentiments are heard because they are vital to the policy-making process and governance. It is the cohesive factor that gives the society the bond which holds its institutions in place. Indeed, Abraham Lincoln was correct that such society will continue to exist because it is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” (abrahamlincolnonline.org).
Works Cited
"A Theory of Justice Summary - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://www.enotes.com/topics/theory-justice>.
"Ecofeminism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecofeminism>.
Miles, Kathryn. "Ecofeminism." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/ecofeminism>.
Rawls, John. Theory of Justice. Rev. ed. USA: Harvard UP, 1999. Print.
"Social Justice." Social Justice. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/features/issue/peace.asp>.
"Society." The Free Dictionary. Farlex. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/society>.
"The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm>.
