Oligarchy holds the idea that specific families are born to be rulers while the remaining majority of the population have the purpose of serving the interests of these ruling families. In this model, power rests on just a small portion of the population who are generally differentiated from the other by wealth, royalty, family ties, or education. In this kind of leadership, authority or influence is passed from one generation of the same to the next. In the recordable history, the oligarchs have relied on the servitude of their followers for their beginning and the ultimate existence. This model of leadership has examples in the modern society to include South Africa and the United States.
Several authors have characterized the current state of affairs in the United States, as an oligarchic model of leadership. The wealthiest in the US economy shave taxes reduced in their favor as the banks and corporations they dominate shift the fiscal burden the underprivileged. However, it is generally believed that most of the modern economies are oligarchic in nature since power has been shifted to the rich and they only implement policies that make the richest get richer. The majority, who are either middle class or poor, serve the interest of these rich individuals and cannot influence the policy changes, even with their numbers since they are denied the platforms to push their agenda forward by their rich rulers.
Traditional conservatism on the other hand supports the idea of patriotism and authority as opposed to social or political change. They uphold hierarchy, classism, agrarianism, organic unity, culture and loyalty to the authority. They also have a strong belief in order and discipline. The do not support the idea of constitutional reforms but upholds the traditional ways of government such as monarchy and accord respect to traditional institutions. Conservatives’ idea is closely related to the oligarchic model since both recognize the hierarchy, but the latter fails to recognize the fact that although there is an inevitable disparity in the classes within the hierarchical system, the society members have a common interest that bind them together, without having to consider their wealth or privileges. These traditional conservatives believe that government intervention should be a safety precaution to protect the interest of the poorest population of the society. Liberal conservatives strongly oppose regulation of the economy by the government and support the existence of a free market. Their main agenda is the maintenance of traditional values and adherence to strong law and order.
Individualism as described by several philosophers is a political and social philosophy in which emphasis is majorly based on the moral value of an individual. In this model, individuals tend to support the exercise of individual goals and personal desires thereby giving much focus on self-reliance and independence with great opposition to external forces that are against the individual’s interest. These opposing forces generally come from either the society or certain institutions, for instance, the government. Individualism relates to societies where there are weak individual ties and where individuals fend for themselves or their immediate family members.
In John Locke’s view, the individual interests of the society members are as important as the collective societal goals and expectations. He views these individuals as naturally free and equal, and individuals who might feel superior to others must not subject them into servitude. He argues that every individual is unique and has the right to own property, the right liberty and most importantly the right to life. He also mentions that the governments exist because the people’s consent. Therefore, these governments should not oppress the rights and privileges of the less fortunate.
However, according to the oligarchic model, in contrast to Locke’s idea, only recognizes a portion of the population to be what some philosophers say, “more equal than others”. This simply means that these members of the society consider themselves to control the forces that govern the economy. These few people only view the less fortunate as their servants and should always work to fulfill the interests of their masters.
In the modern economies, politicians, who are at the top positions of enacting policies, only vote in favor of those policies that support their individual and corporate interests at the expense of private owned firms. The governments are interested in the survival of these corporate bodies as opposed to the private institution thereby shifting the burden on the taxpayers with the intention of making better the conditions in these corporate bodies.
In general, the idea of a certain minor group of the population subjecting the majority to servitude does not conform to a true commonwealth or a true individualism since the model fails to realize the contributions, uniqueness and rights of the majority who are either middle class or poor. Inequality usually occurs in institutions favoring powerful individuals and institutions in a competitive and crosscutting manner. This only leads to influential individuals without a rational agenda, but selfish intentions.
Work Cited:
Kramer H. M. John Locke and the Origins of Private Property: Philosophical Explorations of Individualism, Community, and Equality Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 2004. print
