Why Do we NEED a

Government?

What do What do YOUYOU know about know about governmentgovernment??

What is What is governmentgovernment’s ’s purposepurpose??

Where would YOU like to live?Freeland

Lawland• Total freedom• No job or education

required• No rulers• No laws• Nothing is against

the law

• Ruled by elected officials

• Government’s job is to protect the rights we are born with

• Government taxes your income, to use for services to help common good

• Government makes laws to protect the common welfare

Josman, D., Roots of american democracy. Retrieved 12/5/08 from www.slideshare.net

Let’s Time Travel to get

PERSPECTIVE

How did WE get HERE?

Roots of American Government

• John Locke (1632-1704 AD)– English philosopher who was one of the first

thinkers to promote the idea that knowledge is determined by existence and experience (not pre-determined); developed social contract theory for how we form governments, and believed that the purpose of government is to protect people’s natural rights.

John Locke

His ideas lead to……

• A comeback for democracy (AKA republican government)

• The Enlightenment – mid-late 18th century movement that emphasized justice, science, equality, and human reason over dictatorial rule, superstition, and intolerance..

• So…if people could reason, then they could………???

Enlightenment

• Locke is considered one of the earliest Enlightenment thinkers, other Enlightenment era thinkers include Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, Voltaire, and Baron de Montesquieu

The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

•Condemned tyranny and superstition (like burning witches) •Challenged traditional social practices• Called for SOCIAL & POLITICAL CHANGE•Valued JUSTICE and EQUALITY for all•Empasized human REASON and SCIENCE as the path to knowledge

John Locke Ben Franklin

What other MOVEMENTS

changed SOCIETY?

We are all BORN with

Natural Rights that CANNOT be

given or TAKEN away…

LIFLIFEE

Liberty

PROPERTPROPERTYY

State of Nature

• Freeland is just like recess with no teachers or lunch aides

• What can you assume a true “state of nature” is?

• A “state of nature” is defined as life without government or laws.

• Who survives in a state of nature?

Josman, D., Roots of american democracy. Retrieved 12/5/08 from www.slideshare.net

Imagine…• You are walking down

the street and you notice that the doors of a bank are wide open. There are huge piles of money sitting on the floor. No one else is there. No one will ever know whether you go in and take some or all of the money or if you just keep walking.

• What will you do?

Josman, D., Roots of american democracy. Retrieved 12/5/08 from www.slideshare.net

1. Would you take the money?– Why or why not?

2. Based on this scenario, is a government necessary in shaping how people behave?

3. What is your view of human nature? (do you think most people would take the money)? – Explain?

4. What drives most people?– Selfishness? Guilt? Fear? Greed?

Love? Kindness? Compassion?Josman, D., Roots of american democracy. Retrieved 12/5/08 from www.slideshare.net

Lord of the Flies & Mufasa’s DeathLord of the Flies Mufasa’s Death

SAME DIFFERENT

P. #

Lord of the Flies & Mufasa’s DeathLord of the Flies Mufasa’s Death

SAME DIFFERENT

Write a summary

statement for each video

clip.

P. #

Lord of the Flies & Mufasa’s DeathLord of the Flies Mufasa’s Death

SAME DIFFERENT

Fill in AFTER we watch BOTH

videos. Minimum of 2

bulletsP. #

RALPH

PIGGY

RALPH

PIGGY

JACK

Connect the videos to what you learned about Natural Rights and a state of nature.

Think about the following:

1. What does the Conch Shell symbolize?

2. What is happening in each video?