In Thoughts from the Tao-Te Ching, Lao-Tzu made it apparent that he believed a government should be run without any one person, or group of people taking charge. To many people, his ideas may seem radical in this day and age, where the government seems to be the cornerstone of our society. He strongly believed that the government, should be extremely limited, in it’s power and influence in a country’s affairs. He believed that there would be a sense of serenity among the people if they had control of their own lives. Lao-Tzu also felt that if people continued to have their own ambitions, they would increasingly demand more power over others. He wanted the government to be moderated. Too much government would take away the rights of the common people; leaving his people to their own devices was a sure way to make sure the country was always content. So according to Lao-Tzu, the people of his country were better off making their own decisions and simply, living their own lives.
I find his perspective very enlightening in many ways. I also believe that too much government power is inevitably going to lead to an unhappy society, but I feel that he may have been a bit extreme with his ideas. Leaving a country to the hands of the people, and simply expecting it to flourish without any outside interference, seems implausible. There have to be boundaries in every society, and I feel that a balance is important, more than anything else. Distinguishing the line between too much government power and not enough, is something that we are still learning.
5 comments:
Nice job!! I think your interpretation of Lao-tzu's thoughts was very clear, and I liked how you explained what you agreed with and what you disagreed with as well.
Exactly what I was thinking. Moderation in government looks good in paper but to carry out is different. If you didnt put limits on a persons rights, they could become "evil" and try to take control of the government for his own purposes. All in all, government should take an active role in people's lives.
I totally agree, there needs to be come kind of a medium when governing. The gov't doesnt know when to step into a situation and when to back out. There has to be limits for sure. interesting entry.
That was incredibly well written. Your summary of points was thorough and well thought out. Your point of view about government control was realistic and practical, unlike Lao-Tzu's view.
"Distinguishing the line between too much government power and not enough, is something that we are still learning."
That's also one of the central dividing points between Republicans and Democrats.
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