Essai sur la democratie
1034 mots
5 pages
Democracy was born in Athens, Greece, during the sixth century BC. The actual word is a translation of the Greek “Demos Cratos” which means “the government of the people, by the people for the people" according to the words of Abraham Lincoln. Therefore, the people who exercise the power are the same people who enjoy freedom, such as freedom of movement, religion or thought. Nowadays, most countries over the world operate with Democracy. Furthermore, we can see an increase of democratic countries since the collapse of the Eastern Block in the late twentieth century. Even if there is no doubt that Democracy is considered a base to protect individual liberties in a country, we can ask ourselves about the limits that carry its institutional implementation. In the first part of this essay, I will show how Democracy is the essential political system to protect individual liberties. In the second part, I will demonstrate how individual liberties often work alongside democracy with interests in common although democracy does not always protect liberty. Democracy may protect individual liberties most of the time; indeed, the government is obliged to make rules. In fact, if there were no rules, it would be the law of the jungle and it is the strongest that wins. This demonstrates that The Leviathan of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and especially the work of Jean Jacques Rousseau “Social Contract” . They explain the advantages of democracy which can protect the liberty of everyone. The laws are created so that each individual can enjoy equal freedom. Man needs the freedom of property to exist. "Ma liberté s’arrête la ou commence celle des autres" means « My freedom ends where someone else's begins ». This sentence was purpose to define “Individual liberties” into “the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” , which dates from 1789. This sentence means that I am free as Iong as I do not infringe the freedom of others. For example, I can listen to music if it