What is the justification for government?

Question

it's for my phylosophy class

Answer 1

Because controlling the masses by religion was failing.

Answer 2

Simple- to limit the number of opposing social groupings.

Humans instinctively form groups- we are psychologically incapable of maintaining a purely anarchic state. For example, when a government collapses, populations quickly (and invariably) coalesce into smaller groupings, which usually compete with eachother fiercely, for both resources and social prominence. This competition, although providing certain beneficial forms of motivation, always causes a great deal of chaos and destruction, makes quite a few important civilized advancements impossible, and generally drastically lowers the standard of living.

To give a less ambiguous example: before civilization, nomadic hunter-gatherers instinctively formed into small tribes, which (if more recent examples of isolated hunter-gatherers are a guide) never cooperated with eachother. It was only with the introduction of a fewer number of larger groupings- governments- that agriculture was possible.

Most anarchists argue that a society could be created in which much smaller social groups cooperated rather then competing. There is, unfortunately, absolutely no reasonable historical evidence to support this as a possibility. In fact, the nature of human psychology seems to preclude it: humans always prioritize those whom they identify with- generally family first, then a circle of close friends, then a larger social grouping. In any situation where resources are limited, people will do everything in their power to ensure that those resources are distributed according to those aforementioned priorities- which frequently necessitates violence or destructive conflict. Extremely large social groupings ensure that people's priorities are distributed more evenly over a larger populous, allowing for possibilities like civilization.

Answer 3

there is the body of the law and the spirit of the law...

each gives life to the other...each kills off the other...

Balance is Key !

Government is an attempt to bring balance to an otherwise unstable world and it's parts...

there is good government and bad government (and everything in between)...individual preference rules here...

In a word: Universal Safety- although it can not work for each individual...

Answer 4

As society grows the need for order and rule grows with it.

Answer 5

Without it you have Anarchy. People have proven that .....
Common: Sense, Courtesy and Decentsie are not as common as they used to be.

Answer 6

Easy, there would be total chaos without it, instead of simple chaos with it.

Answer 7

Everyone has rights.