Alleviating Problems in Police Agencies - Article Example

Overall my concept of assessing question requires the discussion of the notion of the Rule of law and how it has developed within and through the Western Notions of freedom and democracy. My discussion explores the position vis a vis the two great democratic nations which have led the world in their quest for human rights and whose legal and political systems are deemed to be the envy of the world. It has often been said that the modern American Constitution along with the Declaration of Independence is a result of Lockean Ideals of Liberalism(that is John Locke’s Concepts based on liberty, freedom, instituting government, and the right to alter that government.). However, proponents of the heavy influence of British/European ideals (Gary Wills for example) have argued that a much more important role in this regard has been played by Scottish philosophers, the Dutch and more importantly Britain.

(Kavka 1986:45).According to Sheldon, the Declaration of Rights reflects “three dominant ideologies present during the American Revolution and the founding of the American republic. These political philosophies were British liberalism…Classical Republicanism…and Christianity,” (Sheldon: 16).It can be seen that the Western Ideals of Government and Democracy are directly a result of the way ancient Roman and European philosophers sought to understand the human nature by the concept of the “state of nature.

” (Kavka 1986:87).This theory sought to look at human beings after stripping them of all their societal attributes, in the hope of uncovering their common characteristics. (Jean 1986:46) Through this theory, they hoped to discover an effective theory of Government. For Hobbes man is purely motivated by self-interest and in his notion of the state of nature all humans are competing with each other.( Jean 1986:58).