Discourse on the Origins of Inequality - Essay Example

Discourse on the Origins of Inequality Inequality is a very common situation that is found among most of the people around the globe, and this is mainly because of the political and social injustices that are prevalent in the society. As I was growing up, it was a common belief in my society that the cause of inequality within the society is that the people themselves are to blame because they are either too lazy or that they make poor decisions in life. Despite this, if one were to consider Rousseau’s statements concerning inequality, one would conclude that the government is also to be blamed for implementing policies that destroy the successful development of their people I have come to the realization that behind the rising connectedness that has been promised by globalization are those decisions, economic policies and practices which are typically influenced or formulated by the elite within the society.

It is such people, many of whom are exceptionally wealthy and who run or are part owners of multinational corporations and institutions that have the power to make bring changes to the society, so that it can become more egalitarian (Locke, 2002). The decisions that are made by the rich and powerful in the society are often responsible for the great external pressure that is exerted on the governments of poor countries and their people, and the latter, who are never in a position to refuse the demands.

As a result of the power exerted by the few wealthy individuals, these continue to get wealthy while the majority struggle with or fall into inequality. According to Rousseau, societies in general tend to corrupt the human being and this occurs to such an extent that he starts to think more about himself than about the welfare of the society within which he lives. This applies to the current world situation, because of the fact that there has been the implementation of reductions in the expenditure for health, education among others.

This has been done because of the structural change policies approved by the major international financial institutions as terms for loans and repayment of the same, thus ensuring that the welfare of the society is ignored. The ability of individuals all over the world to develop themselves is greatly reduced as they have to struggle against the barriers that have been created in their attempts to advance. As a result, because of the continuing trend in the modern society, then it is becoming less likely that a more egalitarian society will be formed as individuals become more individualistic in nature.

Thus, the attempt to create a more egalitarian society will most likely fail as the individuals in the society fail to look beyond their immediate needs and become more selfish. Q.2 Among the basic tenets of the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution is that all the people in America have the right to have the same opportunities to prosper but this should only be done because of their hard work. While this may be the case, the framework in the development of equal opportunities in the United States has always been based on individualism and not on the society.

The framework of opportunity in America has often been described in terms of a partnership or a contract between the state and the people so that the state facilitates the environment while the people work towards being successful within it. The idea that there is the promotion of shared prosperity in the United States has become void because of the fact that more of the population is falling into poverty while the wealthy get wealthier. This has created a situation where the social contract is no longer being fulfilled because of the prevailing inequalities in the society.

The social contract has often been considered to be the justification of the state’s authority over the American people, as well the people’