There is No Perfect Government, No Utopia Essay - 2077 Words

From the early stages of civilization men created a form of government to help bring order to society. One of the greatest philosophers Thomas Hobbes believed that men left in their natural state is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short; however, for men to obtain peace they must renounce their freedom to a form of government to gain freedom. (Hobbes, 1865 ) The government has shaped many civilizations, and brought many changes to each new civilization. Throughout history one can observe many forms of government, some government systems brought peace and prosperity to the states while others brought destruction, war, and famine which can be seen in Ancient Greek and Rome. The question then arises, what there a perfect†¦show more content†¦Athens was a civilization which prospered and exerted influence to other city-states, they focused on philosophy and education rather than military. Nevertheless, despite Athens Golden Age, there were many flaws in the government syst em, women, children, slaves and resident aliens were not considered citizens, and since everyone had a say in democracy, the Athens lacked professional civil service. The Politics and the judiciary in Athens remained under the influence of people of wealth and venal judges presided at courts of law marked by corruption and perjury. (Frank, 2009) Eventually, the Athenian government system failed to overpower their enemy in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta, and Athens was defeated. Sparta however was the fearsome polis in Ancient Greek. Unlike Athens, Sparta was a mixed constitution of democracy, monarchy and oligarchy. As unlikely as it seems, Sparta had one of the best functional government in the Ancient World. The Spartan government consisted of two kings, the Ephors, the council of Elders, and Demos which was an assembly of men over the age of thirty. (Mathisen, 2012) This form of government made sure that there was no corruption in the government, and during the time of warfare one king was on the battlefield while the other ruled the people. Sparta however was a military based civilization with two social groups, Spartan citizens and Helots (slaves); unlike Athens, SpartanShow MoreRelatedUtopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social1000 Words   |  4 PagesUtopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, (merriam-webster.com). Utopia is a mindset that p eople are conditioned to believe is achievable, when in actuality it isn’t. 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