Analysing Concepts of State and the Individual Pluralism.

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Sandra Butt

Assessment 3

Analysing Concepts of State and the Individual

Pluralism

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the theory of pluralism and to outline the main features. This essay will attempt to explain the role of the state and the role of the individual and it will conclude with an evaluation of the principles of pluralism.

Pluralism is one of the most important political concepts in society today, used to describe a form of government it is a meaning for how democracy works with the emphasis on pluralism having several centres of power and authority.

In Medieval Europe the idea for a pluralistic government was that the monarchy and the church would be co-equal rulers but allow the aristocracy, (the landowners) power over the proletariat (the working class) as they had control over the economy, this would now be considered very undemocratic although it still happens today.

In the 19c pluralism was a recognised philosophical theory, acknowledged by more than one theorist.

John Stuart Mills (1806-1873) Was a political theorist and philosopher, he wrote about the Tyranny of the majority, which is a term that brings together the fear of how popular pressure threatens individual freedoms, he believed that peoples rights were being denied and that political society should be organised into groups because apart from some voting rights and even then only for the middle and upper classes the public had no say in political matters. Mills argued that rights to the individual freedom could be suppressed by majority rule.

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Alexis De Toqcueville (1805-1859) was a French political writer and he thought that the tyranny of the majority could be avoided by a system of strong local government or decentralisation, although he also felt that the public opinion tended towards tyranny. He believed that organized groups were necessary as mass participation by the public was impossible beyond voting. This system is working in the American political system where there is a system of checks and balances in place so that no single person or group can hold power.

A. F. Bentley (1870-1957) was the founder of Pluralism; he ...

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