Routinely Rhapsodic

     Due to the continued pervasiveness of technology in our daily lives, political decision-making and statecraft have become increasingly influenced by technology. Much of the foundation of Western politics has been shaped by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract , and its contractualist principles, such as sovereignty, the general will, and the social contract. However, Rousseau’s abstract collectivist perspective has been abused by authoritarian regimes throughout history. This is a symptom of a broader realization of the Enlightenment’s failure to address modern ethical dilemmas due their abstract and subjective ethical frameworks. Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue argues for a return to moral and ethical reasoning rooted in virtue ethics. This essay will offer my personal review of these two philosophical works, and how I have analyzed their similarities and differences.      Rousseau’s The Social Contract asserts that mankind was initially fr...

      Originally written on September 21, 2023       Once upon a time, there was a young high school student who was lost and aimless in his life. He was very creative and ambitious, but he was unsure how to collect his ideas and dreams and point them in a direction for him to follow. One day, he dreamt of being a writer, so that he could spread his new ideas to the world and inform the world the logical steps needed to fix society’s problems (this teenager thought he had it all figured out). However, the previous day, he had dreamt of being a creative director, as he wanted to express his emotions and ideals to captivate audiences and inspire others with his creation. The next day, he would dream about being an architect, so that he could devote his time and energy to using his hands and brain to build tall awe-inspiring structures. The week before, he dreamed about leading a tech start-up, to contribute to the technological progress of society. Clear...