The Greatest Individual

The Greatest Individual John F Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts to his parents, Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald. Kennedy is the second eldest of his 8 siblings, and was informally referred to as “Jack”, by relatives and close friends. Kennedy was raised in a high-class home. His father was a millionaire and his mother, the daughter of Boston’s mayor. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was best known as the 35^th president of the United States and contributed greatly to the United States. Although he is primarily known for his accomplishments as president, he had many attainments as just a citizen. Kennedy was a United States congressman in the House of Representatives and president for approximately 1000 days before his tragic assassination. Kennedy was a great attribute to the United States and accomplished many things in his short period of life and he has inspired many people to be determined and confident by actively participating in society. He has left a lofty legacy and despite his death, he will always be regarded as the greatest individual known to man thus far.

Kennedy is known for his accomplishments before and during his presidency.  He received awards for personal and professional achievements, such as receiving the Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage. Kennedy attended the prestigious, private school Choate; he later graduated from Harvard University in 1940 with a degree in political science and attended The London School of Economics.  He joined the US Navy the same year he graduated from Harvard and became lieutenant. On one occasion, the ship he was commanding was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. Imagine being in the middle of the ocean you are commander and your crewmen are fighting to stay alive do you decide to save yourself and possibly your crew and swim for help or just wait to die and allow your crewmen to fend for themselves? Kennedy and fellow crew members were thrown over board and rather than giving up Kennedy swam for four hours saving himself and a crew member. Would you have done the same?

John Fitzgerald Kennedy became a congressman in the United States House of Representatives in 1946 and later became the 35^th President of the United States of America in January of 1961.  In his first few days as president he attempted to overthrow political leader Fidel Castro by allowing groups of Cuban exiles into their homeland, however his plan failed. Rather than giving up in the face of failure, Kennedy continued to accomplish goals set during is campaign.  During Kennedy’s presidency he reinforced troops in Berlin, which was a helpful factor in getting the Berlin Wall destroyed. He is also known for forcing the Soviet Union to remove missiles placed in Cuba, which was a major accomplishment in the Cold War.  He was active in the Civil Rights Movement and met with leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and was instrumental in allowing the first black student, James Meredith to attend the University of Mississippi.

During Kennedy’s presidency he also inspired people to be actively engaged in politics. This evidenced by his infamous statement in his inaugural speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.”   He also hosted the JFK show where he portrayed himself and was questioned my audience members. In this show he was respectfully called “Mr. President” or “President Kennedy” however despite the professional manner of the questions Kennedy retorted in witty and sarcastic comments before seriously answering the question.  The JFK Show

Kennedy was “one with the people”, he did not focus on being the most professional president, he did not act above everyone else, and he stuck to his morals and continued to answer in a down to earth manner.  From these actions he has left a legacy of inspiration to generations to come. On a recent dateline show, detailing the role of our current president, Barack Obama, the influences and legacy of Kennedy were recalled. Particularly his family oriented approach and his call for individuals of all ages, genders and ethnicities to become active in politics and their communities. John F Kennedy is the greatest because of the multitude of accomplishments he made in short life, legacy of inspiration he provided the common individual, and the transparency of his intentions.

What does it mean to be the greatest individual known to man thus far? No one can say it better then John F Kennedy himself

“A man does what he must, in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures, and that is the basis of all human morality”

Kennedy is not only the greatest individual known to man thus far but may also be the greatest individual ever.

John Locke; We all know his name even if we don’t know what he did or just think he’s that popular character named after him on the show Lost. Perhaps it is remembered that Locke was a philosopher or that his ideas about government are relevant to the formation of America’s government. This is all true. But Locke was amazing. In the sense that beyond being the simple philosopher we know and love today he was about a hundred other amazing things (okay so 100 is an exaggeration but you get the idea). He was an Oxford academic and medical researcher, a government official, economic writer, opposition political activist, and a revolutionary. He was perhaps the most influential man in history and relevant man to all we do now. His ideas about government are our ideas about government (and not just in America) because we adopted them and still use them today.

In the beginning…

God said let there be light and then in 1632 C.E. there was John Locke. Locke had a humble beginning. His mother died while he was still an infant and his father was a simple country lawyer and captain in the Parliamentary Civil War. His father died too while he was young (doesn’t every great man have a tragic beginning?). But his father’s connections got him into the Westminster School in London and then from there he was elected for studentship at Christ Church of Oxford in 1650. Locke studied logic, metaphysics, and classical languages then later medicine and experimental philosophy. In 1658 Locke qualified as a Master of Arts and was elected a Senior Student of Christ Church College then later Lecturer in Greek and Lecturer in Rhetoric. The great Robert Boyle became Locke’s mentor and much later in life Locke befriended the Newton (great individuals have great friends).  

Dr. Locke

Locke studied medicine though in 1666 he hadn’t yet received a degree, but was so good that people called him “Dr. Locke” anyway. Locke was always willing to help out those with some sort of medical problem (so he was a highly generous man)- he even was willing to perform surgeries on people. For instance there was Ashley Cooper (this is a man- Anthony “Ashley” Cooper) by operating on him and removing an “abscess from the chest” in 1666. But Ashley Cooper was no ordinary man. He was the first Earl of Shaftesbury. So now in 1667, at 35, John Locke was the personal physician to an Earl. He was also Lord Ashley’s secretary, researcher, political operative and friend. How many people find themselves that high up in society at age 35? And Locke did eventually earn that degree in medicine at Oxford and a license to practice medicine in 1674.

On the Board

It did not however stop here- for Locke was appointed secretary of the Board of Trade and Plantations and Secretary to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas. The former- the Board of Trade, was created in 1670 essentially for Locke- it sprang out of his ideas. As secretary, “Locke was the collection point for information from around the globe about trade and colonies for the English government […] In his capacity as the secretary to the Lords Proprietors, Locke was involved in the writing of the fundamental constitution of the Carolinas,” (Stanford Encyclopedia). So here we see that Locke was largely responsible for the initial constitutions of two of the original American colonies; North and South Carolina.

Essays in Exile

But Lord Shaftesbury wasn’t always at the top politically- he did however find himself at the top of the Tower, imprisoned, more than once- and so Locke smartly distanced himself from the Earl during this time of national insurrection. Besides, Locke was opposed to the Divine Right Theory of the time, a theory which those of us who value democracy tend to oppose as well (but more on that a bit later). As it is- Locke went to France and then exiled in Holland from around 1684 to 1689. And it was in exile in Holland that Locke managed to write two of his most important documents; Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government. What is the significance of these? Well lets see…

Essay Concerning Human Understandings

            Basically, all knowledge comes from experience. Humans are not born with innate ideas or principles. If they were, everyone would agree to them but since there are no principles everyone is in agreement on then there are not innate principles. This idea is empiricism, and Locke was a key empiricist. His empiricism is a tradition of British philosophy and the basis of scientific discoveries up until today.

            Furthermore, knowledge can be obtained by humans but there is a limit to human knowledge. This is the epistemological part of the essay. Locke’s stance lies between those of the rationalists, who believed humans’ capacity of knowledge was virtually limitless, and the skeptics who believed humans have no capacity for knowledge. Locke’s epistemological theories inspired other empiricists such as George Berkeley (yes, that Berkeley, the 18^th century philosopher that the Ivy League college in California was named after and who is known for his philosophical contributions and his attack on the foundations of calculus, which proved to be correct and lead to the refinement and development of mathematics but this blog isn’t about him or math…), Thomas Reid, and David Hume (who was interestingly, during the Scottish Enlightenment, a collaborator and friend of Adam Smith, and if you know Mr. Smart than you know the importance of that man). Yes, Locke is responsible for the inspiration of more recent philosophers.

            But it still doesn’t end there! Every heard of tabula rasa? The idea that the mind is a “blank slate” with no built-in knowledge? Still used in law to refer to an impartial mind, untainted by preconceived notions or judgments? Well that was Locke’s too.

Two Treatises of Government

            So this document is perhaps the most important of Locke’s and its theories perhaps the ones you think of first when you recall John Locke. The first treatise is an attack on the Divine Right of Kings, specifically as stipulated by Sir Robert Filmer in his book Patriarcha, which followed that all humans are born enslaved to the natural born king who is the direct descendant of Adam. Even biblical scripture does not support this claim and Locke notes this fact in his treatise.

            The second treatise stipulates the key revolutionary theories about government;

The social contract theory- quite simply the idea that a legitimate civil government comes about only by the consent of the governed. Otherwise the governments do not have a right to the power.

The extent of government- those in power can never have absolute power over the people but only that which allows them to serve the public good and maintain, not destroy, inalienable rights.

Inalienable rights- all humans have them and are born with them; The right to life, liberty, and property.

Separation of powers- wait, that was Locke too? In a way it was. Locke opposed the view of Hobbes (as he opposed nearly everything the philosopher Hobbes stipulated) that one supreme authority should rule or at least only one legislative assembly. Locke believed government was best limited when divided into branches with specific powers. Montesquieu developed the theory of separation of powers and checks and balances but Montesquieu was born the year Locke published his Two Treatises of Government.

Taxation without Representation- Locke spoke of this too and of course was against it. He believed the people have an obligation to pay taxes…

“But still it must be with his own consent- i.e., the consent of the majority, giving it either by themselves or their representatives chosen by them; for if any one shall claim a power to lay and levy taxes on the people by his own authority, and without such consent of the people, he thereby invades the fundamental law of property, and subverts the end of government. For what property have I in that which another may by right take when he pleases to himself?” (Locke)

Rebellion- rebellion is just and necessary when the people are under an illegitimate government, a government which violates their natural rights.

It’s almost as if Locke sat with Thomas Jefferson in June 1776 and helped him draft the Declaration of Independence.

Nonetheless, Locke’s ideas inspired nations and legitimized several revolutions. His ideas are still intact today and we apparently agree with them. As for in America, we can…

dispose of the rulers we don’t like anymore,

and vote for ones we do.

We have our rights,

 and can rebel if we don’t think we do.

 \

There is much, much more I could say about Locke to attest to his greatness, but this blog is already over 1500 words. So, with all John Locke’s contributions to philosophy on humans and government, Locke is highly important to the course of history as we know it, highly relevant to the way democratic countries live life today and thus to all countries democratic countries touch (his ideas are even being thrust upon nondemocratic countries- I speak of course of the Middle East) , and thus he is the greatest individual in World History.

Thanks to these sources:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/#HisBacLocLif

http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Philosophy/Locke.htm#Life

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay

Photos:

https://europeanleaders.wikispaces.com/file/view/John_Locke.jpg

http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/0604/03/NYHETER-03s20-bush-35_438.jpg

http://www.topnews.in/files/mccain-obama.jpg

http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/wyandotte/library/Bill%20of%20Rights%20Redux%202/Assets/Images/bill-of-rights-01.gif

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j186/DonaldDouglas/Americaneocon/43394486-1.jpg

Mikhail Gorbachev is one of the most influential leaders in human history. There can be no doubt that his policies and reforms in Communist Russia in the late twentieth century changed the fate of the world and may have saved millions of lives from nuclear devastation. In my opinion, Mikhail Gorbachev is the greatest individual in human history. This is not because of his views or his leadership qualities, but because of the miracle that he accomplished by ending the Soviet Union and the Cold War after one of the most globally terrifying periods ever recorded.

Gorbachev was born in 1931 after the Communist Revolution to an agricultural mechanic on a collective farm. His political views were greatly influenced by his communist grandfather and so he joined the Communist Youth Party while he was still studying law at Moscow University. Gorbachev moved quickly through the ranks of the Party, working his way to the top and soon became a member of the Communist Party Central Committee. As he climbed the ranks, he struggled to make the lives of the peasants working on the collective farms better, increasing their land allotments, improving living conditions and giving them more voice in structuring their communities.

After Chernenko’s death in 1985, Gorbachev was appointed the General Secretary of the Communist Party, and began introducing reforms and replacing older, more conservative members with younger, more liberal ones.

As the ruler of the USSR, Gorbachev began his campaign of perestroika, restructuring, creating social, economic and political changes that made the Soviet Union more efficient. He outlawed alcohol, encouraged private ownership and other democratic ideas with his demockratizatsiya (democratization) plan and accelerated economic development. Under Gorbachev’s influence, government companies that monopolized a market such as the air plane company Aeroflot broke into individual corporations and began a more capitalist economy with connections abroad. He instigated the first free elections in Russia in decades, the elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies, and was popularly reelected in 1990. Non-party members were allowed to run, and some were elected. More freedoms of free speech and press under the program of glasnost meant that Gorbachev was more openly criticized for his reforms than any other Russian communist dictator, and this may have led to the overthrow staged in 1991 that effectively ended Gorbachev’s power.

Gorbachev made a treaty with President Reagan, the Immediate Nuclear Forces treaty, as well as withdrawing the Red Army from around Europe and the Middle-East and most notably from the Soviet satellite states, when he refused to intervene in during the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the reuniting of Germany.

Gorbachev ended Soviet interference in Eastern European countries, especially communist political influence. For his efforts, he won the Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold in 1989 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. As the Soviet Union crumpled around him and countries staged coups against imposed communist governments, Gorbachev lost popularity in his own country, putting down a rebellion of conservatives and abolishing the Communist Central Committee and officially resigned his position as General Secretary a few years later on December 25, 1995.

Since then, Gorbachev has not been idle. He is still involved with private ownership in market economies, and he founded the Gorbachev Foundation, which is dedicated to conducting socio-economic and political research and improving the international market. Gorbachev is currently a member of the Union of Social-Democrats Party in Russia.

As a leader, Gorbachev brought the world back from the brink of destruction through willingness to engage in peace talks and sign arms reduction treaties. He suggested many of them in order to realize peace between the superpowers of the world, and formed close relationships with the leaders of capitalist countries, easing the tension that fear of nuclear war instilled. Gorbachev’s forward thinking and compromises profoundly affected the lives of people around the world, more than ever previously could have been affected by a single decision or war. He risked his position and went against the party that brought him to power in order to fulfill his dream of making the world safer and friendlier, actually undermining his authority and, in the end, willingly gave up his rule for what he felt was the common good.

I believe that Mikhail Gorbachev is the Greatest Individual in human history because he prevented massive destructions that would have resulted if the tensions between the United States and the USSR had developed into outright war. By slowly dismantling the Soviet Union and allowing its satellite countries to choose their own leaders and political alignments, by introducing peace talks with other superpowers, by advocating the dismantling of nuclear weapons, Gorbachev saved lives and directly affected people who are still alive because of him.

Sources

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDgorbachev.htm

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/gor0bio-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev