Colonialism And American Exceptionalism - 813 Words

Historically, the creation of political and philosophical ideologies has been defined through the perception of privileged people, in which these writers theorized lived experiences and encapsulated them into a notion of rationality and efficiency which directly serves the legacies of colonialism. Hobbes, Locke, and Smith exemplify ideological hegemony, in which the notion of organizing and formulating society is created through a binary of authority and legitimacy because of power dynamics which supports hierarchies through justified oppression. For instance, Hobbes, Locke and Smith constructed a binary which narrows perceptions of society, thereby limiting options about the formation of society because these dominant forms of knowledge†¦show more content†¦These writers both believe in the formation of hierarchies to control society, whether it’s the oppressive economy that disregards the conditions imposed to people or the police state, which controls the populat ion in order to maintain power dynamics of authority. Hobbs states, â€Å"So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel, First, Competition; Secondly, Diffidence; Thirdly, Glory.† (31). This relates to an authoritative type of society, whether its an elite group of people or the economy being the regulator as societys willingness becomes the catalyst. Locke is the founder of liberalism, in which dominant theories have utilized his ideology to maintain an economic powerhouse with limited government, as well as create an individualistic notion that allows people to only worry about themselves and ignore structural imbalances. Locke notes, â€Å"In this state men are perfectly free to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and themselves, in any way they like, without asking anyone’s permission—subject only to limits set by the law of nature† (Locke 9). This relates to the modern neoliberal world, in which laissez-fa ire policies are globally intertwined to maintain the functions of colonialism. Hobbes notes, â€Å"war of all against all† (Hobbes pg. 35), which justifies the notion of people and economies being able toShow MoreRelatedBiography Of Catherine Ceniza Choy s Empire Of Care1702 Words   |  7 PagesCatherine Ceniza Choy, author of the book Empire of Care, is currently an Asian American Studies professor and department chair of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. With a Ph.D in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, her research interest is on the impact of United States‟ global presence, particularly in Asian countries. In Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History (2003), Choy question the reasons underlying the massive exports ofRead MoreReview : New Western History1720 Words   |  7 PagesTom Nowakowski 10/16/14 HI 324 Dr. Schandler Midterm Essay #1 â€Å"New Western History† entails a fundamentally different approach to looking at the history of the American West. 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