An Analysis of Looking BackwardMain MenuColleen Moroney8c703e0adbf248781b4ddb4d15c8c0cb1154bc21Gabrielle Ellisa1101b68a852d6cb8d6c497b937eb136d0669085
A Society's Motivational Dependence on Government
1media/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg2019-04-22T18:02:37+00:00Colleen Moroney8c703e0adbf248781b4ddb4d15c8c0cb1154bc21412The relationship between the government's role in society and motivation, thus affecting the autonomy of its citizens.image_header2019-05-04T15:30:34+00:00Colleen Moroney8c703e0adbf248781b4ddb4d15c8c0cb1154bc21
The Government's Role in Looking Backward
Since modern, Utopian, 2000 America was based off of public capital, citizens had little to worry about. While they all did still work, they didn't have to worry about cost-of-living or being able to pay the bills, as all the money they needed was equally disbursed at the beginning of the year. Citizens could freely travel the world, artists had more freedom to create, separate political groups and the military cease to exist, crime is rare as there was little drive for committing crimes, and working was based on pure passion and done out of honor.
Our Government's Role in Our Life
The United States runs under a democratic government; at its most basic explanation, democracy is simply a system of citizens having the power to elect their leader. There is much more to that, however, as democracy is a web of checks and balances intertwined with capitalism. For one, citizens are expected to acknowledge and respect the given freedom of others, as they are given equality in theory. Additionally, democracy attempted to put a country's citizens on an equal ground as they put themselves in a political group that matches their moral status (Owen 112). What is special about our modern country's democracy, however, is our pride in our country and incredibly large military which holds a strong sense of patriotism.
A Government's Effect on Society's Motivation and Autonomy
In the United States, the autonomy we are given is based on our individual economic wealth and the freedom our wealth grants us; the wealthy have more freedom to go where they wish and do what they wish without barriers. Those on the opposite end of the spectrum do not have this freedom and work either until or even past the age of retirement. A commonality between both groups is the motivation behind what drives us to work and try to become a member of the upper class - money (Marx). In Looking Backward, every citizen has equal autonomy and freedom in their lives due to the socialist society they live in which has granted them access to said freedom. By providing them with all possible funds they would need per year, retirement at 45, and an easy change in career (if requested), citizens in the novel had the means and the time to explore life without worry.