Reference no: EM132628411

Cicero's approach to politics is a very practical one: whereas Plato says knowledge is its own reward, Cicero asserts that true knowledge lies in action, speech, and in practical affairs. He advocated against political withdrawal and against a purely contemplative life, insisting instead that humans are creatures meant to be socially and politically active. His stoic perspective led him to emphasize a universe in which all humans are members of a larger world community; in fact, it is Reason itself (nature) that compels humans to live in communities. Because of this, humans can only realize their true nature - the fulfillment of their existence - by participating jointly as citizens. In the United States, on the other hand, we traditionally see politics and government as a "necessary evil" that only exists because it must in order to prevent chaos and oppression amongst ourselves. It is not through each other, and certainly not through the joint effort of government, that we find meaning but rather through notions of the individual. I, myself, alone am the reason for my existence.

What role does society have in actualizing a human purpose?