The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill Essay

The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill - Essay Example These texts highlight different societies, all of which have come under control of the government, whether by peaceful or violent means. They also shed light on what happens to the freewill of individuals within each scenario. The relative roles of the individual's freewill within society begins with making it appear as if the individual is acting of their own freewill, while displaying socially appropriate and societal programmed responses. An individual's freewill could not exist without society's carefully orchestrated ministrations in allowing it to seem as if the individual is indeed making their own choices. Choices and actions made by said individual have to be engineered to look as if they were made by the individual. Through careful programming, society and government can achieve a desired result from the individuals. There are numerous ways of programming an individual within the society. These include but are not limited to: happiness, hate, brutality, genetics, drugs, love, fear, careful monitoring of said individuals to disallow privacy of any kind, and sex/eroticism. Through use of the aforementioned subjects, society and governments can exert control over the freewill of the individual, while maintaining the premise that they are not using these to manipulate individual actions and thought. Instead, those in control must convince the populace that what they do is for the good of all.All authors appear to agree that there are basic tenets for societal control. The individual must understand his/her status within the community. The underlying motif corresponds in all texts: an individual should be able to make their own choices without society or governmental intervention. If said person poses a danger or threat to others, then an authority must step in. If an individual is unable to make cor rect choices, i.e. the very young or aged, then it is also expected that someone will intervene on their behalf. Mills makes a point in stating that actions, though, should not be as free as opinions. He sets forth guidelines in lengthy detail discussing how each part of society is to function in harmony. All authors agree that the government is to become involved only when necessary, and to leave individuals alone to self-govern.If government decided to tamper with society and the individuals within it, a likely start would be where society and individuals begin: DNA and genetics. This is a horror that Mills in 1859 could hardly conceive of ever becoming a reality, due to minor knowledge of these subjects during his life. Huxley, however, provides in inside look at universal happiness via genetic engineering of society, at the moment of artificial conception. Through use of genetic methods, a form of super humans could evolve, eradicate disease, and achieve universal happiness thro ugh a caste system. Through happiness, a government could achieve control in influencing an individual's freewill through pleasantry. Physical pleasure via games or sexual gratification, the idea that "every