Question: To what extent does the quality of a society depend upon the quality of its leader(s)?
It is evident that leaders have a lot of influence in societies. Leaders are considered as people who guide and direct a particular group of people who are related to each other through persistent relations such as social networks. Whatever qualities that the leaders have will shape the society at large. These relates to the values and the principles that they keep. Indeed, this essay will argue that the quality of the society is completely dependent upon the quality of its leaders. The qualities that are vested in the leaders shape the society which they lead. Firstly, the essay will argue that leaders who are philosophers generate good morals which shape the society. Secondly, it will argue that leaders with corruptible values deteriorate the morals of the society by gathering resources for themselves. Furthermore, this essay will argue that the quality of the society decreases when leaders lose their power.
Firstly, Leaders who are philosophers generate good morals which shape the society. A Philosopher is a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement or who has the qualities of regulating his or her life, actions, judgements and utterances by the light of philosophy or reasons. Philosophers who are leaders have good qualities which are acceptable in society in which they lead. These philosophical qualities generate good morals in the society due to the fact that people trust and obey them. Hence, their moral examples shape the society because they regard these as their primary duty. Plato (the republic, 1955, P.263) argues that philosophers should become leaders to end the troubles of the state because this is the only road to real happiness. This implies that society and its people are happy when philosophers are leaders because they generate good morals in the society in which they lead. Furthermore, these indicate that