V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta

March 8th 2012

Locke's theory was that man is by nature a social animal. In the state of nature men mostly kept their promises and honoured their obligations, and though insecure, it was mostly peaceful, good and pleasant. Humans know the difference between right and wrong, and are capable of knowing what is lawful and unlawful well enough to resolve conflicts. They are capable of telling the difference of whats theirs and what belongs someone else. Regrettably they do not always act appropriately. The gap between our ideas and words about the world, and the world itself, is large and difficult, but still if one man calls it evil, the man refereed to still has the qualities of good or evil. Peace is normal and we should be able to live together. While respecting each other. We retain the right to life and liberty, and gain the right to just, impartial protection of our property. If a ruler seeks absolute power, he puts himself in the state of war. Men have the right by nature. Hobbes theory was man is not by nature a social animal, society could not exist except by the power of state. Our knowledge of objective, true answers is so feeble, so slight and imperfect as to be mostly worthless in resolving practical disputes. In a state of nature people do not know what is theirs. Property exists solely by the will of the state, thus in a state of nature men are condemned to endless violent conflict. Men cannot know good and evil. If you shut up as you are as told, you have the right not to be killed.

Things the government does to reinforce Hobbes' theory is, they don't tell the citizens the truth and the reality of what they are doing to people at the treatment centre to find a cure for medication. They were abusing people of their rights in order to find a solution for another problem. The government believes that they must give up rights/freedoms in order to be safe. The government pass themselves as moral good but they are the ultimate corruption of power.

The government is telling people that the government is good and that V is a terrorist and that he is the reason why the world is how it is at the moment. V's actions in the movie are very violent but as he says in the film “Violence can lead to justice” In the movie the governments wants to get rid of and blames Immigrants, Muslims, homosexuals etc. For the problem that the London government faces and for the reason why such a government exists to protect the people. V believes this is wrong and he wants to stop the government from their bad actions and judgement. Some freedoms given would have been not being able to leave past 11. Not being able to speak your own mind etc.

In V for Vendetta citizens natural rights are violated, and V's actions were indeed necessary. In Locke's theory he defended the claim that men are by nature free and equal against claims that God had made all people naturally subject to a monarch. He argued that people have rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and property, that have a foundation independent of the laws of any particular society. Locke used the claim that men are naturally free and equal as part of the justification for understanding legitimate political government as the result of a social contract where people in the state of nature conditionally transfer some of their rights to the government in order to better insure the stable, comfortable enjoyment of their lives, liberty, and property. I believe that Locke's theory is correct in this situation rather than Hobbes theory, in the film V for Vendetta because people should be allowed to do what they want at whatever time they need, people should have the right of freedom in their religion or beliefs, and people can decide for themselves what is wrong from right. In the film there is a curfew of not being able to leave your house past 11 pm . Evey left her house past curfew and she is approached by some Englishmen who take it upon themselves, under the guise of the government, to stop her. Locke’s theory states that you should be able to do what you want and know the difference between good and evil. She should have been able to do what she wanted without have been bothered. The London government was mainly against Immigrants, Muslims, and homosexuals. The government should have no say on what people think. The government is restricting people from saying what they want, that is until V tries to stop them, and everyone comes as a community to bring the government down on November 5th. Therefore people should be able to do what they want and have the rights and freedoms as everyone else and be equal.