John Locke uses natural law to ground his philosophy. For him, “natural law holds that human beings are subject to a moral law”. It emphasizes duty. Morality or goodness is fundamentally about duty, and this duty of each individual has to abide by the natural law. On the other hand, Thomas Hobbes created a new approach when he based morality not on duty but on natural right. It is the right of each individual to preserve himself, to pursue his own good essentially, to do as he wishes. Natural law and natural right may be combined, but if they are, one must take precedence over the other. Either the individual’s right, or his duty to moral law, must come first. What is the great difference of the two? One characteristic of the natural right is that it takes man to be by nature a private and independent creature. For Hobbes men are free and independent, having a right to pursue their own self-interest with no limitations, and no duties to one another. The priority of individuals’ right reflects their separateness, their lack of moral ties to one another. They had no duty to respect the rights of others. Locke speaks that men are free, equal, independent and at liberty to do as they wish but with limitations. Individuals have a duty to respect the rights of others. Obviously, this limitation separates Locke from Hobbes.
The seminary formation offers us the opportunity to form and develop ourselves to become efficient and effective leaders. We have given the chances, tasks, responsibility, initiative and freedom to lead the community based on our capacities, power, means and capabilities. Reality speaks and shows that there are some of us seminarians take the position and responsibility not to lead the community aiming for unity, peace and harmony but only for their advantage, selfish desire and personal motives. Some would take the chance to be recognized by the formators. Some would use their authority to harshly control and command others. Some would abuse their power up to the extent of making decisions and rules which are out already of the context and not thinking of its communal effect. They focus more on their privileges or rights and not on their duties which are more important. It seems that there are no limitations already. This is very true because I was once a lower year, a follower and of course now a member of the council. There are times that I was being blinded, deceived and controlled by my human tendencies, particularly by the authority I have. It seems that the reason of the mind is higher than the reason of the heart. I become so rational. However, there are times that I cannot deny the fact that I really and badly need to use my power and right as a leader to give sanctions, to be strict, to be firm, to be harsh and sometimes to act or pretend badly because others are becoming abusive and tolerant. I also need to preserve my rights as a leader, to preserve myself as a person, of being good. They become stubborn, intolerant, hard-headed, lack of respect, degrading my dignity as a leader, insulting me, threatening me, and really show bad actions in the community; I would like to believe that, this unnecessary actions of seminarians should not be tolerated. And as human beings, I believe that in this kind of situation, we have the tendency to become impulsive with regards to our response. In this moment, we don’t even think to respect them anymore because they don’t also respect my rights. I need also to defend myself.
The seminary formation offers us the opportunity to form and develop ourselves to become efficient and effective leaders. We have given the chances, tasks, responsibility, initiative and freedom to lead the community based on our capacities, power, means and capabilities. Reality speaks and shows that there are some of us seminarians take the position and responsibility not to lead the community aiming for unity, peace and harmony but only for their advantage, selfish desire and personal motives. Some would take the chance to be recognized by the formators. Some would use their authority to harshly control and command others. Some would abuse their power up to the extent of making decisions and rules which are out already of the context and not thinking of its communal effect. They focus more on their privileges or rights and not on their duties which are more important. It seems that there are no limitations already. This is very true because I was once a lower year, a follower and of course now a member of the council. There are times that I was being blinded, deceived and controlled by my human tendencies, particularly by the authority I have. It seems that the reason of the mind is higher than the reason of the heart. I become so rational. However, there are times that I cannot deny the fact that I really and badly need to use my power and right as a leader to give sanctions, to be strict, to be firm, to be harsh and sometimes to act or pretend badly because others are becoming abusive and tolerant. I also need to preserve my rights as a leader, to preserve myself as a person, of being good. They become stubborn, intolerant, hard-headed, lack of respect, degrading my dignity as a leader, insulting me, threatening me, and really show bad actions in the community; I would like to believe that, this unnecessary actions of seminarians should not be tolerated. And as human beings, I believe that in this kind of situation, we have the tendency to become impulsive with regards to our response. In this moment, we don’t even think to respect them anymore because they don’t also respect my rights. I need also to defend myself.
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