Some people think that people should be given the right to use fresh water as they like. Others believe governments should strictly control the use of fresh water. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people think that people should be given the right to use fresh water as they like. Others believe governments should strictly control the use of fresh water. Discuss both views and give your own opinion

The perennial debate surrounding whether the demos, meaning the people, should be endowed with unbridled access to fresh water, or whether the sovereign powers of the polis, that is, the city-state, must exercise their kratos, or authority, to impose necessary nomos, laws, upon its usage, has ascended to the forefront of contemporary discourse. In the interest of sophia, that is, wisdom, justice, and the collective good, it is vital to comprehend the merits that each perspective holds. However, after thorough reflection on the natural ethos, the character of humankind, and the existential imperatives of survival, I do hereby assert, with unwavering conviction, that the regulation of water usage is not merely prudentia, or careful judgment, but an ananke—a necessity and safeguard for the continuity of life and the well-being of future generations.

First and foremost, let it be decreed that access to fresh, potable water is a fundamental telos, or ultimate aim, of every human being—a natural and inalienable right. Water, akin to the very pneuma, breath of life, is essential to human zoe, existence, and without it, the eudaimonia, the flourishing and happiness, of the anthropos, humanity, cannot be sustained. To deprive any individual of an adequate supply of this life-sustaining resource is to violate the very nomos, fundamental law, of human rights. The nourishment of the body, the preparation of food, and personal hygiene are all inextricably linked to this essential element. Thus, to unjustly curtail access to water is more than an inconvenience; it is an act of hybris, arrogance, a transgression against the very essence of humanity and a dark mark on the ethical foundation of our polis.

Yet, it is equally important to recognize the logos, reason and logic, of governance, the necessity of balance, and the role of wise archons, leaders or rulers, in managing finite resources. Water, although indispensable, is neither apeiron, limitless, nor inexhaustible. In this age of climate change, drought, and environmental hubris, we are confronted with an undeniable truth: the unchecked and unrestrained consumption of water will lead to its eventual ekleipsis, depletion. The insatiable desires of the individual, if left unchecked, will jeopardize the telos, greater purpose, of the collective. When our rivers dry and limnes, lakes, vanish, the consequences will echo across the kosmos, the entire world, impacting not just one polis, but the entire oikoumene, the inhabited world. For the reality is clear: water is not the property of one nation but a shared dynamis, power and force, of the human condition, and its depletion in one region endangers the eunoia, goodwill, of all.

Therefore, I declare it the sacred duty of governments—the nomothetai, lawmakers and legislators, guardians of the common good—to enact measures that protect and preserve the archai, principles, governing water. Such regulation should not be seen as an infringement on personal eleutheria, freedom, but rather as an act of phronesis, practical wisdom, for the greater good. Through these carefully crafted laws, isotes, fairness in access, will be assured, and the risks of scarcity diminished. Every citizen must recognize that obeying these nomoi, rules and laws, is not a burden but an act of arête, virtue—an expression of philanthropia, love for humanity, performed in the spirit of justice, equality, and the sustenance of life itself.

In conclusion, while it is undeniable that water is the shared klēros, inheritance of humanity, this right must be exercised with responsibility and sophrosyne, self-control. To live in harmonia, harmony, with the earth and with our fellow anthropoi, we must avoid the thoughtless depletion of this divine gift. Let it be resolved, then, that the regulation of water, through the wise hand of the state, is an ananke, a necessity—both morally and practically—for the sozo, preservation, of this invaluable resource. By securing its dike, justice, we ensure that all may benefit from it today and for future genos, generations, to come. Through this wise stewardship, we safeguard not only our survival but also that of the epigonoi, those who will inherit the earth we leave behind.