Polsc22 1 introduction to political philosophy
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Transcript of Polsc22 1 introduction to political philosophy
Introduction to Political Philosophy
“a strife of interest
masquerading as a contest of principles”
He speaks for the cynics But in politics, we cannot avoid
questions of truth or falsity, good or bad.
He is partly wrong; Politics is also the contest of
moral principles
As defined by Ambrose Bierce…
Antisthesis – The Father of Cynicism
It is the serious search for comprehensive knowledge or wisdom about political things.
Political philosophy can be defined as philosophical reflection on how best to arrange our collective life - our political institutions and our social practices, such as our economic system and our pattern of family life. (David Miller)
Political Philosophy
Pursuit of
power
Best social arrang
e-ments
Human conflict
Who should govern
Moral foundations
of legitimacy,
liberty, equality, justice &
human rights
State, its
nature, purpos
e, & limits
Problems dealt in Political Philosophy
Descriptive dimension
The aspect of philosophy that describe how things are
The six issues require a comprehensive knowledge of the facts about human nature and human social relationships
Dimensions of Political Philosophy
Prescriptive or normative dimension
The aspect of political philosophy that prescribes how things ought to be
The need of knowledge concerning principles of evaluation that enable us to construct and apply a standard to judge politics
Dimensions of Political Philosophy
The facts that we identify as worth
describing in the human condition profoundly affect our evaluations and prescriptions
What we establish as a sound basis for prescription leads us to focus on certain facts concerning the human condition.
How are two dimensions related with each other?
It begins with the assumption that such
public questions as obedience to the law, the best possible government, or the justice of public policies are in need of justification.
It is possible only in world where ends collide. – Sir Isaiah Berlin
It is an attempt to truly know both the nature of political things and the right to the good political order. – Leo Strauss
Political Philosophy
Political Science
predominantly deals with existing states of affairs, and insofar as it is possible to be amoral in its descriptions, it seeks a positive analysis of
social affairs
Examples: constitutional issues, voting behavior, the
balance of power, the effect of judicial review
Political Philosophy
generates visions of the good social life: of what ought to be
the ruling set of values and institutions that combine men
and women together
connects readily with various branches and sub-disciplines of
philosophy including philosophy of law and of
economics
Political Science and Political Philosophy
The Problem: Its Diagnosis and Prescription
Conflict
Source of political conflict:
DIFFERENCES
Religion
Gender class
Eco-nomic interes
ts
Race
Social status
Edmund Burke:
“the bulk of mankind are not excessively curious concerning any theories whilst they are really happy; and one symptom of an ill-conducted state is the propensity of the people to resort to them.”
Conflict
Many of the great or epic
political philosophers have pursued their inquiries as a result of profound social conflict and decay .
Their political philosophies and comprehensive visions…
“are like pearls: they are not produced without an irritant” (Thomas Spragens)
Conflict
St. Thomas Aquinas
Conflict
Examples: Plato’s philosophy
resulted from Socrates’ death
St. Augustine’s from the fall of Rome
Machiavelli’s from Italy’s disunity
Hobbes’s from the English Civil War
Contemporary political philosophies have
resulted from: The Nazi Holocaust Crisis of liberal democracy Emergence of bureaucratic state Globalization Gender inequality Political correctness Nuclear proliferation Terrorism Various threats to individual liberty
Conflict
Political philosophies of the past
emerged as a result of particular historical
irritant; yet their texts also transcend their own times and continue to challenge contemporary political thinkers and partisans to consider the richness of their alternative teachings as part of our contemporary dialogues about our own problems.
Conflict
Philosophical approach to
politics
Helps us to seek knowledge of the real complexity of
human needs, aspirations, and
relationships
Historical approach to
politicsMost useful in
helping us understand the “irritants” that contributed to
political philosophers’
desires to write texts with
comprehensive visions
Conflict
Philosophy and Diagnosis
Political philosophers provide a comprehensive vision of the political when they raise questions and provide (often tentative) answers about the most important factors that cause: conflict disorder corruption violence terrorism exploitation and revolution
Philosophy and Diagnosis
For example: Hobbes examines human
passions Plato on differences as the
basis for justice Machiavelli focuses on human
deception and its relevance to successful political leadership
Marx addresses the role that economic inequality and class conflict play in forming political system.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
Philosophy and Diagnosis
Political philosophers are not satisfied in simply describing public disorder or discontent; They seek to diagnose the causes of human
conflict
Thomas Spargens puts it: “the causal analysis which a political theorist
provides in his examination of the sources of political disorder decisively shapes his prescriptive conclusion. Sound diagnoses must precede beneficial therapy.”
Political Philosophy and Political Therapy
The political philosopher offers his or her prescription or therapy by identifying appropriate norms or standards, which help to resolve or diminish human social conflicts, thereby creating a better political order.Jeremy
Bentham
Political Philosophy and Political Therapy
Some questions raise by philosophers:1. Which is the best form of government?2. Are there proper limits to freedom?3. What type of equality should be the basis of
public policies – equal rights, equal opportunities, equal results?
4. What should be basis for just treatment of individuals or groups?
5. If the best form is not achievable, what is the most workable or best possible form under particular conditions?
Political Philosophy and Political Therapy
There are conflicting norms among political philosophers like Plato’s “justice” – minding one’s own business Marx’s social “justice” – occurs when each
person gives freely of his or her different talents for the public good and everyone’s basic needs are equally provided for
Hobbes’ “justice” – the social situation in which state’s sovereign is obeyed absolutely
Which of these conflicting norms concerning justice is true or workable in terms of human needs, talents, and resources?
To Leo Strauss:
Human beings will never create a society free of contradictions – perhaps even including contradictory norms
When we read philosophers and their different and conflicting norms, we are invited to reflect upon the norms we hold, or to discuss with others whether we should accommodate, tolerate, integrate, or reject these norms in our own imperfect public life.
Political Philosophy and Political Therapy
In Summary
Political philosophy has factual (descriptive), diagnostic (causal), and evaluative (prescriptive) dimensions
The major questions
Any political thinker is open to the possibility of truth regarding:
Wisdom about
nature of the
cosmos
Human nature and its relation to the
cosmos
The good society
The role of politics in human
life
The major questions
What is the ultimate reality? Is it spirit of matter? Is the universe ordered or chaotic? Does God or gods exist? Is life random or providentially guided? Is the universe inclined toward the good and the just,
as St. Thomas claims or is it devoid of objective moral purpose, as Nietzsche claims?
Can we know the answers or tentative answers to these questions? If so, how? By empirical evidence? By reason? By faith and divine revelation?
The major questions
Is the universe inclined toward good and the just, as St. Thomas Aquinas claims, or is it devoid of objective moral purpose, as Nietzsche claims?
Can we know the answers or tentative answers to these questions?
If so, how? By empirical evidence? By reason? By faith and divine revelation?
End