Political Philosophy - Summary

A definition of political philosophy:

Political philosophy is the study of social organization and human nature.

Political philosophers are considering the following questions:

What is the ideal form of government? Is it aristocracy, monarchy, theocracy, democracy, a mixture of different systems, or the government of all ?

What is the best economic system? The capitalist system, socialist, or a mixture of both?

How did they men before the advent of the state? Does the state of nature can be considered as a pre-political paradise?

How to cure society of its ills?

Main Political Philosophers:

In the early days, political philosophy was a branch of philosophy, practiced by philosophers key-on (Plato, Aristotle) ​​before specializing in modern times (Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Rawls, … ):

– Plato: Plato is the first political philosopher. Almost all of his dialogues have a political dimension. These include The Republic and The Laws as political works of Plato.

– Aristotle: Politics is at the heart of Aristotle’s thought. Politics and the Nicomachean Ethics put politics at the heart of society. Aristotle assigns to the politic make citizens happy.

– St. Tomas Aquinas: God made his entry into politics with Thomas Aquinas. He advocates a theocratic regime, a divine right monarchy. Somme against the Gentiles expose most political theories of Thomism.

– Machiavelli: The Prince of Machiavelli is an enormous contribution to political philosophy. Political modernity invented by Machiavelli in that it separates God from politics, and introduces realism.

– Hobbes: The English philosopher invented the concept of sovereignty in Leviathan. He also conceptualized the social contract, agreement among members to abandon part of their will, in exchange for their safety.

– Locke: Other English philosopher, founder of political liberalism. According to John Locke, we compiled quotations major modern states must be based on the law and not arbitrary or force His political work is the Treatise of Civil Government.

– Montesquieu: Montesquieu is the thinker of the moderation of power, based on the separation of powers. His book The Spirit of the Laws invented the tripartite division between the executive, the judiciary and the legislature. “Everywhere, the power to stop the power” can be summarized his political thought.

– Rousseau: contractualist, Rousseau is a descendant of Hobbes. In the Social Contract, he invented the concept of the general will as the touchstone of democracy (direct democracy).

– Kant: His political thinking is focused on the issue of peace and the relationship between states. Wanting to leave states in the war of all against all, the perpetual peace project, political utopia, inspired the tradition of cosmopolitanism.

– Marx: Marx has a philosophy based on denunciation of the modern state as an instrument of domination of the propertied classes of the proletarian classes. His political thinking is to eliminate all forms of inequality (socialism and communism) and is a guide for the revolution of the people against the ruling classes.

– Bakunin : thinker of anarchism.

– Rawls : Rawls is the thinker of social democracy. He sought, in A Theory of Justice, to reconcile liberalism of our societies with the law, to make compatible economic efficiency and social justice

– Habermas: Marxist thinker early career and liberal retirement. His theory of the public sphere is one of the greatest contributions to contemporary political philosophy.