PS 100 Philosophers

Plato

• Famous work: The Republic

• Ideal regime: aristocracy

• His Q: What is justice? What is a just society?

• Advocated for common possessions of resources (no private property)

• Harmonious order of classes:

  • Philosophers - rule

  • Soldiers - defend

  • Artisans and Merchants - produce

Aristotle

• Famous work: Politics

• Ideal regime: polity - mixed constitutional government of oligarchy and democracy

• Importance of middle class

• “man is by nature a political animal”

Augustine of Hippo

• Famous work: City of God

• City of God - only attainable immortally

• City of Man

• Government authority can maintain a minimum of civilization

• Foundations of political realism

Thomas Aquinas

• Famous work: Summa Theologica

• Foundations of modern constitutionalism

• Government constrained and responsible by law

• Government power should not be arbituary

• Importance of political community for human beings

• Natural laws

Niccoló Machiavelli

• Famous work: The Prince, Discourses on Livy

• Ideal regime - virtuous republic

• Civic virtue (contributing to the common good)

• Mixed and balanced constitution

• Competition between parties

• Citizen army

• Emphasized empirical understanding

Thomas Hobbes

• Famous work: The Leviathan

• Man is materialistic and selfish by nature

• His Q: How can one maintain peace and civilization in a troubled time?

• Ideal regime: government by sovereign (monarch or parliament)

• Every man against every man (state of war)

• Social contract IOT maintain peace - self preservation

John Locke

• Famous work: Two Treaties of Government

• People have natural inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property

• Social contract to protect rights

• Government is limited by contract

• Government is accountable to citizens

• Founder of modern liberal democracy

Jean-Jaques Rosseau

• Famous work: The Social Contract

• People are the sovereign

• Social contract - government acts on behalf of the people and general will

Who was apart of the social contract theory?

Hobbes, Locke, Rosseau

Edmond Burke

• Famous work: Reflection on the Revolution in France

• Founder of modern conservatism

• A prescriptive/historical constitution

• Wisdom passed down between generations

• Prudence - slow change

• All classes involved in decision making

Mary Wollstonecraft

• Famous work: A Vindication of the Rights of Man/Women

• Feminism and rights of women

• Break tradition and conventions

• Criticizes norms of dependence of women on men in society

• Emphasizes the value of education for nurturing strong and independent women

• Men and women should have the same education

John Stuart Mill

• Famous works: On Liberty, Considerations on Representative Government

• Ideal regime - representative constitutional government that maximizes happiness

• Utilitarianism

• Liberty only restricted when harm is inflicted against others

• Limited government intervention in economy