POL EXAM 1

MANSFIELD: political science…

avoids partisan issues, replaces them w scientific terms; opinion is suppressed so not to interfere with scientific selves

MANSFIELD: political science is the only tradition that…

does not claim to be an authority but rather questions authority

MANSFIELD: pre socratic philosophy

justice depended on customs and only reflects the rule of the leader/master

MANSFIELD: socratic suggestion

justice was not relative but the same always and anywhere

MANSFIELD: anger is the animus between…

both the just and unjust (either wrongly or rightly incensed)

classical political philosophy looks for the…

common good

one flaw with political science:

there cannot be a scientific explanation to satisfy everyone/all perspectives

define politics

process of making governmental decisions, “who gets what/when/where/how”, STRUGGLES OVER POWER AND CLAIMS TO AUTHORITY

define power

ability to influence events, evert one’s will, command/prevent action

authority

the legitimate possession or expression of power, essential to politics, so important that it is often claimed by those without legitimacy

implications of politics

1) struggle

2) marked by formal and informal rules of conduct

regime

institution through which public politics is organized and formalized (ex: US constitution)

government

those who hold official position and wield power

basic truths of politics

1) politics is universal human activity (not just in government areas)

2) politics involves making choices and therefore involves disagreement

MANSFIELD: defines partisanship as…

the taking a side

MANSFIELD: partisanship in political philosophy seeks

to be partisan for the whole, for the common good; recognizes that not everyone can agree

2 Main approaches for eliminating political disagreement

1) Finding a ground that makes disagreement irrelevant (political science)

2) Imposing (making everyone think alike)

Techniques that make disagreement irrelevant

• utilitarianism

• technocracy

• rational choice theory

• Skinner’s behaviorism

utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham’s system to calculate pleasure and pain for greatest good for greatest number

technocracy

government by experts, underlies federal commissions, supported by Woodrow Wilson

rational choice theory

uses microeconomics to determine rational approaches to political questions, SOME think it may reduce disagreement

Skinner’s behaviorism

proposed psychological conditioning to help humans adjust to group living

Imposition

• Nazi

• Pol Pot’s Cambodia

• Fascist Italy

(most embody communist values)

political philosophy asks

“What is the best regime?” and “What is happiness?”

The good guys don’t always win, but…

politics is still worth studying because it affects real life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some things change over time

• claims of individuals vs. claims of community

• purpose of regimes

• political structure and process

Some things remain

ex: the advice Cicero received from his brother in 64 BC would still apply to a modern political campaign

Good ideas endure; not made obsolete by time

concept that good ideas expire was commandeered by communists parties

elements of a good argument

1) claim

2) reason

3) evidence

4) warrant

5) acknowledgement and response

claim

clear and concise, use any modifiers necessary, not a statement of opinion, can be defended when challenged

reason

answers the question “why are you making this claim?”, consider the reasons that are most likely to convince your intended audience

evidence

reliable and based on accurate sources, enough evidence required to be convincing

warrant

a general principle/theme that can be applied

acknowldgement and response

anticipate opposition and make concessions to any objections

MANSFIELD: even if all the books describing political philosophy were lost…

they would be reproduced because it arises from real life

where does political thinking come from?

• from life

• from speculation on political affairs

• from political history (founders)

MANSFIELD: political philosophy seeks the best while political science seeks…

agreement

the fundamental questions of political philosophy

1) what is happiness?

2) what is the best regime and where?

3) what role does politics play in human happiness?

MANSFIELD: the origins of political philosophy

Socrates, in Athens, Greece, 5th century BC

The ancient Greek polis

independent self-governed “thick” community

what made a Greek citizen?

• free men who participated in military (hoplite militia)

• could own property

• participated directly in government (no representation)

• if citizens were not participating politics it was seen as being undutiful

who was not considered a citizen?

foreigners, slaves, women

role of women

managed the home, had no role in domestic affairs, could not own property

worst punishment

exile

sophists

rhetoric teachers, socrates argued they taught young men the value of winning/being correct as more important than the truth

about socrates

• athenian citizen

• ugly, not vain

• did not care about honors or awards

• performed duties but did not speak at assembly

• asked lots of questions

• truth seeking

• many thought him strange

socrates as a moral philosopher

1) care for the soul was the greatest purpose in life

2) virtue is the key to happiness (virtue over pleasure)

socrates as a political philosopher

• politics should be about seeking justice, not seeking power

• democracy (not modern democracy) is inferior b/c it relies on the selfish desires of the people

• tyranny is worse than democracy! a tyrant can never be quenched

3 branches of ancient greek demokratia

1) ekklesia

2) boule

3) dikasteria

ekklesia

• demos aka 40,000 adult male citizens were invited to attend meetings (usually only 5,000 attended)

• 40 meetings per year at pnyx

• had the power to ostracize individuals by majority vote

boule

• council of 500 selected by “lottery” (it was often rigged) from all 10 tribes

• each member served 1 year term

• met every day

• supervised government workers, navy, and army (basically dictated democracy)

• similar to houses of congress

dikasteria

• 500 jurors chosen from male citizens aged 30+

• aristotle said it had unlimited power

• no police —> demos from ekklesia brought the cases

• ruled by majority vote

• jurors were paid from customs money since there was no tax on plebs

socrates was charged with 3 crimes:

1) not acknowledging the gods of Athens

2) introducing new gods

3) corrupting the youth

• he was also criticized for not participating in politics

socrates death had a great impact on …

plato; how could socrates’s great city turn against him

plato’s hierarchy of reality

1. form

2. concept

3. individual

4. imitation

1 and 2 are intelligible/unchanging while 3 and 4 are in the world of appearances/constantly changing

Since the material world is changeable…

it is therefore unreliable

for each thing in the real world there is a ….

corresponding perfect version of it in the intelligible

form

the perfection of that thing, exists as an idea

the only people who understand the hierarchical reality, who is committed to the eternal and unchanging

the philosopher

ordinary people are caught in opinions while philosophers…

engage with superior reasoning to discover the truth

3 parts of the soul

1. rational

2. spirited

3. appetitive

4 principles

1. wisdom

2. courage

3. temperance (harmony)

4. justice

to plato and socrates, every person is made of body and soul; the soul is eternal and made to be…

reincarnated

plato used the soul to…

reckon with the human nature aspect of politics

elements of the soul analogy

charioteer and two horses/parts of the body

1. rational (logos): analyzes, foresight - charioteer/mind

2. spiritedness (thymos): victory, honor, challenge - noble white horse/heart

3. appetite (eros): pleasure, comfort, MONEY - ugly black horse/genitals

3 approaches to ethics

1. deontology

2. consequentialism

3. virtue

deontology

ethics based on rules (ex: 10 commandments)

consequentialism

decisions are defined as good or bad based on their results, cost benefit

virtue

actions are good if a virtuous person would partake, “WWJD”

eudaimonia

more than pleasure and happiness, requires self-control, justice and virtue to be fulfilled; virtues are required

arete

excellence through virtue

for the soul justice is when…

each part of the soul is fulfilling its proper functions

if a regime suppresses a life of virtue then it must…

then it must be a bad regime

all regimes cultivate…

the souls of their people

what is the best regime?

if we want to make a good regime we must first examine the best regime

where is the best regime?

is it even possible to create or can we only imagine?

define justice

very complex: involves individuals, the order of society, and individual’s claims versus those of a community

REPUBLIC: Glaucon suggests that justice…

serves who ever is in charge

REPUBLIC: Socrates responds saying that justice…

transcends who has power and defines justice as giving to each what is due to them

3 parts of justice in society

1. rulers (guardians) - dominated by virtue

2. aristocrats (auxiliaries) - dominated by honor

3. workers - dominated by appetites

athenian democracy was regarded as

mob rule and citizen self-interest

monarchy/artistocracy

ruled by the best, those who seek virtue; problematic because prone to corruption and degens into timocracy (ex: Plato’s republic)

timocracy

citizenship based on property ownership and honor; problematic as honor turns to greed and degens into oligarchy (ex: sparta, native american tribes)

oligarchy

wealthy elite continue to seek wealth, problematic because the poor many may eventually overthrow power, degens into democracy

democracy

equality for all, seek personal pleasure above all, mob rule is chaotic and people search for a STRONGMAN, degens into tyranny

tyranny

one absolute ruler, everyone, even the ruler herself, is enslaved to their endless appetite for power and passion WORST ONE

features of kallipolis

• a simple life for plebs, austere life for ruling classes

• equality among men and women of the elite

• common education system

• censorship

• everyone is limited to one occupation

the class system of kallipolis

the noble lie/myth of metals in the heart; democracy is based in equality of all and it fails

guardians

• spirit of philosophy revealed through tests

• music and gymnastics

• smallest caste group

• men and women get the same opportunity to participate in this caste

• assigned marriages

• communally raised children

auxiliaries

• the spirited ones

• defenders of the city

• assist the guardians with admin tasks so they have time to contemplate and rule

the workers/artisans

• largest group

• everyone unfit for top caste positions

• laws of the land will cultivate people of temperance

prudence found in

guardians

justice found in

arrangement of the city

fortitude/courage found in

auxiliaries

temperance found in

citizens

the caste system of kallipolis is based on

true merit, not wealth or family

other aspects of the regime of kallipolis

no luxury, no social mobility, one occupation; helps individuals become skilled at their craft

radical equality of women

women are treated AS men, babies are taken away from them at birth (guardians)

eugenics

limit population size, infanticide was practiced to produce only the best ruling class, selective mating

why would a philosopher be interested in political office?

because they will not want to be ruled by their inferiors