Politics and Political Philosophy

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from political philosophy, highlighting important figures and their contributions.

Political Philosophy

The study of power, freedom, and sovereignty in politics.

Socratic Method

A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue that stimulates critical thinking through questioning and refuting contradictions.

Gadfly

A metaphor used by Socrates to describe someone who provokes others to think critically, often annoying societal norms.

Philosophic Wisdom

The understanding that true knowledge comes from recognizing one's own ignorance and the continuous pursuit of truth.

A-Polis

A state of being outside of political life, as exemplified by Socrates's rejection of exile.

Constitution

The arrangement of offices and power within a state, determining who governs and how.

Telos

The end goal or purpose of something; for the state, it is to facilitate the good life for its citizens.

Natural Slave

Someone who lacks the capacity for rational self-rule and is deemed to benefit from being governed.

Leviathan

The sovereign that is created through the social contract, possessing absolute power to maintain peace and prevent civil war.

Lockean Provisos

Conditions for property acquisition that require leaving sufficient resources for others and avoiding waste.

General Will

The collective interest of the people that represents the common good, as articulated by Rousseau.

Disenchantment

The loss of meaning and value in a rationalized society, leading to bureaucratic dominance.

Natality

The human ability to begin anew, which underpins the concept of political freedom, as discussed by Arendt.