Intro to Political Theory - Sparta, Socrates, Plato, Machiavelli

Flashcards covering key concepts, figures, and terms from the lecture notes on Sparta, Socrates, Plato's Republic, Greek terms, Modernity, and Machiavelli.

Lycurgus

Legendary figure who gave Sparta its laws and military society.

Austerity (Sparta)

Simplicity, harsh discipline, suppression of individuality emphasized in Sparta.

Agoge

Harsh training system for Spartan boys, focusing on discipline, endurance, and obedience.

Phalanx

A military formation requiring unity and discipline, used by Spartans.

Socrates

Athenian philosopher executed in 399 BCE for 'corrupting the youth' and 'impiety', known through works of others.

Socratic Method

Socrates' technique of asking probing questions to expose contradictions and pursue truth.

Sophists

Professional teachers of rhetoric who prioritized persuasion over the pursuit of truth.

Socratic Problem

The difficulty of distinguishing the historical Socrates from the character portrayed by Plato.

Cephalus (Justice)

Definition of justice as telling the truth and paying debts.

Polemarchus (Justice)

Definition of justice as helping friends and harming enemies.

Thrasymachus (Justice)

Definition of justice as the advantage of the stronger, or whoever holds power.

Glaucon (Justice)

Belief that justice is only valued for its consequences, such as avoiding punishment or maintaining reputation.

Specialization (Plato)

The principle in Plato's ideal city where everyone performs the task best suited for them.

Rulers (Plato)

The class in Plato's ideal city embodying wisdom.

Auxiliaries (Plato)

The class in Plato's ideal city embodying courage, serving as soldiers.

Producers (Plato)

The class in Plato's ideal city representing desires, providing goods and services.

Tripartite Soul

Plato's concept of the soul consisting of rational (logistikon), spirited (thymos), and appetitive (alogistikon) parts.

Plato's Radical Proposal: Gender Equality

The idea of women receiving education and participating in politics equally with men.

Plato's Radical Proposal: Abolition of Families

The idea of communal wives and children, along with eugenics, to ensure the best offspring.

Philosopher-Kings

Plato's proposal that the wisest individuals, philosophers, should rule the city.

Philosopher

Lover of wisdom, according to Plato.

Philodoxer

Lover of opinion (doxa), contrasted with a philosopher.

Dogma

To hold one's own opinion.

Allegory of the Cave

Plato's analogy illustrating how prisoners chained in a cave see only shadows (illusions), and escape leads to painful but true reality (Forms).

The Sun (Allegory of the Cave)

Represents the Form of the Good, the ultimate truth and source of all reality in Plato's philosophy.

Forms (Plato)

Perfect, eternal, and unchanging truths or essences, such as 'Justice itself'.

Degeneration of Governments (Plato)

Plato's sequence of political decline: Aristocracy → Timocracy → Oligarchy → Democracy → Tyranny.

Democracy (Plato's Criticism)

Criticized by Plato for too much freedom leading to disorder, which can breed tyranny.

Hoi Polloi

Greek term for 'the masses'.

Thymos

The spirited part of the soul, associated with courage and honor.

Alogistikon

The irrational, appetitive part of the soul.

Eros (philosophic eros)

A passionate love for truth and knowledge, characterizing philosophers.

Renaissance (1350–1600)

Period characterized by a return to classical learning, humanism, realism, and worldliness.

Reformation (1500–1650)

A period of religious reform that challenged the authority of the Church.

Age of Reason (1600–1700)

An era emphasizing rationality and scientific inquiry.

Enlightenment (1700–1800)

Movement focused on progress, mastery over nature, and the distinction between facts and values.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Florentine politician and author of The Prince, known as the 'first realist' in political theory.

The Prince

Machiavelli's influential work (1513, published 1532) on acquiring and maintaining political power.

First Realist (Machiavelli)

Description of Machiavelli due to his emphasis on practical observation and power over abstract ideals.

Mastery (Machiavelli)

Machiavelli's central theme of a ruler's ability to control fortune and their environment.

Empiricism (Machiavelli)

The belief that knowledge comes through experience and observation, contrasting with Plato’s idealism.

Mirror for Princes genre

A type of guide for rulers; Machiavelli's twist instructed princes on how to learn 'how not to be good when necessary'.

Machiavelli's Key Idea for Princes

A prince must prioritize survival and power, often over morality, based on observation of real rulers rather than abstract ideals.