polisci160

Political Theory

the study of the concepts and principles that people use to describe, explain, and evaluate political events and institutions

Normative Claims

"ought" statements

empirical claims

is statements

Shklar's view of injustice

it is created, and an avoidable product of harm, suggests moral/political responsibility. Can also be the result of social/historical forces. It can be legal and also a misfortune

Shklar's view of misfortune

uncontrollable, unavoidable, natural. No individual intended them to happen

Shklar's active injustice

harm done directly or indirectly as a result of violating law or duty

example of active injustice

murder, arson, theft

Shklar's passive injustice

harm done as a result of inaction

example of passive injustice

opioid epidemic

Deontologists say that injustice is :

against the law or moral rules, irrational, disturbs our sense of justice

consequentialists say that injustice is:

destabilizing, utilitarianism, leads to greater injustices and has bad consequences

The piraeus

Athenian port

Where did the discussion in plato's republic take place

cephalus's home

How does Cephalus define justice?

You must pay off your debts and tell the truth, giving what is owed

How does Polemarchus define justice?

helping friends and harming enemies

Thrasymachus' definition of justice

advantage of the stronger, injustice is better than justice, unjust man is wiser

nomos

law, custom, convention

physis

nature, natural law, according to what's personally in your interest

Glaucon's Argument

injustice is naturally good but suffering injustice is terrible

intrinsic goods

things that have value in themselves and not merely as tools or means

instrumental goods

things that we value for the things they can get you

what does socrates view as the finest kind of good

both intrinsic and instrumental

Ring of Gyges

Appearances or reputations matter- being unjust while appearing to be just will always be better than being just but not appearing to be so

class 1 in kallipolis

craftsmen, wage earner: produce goods to meet needs

class 2 in kallipolis

Auxiliaries, protect the city and meet needs of war

class 3 in Kallipolis

Guardians, protect city and rule

Myth of Medals

Within us, we each have a predominant metal inside of us.

Four Cardinal Virtues

moderation, courage, wisdom, and justice

City-Soul Analogy

justice in the soul is analogous to justice in the city

The just person//Tripartite division of the soul

logos (wisdom), Thymos (courage), Epithymos (moderation)

Allegory of the Cave

Seeing is not always true; Plato uses this to say that we only have a skewed view on the world and do not take into account what we may not know

Why should philosophers rule?

they have knowledge of Forms-they can distinguish truth from appearance

The Myth of Er

appeals to heaven, instrumental reason for being just, explains why we should be just even when no one is watching

Historic setting of The Prince

written during political upheaval in Florence

Two kinds of states

republic and principalities

Republic

states accustomed to living free, not easy to acquire

Principalities

all other kinds of regimes, defined by who is in power

fortuna

luck

virtu

political skill

Cesare Borgia

son of Pope Alexander VI, virtuous but unfortunate

analysis of Cesare Borgia

you can be the driver of your own fate, he should have made his own luck, virtuous princes don't wait for fortune

Agothocles

acted virtuously, had his soldiers kill the senators and richest citizens, achieves empire but not glory

analysis of Agothocles

theres a disconnect between good of your state and political skill, reputation matters

two key features of human nature

human beings are wicked, human beings believe appearances more than reality

Two goals when being just in "The Prince"

appear to be virtuous and actually be so when you can, only use cruelties well

most important virtues for a prince

Liberty & meanness

generosity & rapacity

Cruelty & mercy

Honesty & deceit

Thomas Hobbes

English polymath, applies geometric reasoning to art of politics

Materialism

nothing exists except matter and everything is caused by it

Atomism

social phenomena can only be explained by reference to motivations of individual actors

what is human nature shaped by according to Hobbes

Passion

key passions in The Leviathan

fear, diffidence, glory

What does Hobbes insist are subjective

Good and evil

What does Hobbes claim about happiness

there is no ultimate happiness

According to Hobbes what are human beings like in a society

we don't have good manners

The Good

we are willing to obey a common power because of fear

The Bad

we relentlessly desire power, are competitive

The Ugly

we are vain-glorious and ignorant

natural equality according to Hobbes

given the circumstances, even the weakest would kill the strongest

Three Causes for quarrels

competition, diffidence, and glory

competition

invade for gain

diffidence

invade for safety

glory

invade because you feel you aren't being treated like you should be

According to Hobbes The state of nature ..

equals state of war

Why can nothing be unjust according to Hobbes

where there is no law, there is no justice

Natural Law

forbids us to do what is destructive of self-preservation, only bind in times of security

Natural right according to Hobbes

absence of contract, liberty to do whatever we can to preserve ourselves

fundamental law of nature

seek peace and follow it

commutative justice

performance on the covenants made

distributive justice

giving each his due, arbitrary for Hobbes

according to Hobbes, why shouldn't we be unjust

it is against reason

Hobbes political goals

peace and security, resistance of internal threats

How do you create a civil power to enforce the natural laws

a commonwealth

commonwealth requires

contract

might enforces

right

The goal of the principle of political right by Rousseau

to harmonize justice and utility

how to achieve the goal of Rousseau's book

civil freedom, self-legislation, sacrifice natural freedom through a social contract

according to Hobbes and Rousseau injustice is

a breach of contract

According to Rousseau human beings are

naturally free and equal

Natural freedom according to Rousseau

independence from other

Natural Equality according to Rousseau

we are equal in dominion and authority

according to Rousseau the state of nature ..

does NOT equal the state of war

what does the social contract do in Rousseau's book

replaces natural freedom with civil freedom

Will of All

mere sum of particular wills, considers only private interests

What does Rousseau claim about the general will

it is always right, cannot be unjust