Modern Politics

What does Descartes do that is radical for his time?

• insists:

  • The individual is central

  • reason is the key to knowledge

  • there should be skepticism over knowledge

What is Descartes famous saying?

“I think therefore, I am”

What are the 3 key parts of modern thinking?

• The Individual

• Reason

• Skepticism

What is the Historical Modern Political Era?

17th C to Today

What are the conceptual tenants of Modernity?

1. The Individual is paramount

2. Belief in Sciences

3. Development of the Market (Contract and private property)

4. Ideas of Process (Not a cycle; history is a story and we have an end goal)

What are the 3 key differences between modern and ancient politics?

1. Science vs Art of Governing

2. State & Citizens vs Monarchs & Subjects

3. Progress vs Cycles

What are the 4 Aspects of the Science of Governing

1. Beginning from Individual parts

2. Discover Laws that govern these parts in politics

3. Science means progress

4. Inductive vs Deductive Reasoning

What is Inductive Reasoning?

• Imperial Reasoning

• Individual behavior → Generalized principles

Deductive Reasoning

• Creation of laws/paradigms → seeing if if applies to the real world

Who are the big 3 in scientific approaches?

1. Thomas Hobbes (17th C)

2. John Locke (17th C)

3. Karl Marx (19th C )

What were Thomas Hobbes view of Politics?

• Believed in an absolute monarchy

  • we need order to preserve life and stop our terrible human nature

What influences Hobbes view on politics?/ Context of the time.

• The English Civil War

  • A time of no peace with no King

Why were Hobbes’ views radical?

• He based his conclusion on human nature and not what “God would want” or a sort of “Divine right to rule”

What were John Locke’s view of Politics?

• Believes in a Liberal Democratic System

• Believes that the state must protect the rights of individuals

• Believes in the Law of Nature

What are the Laws of Nature according to Locke

• Law of Self-preservation

• Right to Liberty

• Right to Property

What were Karl Marx’s view of Politics?

• Deductive Scientific Method (Rational Choice Theory)

• Laws of Capital

• Capitalism will collapse and be replaced by communism—it is inevitable

• Scientific Socialist

Where does Marx disagree with Locke?

• Doesn’t believe in Natural Laws, only social contracts