Political Theory Final

Ruth Grant

• Political theory occupies a unique space between science and humanities

• The study of politics requires interpretive and historical methods due to political actions being driven by human judgement and subjective opinions

• Political theory seeks to explain meaning and significance rather than cause and effect

• warns against the "cyclopean" view that occurs when one ignores the humanist’s questions, resulting in a loss of "depth of field" in understanding political phenomena

Raymond Geuss

• Modern political philosophy began in the 17th century with Hobbes (while humans are naturally social, coordination of action is an unstable social achievement that must be constantly preserved to manage "intolerable disorder")

• The idea of not just who actually has done what to whom, but who COULD do what to whom (Lenin's Formula)

• Guess Extends Lenin's formula to "who does what to whom for whose benefit”

• Power translates to the ability to do (argues that soft powers and persuasion are strong forms of power as well)

• He argues that concepts like "order" and "freedom" are not universal but variable magnitudes; for instance, the freedom to own firearms is seen as a constituent of the good life in the U.S. but is rejected as disorder in Western Europe

John Locke

• All men are naturally in a state of nature where it is freedom and equality

• Property is a natural right derived from labor

• People voluntarily enter a social contract where they then leave the state of nature in order to be governed

• If the government fails, then the social contract is broken and citizens can react

• Locke argues for the separation of powers (legislative, judicial, and executive)

Liberalism

Raymond Geuss: the inviolability of individual taste and opinion, the need to protect maximum unfettered individual choice, and free enterprise. Considers it to be in a state of passing

Ideology

Raymond Geuss: a set of beliefs distorted by power relations, often presenting particular interests as universal ones. He advocates for the "criticism of ideology"to help dissolve these illusions

Initial Choice Situation

Raymond Geuss: criticizes Rawls concept. Critiques it as an "incoherent concept," questioning how disembodied agents stripped of their identities can be said to make a "choice" at all

Veil of Ignorance

Raymond Geuss: it is "artificially defined" and fails to account for how entrenched prejudices or "low aspirations" would still influence hypothetical choices even under a "veil"

Coercion (as it relates to freedom/consent)

John Locke: Argues that the "unjust use of force" (coercion without right) puts people into a "state of war.” He contrasts this with "consent," which he identifies as the only legitimate basis for a person to join a political society