PLSC Test 2 Vocab

Hobbes

1. Leviathan - was the first general theory of politics in the English language.

2. State of Nature – a time of war where every man is enemy to every man and a time where men live without security.

3. Sovereignty – is perpetual, inalienable, undivided, and absolute.

4. Liberty – the absence of external impediments. The ability to act according to one’s will without being prevented from performing that act.

5. Natural Law – is not a law at all, but only “qualities that dispose men to peace and obedience”.

6. Solipsism - the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist.

7. Justice - is an artificial virtue. It only exists as a convention in the context of a civil society.

Locke

8. The legislature - is “the supreme power” to which all other powers, particularly the executive, “must be subordinate”. Only the people as a collective are above the legislature.

9. The Right of Nature – “is the liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own life”.

10. Law - as not simply a limitation but as something that guides an intelligent and free man to what is in his best interest and does not restrict him more than what is good for mankind in general.

11. Commonwealth - has the power to devise punishments for transgressions of the law and, above all, preserve the property of the members of society (property being lives as well as possessions).

12. Liberty - “my own will in all things, where the rule prescribes not” (Locke, Treatise)

13. Paternal power - is the power that parents have over their children until they reach the age of reason.

14. Political power - is the power that everyone in a society consents to submit to the commonwealth for the protection of their property.

15. Despotic power - is the absolute arbitrary power of one person to take the life and property of another against their will.

16. Usurpation - domestic conquest. It is simply a change of leadership, not of the forms of rules and government, and is not right unless sanctioned by the people. A usurper has no just right to the power he has taken until the people freely confirm him as a leader.

17. Tyranny - "The exercise of power beyond right." A just leader is bound by the laws of the legislature and works for the people, whereas this ruler breaks the laws and acts on his own behalf.

18. Political Equality – All the power and jurisdiction are reciprocal, and no one has more power than another.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

19. Social order – a sacred right that is based on conventions – not from nature – it is the foundations of all other rights.

20. State of nature – man seek to take care of himself first and then others – man is compassionate by nature.

21. The social pact – self-preservation by coming together and working together with others.

22. The general will - The general is different from the will of all – the will of all is just the sum of wills – the general will only considers the common interest – it must come from all and apply to all – but it could be adopted by only a majority

23. Factionalism - if a significant number of people band together because of shared private interests and agree to promote these interests by voting as a block. They do not work on behalf of the common good.

24. Law - as an abstract expression of the general will that is universally applicable. All laws are made by the people as a whole and apply to the people as a whole: the law does not deal with particularities. The law can never deal with individual people or groups, so while it can say that a certain group should have certain privileges or that a certain person should be the head of state, it cannot determine which individual, or group should receive these privileges.

25. Civil Laws - deal with individuals in relation with each other or with the body politic as a whole

26. Criminal Laws - deal with cases where the law is broken.

Machiavelli

27. Fortuna (usually translated as “fortune”) – the fickleness of the goddess, it is never good. It is the enemy of political order, the ultimate threat to the safety and security of the state. It is responsible for human misery. She causes natural disasters and wreaks havoc at random. To be governed by Fate.

28. State – something that has dominion and absolute power over men and can be either a republic or a principate.

29. The Prince – is a political treatise written by Nicola Machiavelli. It describes how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it.

Hobbes
1. Leviathan - was the first general theory of politics in the English language.
2. State of Nature – a time of war where every man is enemy to every man and
a time where men live without security.
3. Sovereignty – is perpetual, inalienable, undivided, and absolute.
4. Liberty – the absence of external impediments. The ability to act according to
one’s will without being prevented from performing that act.
5. Natural Law – is not a law at all, but only “qualities that dispose men to peace
and obedience”.
6. Solipsism - the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist.
7. Justice - is an artificial virtue. It only exists as a convention in the context of a
civil society.
Locke
8. The legislature - is “the supreme power” to which all other powers,
particularly the executive, “must be subordinate”. Only the people as a collective
are above the legislature.
9. The Right of Nature – “is the liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as
he will himself, for the preservation of his own life”.
10. Law - as not simply a limitation but as something that guides an intelligent
and free man to what is in his best interest and does not restrict him more than
what is good for mankind in general.
11. Commonwealth - has the power to devise punishments for transgressions of
the law and, above all, preserve the property of the members of society (property
being lives as well as possessions).
12. Liberty - “my own will in all things, where the rule prescribes not” (Locke,
Treatise)
13. Paternal power - is the power that parents have over their children until they
reach the age of reason.
14. Political power - is the power that everyone in a society consents to submit to
the commonwealth for the protection of their property.
15. Despotic power - is the absolute arbitrary power of one person to take the life
and property of another against their will.
16. Usurpation - domestic conquest. It is simply a change of leadership, not of the
forms of rules and government, and is not right unless sanctioned by the people. A

usurper has no just right to the power he has taken until the people freely confirm
him as a leader.
17. Tyranny - "The exercise of power beyond right." A just leader is bound by the
laws of the legislature and works for the people, whereas this ruler breaks the laws
and acts on his own behalf.
18. Political Equality – All the power and jurisdiction are reciprocal, and no one
has more power than another.
Jean Jacques Rousseau
19. Social order – a sacred right that is based on conventions – not from nature –
it is the foundations of all other rights.
20. State of nature – man seek to take care of himself first and then others – man
is compassionate by nature.
21. The social pact – self-preservation by coming together and working together
with others.
22. The general will - The general is different from the will of all – the will of all is
just the sum of wills – the general will only considers the common interest – it must
come from all and apply to all – but it could be adopted by only a majority
23. Factionalism - if a significant number of people band together because of
shared private interests and agree to promote these interests by voting as a block.
They do not work on behalf of the common good.
24. Law - as an abstract expression of the general will that is universally
applicable. All laws are made by the people as a whole and apply to the people as a
whole: the law does not deal with particularities. The law can never deal with
individual people or groups, so while it can say that a certain group should have
certain privileges or that a certain person should be the head of state, it cannot
determine which individual, or group should receive these privileges.
25. Civil Laws - deal with individuals in relation with each other or with the body
politic as a whole
26. Criminal Laws - deal with cases where the law is broken.
Machiavelli
27. Fortuna (usually translated as “fortune”) – the fickleness of the goddess, it is
never good. It is the enemy of political order, the ultimate threat to the safety and
security of the state. It is responsible for human misery. She causes natural
disasters and wreaks havoc at random. To be governed by Fate.

28. State – something that has dominion and absolute power over men and can
be either a republic or a principate.
29. The Prince – is a political treatise written by Nicola Machiavelli. It describes
how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it.