Untitled Flashcards Set

Socrates (470–399 BCE)

• Used the Socratic Method (questioning to expose contradictions).

• Skeptical of majority rule (the multitude cannot be trusted).

• Valued reason over popular opinion.

• Argued that only those trained in wisdom should govern.

• Executed for “corrupting the youth” and “impiety.”

Plato (427–347 BCE)

• Rejected democracy in favor of a Philosopher-King.

• Developed a tripartite theory of the soul:

  • Reason (Gold) → Guardians (Rulers).

  • Spirit (Silver) → Auxiliaries (Warriors).

  • Appetite (Bronze/Iron) → Artisans/Producers.

• Believed justice meant each group performing its designated role.

• Saw democracy as dangerous—the uneducated masses could be misled.

Aristotle (384–322 BCE)

• Advocated moderation as the key to virtue.

• Argued for a mixed government:

  • Monarchy (One), Aristocracy (Few), Democracy (Many).

• Saw middle-class governance as ideal—avoids extremes.

• Defined Polity as the best form of government (a balanced system).

• Believed the masses must be included in governance but checked.

• Classified societies based on rank, reason, and function.

Euripides (480–406 BCE)

• Explored democracy vs. tyranny in his plays.

• Argued that tyranny suppresses freedom and justice.

• Saw democracy as a system that ensures participation (though flawed).

Theseus (mythological, but featured in Euripides’ works)

• Defended rule of law against tyranny.

• Believed democracy is preferable because it ensures:

  • Political participation.

  • Protection of private property.

  • Freedom from oppression.

Polybius (200–118 BCE)

• Roman historian who advocated for a mixed government.

• Proposed a system combining monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.

• Influenced modern ideas of checks and balances.

Early Modern Thinkers

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527)

• Wrote The Prince (1513) on power and statecraft.

• Emphasized realpolitik—leaders should prioritize power over morality.

• Argued that laws are essential for stable governance.

• Stated that both princes and the masses have flaws:

  • Princes become arrogant and corrupt.

  • Masses are fickle but can be controlled.

• Preferred trusting the multitude over a single ruler.

• Saw law as a check on both rulers and citizens.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)

• Wrote Democracy in America (1835).

• Coined the term “Equality of Conditions”—saw America as more equal than Europe.

• Noted democracy’s tendency toward mediocrity:

  • Encourages equality but may hinder excellence.

• Admired checks and balances in the U.S. system.

• Questioned whether democracy considered Indigenous peoples and slavery.

Social Contract Theorists

Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)

• Wrote Leviathan (1651).

• Described the State of Nature as:

  • Violent, chaotic, and insecure ("war of all against all").

• Proposed the Social Contract:

  • People surrender their freedoms to a sovereign power for order.

• Advocated for a strong, absolute ruler (Leviathan) to maintain peace.

• Viewed humans as rational but self-interested.

• Separated religion from state affairs.

John Locke (1632–1704)

• Wrote Second Treatise of Government (1689).

• Saw the State of Nature as:

  • More peaceful than Hobbes described but inconvenient due to lack of laws.

• Advocated for Natural Rights:

  • Life, Liberty, and Property.

• Proposed government by consent—leaders must protect rights.

• Believed in the right to revolution if the government fails its duty.

• Supported religious toleration.

• Defined private property as land mixed with labor.

• Introduced Spoilage and Sufficiency Principles:

  • Spoilage – People should not hoard more than they need.

  • Sufficiency – There should be enough left for others.

Marxist and Ideological Thinkers

Karl Marx (1818–1883)

• Wrote The German Ideology (1846).

• Critiqued ideology as a tool of oppression.

• Introduced Base and Superstructure:

  • Base – Economic structure (who owns what).

  • Superstructure – Politics, culture, and ideas shaped by the base.

• Believed ideology serves the ruling class.

• Saw capitalism as exploitative, justifying economic inequality.

• Advocated for class consciousness and revolutionary change.

Antoine Destutt de Tracy (1754–1836)

• Coined the term “Ideology” in the late 18th century.

• Viewed ideology as a science of ideas.

• Believed only elites could develop the best political principles.

• Argued that reason and progress should guide society.

Rejected religion in governance, promoting secular political thought.