POLI 1300: Intro to Political Thought & Action

Definition: Utilizes the scientific method to acquire knowledge about political phenomena.
Scope: Aims to "describe, analyze, and explain government and other political institutions, political behavior and wider political life" (Heywood & Chin, p. 5).
Keywords: Objective, value-free, truth.

Definition: Primarily concerned with describing knowledge.
Purpose: Involves the "conceptual clarification of political ideas to enable the construction of theories as part of the process of empirical science(the process of acquiring knowledge and constructing theories)" (Heywood & Chin, p. 5).
Keywords: Normative, ideas, concepts.

Foundational Idea: Philosophy is understood as "the search for wisdom and understanding" (Heywood & Chin, p. 6).
Role:
- Attempts to clarify concepts frequently used in political discourse.
- Evaluates political concepts based on their underlying assumptions, coherence, and implications.
- Normative Aspect: It is normative, meaning it actively justifies (or refutes) specific understandings of concepts, as well as particular social and political institutions and arrangements (Heywood & Chin, p. 6).

Explication: Political theory serves as an explication, encompassing both the descriptive analysis found in political science and the normative justification characteristic of political philosophy.
Core Practice: It involves "the analytical, critical and normative study of ideas, concepts and arguments that have been central to political thought, whether academic or public" (Heywood & Chin, p. 6).
Human Practice: "Political theory is the human practice of reflecting on political life to both render our current practices and institutions meaningful and to prescribe and enact change" (Heywood & Chin).
Fundamental Questions (Jonathan Wolff): "Who gets what? Says who?"
Recurring Themes/Problems:
- The dynamic of power between the ruler and the ruled.
- The concept and exercise of authority.
- The origins and resolution of social conflict.
- The ultimate ends (goals) of politics and government.
- The nature and acquisition of political knowledge.
- The pursuit and definition of justice.

Historical Context: Predominantly associated with the Greeks and Romans, characterized by city-states, the rise of empires, and republics.
Central Themes:
- Politics as a means to achieve freedom.
- The concept of "The Good Life."
- Emphasis on ethics and virtue.
Associated Artistic References (Lyrics): References to Aristotle, prophecies, Achilles' heel, and a "golden age of something good and right and real," contrasting with themes of meanness.

Historical Context: Emerged from Western Europe and North America, marked by existing social hierarchies, but also developments towards centralized power and a focus on the individual.
Central Themes:
- Individual liberty.
- Rights.
- Justice.
- Equality.
Associated Artistic References (Lyrics): Themes of being cryptic and Machiavellian, betrayal and trickery, a "lawless land," distrust, self-reliance, and the assertion of power or threat ("Who's afraid of little old me?! Well you should be.").

Key Characteristics:
- Explores the significant role of history and culture within society.
- Often described as anti-foundationalist, questioning universal truths or absolute origins.
- Frequently critical of existing societal institutions and structures.
- Analyzes various power dynamics within society.
- Includes (but is not limited to) critical theory.
Associated Artistic References (Lyrics): Explicitly challenges patriarchy and traditional gender roles, highlights women creating their own identities, rejects 1950s gender expectations, and discusses the historical position of women as "pawns in every lover's game."

Textual Discipline: Political theory is fundamentally a textual discipline.
Source Material: Its "raw material" consists of "the theoretical texts of other political theorists and related fields (e.g. political philosophy, social theory, etc.), and the words, concepts, ideas and arguments within them" (Heywood & Chin, p. 10).