13. Political Philosophy

Question 1

Psychological vs Philosophical Question

Answer 1

How do human beings act together? – psychology
What ought to generate compliance with authority? – philosophy

Question 2

2 broad answers to why human beings comply with authority

Answer 2

1. Might makes right
   Conquest, Power, Age, Intellect, Physical/aesthetic, Tradition, History, Reason, Knowledge. Might, Nature, Tradition, Reason – these are all forms of might make right.
2. Agreement/Consent: Social Contract Theory

Question 3

Teleological Explanations (Plato + Aristotle)

Answer 3

1. Plato – The State is ‘Man writ large’ People’s purpose is to live a just life. The purpose of a state is to allow this to happen to individuals.
2. Aristotle – The State is ‘natural’ and ‘prior’ to individuals, families, groups. The city is prior to families and individuals.

Question 4

Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan

Answer 4

In order to leave the state of nature humans need a social contract. An absolute power must be in charge to act on behalf of the commonwealth.

Question 5

John Locke: The Second Treatise of Government

Answer 5

The state of nature is kinder from Hobbes’ But still, we need a democratic government - a social contract - in order to leave the state of nature.

Question 6

Locke’s view on property rights

Answer 6

Mixing labour” confers property rights. (449) the concept of ownership is a socially constructed concept – there is no natural way of knowing what is true and absolute rights.

Question 7

John Stuart Mill: On Liberty

Answer 7

There is tyranny of the majority (even in a democratic government)
“Democracy is pretty good isn’t it?” – no it sucks (ex. Plato doesn’t like democracy). Democracy is bad because stupid people get what they want.

Question 8

liberalism (3)

Answer 8

wants to protect the rights of the individual instead of the power of the majority.

1. The Harm Principle: The state can’t interfere unless people harm others. The law doesn’t take interest in broken hearts but broken noses.
2. The Sovereignty of the Individual: In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign
3. The Asymmetry of Negative Rights and Positive Duties: It isn’t the government’s duty however to instill these positive duties. A liberal state wants to impose as few positive duties but has laws against an array of negative duties.

Question 9

Justifications for our canonical freedoms: (4)

Answer 9

1. We might be wrong! (Are we not fallible?) should crazy people have the right to say things? We give people freedom of speech so we can revisit our beliefs.
2. We might only be partly right.
   (Truth may be found out more fully if we listen.)
3. We might be completely right, but be unaware of the reasons. (Blind dogmatism is prejudice!) We should believe things for good reasons.
4. We weaken and deprive ourselves and future generations of growth and conviction.

Question 10

How do liberals and Marxists differ on consciousness?

Answer 10

Liberals believe that the state (society) goes best when people can follow their consciousness in whatever direction they like as long as they don’t hurt others. The only limit to freedom of speech, freedom of mobility – is only to the extent that it hurts others.

Marxist have confidence that they understand human consciousness better than individuals do. “you think you like Mozart, but you don’t really. We know what you think.” Marxists are confident that this is for the benefit of society. Humans are going to want different things – liberals admit that, Marxists don’t.