Modern Ideologies and Political Philosophy Flashcards
What is an ideology?
A system of ideas that tries to explain and justify a set of belief about how society and politics should be arranged
Ideologies contain a mixtures of … and … belief?
- Descriptive
- Normative
Descriptive
factual statements describing how the world is; these are usually very general statements e.g. people are selfish or people’s rationality is limited.
Normative
statements that about morality or values, that state how society or people should behave or what ideals are the most important.
Normative ideals are…
the fundamental elements of an ideology
They….the ideology’s descriptive statement
explain, interpret, justify
Some political ideologies ?
Liberalism
Conservatism
Socialism
Feminism
Others: Communitarianism, Nationalism, Fascism, Environmentalism, Libertarianism, Anarchism, etc.
Liberalism ?
Individual freedom is the most fundamental value.
Individual should have liberty of speech, of religion, and of association
Liberalism implies two things:
- The need for some government: government is needed to protect these individual freedoms, other individuals may threaten my freedom of speech, etc.
- Government must be controlled and limited: cause government could encroach on these freedoms too
Specific political arrangement can let liberalism achieve these goals:
- Constitutional government: a set of rules rather than by arbitrary will
- The rule must enforce and respect individual liberty: parliament and the courts must uphold individual freedoms and rights
- Separation of power: government divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches
- Democracy: popular control over government helps to limit its power
- Liberalism is divided on economic matters
Major thinkers of Liberalism
- John Locke
- Baron de Montesquieu
- Jeremy Bentham
- John Stuart Mill
- Isaiah Berlin
- John Rawls
John Locke
- Founder of liberalism
- Every individual has natural rights to life, liberty, and property
-> Government must be limited
Two Treatise of Government (1689)
Baron de Montesquieu
- Focus on the separations of powers between legislative, executive and judiciary
- The critique of political despotism
The Spirit of the Laws (1748)
Jeremy Bentham
- Gave a utilitarian foundations (liberal political arrangement bring about the greatest overall happiness in society)
Introduction to the Principle of Morals and Legislation (1780)
John Stuart Mill
- Developed the utilitarian of Bentham (individual liberty must always be protected)
On Liberty (1859)
Isaiah Berlin
only liberalism can protect
freedom in its truest sense
Two Concepts of Liberty (1958)
John Rawls
liberalism on a social contract which ensures individual rights and a fair share of economic
resources for each person.
A Theory of Justice (1971)
Liberalism’s influence
Liberalism has had enormous influence on political events
- French Revolution 1789
- American independence from British Empire of 1776 and the Constitution of 1788
- Downfall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1991
- Arab Spring in 2011
Conservatism ?
society should preserve existing arrangements; it is suspicious of radical changes. The fundamental values of conservatism are stability and order.
Conservatism recommend:
- Stable order
- Structured society
- Traditional values: family, community, religion
Conservatism thinker:
- Robert Filmer
- Edmund Burke
- Michael Oakeshott
Major aspect of conservative thought
distrust of theory and reason in politics
Conservatism oppose:
abstract ideas and principles like liberty or natural rights
Pragmatism
Work with currently existing arrangements, reforming them slowly if necessary
Why do conservatives think this way?
- Human powers of reason are limited; cannot fully comprehend the complexity of human affairs.
- Current arrangements are the result of the accumulated wisdom of centuries of gradual development.
Conservatives believes in:
- Generally a free-market economy, but some intervention and regulation to prevent economic instability and assist the worst off.
- Limited democracy.
- Traditional roles for women.
- Harsh punishment for criminals.
- Against homosexuality, abortion, drugs, promiscuity.
Socialism ?
a concern for freedom – but is also just as concerned with equality, particularly economic equality.
Capitalism
main industries are privately owned individuals and companies (not workers or the state).
Socialist were concerned
Many people, especially workers, were condemned to live of poverty and exploitation under capitalism
Socialism thinker
Karl Marx
Marx’s theory of history: societies go through stages of development, shaped by economic forces and class relations.
The communist manifesto (1848)
Das Kapital (1867)
