Modern Ideologies and Political Philosophy

Question 1

What is an ideology?

Answer 1

A system of ideas that tries to explain and justify a set of belief about how society and politics should be arranged

Question 2

Ideologies contain a mixtures of … and … belief?

Answer 2

• Descriptive
• Normative

Question 3

Descriptive

Answer 3

factual statements describing how the world is; these are usually very general statements e.g. people are selfish or people’s rationality is limited.

Question 4

Normative

Answer 4

statements that about morality or values, that state how society or people should behave or what ideals are the most important.

Question 5

Normative ideals are…

Answer 5

the fundamental elements of an ideology

Question 6

They….the ideology’s descriptive statement

Answer 6

explain, interpret, justify

Question 7

Some political ideologies ?

Answer 7

Liberalism
Conservatism
Socialism
Feminism
Others: Communitarianism, Nationalism, Fascism, Environmentalism, Libertarianism, Anarchism, etc.

Question 8

Liberalism ?

Answer 8

Individual freedom is the most fundamental value.
Individual should have liberty of speech, of religion, and of association

Question 9

Liberalism implies two things:

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Specific political arrangement can let liberalism achieve these goals:

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Major thinkers of Liberalism

Answer 11

• John Locke
• Baron de Montesquieu
• Jeremy Bentham
• John Stuart Mill
• Isaiah Berlin
• John Rawls

Question 12

John Locke

Answer 12

• Founder of liberalism
• Every individual has natural rights to life, liberty, and property
  -> Government must be limited
  Two Treatise of Government (1689)

Question 13

Baron de Montesquieu

Answer 13

• Focus on the separations of powers between legislative, executive and judiciary
• The critique of political despotism
  The Spirit of the Laws (1748)

Question 14

Jeremy Bentham

Answer 14

• Gave a utilitarian foundations (liberal political arrangement bring about the greatest overall happiness in society)
  Introduction to the Principle of Morals and Legislation (1780)

Question 15

John Stuart Mill

Answer 15

• Developed the utilitarian of Bentham (individual liberty must always be protected)
  On Liberty (1859)

Question 16

Isaiah Berlin

Answer 16

only liberalism can protect
freedom in its truest sense
Two Concepts of Liberty (1958)

Question 17

John Rawls

Answer 17

liberalism on a social contract which ensures individual rights and a fair share of economic
resources for each person.
A Theory of Justice (1971)

Question 18

Liberalism’s influence

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Conservatism ?

Answer 19

society should preserve existing arrangements; it is suspicious of radical changes. The fundamental values of conservatism are stability and order.

Question 20

Conservatism recommend:

Answer 20

• Stable order
• Structured society
• Traditional values: family, community, religion

Question 21

Conservatism thinker:

Answer 21

• Robert Filmer
• Edmund Burke
• Michael Oakeshott

Question 22

Major aspect of conservative thought

Answer 22

distrust of theory and reason in politics

Question 23

Conservatism oppose:

Answer 23

abstract ideas and principles like liberty or natural rights

Question 24

Pragmatism

Answer 24

Work with currently existing arrangements, reforming them slowly if necessary

Question 25

Why do conservatives think this way?

Answer 25

• 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.

Question 26

Conservatives believes in:

Answer 26

• 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.

Question 27

Socialism ?

Answer 27

a concern for freedom – but is also just as concerned with equality, particularly economic equality.

Question 28

Capitalism

Answer 28

main industries are privately owned individuals and companies (not workers or the state).

Question 29

Socialist were concerned

Answer 29

Many people, especially workers, were condemned to live of poverty and exploitation under capitalism

Question 30

Socialism thinker

Answer 30

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)