Principles of the American Regime Flashcards
Who wrote the Allegory of the Cave?
Plato
In the Allegory of the Cave, who do the prisoners represent?
Humanity
In the Allegory of the Cave, What imprisons humanity?
Ignorance (due to bad education)
In the Allegory of the Cabe, Who are the puppet masters?
Educators (poets and legislators)
In the Allegory of the Cave, what does the cave represent?
Society or Culture
In the Allegory of the Cave, how does one become free?
Proper education empowers individuals to search and find the truth by going upward and outward.
In the Myth of Gyges, what does the shepherd find?
A ring, which turns the wearer invisible.
In the Myth of Gyges, what does the ring symbolize?
Being free form the consequences of one’s choices.
Glaucon tells the Myth of Gyges for what purpose?
He offers a narrative about the depravity of humanity to counter Plato’s belief that humanity can find the truth and to live just life is the proper course.
What is the definition of politics for the ancients?
Politics is the process to ennoble souls to find what is true, good, and beautiful. In other words, society is structured to help people achieve eudemonia, or help people flourish.
According to Patterson, what is a modern understanding of politics?
“Politics is the process through which a society settles its conflicts.”
According to Patterson, what is power?
Power “refers to the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments.”
As defined by Patterson, what is Political Science?
“Systematic study of government and politics.”
Without a shared ancestry, how do Americans identify as Americans?
The sharing and belief in Regime Values or a set of underlying propositions.
What are three institutions of the Enlightenment?
Democracy, Capitalism, and Science.
What is the motto of the Enlightenment?
Kant: Dare to Know!
What problem did the Enlightenment seek to solve?
It was a movement to free people from their immaturity and to help them become free.
What is liberalism?
Liberalism is a political system the protects, privileges, and promotes individual freedom.
What are the virtues and values that sustain individual freedom?
- Security, 2. Negative Freedom, 3. Equality, 4. Property, 5. Individualism, 6. Self-Government, 7. Limited Government
According to Patterson, what is “Negative Freedom?”
“The principle that individual should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well-being of others” (Patterson, 2017)
What are the dimensions of equality?
- No graded order, 2. Sameness, 3. Equal Treatment
How do we obtain property?
Mix your labor with something and it becomes an extension of who you are
What is a core purpose of property?
It is a mean of independence, freeing one from public and corporate powers.
What is another core purpose of property?
It is a path that leads to virtue, preparing one to be a citizen in a republic that is not beholden to outside forces.
