Whose Smirk is This? Flashcards
Through rational-legal authority, I redefined how we understand power, governance, and legitimacy.
Key Contribution: Defined the state as “an institution with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a given area.”
Who am I?
Name: Max Weber
Lifespan: 1864–1920
Legacy: Foundational thinker in sociology and political science; ideas on authority, bureaucracy, and the state remain influential.
Notable Works: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Economy and Society.
“Sovereign is the one who decides the exception.
Key Contribution: Defined sovereignty as the power to decide on the state of exception, emphasizing the role of authority in moments of crisis.
Who am I?”
Name: Carl Schmitt
Lifespan: 1888–1985
Profession: German legal and political theorist.
Legacy: Known for his critique of liberal democracy and his theories on the state, sovereignty, and legal order.
Notable Works: Political Theology, The Concept of the Political.
“Authority is defined not by norms but by the ability to act decisively in extraordinary circumstances. Who am I?”
Who Am I?
Hint 1: I was the first Prime Minister of Canada and one of the key architects of Canadian Confederation.
Hint 2: Known as a “cabinet-maker,” I played a significant role in shaping Canada’s early government and policies, including the transcontinental railway.
Hint 3: My legacy is controversial due to my policies toward Indigenous peoples, including the establishment of residential schools.
John A. MacDonald
Who am I?
- I am the 30th Governor-General of Canada.
- I am the first Indigenous person to hold this position.
- I was born in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, and am of Inuit heritage.
- Before becoming Governor-General, I was a diplomat, an advocate for Inuit rights, and a broadcaster.
- I have served as Canada’s Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs and to Denmark.
- I was appointed Governor-General in 2021 by Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
- I am committed to reconciliation, Indigenous rights, and climate change awareness.
Mary Simon
Who Am I?
I was born in England in 1588.
I wrote a famous book called Leviathan in 1660.
I believed life in the “state of nature” is chaotic, like a “war of all against all.”
I argued that people create a social contract, giving up their natural rights to a sovereign in exchange for protection and order.
I said life without government would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Thomas Hobbes
Who Am I?
I am an English philosopher born in 1632 and widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment.
My work, Second Treatise on Government (1689), is a foundational text for modern democracy and political theory.
I believed in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, which governments must protect.
I argued that people consent to government through a social contract to ensure the protection of their rights.
If a government becomes tyrannical, I asserted that people have the right to rebel and establish a new one.
My ideas inspired the American and French revolutions and form the basis of liberal democracy.
John Locke
