poli 103
what does aristotle say about humans being political animals.
human beings are by nature political animals because nature has equipped them with speech. this enables them to communicate moral concepts such as justice ehich are formative of the household and city-state.
what is the relationship between politics and language?
language can be used for influence, examples are propoganda and media usage. language relies on symbols and signs that are saturated with political significance. the ways in which we use language should be conductive to the common good. pursuing common good should be an objection of political life. speech and thought make humans capable of pursuing a good life through politics.
socrates
Socrates's philosophy was to pursue truth through common good. the purpose in life is to pursue truth through dialogue.
John Locke
the essence of humaness is to pursue private property
hobbes
human beings live in a world governed by predictable natural laws. self preservation is the #1 rule of human natural existence. the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.
Karl popper's notion of falsifiability
for a hypothesis or theory to be considered scientific, it must be formulated in a way that it could potentially be proven false, through epirical evidence or experimentation. key element in the process of distinguishing between scientific and non-scientific claims.
is the material for falsifiability legitimate?
not all aspects of scientific inquiry may be subject to falsification. for example, scientific principles or concepts that are highly abstract and foundational (principles in math or physical laws). they are instead tested indirectly through their predictive power and consistently with empirical evidence. on poppers view the absence of falsifiability indicates pseudo-science.
foundationalist/ naturalist
a real world exists independantly of our knowledge of it, but can be discovered. often quantitative data driven. a real world about which we can study and understand. for example, is it possible to seperate facts and values? foundationalists would say yes.
anti foundationalist/ contructivist
the world is socially constructed and can only be interpreted/known in different ways. interested in gaining deep insight. Qualitative research methods are utilized. example, is it possible to seperate facts and values? anti foundationalists would say no.
normative research methods
to be aware of the power of certain words that we use. normative issues study political ideas and values and adress questions about what should be. A normative theory is an argument that explains what ought to occur.
empirical research methods
make short cuts. not think about the meaning behind words that we use. empirical issues study the real world, adress events that we observe. An empirical theory is an arugment that explains what occurs.
research methods
research methods determine the collective, analysis, and interpretation of evidence. include data collection, analysis, and writing. research is problem driven.
orwells essay on politics and language
fierce critic of ways that language can be depolyed as a tool of political control, contrary to justice and logic.
foucault 101
think about the arrangment of a classroom. how are people expected to act? power dynamics? where poeple sit? etc. interested in power and social change. In particular, he studied how these played out as France shifted from a monarchy to democracy via the French revolution. Foucault's theories primarily address the relationships between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institutions.
machiavelli
do whatever is necessary to survive. lie continuously and strategically.
plato
truthseeking only ends in death. poltics is a realm of endless coruption. Plato believed that reality is divided into two parts: the ideal and the phenomena. The ideal is the perfect reality of existence. The phenomena are the physical world that we experience; it is a flawed echo of the perfect, ideal model that exists outside of space and time.
epistemology
the ways in which we come to know
max weber definition of sovereignty
the monopoly on the use of legitimate violence within a sovereign territory. schmitt and weber coming out of the westphalian state = notion of territorially bounded state as an all powerful entity on the global stage today.
cambridge method
all political thought should be subject to vigourous historical analysis.
westphalian state
principles of state sovereignty, non-interference in domestic affairs of other states, and territorial integrity of other states.
post westphalian state
state in the contemporary international system where traditional notions of sovereignty are challenged or modified (various factors include globalization, international cooperation, and transnational issues.) the post westphalian state navigates the evolving landscape of international relations by balancing traditional principles of sovereignty with a recognition of the interconnectedness of global issues. it remains committed to the values of cooperation, diplomacy, and adressing contemporary challenges in a manner that refelcts both its historical identity and evolving international norms.
modern idea of sovereignty vs what thucydides wrote about
sovereignty in the modern state is about absolute governmental authority. the matter of who controls a specific piece of territory and who gets the power within that territory. thucydides wrote that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. The "Melian dialogue" best exemplifies Thucydides' view that interstate politics lack regulation and justice. Thucydides, taking up the issue of anarchy within the international system, very much agrees with the realist point of view, saying that in a system where there is no overarching authority, the only way to maintain order is through some form of Balance of Power.
karl marx
genuine human liberation requires overcoming the falase consciousness that is ideology.
Carl schmitt
german hobbes, sovereign is he who decides on the exception. an exception to the normal legal order. you need a real or symbolic individual who can lead and make decisions, no matter what the constitution says.
classic liberalism
favors liberty, free trade, and miderate social and political change. free autonomous individual, freedom to acquire private property. locke favoured Liberalism. ex is the modern canadian conservative party, because they value free trade, personal liberty over ideas of the state, and private property.
classic conservatism
preserving tradition/institutions and the status quo. view humans as imperfect, upholding law and order over equality and freedom. tolerate only gradual change in the structure of society. Edmund burke said that human progress needs guidance and parameteres/moral standards to keep them going on a productive path.
classic fascism
ultra-nationalism, advocating the use of force. ensure order and compliance. ex, mussolini in italy during WWII, Nazi Germany, etc.
marxism
Marxism is an economic and political theory that examines the flaws inherent in capitalism and seeks to identify an alternative. emphasizing structural inequalities. the prominence of monopolies is an examples of marxism within society today. Large media, telephone, and oil conglomerates are some of the current examples of the process described by marx.
nationalism
a form of imagined community, collective imagination of a group of citizens. ex, truckers convoy
structure of the modern state
infused with forms of patriarchal dominance that have to be challenged for the creation of more just and inclusive forms of political life.
evolution of liberalism over time
Economically, modern liberalism supports government regulation on private industry and opposes corporate monopolies. The development into maturity of classical liberalism took place before and after the French Revolution in Britain and was based on the following core concepts, namely classical economics, free trade, laissez-faire government with minimal intervention and taxation and a balanced budget.
modern language within politics
antifa becomes shorthand for dangerous radicals, need to be stopped because order needs to be pursued
anarchic movements as a way for fundamental human liberation.
one of the standards of thought and activism that lay at the heart of the Bolshevik revolution (1917). Lenin and Trotsky said bloodshed would be necessary to establish the soviet union. Rousseau is part of the genealogy of anarchism, violence is needed to push you onto the right path. roussea is connected to the totalitarian formation of the soviet union. he said you need to be freed from inequality and able to form structures beyond the state.