Lecture 1: intro Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is political philosophy?
It is philosophy because it seeks truth – i.e. it attempts to determine values and principles through the use of rational argumentation
If my value is … what distribution is fair etc
It is political because it pertains to state institutions (and people in so far as they are public citizens). (things that are formal)
Moral questions for citizens or states
According to Swift, what makes political philosophy a specific subset of moral philosophy?
Political philosophy is a branch of moral philosophy focused on normative questions, specifically about what the state ought (and ought not) to do. It isn’t about the state being separate from its citizens but about the moral principles guiding how citizens treat one another through the state. The stakes are high because it concerns not just what people ought to do, but what they are morally permitted, and sometimes required, to make each other do.
According to Fabre, what does a theory of justice in political philosophy set out?
A theory of justice sets out what is owed to whom, meaning it defines the content of justice and delineates its scope, addressing what individuals owe to each other and how societies should be organized to ensure fairness
Why political philosophy? (Rawls)
rawls
-1) To uncover deep moral understanding and compatibility, even at the root of warring peoples and ideologies. It is through digging deeper into the core of our beliefs that we discover core similarities at their root.
-2) It is to reconsider our own institutions, as well as our purpose in participating in these institutions
-3) By looking at our institutions rationally, we understand their own rational fabric.
-4) It is to help create the terms for a reasonable utopia. This is partially borne of accepting the world as it presents itself to us, and partially to help us structure a better world to our liking.
Justice as fairness
What is the relationship between political philosophy, political science, and political theory according to Valentini and List?
Political philosophy (or political theory) and political science complement each other. Political theory addresses normative questions (like what is fair or just), while political science describes and explains political phenomena (such as voter behavior or regime stability). Political theory often relies on political science to understand the empirical workings of society, while political science requires the conceptual insights of political theory to define key terms (e.g., democracy, freedom) and evaluate policies.
The ideal theory
This approach to the study of politics is called ‘ideal theory’. The pursuit of ‘ideal’ principles that should guide
according to Rawls the first virtue of social institutions
Justice (justice contains a set of things)
two objections to the ideal theory: Realism
- Realism
Realism critiques ideal theory by claiming that the pursuit of perfect ideals of justice is disconnected from the real world of politics. It argues that politics is often shaped by power struggles and irrational behavior, and that idealist visions misunderstand this by ignoring the practical realities and complexities of power dynamics. (idealism is insensitive to power)
two objections to the ideal theory: non-ideal theory
Non-ideal theory argues that ideal theories of justice cannot apply to real societies because they are disconnected from practical realities (unmoored from pragmatics). It highlights issues like non-compliance and everyday problems that idealism doesn’t address. Non-ideal theory seeks principles for how to act in actual societies, emphasizing that ideal theory is abstract and may even be dangerous because it ignores social realities.
Why do ideal theory?
*So why do ideal theory? Some reasons:
*1) Generate principles to guide society towards moral ends
– the ‘lighthouse’ function.
*2) The goal isn’t just to design an ideal society but figure out why it would be ideal.
*3) It determines what values take precedence over others (so we have a way of adjudicating between them).
*4) Determine what is at stake morally, in decisions we make politically.
