Questions tagged [political-philosophy]
Describing questions about the philosophy of politics and society which investigate concerns like liberty, justice and equality.
1
vote
1answer
20 views
What did Ivan Illich think of Helmut Schoeck?
Is there any record of Ivan Illich commenting on the writings, viewpoints or life of Helmut Schoeck?
0
votes
0answers
64 views
Utilitarianism revisited
I assume utilitarianism to be the doctrine that one should act to maximize the overall amount of some "happiness".
Next to the fact that it's not quite clear
what happiness is supposed to be and ...
2
votes
0answers
14 views
How many academic Philosophers in Australia are still influenced by John Anderson “Andersonians”
John Anderson was a well known Philosopher in at Sydney University whom influenced many involved in the Sydney push and the those involved in the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. Are any of his ideas ...
3
votes
1answer
94 views
Difference between 'marxist' and 'Marxist'?
What is the difference between 'marxist' (with a small 'm') and 'Marxist'? This question arose to me when I came across this:
It follows from this belief that if you can totally change the '...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
What does Marx mean by “the real will of the cooperative”?
This is an extract from A Darwinian Left by Peter Singer:
Marx: Under collective property, the so-called will of
the people disappears in order to make way for the real
will of the cooperative.
...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
Who wrote about levels of power?
Recently, a senator stated that a bill would not be voted upon “because I get to decide what we vote on.”
I recall a complete philosophy of exercising power at various levels, of which deciding when ...
0
votes
2answers
126 views
How is egalitarianism even possible? [closed]
How is egalitarianism (broadly, any idea about equality between humans) even possible?
I find it hard to chew as to how can egalitarianism be demonstrated to even exist in any, even simple sense. ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
Why should I trust experts - and what's the place of experts in a democracy?
If we trust experts, do we then elevate them as determiners of the truth? When we trust our surgeon to do a good job in surgery because he is an expert, do I forfeit my right to criticize experts on ...
1
vote
2answers
98 views
Is this argument about ownership valid?
I came across an argument that I believe to be invalid:
Ownership is defined as the ability to exclude others.
"Everyone owns land" becomes "everyone has the ability to exclude others from land."
I ...
5
votes
3answers
157 views
Is Socrates' happiness possible for average, normal people?
Socrates talked a big game in the Republic: we don't need money, family or friends to be happy; all that requires is that we pursue truth and wisdom. I can sort of see how this can make sense for ...
3
votes
1answer
232 views
What does Machiavelli say about friends of my enemies?
What does Machiavelli say about friends of my enemies? I read the Prince, and some continental stuff relating it to Marxism, such as Specters of Marx. The former mostly seemed like practical, in some ...
1
vote
1answer
134 views
Is there an established name for position that argues against law?
This is my position. But for some reason I'm sure I'm not the first to accept it (I guess some anarchists would have it). So, there likely should be other people with this position. Is there a name ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
What is the historical entitlement conception of justice? How does it differ from the patterned conception?
Related to Nozick.
What are the policy implications of the two approaches? Any examples?
1
vote
1answer
99 views
According to Nozick, what is a “patterned” conception of justice?
Any examples of a policy issue on which a patterned conception of justice might plausibly disagree with a historical entitlement based conception of justice
0
votes
2answers
503 views
If I want everyone to be a friend to everyone, am I an anarchist? [closed]
I am not defining friendship. It's easier to say what is not friendship. In most aspects there are some signifiers of friendship. What language do you use, how do you treat people, what do you feel. ...
0
votes
0answers
52 views
Did Nietzsche have anything to say about the trans-Atlantic slavery trade?
Given that there are over 300 references to slavery in Nietzsches work did he, in any of his works, address what was the most significant revival of slavery since Graeco-Roman times, that is the trans-...
6
votes
1answer
196 views
What did Confucius mean by saying that the 'rectification of names' is the first thing required to rule a state?
In Analects XII, a disciple asked Confucius the right principle of government whereupon Confucious said:
The one thing needed first is the rectification of names.
What did Confucius mean by this?
2
votes
1answer
82 views
In what order should I read The Republic, Aristotle's Politics, and The Prince?
I want to read Plato's The Republic, Aristotle's politics, and Machiavelli's The Prince. Is there an order in which I should read them to better understand the development of political philosophy?
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Did Nietzsche elaborate on his notion of a 'political caste to rule over Europe'
In Aphorism 251 in Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzche says:
What is serious for me ... [is] the cultivation of a new caste to rule over Europe.
And according to Nietzschean scholar Ronald Beiner, when ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
Did Simone Weil analyse the conditions that allowed the growth of an oppressive bureaucratic state in the former Soviet Union?
In the short book by John Hellman, Simone Weil, an introduction to her thought, he quotes from her essay, La Revolutienne Proletarienne:
Throughout history men have struggled, suffered and died to ...
2
votes
4answers
151 views
Can the affirmation “All taxes are theft” be considered an a priori truth?
Hans Hermann Hoppe is a popular Economist from the Austrian School whose central ideas seem fundamentally right. However, I see him as having very poor argumentation skills and more than once I read ...
0
votes
2answers
72 views
Privacy in the modern context [closed]
In Roman times, 'privacy' had more to do with one’s “private” domain where one is the master of one’s own house rather than the sense we have today where the emphasis is more on one’s private thoughts,...
2
votes
0answers
36 views
What are Popper's views on employment and unemployment?
I recently read an interview where Popper ranked his interest in employment above education. Unfortunately, the interview was quite brief and didn't go further into Popper's thinking on this.
Q. What ...
4
votes
3answers
461 views
What exactly is the philosophical genealogy of racism, in particular Locke and Hume?
Afua Hirsch in her book, Brit(ish) writes:
I was in my thirties when I learned that both Locke and Hume were also important proponents of racism, pouring that same intellect they used to such great ...
-1
votes
1answer
79 views
Is “class culture” an artificial construct or does it have “natural” motivation?
Is "class culture" an artificial construct or does it have "natural" motivation?
A lof of things, at least judging by internet, are associated or measured relative to socio-economic class. However, ...
2
votes
1answer
188 views
Does Egalitarianism also mean having Equal Opportunity?
Egalitarianism proposes that everyone should have same access to political and civil rights, but does that mean include equal opportunity?
3
votes
2answers
132 views
What is “State” for Rousseau?
I guess this simple question has a simple answer, but I have not found it.
I am reading "The Social Contract" and am really loving it. I understand Rousseau's distinction of sovereign and government....
2
votes
1answer
96 views
Classical liberalism and libertarianism
What is the distinction between classical liberalism and libertarianism?
0
votes
2answers
133 views
Authors who think war and violence are part of the American culture and economy
The United States Military budget exceeds the next 9 countries on the list combined ref. here. A great deal of Hollywood movies portrait the glory of war and present violence as something entertaining ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Ernesto Laclau: 'Any repetition that is governed by a structural law of successions is space'
There is a debate going on about Ernesto Laclau's argument that
any repetition that is governed by a structural law of successions is space
But what does he actually mean by that?
2
votes
3answers
177 views
What are the key points Thomas Nagel makes in his article “Moral Conflict and Political Legitimacy”?
Particularly, what is his view on liberalism? And what is the significance of the example he gives regarding Catholics?
The article can be found here:
2
votes
1answer
112 views
What grounds did Spinoza give for the legitimacy of government?
How exactly does Spinoza ground the legitimacy of the government in the theologo-political treatise? More specifically in Chapter 16, what is the legitimacy of the government grounded in?
2
votes
2answers
351 views
What is the difference between 'socialism' and 'communism'?
I frequently hear about these two different concepts. What is the fundamental difference between them?
2
votes
0answers
39 views
What was the scholastic position on Monarchy?
I'm trying to look into the history of medieval political thought, and I am struggling with the scholastics, especially Scotus and Albert. Does anyone know what their views were on Monarchy ...
1
vote
1answer
193 views
Natural sociality in Rousseau and Aristotle
Are we social or solitary by Rousseau's reckoning? How do his arguments stand in relation to Aristotle's idea of humans as essentially social or political?
3
votes
1answer
55 views
Was Jan Smuts the father of Holism?
With reference:
Jan C. Smuts, Holism and Evolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Smuts
With what I've found so far it seems he has had an enormous impact on the world that we have, so:
Is ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Which philosophers were the strongest supporters of individual privacy?
Philosophers differ on their opinions of privacy. Who were the strongest supporters of individual privacy?
6
votes
4answers
561 views
Does philosophy shed any light on how parties can fruitfully debate without an agreed source of truth?
A hallmark of recent political developments is extreme partisanship, where each side has near total distrust of the other. To exacerbate this situation there has been a breakdown in agreement over ...
2
votes
1answer
165 views
What is John Locke's basic idea of individuality?
Are we social or solitary by Locke's reckoning?
How can we use his argument to oppose Aristotle's idea of humans essentially being social or political?
I have read the chapter 2 'Of the state of ...
1
vote
1answer
180 views
How does Aristotle argue for his claim that all humans are essentially social/political?
In relation to Aristotle's books Politics 1 and 2, how can you argue that all humans are social or political beings and what can you argue against that? What kind of arguments can be brought up ...
1
vote
1answer
157 views
Gun control and classical liberalism
Is gun control consistent with classical liberalism? Can a classical liberal case be made for restricting this liberty?
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Whose ideas are most influential for European Convention on Human Rights?
The European Convention on Human Rights is based on the idea of civil liberties, 18 articles in total. What philosophy is the foundation for these liberties? Specifically the right to privacy/private ...
3
votes
2answers
105 views
How do Marxists account for depreciating value of commodities
If Marxists claim that useful labor is the source of a commodities value then would a commodity that has an expiration date, strawberries for example have as much value when they turn rotten as when ...
4
votes
4answers
141 views
Is there a name for a position that governments could be replaced with voluntary organizations?
The problem I see with governments is that you have "duties" (from the position of legislators) even despite the fact you didn't choose to be born in any particular state. Therefore, probably it would ...
12
votes
14answers
8k views
Why are legal and moral responsibilities said to be different?
It seems in most cases which laws are adopted depends on what ethical views legislators hold. There might be counterexamples when a lawmaker does not adopt laws reflecting own moral views. But I do ...
1
vote
0answers
60 views
What does 'semantic blindness' mean here?
A public talk to be given by Philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch at Oxford is to address:
Fake news spread online is a clear danger to democratic politics. One aspect of that danger is obvious: it ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
What does Focault mean by “space”?
I’m reading “Of other spaces”, but it’s hard to follow for me because I don’t know what Focault means by “space”. So, what does Focault mean by space? What would be the definition?
0
votes
1answer
120 views
Philosophical approaches for a response to rape
I wasn't sure whether to post this here, or on law, or on politics. But I eventually landed here since this SE seemed like the most middle of the road option.
My question concerns rape and how we ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
How do marxists account for the value of land?
Under the labor theory of value, land should on its own have no value if no useful labor has been put into it yet its exchange value on the market extremely high. How is this contradiction addressed? ...
1
vote
2answers
73 views
What is use-value according to Marx and why is it what is valuable in a commodity?
According to Marx, labor is what gives a commodity its value, specifically useful labor(das mudpie). My question here is what exactly is useful labor and why is labor itself what provides value and ...
