Questions tagged [political-philosophy]
Describing questions about the philosophy of politics and society which investigate concerns like liberty, justice and equality.
512
questions
2
votes
2
answers
153
views
Can't determine who is the author of this paradox
In some Japanese anime one of the characters presented the following paradox:
“What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means?
Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy ...
- 12.2k
1
vote
1
answer
148
views
+50
Who said, "a parliament with no opposition should be dissolved"?
I've found a reference in a Jewish text from the mid-19th century to a "gentile sage" (an expression usually referring to a Greek philosopher, but it could be any non-Jewish person really) who said ...
- 1,368
6
votes
8
answers
395
views
Does a philosophy scholar in the modern world need to study ancient philosophy?
I am a philosophy enthusiast and I study philosophy on my own. I wanted to know whether a philosophy scholar in the modern world needs to study the ancient philosophical ideas, such as those by ...
- 13.5k
9
votes
4
answers
473
views
Is transgenderism a radical rejection of feminism?
A woman can be an engineer; a man can be a nurse. A woman can be aggressive; a man can let a woman take the lead. A little girl can play with toy trucks; a little boy can play with dolls; A woman can ...
CommunityBot
- 1
-5
votes
3
answers
190
views
How is the 'central fiction' of Zionism to be understood politically?
Deleuze in his essay, The Grandeur of Arafat, writes:
Zionism, then the state of Israel, will demand that the Palestinians recognise its right. But the State of Israel will never speak of ...
- 1,994
18
votes
5
answers
74k
views
Accepted Interpretation of Machiavelli's "the ends justify the means."?
Prior to reading The Prince, I had heard of the aphorism:
The ends justify the means
This was Machiavelli's identifying line to many people, and in my conversations with them, I got the impression ...
- 1,994
3
votes
1
answer
488
views
Does the paradox of tolerance mean that intolerance cannot be allowed in a tolerant society?
Rainer Forst describes tolerance as a social norm. So intolerant people and groups violate the social contract by denying the social norm of tolerance. See Hobbes, Locke, Kant et al on social contract....
- 1,994
1
vote
3
answers
445
views
Maximizing freedom in a society
A friend and I were trying to come up with the most basic rule that, if followed, would lead to a functional (and preferably good) society.
He said: "People should be free to do whatever they want, ...
- 1,994
31
votes
16
answers
17k
views
Was Robin Hood's point of view ethically sound?
The story of Robin Hood was a favourite of mine as a child.
But as an adult, I am beginning to change my mind for a couple of reasons.
The first being that if we assume a free market exists, ...
- 1,994
4
votes
1
answer
140
views
Nozick-like argument for property rights?
So, upon reading Nozick again I ran into something I haven't seen any libertarians argue vis a vis justifications of property rights (I don't think Nozick wouldn't promote this as an argument since ...
- 1,994
4
votes
6
answers
219
views
Does every nation on Earth have a right to exist or do only peaceful nations have a right to exist?
I have been wondering lately as to what it is that gives every nation on Earth the right to exist.
Throughout human history, at any point in time, the Earth has been a mixed bag of nations that were ...
- 153
6
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Fanon's 'Concerning Violence' makes the point that Nazism was the culminating point of the project of European Colonialism, how valid is that?
Frantz Fanon, also known as Ibrahim Frantz Fanon wrote in his book, The Wretched of the Earth:
Not long ago Nazism transformed the whole of Europe into a veritable colony
meaning that the techniques ...
- 1,994
15
votes
9
answers
6k
views
Do decolonialists have to attack science and modernity?
I’m a professional scientist (mathematician, actually). I’m not a philosopher.
I’ve got a lot of friends well-versed in philosophy, and they all seem to point toward modernity as a byproduct of ...
- 734
1
vote
0
answers
25
views
Is there a need for a new field of natural-practical philosophy?
Natural philosophy is now generally known as physics. Some ancient universities still call it natural philosophy. But all of science could be included under the term, natural philosophy. There is also ...
- 1,994
1
vote
2
answers
280
views
Kant's disjunctive judgement and neoliberalism
Using the definition of neoliberalism (will not paste here), and Kan't third category being of relation, primarily his disjunctive judgement, hence community, and its application to the notion of ...
CommunityBot
- 1
11
votes
7
answers
2k
views
Should freedom of speech accept speech against liberal values? Such as hate speech?
Should freedom of speech accept speech against liberal values such as diversity? Focusing on a particular scenario as an example: If people want to protest against the existence of say black people, ...
- 493
2
votes
3
answers
164
views
Freedom of speech
Is freedom of speech desired? According to the first amendment in US, there is an implied meaning that the individual has the right to say anything he wants without the need to worry about the ...
- 4,567
8
votes
2
answers
298
views
Authors that compare nationalism to religion
If people didn't choose their birth place nor their parents why do people feel proud or ashamed of their country? Why do they feel somehow responsible for the actions people take in the present or ...
- 1,994
2
votes
2
answers
71
views
What do philosophers say about vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism?
Animal kingdom can be divided into herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.
What do the philosophers say about the consequences of being herbivores, carnivores(including cannibals) or omnivores ?
How ...
- 1,409
0
votes
1
answer
59
views
What have philosophers said about the consequences of being in patriarchal or matriarchal societies? [closed]
Families or societies can be roughly divided into patriarchal or matriarchal families or societies.
What have philosophers said about the consequences (economic ,social, political, sexual etc) of ...
- 20.5k
1
vote
1
answer
59
views
Is the (truth of) justification of political beliefs necessary given Pyrrhonism?
To explain real quick. Pyrrhonism is some sort of philosophical practice which does reject (or suspend judgment on) epistemic criteria. It is debatable if they can hold beliefs, but even if the could ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
3
answers
101
views
Is it paradoxical to try represent underrepresented communities more?
Suppose there is some heteregenous society, which majority and minority groups. There is a proposal by the government/media in society to increase the representation of minority group by giving them ...
- 13.5k
1
vote
1
answer
143
views
How is Rawls's "liberalism" reasonably classified as liberal by this SEP article?
According to this Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article...
Given that liberalism fractures on so many issues — the nature of
liberty, the place of property and democracy in a just society, the
...
- 12.2k
2
votes
1
answer
63
views
In what sense is the polis/city self-sufficient for St. Thomas Aquinas?
De Regno cap. 2 n. 14:
Now since man must live in a group, because he is not sufficient unto himself to procure the necessities of life were he to remain solitary, it follows that a society will be ...
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
0
answers
150
views
Seeking references on the ontological basis of 'cultural appropriation' to cure my confusion
Disclaimer: Cultural appropriation is an emotionally charged topic and is criticized by a number of intellectuals, and my intent is to determine the philosophical grounding of the topic through vetted ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
2
answers
323
views
Can a subculture be appropriated?
All the examples of cultural appropriation I see involve taking some element out of wider culture, and implementing it in their own.
If subcultures are a subset of elements from within a larger ...
- 23.1k
3
votes
6
answers
358
views
Paradox: if people are too immoral to be left free in their choice, then why is democracy the solution?
I am asking if there are noted philosophers that have thought about the following paradox before, or something resembling it.
Democracy is seen here as a system in which a nation is governed by a ...
- 1,595
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
What did Hegel meant when he said that the universal continually engenders itself while maintaining its identity throughout the process?
The patriotic sentiment acquires its specifically determined content from the various members of the organism of the state. This organism is the development of the Idea to its differences and their ...
1
vote
1
answer
119
views
Do any philosophers argue for a state of constant war?
Do any philosophers argue for a state of constant war? Not as a state that needs to be prevented, but an ideal state. I don't think that's Marx, but it may be some variants of Marxism. Does ...
- 3,515
0
votes
4
answers
711
views
Is anarcho-socialism an oxymoron?
I have regularly heard debate between anarcho-socialists and anarcho-capitalists about which one is the true oxymoron.
If we take anarcho-socialism to mean no government and economic equality (+ ...
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
109
views
Killing with bare hands vs Rube Goldberg killing machine: How can we connect causes to persons, and so be morally responsible for effects by us?
What brought up this question:
I was watching a television show and was thinking of how powerful individuals can obtain hired guns to do their dirty work. The police and legal system then has ...
- 481
1
vote
6
answers
154
views
Where does philosophy fear to tread?
This question isn't well researched. It's difficult to investigate those realms which have been neglected, as opposed to those rigorously attended.
One of philosophy's great attractions is arguably ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
46
views
Who wrote this uncited quote?
The following uncited quotation appears in The Early Modern European Catachism by Joshua Gibbs. He includes many quotes from philosophy and literature but does not cite any of his sources. Would ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
5
answers
67
views
Seeking Academic-Level Source on Justifications of Democracy: A Comprehensive Listing with Critical Perspectives
I have recently embarked on a quest to delve deeper into the justifications of democracy, but I must admit, the plethora of information available has left me feeling overwhelmed. There seem to be ...
- 18.5k
1
vote
1
answer
47
views
Open Self vs. Closed Self/Society Distinction
In political philosophy and cultural studies, certain thinkers from the twentieth-century stand out for their reliance upon distinguishing between open and closed selfhood. It is a long-running theme ...
- 20.5k
2
votes
2
answers
60
views
Inquiring about Perspectives on the Theory of "the People" as a Political Concept
Seeking your insights and recommendations regarding a specific aspect of political philosophy - the theory of "the People."
I am currently exploring various perspectives on this concept and ...
- 20.5k
1
vote
2
answers
128
views
Could personal law really be defended through the fact that it is personal?
Let's suppose there is a preventative personal law, say that of consuming some drug , or practicing sexualities, then, a possible arguement set by those who are against it would be, the preventative ...
- 5,598
6
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Definition of Ownership
I am not student of philosophy so please forgive my sloppy question. I was having a discussion with someone about the definition of ownership.
I was arguing that you do not really own property in the ...
- 13.5k
4
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Why is taxation opposed by libertarians?
I have recently learnt that taxation is opposed by libertarians and that they the cite the principle of self - possession to justify this, an interesting argument along these lines equated taxation to ...
- 305
2
votes
3
answers
97
views
To what extent can the ability to commit crime in society be taken as an indicator of freedom?
Suppose we lived in a totalitarian regime with very little control of what we could own, what we could do and when we could do what we want. In such a case, it'd be that the crime rate would become ...
- 20.5k
4
votes
6
answers
349
views
Do academic philosophers have a special duty to challenge their government?
This is a question about source materials: I'm hoping someone can point me to a modern treatment of obligations to the state incurred by the act of philosophizing, or even an argument against the ...
0
votes
3
answers
179
views
Philosophical works on Privilege
I read the book "Caste", and can't recommend it highly enough. Are there any philosophical works that directly address the historical causes and current 'benefits' to society of what ended ...
- 4,107
5
votes
3
answers
261
views
Paradox relating to the act of resolving systematic discrimination
I live in India, here at birth we are assigned something called 'caste' based on our genealogy. For a long time in India, it was often that certain castes had access to much more resources than other ...
- 12.2k
3
votes
1
answer
100
views
Can, or should, one separate improvement of society from improvement of individual ethic?
Last night I was reminiscing upon Plato's Republic as an attempt for constructing as best a city as possible, and the latter The Laws which attempted to implement such.
Initially I was thinking of ...
CommunityBot
- 1
-1
votes
2
answers
126
views
What relationship should we have with people in power? [closed]
Suppose there is a village of a hundred people, and the hundred people democratically elect a leader X. Now, X was included in a lot of social circles from the beginning, should the people have the ...
- 2,128
5
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Philosophers on alternatives to capitalism and communism
Philosopher Karl Marx envisioned an economic system called communism to fight the abuses suffered by working class people during the industrial era. The exploitation of man by man
and the excessive ...
- 305
8
votes
15
answers
7k
views
Is it logical to seek revenge?
People believe revenge or "violence" to be illogical, impractical and immoral; illogical because the "violence" is executed in impulsive rage, impractical because the wheel of &...
2
votes
0
answers
48
views
Achille Mbembe's critique of desire in postcolony
In the postcolony, wherein a particular form of power rages, wherein
the dominant and the subjugated are specifically linked in one and the
same bundle of desire, enthusiasm for the end is often ...
- 1,896
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
how would Kant view the criminal justice systems of today's world?
for kant the sole purpose of punishment seemed to be retributivism and he believed in the principle of proportionality. given he was from a time when long term imprisonment wasn't a common punishment. ...
- 153
3
votes
4
answers
128
views
Is there a version of virtuous humor that survives?
The acceleration of contemporary life also plays a role in this lack
of being. The society of laboring and achievement is not a free
society. It generates new constraints. Ultimately, the dialectic of
...
- 4,107