Political Philosophy, By Steven Cahn - 1197 Words

In Steven Cahn s book, Political Philosophy, The Essential Texts, philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau created the circumstances to enable the fundamental principals of philosophy and politics. These knowledgeable, astute and significant men have helped to achieve the structure of our past and present democracy as well as a plan of action for the rights and values that we as citizens can all relate to today. They are grounded in their thinking and tied together as a whole in ideas and practices of politics, philosophy and humankind. Possessors of morals and ethics reflected in their works have influenced current social interaction and the foundation of our current practice of democracy in which we have relied upon this present day. For over a hundred years, theorists have deliberated the nature of our species and the method of governing appropriately to warrant the Commonwealth. Today in politics there is a palpable disunion about the useful rol e of system and a sharp division regarding human nature. The role of government and society s role individually had been critical topics of the philosophers. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle had their thoughts on the subject of fairness and the government. Socrates was convinced that democracy was not a sensible form of government, in his opinion, the electorate of the people was rough justice. Plato alleged that government ought only to have rulers with the intelligence and educationShow MoreRelatedEssay on Socrates Fight for Justice1101 Words   |  5 Pagescrimes. Although none of the accusations have any true merit Socrates is forced into the courtroom. During his defense Socrates states, â€Å"A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive even a short time (Cahn pg. 36 Apology 32a1).† Socrates is arguing that anybody that wants to truly fight for justice must stay out of the public eye, and out of politics due to its corrupt nature. To back this claim Socrates follows with two ex amples of his past, one beingRead MoreJohn Locke versus Karl Marx Essay1259 Words   |  6 PagesTwo of the most influential and celebrated modern political thinkers, Karl Marx and John Locke, have made countless insightful and compelling arguments, expressing their ideas on various conditions of the individual, state, and the interactions between the two. Marx was a German political thinker who was best known for his works with idea of communism and social class divisions. Locke was an English philosopher famous for his social contract and is known as the Father of Liberalism (CITE). DespiteRead MoreMarx and the Bourgeoisie Essay1908 Words   |  8 Pagesand of exchange. (Marx, 424). In this sense, the bourgeoisie have the ability to change since they themselves are products of revolutions. In other terms, the bourgeoisie are an always changing class that has found ways to stay in power through political hegemony over the proletariat class. Marx conjures the proper preconditions for a successful rebellion but again contradicts himself through his own ideologies. Although Marx believes that capitalism will be responsible for the proletariat rebellionRead MoreThe Ethical Egoist: Whats the Problem in Plato’s The Republic, Socrates824 Words   |  3 PagesPlato’s The Republic, Socrates tries to explain the value of justice to man. Other educated Athenians challenge him, however Socrates pokes holes in all of their statements. Socrates argues that there are many problems with their views on social philosophy, especially when it comes to Thrasymachus’ idea of ethical egoism. Plato delivers his view of justice through Socrates when he responds to Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Cephalus on the issue. Throughout the discussion, Plato never argues against theRead MoreConceptions of the Social Contract Theory924 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were political philosophers who formulated their own version of the social contract theory. The social contract theory is a treaty or an agreement that developed a set of laws, organized a functional society, and created the need to be governed. It was put into place when man realized that there was no law. Mankind eventually sought the desire for security and order. To receive security and order people shall voluntarily give up all their rightsRead More Rousseau, Hobbes, and Locke : Interpretations of Human Nature 1593 Words   |  7 Pagesmost studied elements of the world we live in. From our nature came the interest of how we as humans interact with each other, through the development of our nature some have served and others had ruled. Three philosophers that have focused their political ideas around human nature have given a deeper meaning to their study of politics through the understanding of human nature. Each one of them had a distinctive interpretation of what human nature was and how it impacted the politics of the specificRead M oreVoltaires Criticism of Leibniz Essay4061 Words   |  17 Pagesimportant philosophical ideas were also developed. Some of the most important, which still influence the lives of Westerners on a daily basis, were the political doctrines developed in Europe in the eighteenth century. For the first time, people began to believe that they had individual rights. Prior to the Enlightenment, the commonly accepted political belief in Europe was the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings, which told the people that their monarch had been appointed by God and was responsibleRead MoreA Beast, No More : Curing Doubt2549 Words   |  11 PagesGreece during the 6th century BCE. Two key figures contributing to Greek philosophy were Socrates and Aristotle who both developed fundamental ideals: idealism and materialism. Socrates explained through idealist logic that the truth of life is relative to each individual’s ideas and reasoning, while Aristotle believed through materialism that lif e is based on rationality and motive. Centuries later, these ancient Greek philosophies were revived in 14th century Italy and spread to the rest of Europe untilRead MoreEssay Socrates and Thrasymachus in Republic2140 Words   |  9 Pagesblueprint can be applied to a moral individual. Works Cited 1. Plato (trans. Robin Waterfield). Republic, Oxford University Press Inc., New York. 1998 edition. 2. Nagel, Thomas. â€Å"Equality and Partiality,† in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy, ed. Steven Cahn (Oxford University Press, 2002). 3. Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. Henry Holt Company 2001. Read MoreEssay about Affirmative Action3693 Words   |  15 Pagessociety because such a goal is nearly impossible to achieve. If affirmative action policies were to be removed, many groups including ethnic minorities, women, students, the disabled, the poor and the elderly would suffer the consequences. The political divisiveness of the affirmative action debate is fueled in part by the divided nature of the public opinion concerning affirmative action. It seems that for the most part, all individuals, including whites, are in favor of the ideology behind affirmative