Overview

Political Philosophy asks how we should live together. It explores the legitimacy of government, the distribution of resources, and the balance between freedom and security.

Core Idea

The core idea is legitimacy. Why do I have to obey the law? What gives the government the right to tax me or put me in jail?

Formal Definition

The study of topics such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of laws by authority.

Intuition

It’s ethics on a large scale.

  • Hobbes: Without government, life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” We need a King (Leviathan) to keep us from killing each other.
  • Locke: We have natural rights (Life, Liberty, Property). Government exists only to protect them.
  • Marx: Politics is class struggle. The state is a tool of the rich to oppress the poor.

Examples

  • Social Contract: The imaginary agreement where we trade some freedom for security (Rousseau).
  • Distributive Justice: How should wealth be split? (Rawls: Inequality is okay only if it helps the poorest).
  • Libertarianism: The government should do almost nothing (Nozick).

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: It’s just “politics” (campaigning/voting).
    • Correction: Political Science studies how the system works. Political Philosophy asks how it ought to work.
  • Misconception: Democracy is the only answer.
    • Correction: Philosophers have debated monarchy, aristocracy, and epistocracy (rule by the wise) for millennia.
  • Justice: The concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, religion, equity and fairness.
  • Rights: Legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement.
  • Anarchism: The belief that the state is unnecessary or harmful.

Applications

  • Constitution Writing: The US Founding Fathers were deeply influenced by Locke and Montesquieu.
  • Policy Making: Debates on taxes, healthcare, and war are rooted in political philosophy.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Ideal Theory: Critics argue philosophers focus too much on “perfect” societies (Utopias) and ignore the messy reality of power (Realpolitik).

Further Reading

  • A Theory of Justice by John Rawls
  • Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick