A HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT
Class 1: Introduction (05.11.24)
Key questions:
● What is justice?
● What is democracy and should we prefer it over other types of government?
● What are the goals & aims of society (and what should they be?)?
● Why should we obey the law? And (when) are we allowed to rebel?
● What makes a proper citizen? Should the state raise/educate people to become good citizens?
● What is the essence of good & bad governance?
Political theory - general definition: political theory is the study of the essence, causes & effects of good & bad
governance
3 core ideas:
1. Good & bad governance has a tremendous impact on the quality of life
2. Out type of gov is not set in stone
3. We can (and should) distinguish between good & bad rule
Political philosophers shaped our ideas of how to govern & what good rulers consist of → their ideas are still
relevant for thinking abt current political affairs
About this course:
- Content: 12 philosophies/philosophers
- Who to read: “the canon” (aka the dwemps)
Time to broaden our scope a bit:
- Be aware of the various biases of the thinkers in our canon
- Enter: a history of political thought → make room for more voices than white man
Book to read: ramgotra & choat “rethinking political thinkers”
Weekly assignments:
- Every wednesday, provided at the end of the morning seminar & u have to hand it in before 4pm the same
day before the meeting at 4pm
- Possible answers discussed in the discussion session
- To get a pass:
- Upload it in time & be in class on time
1
, - Answers should be well-written, within the word-limit & contain a clear reflection on the topic
- U need to be present in the class & actively participate
Exam:
- Closed book exam, u need to know knowledge
- Digital exam
- 6 short questions (4 p/each; correspond to one of that week’s thinkers; u can get waivers for this)
- 4 longer questions (15 p/each; larger, connecting the ideas of different authors)
- 1 bonus question (1p)
Class 2: Plato (06.11.24)
Life & times of Plato:
● 427 - 347 BC
● Born into an aristocratic family
● Pupil of socrates
● Works largely preserved (texts in dialogue)
● Politeia (translated as: the republic, the state, the constitution)
○ Main political work
○ “What is justice?”
Historical context: ancient athens
507: emergence of democracy
480: greeks defeat the persians
469: pericles comes to power
431: start of peloponnesian war
417: birth of plato
404: rule of the 30 tyrants
403: democracy is restored
399: execution of socrates by democratic regime
387: plato founds the academy
“The human race will have no respite from evils until those who are really philosophers acquire political power
or until, through some divine dispensation, those who rule & have political authority in the cities become real
philosophers”
Socrates (469 - 399 BC)
2
,What is justice?
Republic: 4 wrong conceptions of justice
1. Cephalus: to be honest & give every man his due
a. No, does not tell us what is dues
2. Polemarchus: to do good to your friends, and to do harm to your enemies
a. No, makes ppl worse off
3. Thrasymachus (1): justice is what is in the interest of the strongest
a. No, incoherent
4. Thrasymachus (2): justice is what keeps men to promises (crime pays)
a. No, if u benefit from unjust acts, u cannot be happy
Is it always in the interest of the individual to be just?
Glaucon: moral contract
Socrates: no, justice must have basis in natural order, not a human creation
The city and the soul – plato/socrates’ analogy, the soul should be similarly divided to the city,
City Soul Virtue
Rulers (philosopher-kings; Reason / rational element (logos) Wisdom (temperance)
guardians)
Auxiliaries (soldiers; guardians) Honor / spirited element (thymos) Courage (justice)
Producers (farmers, producers, Desire / appetitive element
(epithymia)
craftsmen)
+ Temperance (self-restraint) for all groups
+ “[U]nlike courage and wisdom, both of which imbued the community with their respective
qualities while being properties of only a part of the community, temperance literally spans the
whole octaval spread of the community, and makes the weakest, the strongest, and the ones in
between all sing in unison, whatever criterion you choose in order to assess their relative strength
. . . And the upshot is that we couldn’t go wrong if we claimed that temperance was this unanimity,
a harmony between the naturally worse and naturally better elements of society as to which of
them should rule both in a community and in every individual”
+ Justice for all groups
3
, The just soul
Socrates says the virtues of the just soul are analogous to those of the just city and so can be construed in its light. A
soul will be wise if its important decisions are made by a reasoning element that deliberates for the good of the
whole. It will be brave if its spirited part is willing to abide by its convictions as to what is good and bad, and not be
shaken by dangers or temptations. Temperance and justice, unlike these two virtues, are not virtues of particular
elements, but concern relationships between them. Temperance is willing acquiescence on the part of all elements in
the soul’s overall order. This means that each part is content to stay in its own place and to do its own job
Injustice is division:
● In the soul: for example when a desire takes over due to a lack of self-control: a person who is a slave to
their passions cannot be just
● In the city: for example, when the lower classes rebel & take over the city by force, and they lead the city
according to their dominant passions (which they have less control over than the rulers)
Plato’s metaphysics: 2 world ontology
- World of matter (sensory world) → mere project, does not show us the reality; always in flux (changeable,
malleable, variable); deceptive; temporary; thats the real world, here we try to imitate the things we have
seen in the world of the forms (he thought thats where ppl where before they were born) but we never
succeed in reproducing that exactly perfect thing
- World of the forms (ideas) → objects in their true form, they are unchangeable, u can find the good & its
upper form here - order, leads to happiness; non-physical, perfect world where "ideal" versions of
everything exist
- Only reason can transcend sensory perceptions, philosophers r trying to do that
- Thought & philosophy
- The only way to the truth is via the mind
- We recognize things (like beauty) because our souls "remember" the perfect Form from before we were
born. Plato thought the soul existed in the World of Forms before it entered a body.
Allegory of the cave: u only see the reflection, projection of things; philosophers try to “break away” from the
world of forms by studying, become enlightened but the people don't want to listen; the philosopher kings r facing
the challenge of enlightening the people, philosophers r the ones that break from the cave and see the perfect world
through their reason
Ruling kallipolis → How should the philosopher kings & queens rule?
Plato's ideal state mirrors the structure of the soul, which he believed has three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite.
Similarly, society is divided into three classes: rulers (philosopher-kings), who represent reason and govern with
wisdom; auxiliaries (warriors), who represent spirit and defend the state with courage; and producers (farmers,
4
Class 1: Introduction (05.11.24)
Key questions:
● What is justice?
● What is democracy and should we prefer it over other types of government?
● What are the goals & aims of society (and what should they be?)?
● Why should we obey the law? And (when) are we allowed to rebel?
● What makes a proper citizen? Should the state raise/educate people to become good citizens?
● What is the essence of good & bad governance?
Political theory - general definition: political theory is the study of the essence, causes & effects of good & bad
governance
3 core ideas:
1. Good & bad governance has a tremendous impact on the quality of life
2. Out type of gov is not set in stone
3. We can (and should) distinguish between good & bad rule
Political philosophers shaped our ideas of how to govern & what good rulers consist of → their ideas are still
relevant for thinking abt current political affairs
About this course:
- Content: 12 philosophies/philosophers
- Who to read: “the canon” (aka the dwemps)
Time to broaden our scope a bit:
- Be aware of the various biases of the thinkers in our canon
- Enter: a history of political thought → make room for more voices than white man
Book to read: ramgotra & choat “rethinking political thinkers”
Weekly assignments:
- Every wednesday, provided at the end of the morning seminar & u have to hand it in before 4pm the same
day before the meeting at 4pm
- Possible answers discussed in the discussion session
- To get a pass:
- Upload it in time & be in class on time
1
, - Answers should be well-written, within the word-limit & contain a clear reflection on the topic
- U need to be present in the class & actively participate
Exam:
- Closed book exam, u need to know knowledge
- Digital exam
- 6 short questions (4 p/each; correspond to one of that week’s thinkers; u can get waivers for this)
- 4 longer questions (15 p/each; larger, connecting the ideas of different authors)
- 1 bonus question (1p)
Class 2: Plato (06.11.24)
Life & times of Plato:
● 427 - 347 BC
● Born into an aristocratic family
● Pupil of socrates
● Works largely preserved (texts in dialogue)
● Politeia (translated as: the republic, the state, the constitution)
○ Main political work
○ “What is justice?”
Historical context: ancient athens
507: emergence of democracy
480: greeks defeat the persians
469: pericles comes to power
431: start of peloponnesian war
417: birth of plato
404: rule of the 30 tyrants
403: democracy is restored
399: execution of socrates by democratic regime
387: plato founds the academy
“The human race will have no respite from evils until those who are really philosophers acquire political power
or until, through some divine dispensation, those who rule & have political authority in the cities become real
philosophers”
Socrates (469 - 399 BC)
2
,What is justice?
Republic: 4 wrong conceptions of justice
1. Cephalus: to be honest & give every man his due
a. No, does not tell us what is dues
2. Polemarchus: to do good to your friends, and to do harm to your enemies
a. No, makes ppl worse off
3. Thrasymachus (1): justice is what is in the interest of the strongest
a. No, incoherent
4. Thrasymachus (2): justice is what keeps men to promises (crime pays)
a. No, if u benefit from unjust acts, u cannot be happy
Is it always in the interest of the individual to be just?
Glaucon: moral contract
Socrates: no, justice must have basis in natural order, not a human creation
The city and the soul – plato/socrates’ analogy, the soul should be similarly divided to the city,
City Soul Virtue
Rulers (philosopher-kings; Reason / rational element (logos) Wisdom (temperance)
guardians)
Auxiliaries (soldiers; guardians) Honor / spirited element (thymos) Courage (justice)
Producers (farmers, producers, Desire / appetitive element
(epithymia)
craftsmen)
+ Temperance (self-restraint) for all groups
+ “[U]nlike courage and wisdom, both of which imbued the community with their respective
qualities while being properties of only a part of the community, temperance literally spans the
whole octaval spread of the community, and makes the weakest, the strongest, and the ones in
between all sing in unison, whatever criterion you choose in order to assess their relative strength
. . . And the upshot is that we couldn’t go wrong if we claimed that temperance was this unanimity,
a harmony between the naturally worse and naturally better elements of society as to which of
them should rule both in a community and in every individual”
+ Justice for all groups
3
, The just soul
Socrates says the virtues of the just soul are analogous to those of the just city and so can be construed in its light. A
soul will be wise if its important decisions are made by a reasoning element that deliberates for the good of the
whole. It will be brave if its spirited part is willing to abide by its convictions as to what is good and bad, and not be
shaken by dangers or temptations. Temperance and justice, unlike these two virtues, are not virtues of particular
elements, but concern relationships between them. Temperance is willing acquiescence on the part of all elements in
the soul’s overall order. This means that each part is content to stay in its own place and to do its own job
Injustice is division:
● In the soul: for example when a desire takes over due to a lack of self-control: a person who is a slave to
their passions cannot be just
● In the city: for example, when the lower classes rebel & take over the city by force, and they lead the city
according to their dominant passions (which they have less control over than the rulers)
Plato’s metaphysics: 2 world ontology
- World of matter (sensory world) → mere project, does not show us the reality; always in flux (changeable,
malleable, variable); deceptive; temporary; thats the real world, here we try to imitate the things we have
seen in the world of the forms (he thought thats where ppl where before they were born) but we never
succeed in reproducing that exactly perfect thing
- World of the forms (ideas) → objects in their true form, they are unchangeable, u can find the good & its
upper form here - order, leads to happiness; non-physical, perfect world where "ideal" versions of
everything exist
- Only reason can transcend sensory perceptions, philosophers r trying to do that
- Thought & philosophy
- The only way to the truth is via the mind
- We recognize things (like beauty) because our souls "remember" the perfect Form from before we were
born. Plato thought the soul existed in the World of Forms before it entered a body.
Allegory of the cave: u only see the reflection, projection of things; philosophers try to “break away” from the
world of forms by studying, become enlightened but the people don't want to listen; the philosopher kings r facing
the challenge of enlightening the people, philosophers r the ones that break from the cave and see the perfect world
through their reason
Ruling kallipolis → How should the philosopher kings & queens rule?
Plato's ideal state mirrors the structure of the soul, which he believed has three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite.
Similarly, society is divided into three classes: rulers (philosopher-kings), who represent reason and govern with
wisdom; auxiliaries (warriors), who represent spirit and defend the state with courage; and producers (farmers,
4
