POLITICAL THOUGHT SAMENVATTING
LECTURE 1 INTRODUCTION
Political thought is a compromise between political theory and political
philosophy. Political theory is political it makes an argument to remedy an
unjust situation.
It’s a compromise relies on the corpus of political philosophy in order to
critically think about justice, democracy, inequalities etc.
How to define democracy?
Problem: the term democracy is used in very different contexts and has multiple
meanings it’s not only applicable to politics
- As a descriptor: a democratic regime, decision, assembly, etc.
- As an indicator of political legitimacy: (this is not democratic! )
- As a decision model (democracy in the workplace)
But the expectations are not the same at these different levels: We defend
democracy in politics and accept tyranny in the workplace. the conception of
equality somehow is implemented differently. In a company we know we are not
equal.
A. Etymology; the power of Demos, demos-kratos
Abraham Lincoln’s famous definition : “government of the people, for the people,
and by the people“
Problem: There are multiple questions left:
Who are exactly “the people”? What are the borders of the demos? how
can we draw the border between the people and the ‘not-people’ what
do we do with the foreigners?
Why is the demos sovereign?
And what does it mean? (referendum? Elections? Citizen assemblies?)
Is it the demos or the political parties that are sovereign?
Is it a good form of government?
Can the majority impose its rule to the minority(-ies)?
Can the demos do whatever it wants?
when we have this very easy definition of democracy, we still have many
areas of shadows which we have to explore.
B. Democracy as Sovereign Will
= What makes democracy powerful is that we all have the same wave on
deciding on what we should do and that one voice is equal to another.
Democracy is a regime in which the people make their own laws (directly or
indirectly)
But is it enough to define democracy ?
Is what the people wants always right ? – the question of limits and hubris
- Example : majority vote to ban religious freedom, or to massively
tax the rich?
- The fear of democracy (Plato)
- Majority decides to consume and not care about environmental
damage?
- What about other liberties? Free markets?
we still need somehow to protect the minorities
there should be limitation to control stupid decisions anti-democratic,
democratic decisions.
we need to add the protection of the human rights.
,C. Democracy and (Human) Rights:
Complement: add the guarantee of human rights and basic liberties
- Is it enough to define democracy?
- You can have rights in a non-democratic regime
- Example: 18th century England: King with strong powers, yet
limited by a bill of rights
- You can have rights and still suffer domination
- Rights in a society that doesn’t care about them are abstract
It is not enough to have rights and liberties. The idea of democracy also calls for
a form of popular sovereignty.
Provisional definition = democracy is a sovereign power vested in the people
+ individual liberties and human rights
negative and positive aspects of this definition
positive: what the people want is what they should get democracy is
allowing people to do what they want to do
negative: what the people want, is not always what is right
this definition is used as a starting point.
(In)equality
Rousseau: no citizen should get rich enough to buy another one, or too poor to
be forced to sell himself to another.
money and the power to buy structures social relations and it
undermines the quality of democracy.
In theory: all men and women are equal, but money can also buy you power
why is inequality a problem for democracy and what can we do about it?
1. Economic inequalities convert into political inequalities
2. It is also a symbolic meaning
one of the problems with inequality is that we don’t really realize how bad it is.
the rich people think they are poorer than they already are and the poor
people think they are richer than they are.
LECTURE 2 ATHENIAN INSTITUTIONS
what do the classics have to say about democracy and inequality?
there is this very strong view if I take something that I transform by my own
labor, I have the right to own what my labor has produced.
Basic idea: if it is my private property, I can do whatever I want with it, and
nobody can take it. Especially not the government. do whatever you want with
it, except what is forbidden.
Questions that will be asked during this entire class:
• Is private property legitimate? Why? How far does it entail economic
inequalities?
• Is economic inequality a threat for democracy? Does democratic theory
imply a form of economic equality?
• Why is political authority legitimate?
• If democracy requires a minimal economic equality, is there a democratic
limit to income and/or wealth inequalities?
Method:
,Come back to classical authors to understand the history of the democratic ideal
and ground a critical reflection on democratic theory today.
PART 1: THE INVENTION OF DEMOCRACY
Democratic institutions in Athens:
Athen’s golden age:
When?
Where?
why did Athens discover democracy and what is it exactly and how did it work?
we mostly talk about city’s here which they start expanding
Why did the Athenians invent democracy?
2 main things are important:
1. The kind of religion that Athenians had usually their Gods are not in the
city there distant from human stories, but still have present relations
it is very different from monotheism, because God is kind of watching you
in this case that is very different you cannot question the will of the
God, because it is out of the city
2. The Greeks had some place for the paradox, to try to make sense of
contradictions
2 different ways of accepting the norms:
Hetero-nomy (the other): we cannot question the law because we
cannot question the will of the God = the good law is the law made by
God the law is legitimate because it comes from the other which is
not in the city
Auto-nomy (us): the law is legitimate because it is made by us the
laws that rule the city are always made by humans and citizens here
and now and so you are free to rule how you want because you don’t
have to listen to God or another you have the huge responsibility of
creating our own laws
= this is what happened to Greek at that time they were able to
make their own laws they did not have to submit to the will of the
Gods
they had no answer to questions so that had to think what they
wanted to do as a society and make decisions about that democracy
needed to make those decisions and answers to the questions
philosophy, politics and democracy
= triple birth: philosophy (to answer them), politics (to answer them collectively),
democracy (no one has a better answer than somebody else) Castoriadis
= there is no direct relation between religion and political organizations
Athen’s institutions: the origins
7th century bce Draco Written law If the law is
written, there is
no place for
dispute. Harsh
law, almost
, everything was
sentenced by
death (a
draconian law)
650-558 bce Solon conflict Conflict between he created the
between the eupadrites and demos. heliaia, the
eupatrides (adel) He cancels all ekklesia and the
and the demos personal debts and boule. New code
(normale volk) abolishes of laws, because
Solon is called to it was too harsh
enslavement for
solve this conflict
debts.
535-538 bce Peisistratos The “good” tyrant Problem: when
he died, the
situation got
complicated
507 bce Cleisthenes Real inventor of Isomnia
Athenian institutions (everyone
needs to be
judged in the
same way) and
isegoria
(everyone must
have the same
ability to
speak)
Athen’s institutions:
- The Boulè (council of 500):
50/tribe, turns each pritany (=period)
Prepares the work for the ekklesia.
Sort of permanent administration. sets the agenda they have
some power for administrative matters (maybe the most important
organ)
- The Ekklesia:
LECTURE 1 INTRODUCTION
Political thought is a compromise between political theory and political
philosophy. Political theory is political it makes an argument to remedy an
unjust situation.
It’s a compromise relies on the corpus of political philosophy in order to
critically think about justice, democracy, inequalities etc.
How to define democracy?
Problem: the term democracy is used in very different contexts and has multiple
meanings it’s not only applicable to politics
- As a descriptor: a democratic regime, decision, assembly, etc.
- As an indicator of political legitimacy: (this is not democratic! )
- As a decision model (democracy in the workplace)
But the expectations are not the same at these different levels: We defend
democracy in politics and accept tyranny in the workplace. the conception of
equality somehow is implemented differently. In a company we know we are not
equal.
A. Etymology; the power of Demos, demos-kratos
Abraham Lincoln’s famous definition : “government of the people, for the people,
and by the people“
Problem: There are multiple questions left:
Who are exactly “the people”? What are the borders of the demos? how
can we draw the border between the people and the ‘not-people’ what
do we do with the foreigners?
Why is the demos sovereign?
And what does it mean? (referendum? Elections? Citizen assemblies?)
Is it the demos or the political parties that are sovereign?
Is it a good form of government?
Can the majority impose its rule to the minority(-ies)?
Can the demos do whatever it wants?
when we have this very easy definition of democracy, we still have many
areas of shadows which we have to explore.
B. Democracy as Sovereign Will
= What makes democracy powerful is that we all have the same wave on
deciding on what we should do and that one voice is equal to another.
Democracy is a regime in which the people make their own laws (directly or
indirectly)
But is it enough to define democracy ?
Is what the people wants always right ? – the question of limits and hubris
- Example : majority vote to ban religious freedom, or to massively
tax the rich?
- The fear of democracy (Plato)
- Majority decides to consume and not care about environmental
damage?
- What about other liberties? Free markets?
we still need somehow to protect the minorities
there should be limitation to control stupid decisions anti-democratic,
democratic decisions.
we need to add the protection of the human rights.
,C. Democracy and (Human) Rights:
Complement: add the guarantee of human rights and basic liberties
- Is it enough to define democracy?
- You can have rights in a non-democratic regime
- Example: 18th century England: King with strong powers, yet
limited by a bill of rights
- You can have rights and still suffer domination
- Rights in a society that doesn’t care about them are abstract
It is not enough to have rights and liberties. The idea of democracy also calls for
a form of popular sovereignty.
Provisional definition = democracy is a sovereign power vested in the people
+ individual liberties and human rights
negative and positive aspects of this definition
positive: what the people want is what they should get democracy is
allowing people to do what they want to do
negative: what the people want, is not always what is right
this definition is used as a starting point.
(In)equality
Rousseau: no citizen should get rich enough to buy another one, or too poor to
be forced to sell himself to another.
money and the power to buy structures social relations and it
undermines the quality of democracy.
In theory: all men and women are equal, but money can also buy you power
why is inequality a problem for democracy and what can we do about it?
1. Economic inequalities convert into political inequalities
2. It is also a symbolic meaning
one of the problems with inequality is that we don’t really realize how bad it is.
the rich people think they are poorer than they already are and the poor
people think they are richer than they are.
LECTURE 2 ATHENIAN INSTITUTIONS
what do the classics have to say about democracy and inequality?
there is this very strong view if I take something that I transform by my own
labor, I have the right to own what my labor has produced.
Basic idea: if it is my private property, I can do whatever I want with it, and
nobody can take it. Especially not the government. do whatever you want with
it, except what is forbidden.
Questions that will be asked during this entire class:
• Is private property legitimate? Why? How far does it entail economic
inequalities?
• Is economic inequality a threat for democracy? Does democratic theory
imply a form of economic equality?
• Why is political authority legitimate?
• If democracy requires a minimal economic equality, is there a democratic
limit to income and/or wealth inequalities?
Method:
,Come back to classical authors to understand the history of the democratic ideal
and ground a critical reflection on democratic theory today.
PART 1: THE INVENTION OF DEMOCRACY
Democratic institutions in Athens:
Athen’s golden age:
When?
Where?
why did Athens discover democracy and what is it exactly and how did it work?
we mostly talk about city’s here which they start expanding
Why did the Athenians invent democracy?
2 main things are important:
1. The kind of religion that Athenians had usually their Gods are not in the
city there distant from human stories, but still have present relations
it is very different from monotheism, because God is kind of watching you
in this case that is very different you cannot question the will of the
God, because it is out of the city
2. The Greeks had some place for the paradox, to try to make sense of
contradictions
2 different ways of accepting the norms:
Hetero-nomy (the other): we cannot question the law because we
cannot question the will of the God = the good law is the law made by
God the law is legitimate because it comes from the other which is
not in the city
Auto-nomy (us): the law is legitimate because it is made by us the
laws that rule the city are always made by humans and citizens here
and now and so you are free to rule how you want because you don’t
have to listen to God or another you have the huge responsibility of
creating our own laws
= this is what happened to Greek at that time they were able to
make their own laws they did not have to submit to the will of the
Gods
they had no answer to questions so that had to think what they
wanted to do as a society and make decisions about that democracy
needed to make those decisions and answers to the questions
philosophy, politics and democracy
= triple birth: philosophy (to answer them), politics (to answer them collectively),
democracy (no one has a better answer than somebody else) Castoriadis
= there is no direct relation between religion and political organizations
Athen’s institutions: the origins
7th century bce Draco Written law If the law is
written, there is
no place for
dispute. Harsh
law, almost
, everything was
sentenced by
death (a
draconian law)
650-558 bce Solon conflict Conflict between he created the
between the eupadrites and demos. heliaia, the
eupatrides (adel) He cancels all ekklesia and the
and the demos personal debts and boule. New code
(normale volk) abolishes of laws, because
Solon is called to it was too harsh
enslavement for
solve this conflict
debts.
535-538 bce Peisistratos The “good” tyrant Problem: when
he died, the
situation got
complicated
507 bce Cleisthenes Real inventor of Isomnia
Athenian institutions (everyone
needs to be
judged in the
same way) and
isegoria
(everyone must
have the same
ability to
speak)
Athen’s institutions:
- The Boulè (council of 500):
50/tribe, turns each pritany (=period)
Prepares the work for the ekklesia.
Sort of permanent administration. sets the agenda they have
some power for administrative matters (maybe the most important
organ)
- The Ekklesia:
