POLI 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Rationality, Merchant Prince, Scientific Socialism
Document Summary
Epochs: classical times, middle ages, modern ages, postmodern. Ages: ancient greeks, roman period, christianity, renaissance, enlightenment, romantic era, industrial era: political ideas emerge out of thinker/books; political concepts. Definition of politics: standard: the art and science of governing", ancient/medieval: art that must be practiced, honed. The art of governing: ancient greek - the art of justice. Plato"s republic: how politics ought" to be: question for morals and ethics. Just society is a society where the common good is served. Ruler"s task to rule for the common whole. A study in morality: ethics (individual) vs politics (society) = a parallel between these two worlds. Rationality and reason must always rule over the appetite to have a just society. Philosophers rule; good of people is paramount = referred to in cave analogy. The best governed state is the one where the philosopher king rules (cave analogy) Philosopher, goodness, truth as the basis of how politics ought" to be.
