POL208Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Liberal Democracy
22 Nov 2018
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Document Summary
Different approaches and philosophical assumptions about politics and the state. D. easton and the liberal tradition: politics as allocation- who gets what when and how. Means of allocation: custom, exchange and command. Contract model of states origin/ consent of the governed. Karl schmitt and politics as us v. the other. Basic dichotomy that defines disciplines (philosophy, ethics, economics, law) Politics- friend v. foe; order in any society is only possible in so far as the threat of disorder posed by other societies is kept at bay. Most fundamental political function is deciding what other collectivities pose a threat. There is no legal norm so important, morality so absolute no social project so compelling as to justify men killing each other. Continental tradition machiavelli, sun zu, clausewitz german historical experience. Liberal trad. - liberal democracy, checks and balances, sep. of powersrule of law.
