POL 128 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Fidel Castro, Mahatma Gandhi

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Politics and Public Administration
• Course: POL 128
• Professor: Hartt Laurinda

Document Summary

Politics is a decision making mechanism for society: agriculture caused humans to stay in one place rather than constantly moving around. Politics is a system for conflict resolution. Can be viewed as the authoritative allocation of values. Problem is that everyone has a different definition of what a just society is . Empirical analysis: fact-based, as it is , realistic, aristotle is an example of empirical analysis. Wrote a book about the various different governments in the middle eastern cities that existed during his time. Came up with general conclusions using only facts rather than stating that one is better than another: machiavelli is another example. He takes an immoral perspective on the book. Normative analysis: fact based + ethics, as it should be , idealistic , plato wrote a book called the republic , karl marx. Can be exercised as: influence persuasion reason/emotions, coercion force (fine, authority willing accept the government because they believe the government is legitimate.