The political philosophy It is a branch of philosophy focused on reflecting on the political realities of societies and on how those societies should organize themselves to reach their maximum plenitude. In this sense, this discipline studies moral issues such as freedom, justice, truth or the notion of doing good..
In contrast to political science, which analyzes the past, present and future of political phenomena, political philosophy theorizes about what those phenomena should be like. In this way, it studies both the government systems and the relationships that exist between the rulers and the ruled..
The field of study of this discipline is very broad, so it is related to other branches of philosophy such as those in charge of economics or law. In addition, it is strongly linked to ethics, since it arises what type of political institutions are the most appropriate to achieve an adequate way of life..
One of the great questions that arise in this matter is about which entity the rights and obligations should fall on. Some authors lean towards the individual, while others point to the group.
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Political philosophy has existed since the human being began to consider organizing himself in society. Its foundations have varied throughout history, since while for the Greeks the polis was the center of political activity, for medieval thinkers everything had to revolve around God.
In the Renaissance, this branch of philosophy, like the rest, began to focus on the human being. At present, for its part, numerous models have been developed, from democratic to totalitarian..
Already in ancient China there were thinkers who reflected on the subject, especially from Confucius.
However, it was in Ancient Greece that philosophers developed a political thought that has survived to this day. From Plato to Aristotle, author of Politics, all of them reflected on the best system of government (timocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, democracy ...), ethics and the rights and duties of citizens.
During the Middle Ages, political philosophy was almost totally subordinate to Christian thought. As with the Muslim authors of the Golden Age of Islam, such as Ibn Khaldun, Christian thinkers put faith before reason..
Among the most important authors were Saint Thomas Aquinas, who recovered much of Aristotelian thought, and Saint Augustine, more influenced by Plato..
As in the rest of the fields, political philosophy in the Renaissance began to abandon theological thought.
Prince, by Nicolás Machiavelli, was one of the most influential works on the art of government in this period.
The Enlightenment meant a true revolution in political philosophy. Its authors affirmed that all human beings were born free and equal, which had a direct impact on politics, since it removed legitimacy from systems such as absolutism or the monarchy itself..
The philosophers of the Enlightenment tried to answer two basic questions: the first, about the causes that lead people to form states; and the second, about the best way in which these states can be organized..
The Industrial Revolution and the emergence of new social classes, such as the proletariat, led to the development of novel political theories.
The concept of class struggle, established by Marx, had a conception that went beyond economics and directly affected politics. The same happened with other ideas such as liberalism and, later, fascism.
The two world wars also brought about a great change in political thinking, with consequences that continue to this day..
From the end of the Second World War, a large number of authors appeared that can be ascribed to political philosophy.
The Cold War, which pitted the supporters of the socialist system and the followers of liberalism embodied by the US, had its corresponding philosophical justification, with authors positioned on both sides.
Later, other movements also emerged such as feminism, anti-colonialism or organizations defending LGBT rights..
Political thought tries to answer many of the great questions that are the basis of the birth of philosophy itself. Thus, the concepts of equality, justice or freedom are the three great questions on which this discipline was founded.
Aristotle already affirmed that the human being was a political animal, so any question about the organization of society concerns him.
Political philosophy deals with those issues and problems related to political phenomena. Among them, the origin of political power and the ways in which it has been organized; social institutions; and the norms, values and principles that justify the latter.
Likewise, this branch of philosophy also has as an object of study the construction, clarification and classification of all the aspects that make up the political universe..
From a theoretical point of view, one of the problems that political philosophy has most tackled in its history is the nature of politics, the different forms of government and their legitimacy. Thus, theories about justice have appeared, the one that deals with the social contract and others that affect justice, freedom, equality or democracy..
One of the most classic questions within this matter is the definition of concepts such as the nation and the State. Their differences, their similarities, the rights of their inhabitants and the feeling of belonging of individuals have been aspects much studied for their historical relevance..
Laws, their origin, their effect on societies and their legitimacy or otherwise are other classic problems that political philosophy tries to answer..
Philosophers dedicated to politics also analyze and study the relationships that occur between those who govern and the governed, as well as the balance between both actors..
Another of the great issues dealt with by political philosophy are the rights and duties that all individuals acquire when living in society, as well as from governments..
Few philosophers have not included reflections on power and how to exercise it, freedom, justice and other aspects of political philosophy in their works..
Some of the most influential in history have been Plato, Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau or Karl Marx.
Greek philosophers reflected on the best types of government before and after the term democracy was born in ancient Greece in the 5th century BC. C. One of the accusations against Socrates, for example, was that he had argued that freedom of thought should not be subordinated to religion.
Plato, for his part, tried to define what an ideal state should be like, what its structure should be and who the rulers should be. In his case, he argued that power should be assumed by philosophers.
Nicolás Machiavelli, born in Florence in 1469, is one of the most influential authors in modern political theory.
Before writing on the subject, the author had been actively involved in political life. With that experience, he wrote his most important work, Prince, in which he explained the means to establish and maintain political power, even with immoral methods.
The English author Thomas Hobbes (Westport, April 5, 1588) laid the foundations of the contractual theory.
This theory affirms that the State and society appear as a contract between humans in which a limitation of freedom is accepted in exchange for laws that ensure security and some advantages. His most important work on this subject was Leviathan, published in 1651.
Rousseau Geneva (June 28, 1712) was the author of one of the most important works within the Enlightenment: The social contract. In this, he explained that it was necessary to end despotism and found the rule of law, the only legitimate one for this philosopher.
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, was born in the Château de la Brède, on January 18, 1689.
In his most political work, he denied the existence of the social contract defended by other authors and affirmed that society and law had their origin in the nature of the human being..
He was also responsible for theorizing about the necessary separation of the three powers that any State assumes: the legislative, the executive and the judicial.
John Stuart Mill (London, May 20, 1806) reflected on the freedom of individuals in their relationship with power.
For this author, what he called the "principle of harm" should prevail, which he assumed in his words, "that each individual has the right to act according to their own will as long as such actions do not harm or harm others".
Karl Marx was born in Trier (Germany), on May 5, 1818. His works collect his thoughts on politics, economics, history and sociology. Marxism, which includes his theses, became one of the most influential ideological currents in the 20th century.
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