One of the more challenging areas of the study of Philosophy concerns Political Philosophy. Some of the central questions addressed in Political Philosophy are:
• Are we naturally political?
• Is civil society artificial or necessary?
• What distinguishes legitimate from illegitimate authority?
• Are political bodies necessarily unjust because they restrict freedom?
• What is the role of the State?
• At what point does the state become intrusive to human liberties?
The Political spectrum consists essentially of four categories.
• Classical Liberalism argues people should be allowed to do as they want. The emphasis of this perspective is upon maximization of individual liberties and minimization of the power of the State. An important distinction should be made between "classical liberalism" and "contemporary liberalism." While "classical liberalism" emphasized what might be termed a minimalization of government, "contemporary liberalism" calls for an increase in governmental size and involvement in individual and social functioning.
Question: What is the difference between "classical liberalism" as defined above and "contemporary liberalism" of today?
• Classical Conservatism assumes that people cannot be trusted to act properly and must be told what to do by the State. The focus of this political philosophy is upon the maximization of the authority of the State and the minimization of the liberties of the individual. As above, an important distinction should also be made between "classical conservatism" and "modern conservatism" in that the classical model called for maximal governmental size and involvement whereas the contemporary model calls for a decrease in governmental size and function.
Question: What is the difference between "classical conservatism" as defined above and "contemporary conservatism" of today?
• Authoritarianism argues that decisions about what is socially right must be left to the government and also places complete authority in the power of the State, usually in the form of one highly powerful leader.
Question: What are two strengths and two weaknesses of "authoritarianism"?
• Libertarianism contends that the least government is the best government and therefore that the State has minimal obligations toward the citizenry perhaps with the exception of protection from outside threat.
Question: How does "libertarianism" view human nature? How does "libertarianism" view the state?
Leading philosophers such as Plato, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and John Stuart Mill fit into various of the previously cited categories, each depending essentially how each perceives the authority and the liberty of the individual. However, it should be acknowledged that the Philosophers conclusions regarding these matters is squarely rooted in his understanding of human nature and the source of authority (God or Society) from which human liberty is derived.
