At the risk of oversimplification four basic categories may be utilized to cover the spectrum of political philosophy.
• Classical liberalism argues that the individual should be allowed to live as he or she desires with minimal involvement of the State.
• Classical conservatism assumes that people cannot be trusted to act properly and consequently must be told how to act by the authority of the State.
• Authoritarianism contends that decision sabot what is socially appropriate must be left to the government alone, thereby minimizing the ability of the individual for self-control and direction.
• Libertarianism advances that the least government is the best government which by implication minimizes the presence and the power of governmental authority.
These four categories provide an interpretive grid or frame of reference for the study of the political philosophy's of various individuals.
• Plato may be categorized as a conservative authoritarian. As such, Plato was pessimistic about the ability of the individual to responsibly manage his or her life (Conservative). Consequently, Plato argued for the existence of a strong central power or State which would insure both individual and social order (Authoritarian).
• Thomas Hobbes may be categorized as a liberal authoritarian. Hobbes argued that the individual could be trusted (Liberal). However, he argued that decisions and laws regarding what is socially right should be left to the state in order to prohibit social anarchy and chaos between individuals.
• John Locke is a liberal libertarian. He argues optimistically that individual can be trusted to do as they want and also that there should be minimal state intrusion into the individual rights or the social dimension of individual existence.
• Jean Jacques Rousseau presents a very unique political philosophy. Rousseau is a liberal libertarian regarding how human beings are naturally. However, Rousseau is a conservative libertarian regarding people under the influence of society. As will be seen in subsequent entries, Rousseau owes the transformation of human nature from a higher to a lower state of being to the corrupting influence of social existence.
• John Stuart Mill's political philosophy reflects that of a liberal conservative. In short he is more of a classic liberal concerning private or personal matters and a classic conservative regarding public matters.
