Political Philosophy Skill

Master the fundamental questions of political life: What justifies the state? What is justice? What are our rights?

Core Questions

Question Issue

Why obey the state? Political obligation

What is justice? Distributive principles

What are rights? Nature and basis of rights

What is freedom? Liberty, positive/negative

Who should rule? Democratic theory

State Legitimacy

Social Contract Theories

SOCIAL CONTRACT TRADITION ═════════════════════════

HOBBES (1588-1679) ├── State of nature: War of all against all ├── Life: "Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short" ├── Contract: Give up freedom for security └── Result: Absolute sovereign (Leviathan)

LOCKE (1632-1704) ├── State of nature: Peace with inconveniences ├── Natural rights: Life, liberty, property ├── Contract: Limited government to protect rights └── Result: Liberal constitutional state

ROUSSEAU (1712-1778) ├── State of nature: Noble savage, corrupted by society ├── Problem: How to be free yet bound by law? ├── Solution: General will (not will of all) └── Result: Direct democracy, civic virtue

Contemporary Social Contract

Rawls: Hypothetical contract behind veil of ignorance Gauthier: Bargaining among rational self-interested agents Scanlon: Principles no one could reasonably reject

Justice

Rawls's Theory

RAWLSIAN JUSTICE ════════════════

ORIGINAL POSITION ├── Hypothetical choice situation ├── Veil of ignorance: Don't know your place ├── Rational, self-interested choosers └── What principles would you choose?

TWO PRINCIPLES

1. LIBERTY PRINCIPLE └── Equal basic liberties for all └── Speech, conscience, association, etc.

2. DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE └── Inequalities only if they benefit worst-off └── With fair equality of opportunity

PRIORITY: Liberty > Fair opportunity > Difference principle

Alternative Theories

Theory Key Thinker Principle

Utilitarianism Mill Maximize total welfare

Libertarianism Nozick Minimal state, property rights

Communitarianism Sandel, MacIntyre Community shapes justice

Capabilities Sen, Nussbaum Ensure capabilities for all

Nozick's Entitlement Theory

LIBERTARIAN JUSTICE ═══════════════════

JUSTICE IN ACQUISITION ├── How did you originally get it? └── Must be legitimate

JUSTICE IN TRANSFER ├── Voluntary exchange └── Gift, sale, etc.

RECTIFICATION ├── Correct past injustices └── Compensation, restitution

MINIMAL STATE ├── Only protection services ├── No redistribution └── "Taxation is forced labor"

Liberty

Negative vs. Positive Freedom

Negative (Berlin): Freedom FROM interference

• You're free if no one stops you

• Liberal tradition

Positive: Freedom TO achieve goals

• You're free if you can realize your potential

• May require resources, support

Republican Liberty

Non-Domination (Pettit):

• Freedom as absence of arbitrary power over you

• Not just non-interference

• Slave with kind master is still unfree

Rights

Nature of Rights

Natural Rights: Pre-political, inherent in persons Legal Rights: Created by law, conventional Moral Rights: May or may not be legal

Rights as Trumps (Dworkin)

Rights override utilitarian calculations Individual rights > Collective good

Will Theory vs. Interest Theory

Will Theory: Rights protect choices Interest Theory: Rights protect interests

Democracy

Justifications

Justification Claim

Intrinsic Democratic participation is valuable in itself

Instrumental Democracy produces best outcomes

Epistemic Collective wisdom (Condorcet)

Procedural Fair procedure regardless of outcome

Problems

• Tyranny of majority

• Voter ignorance

• Special interests

• Minority rights

Key Debates

Liberty vs. Equality

• Trade-off or compatible?

• Economic liberty vs. economic equality

• Formal vs. substantive equality

Individual vs. Community

• Liberal: Individual prior to community

• Communitarian: Community shapes individuals

• Identity, tradition, solidarity

Multiculturalism

• Cultural rights

• Recognition

• Integration vs. assimilation

Key Vocabulary

Term Meaning

Legitimacy Rightful authority

Sovereignty Supreme power

Social contract Agreement creating state

General will Common good (Rousseau)

Veil of ignorance Not knowing one's place

Difference principle Benefit worst-off

Negative liberty Freedom from interference

Positive liberty Freedom to achieve

Natural rights Pre-political rights

Distributive justice Fair distribution

Integration with Repository

Related Themes

• thoughts/morality/ : Justice, rights

• thoughts/free_will/ : Political freedom