Chapter 11 — Political Philosophy

11.1 Historical Perspectives on Government

The Just City in Ancient Greece

Plato and The Republic

The Role of the Guardians

The Tradition of Exclusion

Mohism in China

The Book of Mozi

The Mohist Ruler in China

Al-Farabi's View of Rulership

The Supreme Ruler

Philosophical and Nonphilosophical Rulers

Cities of Excellence


11.2 Forms of Government

Monarchy

Absolute Monarchies

Constitutional Monarchies

Aristocracies and Caste Systems

Greek Class Systems

Indian Caste Systems

Representative Government

Totalitarian Forms of Government

Totalitarianism

Communism

Fascism

Hannah Arendt on Totalitarianism


11.3 Political Legitimacy and Duty

Divine Rule

Thomas Hobbes and Absolute Monarchy

John Locke and Representative Government

Max Weber and Descriptive Legitimacy

Traditional Legitimacy

Charismatic Legitimacy

Political Obligations

Communitarianism

Constraints on Universalism

Principles of Communitarianism

Mahatma Gandhi and Ahimsa


11.4 Political Ideologies

Distributive Justice

Conservatism

Edmund Burke and the French Revolution

Fundamental Principles

Liberalism

Fundamental Principle of Liberty

Positive and Negative Liberty

The Welfare State and Social Justice

Egalitarianism

Socialism

Critique of Capital

Alienation

Anarchism

Motivations for Anarchism

Limits of Anarchism

Anarchism and Feminism