political philosophy

Branch of philosophy that analyzes the state and related concepts such as political obligation, law, social justice, and constitution. The first major work of political philosophy in the Western tradition was Plato's Republic. Aristotle's Politics is a detailed empirical study of political institutions. The Roman tradition is best exemplified by Cicero and Polybius. St. Augustine's City of God began the tradition of Christian political thinking, which was developed by Thomas Aquinas. Niccolò Machiavelli studied the nature and limits of political power. Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan (1651) raised the problem of political obligation in its modern form. Hobbes was followed by Benedict de Spinoza, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the exposition of a social-contract theory. This was rejected by David Hume and also by G.W.F. Hegel, whose Philosophy of Right (1821) was fundamental for 19th-century political thought. Hegel's defense of private property stimulated Karl Marx's critique of it. John Stuart Mill developed Jeremy Bentham's utilitarian theory of law and political institutions, so as to reconcile them with individual liberty. In the 20th century John Dewey sought to counteract the dehumanizing aspects of modern capitalist society through a freer form of education. Until the end of the Cold War, the field of political philosophy was characterized by a division between Marxists and more traditional liberal thinkers, as well as by disagreements between left- and right-leaning liberals, such as John Rawls and Robert Nozick (1938–2002), respectively. From the 1970s, feminist political philosophy drew attention to the apparent gendered nature of many concepts and problems in Western political philosophy, especially autonomy, rights, liberty, and the public-private distinction.

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	The Muirhead Library of Philosophy was designed as a contribution to the History of Modern Philosophy under the heads: first of Different Schools of Thought--Sensationalist, Realist, Idealist, Intuitivist; secondly of different Subjects--Psychology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Political Philosophy, Theology. The Analysis of Mind by Russell, Bertrand View in context	polishing roll polishing varnish polishing wheel Polist Politburo Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU Politian political political action committee Political Affairs Political and Administrative Map Political Bloc political convention Political Demonstration Political Economy Political Education Rooms Political Exile Political Fighters Political Geography Political Leader political machine Political Map Political Organization of Society Political Organs Political Party political philosophy political prisoner political science Political Sections Politicheskoe Samoobrazovanie politician Politics Politizdat Politsa Politseimako, Vitalii Politseimako, Vitalii Pavlovich Politsmeister Polittsentr polity Politzer, Adam Politzer, Georges Poliude Poliudov Ridge Polius Nedostupnosti Poliusuk, Petr Poliusuk, Petr Aaronovich Poliva Polivanov, Aleksei Polivanov, Aleksei Andreevich Polivanov, Evgenii Polivanov, Evgenii Dmitrievich	Political opponent Political Opportunity Structure Political Organization of Society Political Organs political orientation Political parti Political parti Political Participation Research Network Political parties Political parties Political Parties and Organisations Act Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums political partisanship political party political party political party Political party committee Political party duopoly Political party duopoly Political Party of National Management Service Political patronage Political patronage Political patronage Political pension Political pension Political pension Political pension Political philosopher Political philosophies political philosophy Political Philosophy and Social Ontology political platform Political police Political police Political poll Political polling Political power Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun Political pressure groups Political pressure groups Political pressure groups Political prioner Political prioner Political prioner Political Prisioner Political Prisioner Political Prisioner Political prison Political prison Political prison political prisoner political prisoner political prisoner Political prisoners Political prisoners Political prisoners Political Prisoners of War Coalition political process political program

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

The Muirhead Library of Philosophy was designed as a contribution to the History of Modern Philosophy under the heads: first of Different Schools of Thought--Sensationalist, Realist, Idealist, Intuitivist; secondly of different Subjects--Psychology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Political Philosophy, Theology.