Modern Political Philosophy

 So, here we are at the end of the semester. I hope everyone enjoyed the class (especially under these very trying circumstances). We have now gone over many of the most important political philosophers of the last few centuries. Even though many of these thinkers lived during different periods of time, there are similarities in their questions and concerns about politics, notwithstanding very different proposed "solutions" for the problems they see. Besides different theories of the state and the purpose of the state and different view on democracy, most if not all of these thinkers are concerned with human nature (or whether there is a human nature) and I hope this gives some insight into these very important philosophical questions. Questions that frankly people are still wrestling with today. I will post the questions for the final below. The exam will not be until 12/18 so you will have two weeks to prepare a response. I said this during the midterm but I must emphasize

Max Weber  (1864-1920)  perhaps more than any other figure of his time represents the–ultimately–failed attempt to bring about a democratic order in Germany after World War I and before World War II. Despite these failings in political life, Weber is still generally considered to be the most important sociological thinker ever.  Weber helped found the German Democratic Party (DDP) which along with the Social Democratic Party and the Catholic Center Party tried to establish the left-liberal leaning Weimar Coalition in 1919. However this coalition failed to maintain power after 1920, from that point on any majority in parliament would have to include at least one of the more right-wing nationalistic and anti-democratic parties. The weakest link in the coalition was the DDP, although all parties lost support, which failed to attract voters as did many other newly created parties, instead voters withdrew from politics or joined private associations many of which had an authoritarian elemen

This class will continue the discussion of Nietzsche. We will focus on his discussion of values and how values change. In his other works besides The Gay Science , which collects many of his aphorisms or short sayings, he refers to the Aryan "blond beast" and the need to "discharge itself," but also includes non-European races like Arabs and Japanese in his list of "noble races": At the base of all these noble races one cannot fail to recognize the beast of prey, the splendid  blond beast  who roams about lusting after booty and victory; from time to time this hidden base needs to discharge itself, the animal must get out, must go back into the wilderness: Roman, Arab, Germanic, Japanese nobility, Homeric heroes, Scandinavian Vikings–in this need they are all alike (Nietzsche 1998 p. 22). Nietzsche, like Rousseau, idealizes the ancient Greeks, but unlike Rousseau, Nietzsche celebrates the aristocratic and undemocratic aspects of these ancient societies. Ni

Last class we went over some of Marx's critiques of capitalism. Marx of course advocated for socialism, but what exactly would socialism be like? Marx was vague on what socialism would be like but he did explain these ideas to some extent in his "Critique of the Gotha Programme" (1875, although not published until 1891). The Gotha Programme was a political platform of the German Social Democratic Worker's Party of Germany which Marx and his writing partner Engels worked in association with. As the title suggests Marx was critical of many aspects of this platform. This party eventually became the Social Democratic Party of Germany and is one of the major political parties in Germany even today. Marx's main argument was against what he saw as the reformist approach to socialism advocated by the party as opposed to the revolutionary approach he advocated. The debate between reform and revolution is still a major issue that separates many socialist movements today. Ma

  The philosopher G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1830) is one of the most unique political philosophers, and also one of the most challenging. Hegel is known for his philosophy of the mind and consciousness, writing about how human consciousness has changed and evolved over time, and argues for what he calls a dialectical approach to philosophy, or understanding how opposing forces are connected and how they change. For example, human consciousness changes as we encounter other consciousnesses (other humans) different from our individual selves. For the most part, we will not concern ourselves with these writings, but will focus more on his political philosophy as detailed in the work that has come to be known as Elements of the Philosophy of Right or more simply Philosophy of Right . In this book, published late in his life in 1820, Hegel starts with the idea of an individual who possesses certain fundamental rights and free will. In this regard, he is not that different than Locke, however his p