COLLEGE BLOG

 Thomas Hobbes image source: wikimedia commons                                                            The Concept Of The State Of Nature, That Is, The Human Condition Prior To The Arbitration Of Civil Society, Is Derived From The Nature Of Man, His Basic Psycho-Physical Character, Sensations, Feelings, Appetite And Behaviour.   Like All Other Things In Nature, Man Is Primarily A Body Governed By The Law Of Motion That Pervades The Entire Physical World.   What is the difference between State Of Nature And Natural Rights in Political Science ?  Hobbes Says That "In The State Of Nature, We Find Three Principle Causes Of Conflict.   First, Competition; Second, Difference; Third, Glory.   First, Men Attack For Profit; Second, For Security; And Third, For Prestige.  " The Combined Effect Of The Factors Mentioned Above Is That The State Of Nature Is Every Man's War Against Every Man In Which Man's Life Is "Solitary, Poor, Bad, Cruel And Short".   There Cannot

 Political Idealism Comes From Plato; And From Aristotle Comes Political Realism.   On This Basis, It Is Easy To Understand The Comment Of The Poet Coleridge, That Everyone Is Born Either A Platonist Or An Aristotelian.   The Difference Between Plato And Aristotle Is The Difference Between Philosophy And Science.   Plato Was The Father Of Political Philosophy; Aristotle, The Father Of Political Science; The First Is A Philosopher, The Second Is A Scientist; Fol.  Mer Follows The Deductive Method; The Latter, An Inductive One.   Plato Portray An Unrealistic Utopia, The Ideal State, Whereas Aristotle Was Concerned With The Best Possible State.   Aristotle's Views On The State: Aristotle Criticized Plato's State As An Artificial Creation, Which Was Constructed Sequentially In Three Phases, With The Creators Coming First And Then The Assistants And The Rulers.   As An Architect, Plato Built The State.    Aristotle, On The Contrary, Considered The State To Be A Natural Organization,

 Plato image source: wikimedia commons   Theory Of Justice    Justice Does Not Involve The Illegal Observance Of Laws, As It Is Based On The Intrinsic Nature Of The Human Soul.   It Is Not Even The Victory Of The Strong Over The Weak, Because It Protects The Strong From The Strong.   A Just State, Plato Argues, Is Achieved With A View To The Good Of The Whole.    A Just Society, Rulers, Army, Artisans All Do What They Should.   In A Society, Rulers Are Wise, Soldiers Are Brave, And Builders Exercise Self-Control Or Restraint.    Plato's Notion Of Justice Is Not Considered Legal Or Just, Nor Does It Belong To The Realm Of 'Rights' And 'Duties', It Does Not Fall Within The Limits Of Law; It Is, As Such, Related To 'Social Ethics'.   The Essential Features Of Plato's Conception Can Be Stated As Follows:  (I) Justice Is Another Name For Righteousness.    (II) It Is More Performance Of Duties Than Gf Rights Gleefully.    (III) It Is The Contribution Of An Ind

  Fascism There Is No Classical Text Like Marx's Das Capital To Officially Outline And Depict The Central Ideas Of Fascism.   The Declared Mood Of Rebellion Drew Heavily From The Opposition Developed By Social Darwinist (Such As Spencer) Against The Prevailing Liberal Ideas, Which They Regarded As Essentially Outdated.   Social Darwinist, In Particular, Expressed A 'Muscle Philosophy' That Helped Foster An Intellectual Environment Within Which The Myth Of Racism Flourished (Wilford).     Basic Ideas Of Fascism : Racism: Gobineau 's Doctrine Had A Deep Impact On The Germans.   Richard Wagner Especially Popularized And Dramatized The Myth Of The Racial Superiority Of The Germans,   Statism Leads To A Corporate State: Mussolini Declared 'Everything For The State And Nothing Outside The State'.   Thus, The Hegelian Prescription Of The State Was Interpreted By Mussolini As An End In Itself To Advance The Fascist Cause.   Hitler Did Not Even Need The Distortion Of Heg

image source: wikimedia commons   What is the meaning of liberalism ? Liberalism Was The Product Of The Climate Of Opinion That Emerged In Europe During The Renaissance And The Reformation.   As An Ideology And Way Of Life, 'it Reflects The Economic, Social And Political Aspirations Of The Emerging Middle Class Which Later Became The Capitalist Class' .     The Main Slogan Of The Protest Was Freedom From Any Authority Capable Of Acting Voluntarily And Arbitrarily And At The Same Time The Freedom Of The Individual To Develop All His Potentialities.   The Initial Aim Of Liberalism Was More Destructive Than Constructive; Its Purpose Was Not To Clarify The Positive Objectives Of Civilization, But To Remove The Obstacles In The Path Of Development Of The Individual.   During The Last Hundred Years, It Faced Challenges From Other Ideologies And Political Movements Such As Democracy, Marxism, Socialism And Fascism.   It Absorbed Democracy And Socialism To A Large Extent In The Name Of

  Concept Of Power: Hegemony, Ideology And Legitimacy. image source: wikimedia commons  Thinkers Such As Machiavelli And Hobbes Advocated The Study Of Power As A Central Subject Of Politics.   Hobbes Wrote: "There Is A General Inclination Of All Mankind, A Perpetual And Restless Desire For Power After Power That Ended Only In Death.   " The Concept Of Power Is Generally Understood As The Control, Authority, Or Influence Over Others, A Relationship In Which An Individual Or Group Is Able To Exert Influence Over The Mind And Actions Of Others.     Contemporary Reflections On Power And Authority  1.   Power Is Central To The Understanding And Practice Of Politics.   It Can Be Exercised At Three Levels: Through The Ability To Make Or Influence Decisions; Through The Ability To Set Agendas And Prevent Decision-Making; And Through The Ability To Manipulate What People Think And Want.    2.   Power Is The Ability To Influence The Behavior Of Others By Virtue Of The Ability To Rewar

image source: getty Fundamentals Of Marxism  The Following Are The Basic Principles Of Marxism: Dialectical Materialism,  Historical Materialism,  Theory Of Surplus Value, Class Struggle  Revolution  Dictatorship Of The Proletariat And Communism .      Dialectical Materialism   Dialectical Materialism Is The Scientific Method Developed By Marx And Engels For The Interpretation Of History.   Here, Marx Borrows Heavily From His Predecessors, Especially The German Philosopher Hegel.   Dialectics Is A Very Old Method Employed To Discover Truth By Uncovering Contradictions, Through The Confrontation Of Opposite Ideas.   Hegel Refined This By Developing A Trilogy Of Thesis, Antithesis And Synthesis.   This Is Known As The Dialectical Triad.   Progress Or Growth Takes Place Through A Dialectical Process.   At Each Stage Of Development, It Is Characterized By Contradictions.   These Contradictions Drive Further Change, Progress And Development.   The Thesis Has Been Challenged By Its Oppositio

DEMOCRACY  image source: getty   The Greek Word Democratia Is A Combination Of The Words Demos (Meaning People) And Kratos (Meaning Rule).   This Gives Its Meaning To Democracy As A Form Of Government In Which The People Rule, Whether Directly Through Individual Participation Or Indirectly, Through Elected Representatives.   Of Course, The Main Difference Between Ancient And Modern Democracies Lies In The Way In Which 'the People' Were Defined.   In Ancient Greek Governance, 'demo' Was Defined Restrictively, And Specifically Excluded Three Main Categories Of Persons: Slaves, Women And Metics (Foreigners Who Lived And Worked In The City.   Classical And Contemporary Theories Of Democracy.   Different Models Of Democracy  Representative, Participatory And Deliberative   Representative Democracy And Its Critics: Since Direct Democracy Is Not Possible In Large And Complex Societies, The Mechanism Through Which People Participate Indirectly In Government Is To Elect Represen