Why Government? The Quest for the “Good Life”

1. Why Government? The Quest for the “Good Life” POSC 120 Introduction to Politics and Political Analysis

2. Plato • What is Justice for Plato? • A political system in which each person has an appropriate role in the system and understands and respects the role of others • Philosophers rule through wisdom • Soldiers defend by virtue of bravery • Farmers and artisans provide according to their talents • Temperance: lower groups obey higher • Just: Don’t simply obey, but do so willingly

3. Analogy extended to individuals • Identifies intellect with Guardians • Spirit or emotions with the Auxiliaries • and bodily appetites with the Producers • Courageous if spirit is courageous • Wise if intellect is wise • Temperance: when emotions ruled by the intellect and bodily appetites ruled by emotions and especially intellect • Just: when obey willingly

4. Aristotle • A more practical development of Plato’s ideas • Advocates a “polity” or constitutional government with rule by a few (oligarchy) but dependent on a stable, educated, moderate middle class (democracy)

5. Aristotle’s Typology of Governments Rule in Accord with Rule Motivated by Individual Number Ruling the Common Good or Class Self-Interest ______________________________________________________________________ One Monarchy Tyranny (government by a virtuous ruler) (government by one lawless person) The few Aristocracy Oligarchy (government by the virtuous few) (government by the rich and noble) The many Polity Democracy (constitutional government-- (government by the poor and free) a mixture of democracy and oligarchy) ______________________________________________________________________

6. Augustine • Ideal is the City of God guided by Christian ideals • Government is necessary to restrain human appetites and passions – especially the lust for riches and power – and guide behavior through law and punishment • Need government to maintain a minimum level of civilization

7. Thomas Aquinas • Like Augustine, endorses key Christian concepts • But less pessimistic about the capabilities of humans on earth: sees the political community as an arena for human development • Government is necessary to establish reasonable laws to promote the common good • Rulers (aristocracy) and governing elite (oligarchy) are select by the people (democracy) by virtue of their faith/virtuousness and reason • Rulers are limited by Constitutional laws

8. Niccolo Machiavelli • The political community’s vital interests – liberty, independence, self-government, unity, security, power, prosperity, and glory – can best be protected in a virtuous republic • This requires a virtuous people, a constitution balanced between the people and the nobles, liberty under law, the competition of parties, and strong and wise leadership

9. Modern Thought: The “Contractualists” • Hypothetical “State of Nature” with no government • Individuals rationally join together in a social contract to form a government to protect themselves • Hobbes: Need a sovereign leviathan with supreme power to maintain order • Locke: Rational and reasonable individuals consent to form a limited civil society to secure life, liberty, and property • Rousseau: Unanimous agreement to create a popular sovereignty under the general will of the community in which each have civil and moral liberty and a better opportunity to fulfill themselves

10. Burke • Need government under a prescriptive constitution based on the reality of time-tested experience • Recognizes the need for prudent change but critical of those who throw out all of the existing order in favor of abstract ideas like liberty, equality, and fraternity • Society is much more than the sum of its individuals and Government is an embodiment of the values and traditions of the community and not just simply a perishable utilitarian agreement

11. John Stuart Mill • Government is needed to create the conditions that enable people to create happiness and avoid pain • Preference is given to the pleasures of the cultivated mind over base animal appetites • Liberty is key: the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over another…is to prevent harm to others • Critical of racism and sexism • Advocated worker protections and control • Also concerned about the tyranny of tastes and opinions

12. Karl Marx • Underlying force of history is economics (economic determinism) • Historically, economic systems have been exploitive • Capitalism exploits the labor of the worker by keeping them poor and debased and alienating them from the products of their labor • Because exploitive, will inevitably fail and be replaced by a communal society “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”

13. Government as a Collective Action Problem • Need government to orchestrate actions of individuals to force them to act in the best interest of the community as a whole