Political Philosophy

Its main tasks are in part to describe past and existing social organisations , in which seem to duplicate the findings of economics ,political science, anthropology ,biology and sociology; and in part to evaluate these organisations ,in which respect it is like ethics. For example ,it describes the essential features of various types of governments (democracy, monarchy, fascism) and at the same time asks such questions about them as “What is the ultimate justification foe the existence of any form of government?”

-political philosophy has sometimes been charged with being merely “applied ethics”

It deals with such issues as:

“what are(or ought to be) the proper limits of governmental power over the members of society?”

“Is it possible to have rigid control over the economics affairs of people without curtailing their political freedom?”

“Should elected representatives to a legislature be allowed to vote as they see fit, or should they merely reflect the majority opinion of their constituency?”

Classical political theories offer advice for achieving an ideal society .Modern theories are primarily devoted to what we have called “philosophical analysis”, .i.e. to the purpose of clarifying the meaning of this advice and of the terms we use in political discussion.

1.The state was more important than any individual citizen not only because it united all citizens into a particular culture, but also because its persistence guaranteed the continuance of the culture even though its individual members perished.

2.The individual is more important than the state-and in this respect, philosophical analysis may be regarded as having the important function of showing us that certain kinds of advice “Die for the Fatherland” may be mistaken, i.e. philosophically and logically untenable.