Political Thought

Slides for the introductory session of an undergraduate course in Political Thought that I taught between 2003-2005.

1. POLITICAL THOUGHTPOLITICAL THOUGHT
Introduction: Introduction:
What What isis Political Thought? Political Thought?

2. DistinctionsDistinctions
Political ThoughtPolitical Thought
–““The The reflectionreflection on, or on, or
expositionexposition of, of, political ideaspolitical ideas.”.”
–IndifferentIndifferent to the distinction to the distinction
between between opinion opinion and and
knowledgeknowledge

3. Political PhilosophyPolitical Philosophy
–Concerned with the attempt Concerned with the attempt
to to replace opinionreplace opinion about the about the
nature nature of political things by of political things by
knowledge knowledge of the nature of of the nature of
political thingspolitical things
Distinctions Distinctions (cont’d)(cont’d)

4. Distinctions Distinctions (again)(again)
Political SciencePolitical Science
–Constitutes that Constitutes that body of body of
knowledgeknowledge about political about political
thingsthings
–Attempts to arrive at Attempts to arrive at
knowledgeknowledge about political about political
thingsthings

5. Political TheoryPolitical Theory
–““Systematic Systematic body of principlesbody of principles
relating to the relating to the originorigin, , formform, ,
behavior behavior and and purposespurposes of the of the
state and upon which its state and upon which its
political system operates.”political system operates.”
Distinctions Distinctions (some more…)(some more…)

6. Political IdeologyPolitical Ideology
–Value or belief systemValue or belief system
accepted as fact or truth by accepted as fact or truth by
some (large) groupsome (large) group
–Mixture of Mixture of factualfactual and and moralmoral
beliefsbeliefs
Distinctions Distinctions (…and more)(…and more)

7. SummarySummary
POL THOUGHT
POL SCI
POL
THEORY
POL
PHILO
POL
IDEOLOGY

8. Why Study Political Why Study Political
Thought?Thought?
““Political thought…purports…to arrive at Political thought…purports…to arrive at
an understanding of politics which will be an understanding of politics which will be
true to men’s experience of political true to men’s experience of political
activity, and which will elucidate the place activity, and which will elucidate the place
of politics within human life and the of politics within human life and the
criteria appropriate for making judgments criteria appropriate for making judgments
about it.” about it.”
- Margaret Canovan
Professor of Political Thought
Keele University