Topic 5 - Cicero

PSCI 2210 - POLITICAL THOUGHT 1
Bachelor of Political Science, KIRKHS, IIUM
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1. MARCUS TULIUS CICERO
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2. INTRODUCTION
•Aristotle was the last Greek
great philosopher to think
exclusively in terms of the city-
state.
•Athens: widespread
participation of the citizens.
•However the city-states were
unable to develop and hold
together a federation that
could withstand the pressure
of Macedonian imperialism.
They were defeated and
became dependent fraction of
the empire.
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3. INTRODUCTION
•Events that make Greek
political thought irrelevant:
–(1)The destruction of the
polis by Alexander the Great.
Create empire: different
languages, people and
cultures: new problem of
governance:
•A. labeling himself as
king and God: merged
the divine and secular. All
political power vested in
one person
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4. INTRODUCTION
•B. New meaning to
citizenship and duties:
problem to create
institution to represent all
people.
•C. The meaning of political
geography and authority;
what community the people
are members? Who rule?
What are justification for
political authority?
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5. INTRODUCTION
•Attempt to redefine
The relationship of the
individual to the
community:
–Stoicism
•The proper role for
humans in the universe is
a life lived according to
nature
•Emphasizes a universality
emcompassing a
commitment to human
equality and membership
in a world community
that transcends existing
political boundaries.
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6. INTRODUCTION
•Two schools of thought that
expressed their disappointment
and frustration from the failure of
city-state.
•The Epicureans
–Athens
–Rejected the Aristotelian
principle that man is by nature
political animal.
•The Cynics
–Made their appeal to the poor
and the disfranchised
–Proposed that the distinction
between men is the distinction
between the wise man and the
fool. The wise men are self-
sufficient; the fool requires the
institutions and conventions of
political society.
–Stoicism: a highly significant
development of political thought
originated from Cynicism.
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7. &!"- The Stoics
•By 320 B.C: Athens was
under the control of
Alexander.
•City-state was more
generally regarded as an
anachronism, and
disillusionment was wide
spread.
•A new philosophy is
needed: Cynicism was too
harsh and too negative.
•Stoicism was developed:
by Zeno and Chrysippus
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8. STOICISM
•Is a philosophy:
–Proper role for humans in the universe is a life
lived according to nature.
–Universality encompassing a commitment to
human equality and membership in a world
community transcends existing political
boundaries
–All citizens are equal
–Emphasis on law and legality
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9. Stoicism
•Rejected the idea that who one is has
importance. What one is that matters.
–If one is good, it makes no difference whether one
is Greek or barbarian, slave or free, rich or poor.
–Man is master of his one fate
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10. •– Stoicism
•Goodness in man is conformance with nature.
–Nature is the force that seeks perfection through growth.
–Nature is a law that acts upon and governs all living things.
–Nature is absolute and inexorable, and always beneficent.
–Common tie among wise man was that they recognized
the universality of nature and the necessity of their own
submission to it.
–The good man lived and acted as he did because it was the
“right” thing to do, because there was a law and it had to
be obeyed….thus men received satisfaction.
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11. •– * – Stoicism and Roman Thought
•By 167 B.C Rome had
defeated Macedon.
•The teachings of Greek
Philosophers were well
known to Romans.
•Through doctrines of
Stoicism, the Romans found
suitable philosophy.
•The Romans was attracted
to the Stoic principle that
life is a stern calling, to be
devoted to duty and to be
lived in accordance with
nature.
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12. •– * – Stoicism and Roman Thought
•Stoicism was inadequate:
•It merely emphasized self-sufficiency rather than
public service
•It was too exclusive, confining the applicability of its
doctrine to the “ wise men”
•It lacked in humaneness to attract widespread support.
•Stoicism was altered to made it applicable to
all men.
•The influence of Stoicism upon Roman was
great and apparent through Cicero
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13. CICERO (106-43 B.C)
•A lawyer, a statesman, a consul
•His writings:
•On the Commonwealth
–Addressed mainly the
topic of the best
political regime
•On the Laws
–Discussed the
institutional and
legal instruments
necessary to
maintain and order
the ideal republic.
•.
•Developed and spread the idea of
Stoicism
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14. CICERO (106-43 B.C)
•On Duties
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15. The Commonwealth
•On public duty and example of
such duty:
–He stated that defending the
commonwealth is the highest
obligation individuals have.
Then only the obligations to
gods, family and parent.
•Type of authority to hold the
commonwealth together;
–Pure types of states,
monarchy, aristocracy, and
democracy. They were
characterized by the love of
subjects and reason, wisdom,
or freedom respectively. But
the mixes of all three are
preferable.
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16. The Commonwealth
•Reasons for mix
government:
–Adopting a mixed
government can prevent
the government from
degenerating into
corrupt form.
–It achieves a balance
between the values of a
monarchy and those of
an aristocracy
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17. On the Laws
•1. Ensure Justice and
harmony
•A true commonwealth is a
government that produces
harmony, but harmony is
obtained only when the state
is a true people’s affair, that
is, one that binds the people
together according to the
law.
•Good laws protect the equal
rights of all.
•Commonwealth seeks
concord or balance. Concord
can be achieved when justice
is the aim of the law
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18. On the Laws
•2. Applicable to all people
•“ If justice is natural, then nature would have
laid down our laws; all people would be
subject to the same laws; and the same
people would not be subject to different laws
at different times. Now I put the question to
you: If it be the duty of a just man and a good
citizen to obey the laws, what laws should he
obey?” Philius.
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19. On the Laws
•3. Basic Guidance for Human Actions
•“there is in fact a true law- namely, right reason- which is in
accordance with nature, applies to all men, and is
unchangeable and eternal. By its commands this law
summons men to the performance of their duties; by its
prohibitions it restrains them from doing wrong. Its
commands and prohibitions always influence good men, but
are without effect upon the bad. To invalidate this law by
human legislation is never morally right, nor is it permissible
ever to restrict its operation.”
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20. On the laws
•4. Constitution of the
world
–“ There is a law of
nature which is the
constitution of the
world. It is the same for
everyone everywhere.”
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21. On the laws
•5. Universally imprinted on all minds
•“Laws is the highest reason, implanted in Nature,
which commands what ought to be done and forbids
the opposite.”
•Features of laws;
–Law is a natural force
–A command from the gods
–It’s the origin of justice
–It is an eternal standard
–The ‘right reason’ contains justice: Those who have reason
have the capacity to know what the law is because it is
“universally imprinted on all minds”
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22. On the Laws
•6. Eternal
–Everyone has the potential to
know the law as long as he or
she lives in harmony with
nature.
–Eternal law is a standard by
which we can distinguish
between good and bad
human laws. Both must have
the purpose for ‘justice’ and
safety of the citizens.
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23. Law of Nature
•7. Equal ability to
understand
–Men are equal
• have the capacity to
reason, can understand it.
–Men share the same
characteristics everywhere.
–Men may be corrupted by
bad habits, and justice is not
always done, but men have
received right reason and
they are equal under the law.
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24. Law of nature
•8. Principle of true commonwealth
–Government are people united for certain loves,
such as greed. Law is the guiding principle of the
true commonwealth, and a true commonwealth,
is a group of people united in the love of justice.
–True commonwealth promotes concord if it brings
human law and ideal law together.
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25. Law of Nature
•9. Law for citizens and non-citizen
–Not merely citizens are equal but all men.
–Slave, nevertheless a human being with capacity
to reason, has rights that must be respected.
–State has an inescapable obligation to act
according to principles of the natural law.
–State laws must be in accord to the law of nature.
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26. Law of nature
•10. Describe a true commonwealth
–That can hold people together
–It is not only based on a system: Democracy
could easily degenerate into mob rule just as
monarchy could turn into tyranny or aristocracy
into oligarchy.
–Only government represented by all three of the
possible governing elements. Monarchy,
aristocracy and democracy could provide the
necessary degree of stability.
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27. Law of nature
•11. Equal participation of people
–Since all men can reason and can understand the
natural law, they are entitled to a share in the
exercise of political power.
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28. On Duties
•(1) What rules to guide human behaviour?
–Concept of “decorum” / (good manners)or sense of ‘fitting’ to
seek to use the intellect to ensure that the soul is in harmony
with nature.
–It helps one to understand duties according to rankings:
•To gods
•To the state
•To parents
•To children
•To other family members
•To friends
•To others
–Leaders must protect the interest of citizens over their personal
interest. He must give precedence/priority to the majority
interests over the faction
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29. On Duties
•(2)Leaders:
–Protect property rights
–Abstain from burdensome taxation
–Ensure all have abundance of necessities in life
–Remain above suspicion and corruption.
–Maintaining good reputation
–Have ability to persuade: public speaking
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30. Review:•
–
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•The differences between Greek and Roman
political thought:
–Greeks see the essence of politics as involving
common involvement within the polis, while the
Roman, the aims of politics is toward creating and
maintaining an empire.
–Greeks emphasizes more the shared communal
values of the polis, especially education and
political participation, the Roman mythologize
their leaders and value power and power politics
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31. Review: continue-
–The Greek abhor self-interest and political
factionalism as dangers to politics, the Roman readily
recognize that self-interest, power, and party
competition are at the heart of politics
–The Greeks stress civic education and participation,
commonality, loyalty to the polis, and disdain for self
interest, The Roman seek to deal with the problem of
self-interest in a large, heterogeneous political
system, which cannot grant the same level of
participation and citizenship duties as in a small,
homogeneous political community.
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32. Review-continue-
–Instead of engaging in speculative politics, such as
the idea of the good(Plato), the Roman thinkers
stressed the practical and the applied: Ex. Plato
argued that acquisition of knowledge and virtue is
its own good, Cicero states that virtue must be
applied, and that true knowledge lies in action,
speech and practical affairs.
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33. – – Conclusion
•Cicero offer an approach to understand politics within the
context of a larger and more diverse community.
•He defines the hierarchy of roles and duties to be assumed
by the individual, family , state, religion, and men and
women.
•His emphasis on describing a commonwealth and a statesman
or leaders as serving the people forms the basis of ideas that
would eventually be used to advocate popular government.
•His theory of natural law serves as a powerful tool of dissent
and criticism of the status quo, supporting theories of civil
disobedience and others.
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