Political Philososphy

Political Philosophy

One major area of study under the broad umbrella of philosophy is political philosophy. Political philosophy is always searching for a solution to the problems that burden societies of that time. From the Ancient Greeks to the modern day Americans, there are questions that need to be asked and answered as to why laws, and the people who create/enforce them, are a part of society. As well as ways to better the society so that the needs and wants of every individual within it are satisfied.

Political philosophy, like most other areas of philosophy, was first recorded by the Ancient Greeks. This is not to say that they were the first to propose questions and theories based on societal structure and ones place in that society. The ideas would have been floating around through verbal communication, as Plato did not suddenly wake up one day and began to write the Republic. Before Plato there were Pre-Socratic philosophers, such as Anaxagoras   that asked questions, stated theories and shared ideas that often came into conflict with political leaders. Which makes sense as what could annoy those who govern more than the suggestion that they might not be as wise as themselves, and the people they governed, imagined? With the following that many ancient philosophers attained, those in government would find ways to imprison the philosophers or in Pythagoras’ case, burn down his institution. This treatment began new political thought such as; What is just and unjust? Where is one’s place in society? How is a law justified? Returning to Plato’s book, within it he defended a “well ordered authoritarian state, presided over by a ‘philosopher king’.” . However this view was rejected by Plato’s successor, Aristotle, with his own writing, Politics. Aristotle believed that all constitutions that run a state can be judged true (good) or perverted (bad). A true state is one where they aim for a common good. While a perverted one is where they aim for the...