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Creative Arts & Humanities Guide: Politics

A guide to information, services and resources for students studying Creative Arts and Humanities.

 

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Historical Political Philosophers

Confucius

c. 551 – c. 479 BCE

A Chinese philosopher and politician whose ideas were based on traditional Chinese worldviews which valued duty, loyalty, and respect, he believed a good leader embodied these traits.

Plato

c. 428 - c. 348 BCE

An Ancient Greek philosopher who believed the conflicting interests of different parts of society could be harmonised with no expense to each other to create a rational and righteous political order.

Aristotle

384 - 322 BCE

A Greek philosopher who believed men to be political by nature. He conceived politics as an organism, not a machine, and the city (polis) itself, as organic which functions as a community or partnership.

Niccolò Machiavelli

1469 – 1527

An Italian Renaissance philosopher who divorced politics from ethics and believed a leader must understand public and private morality as different things, and be willing to act immorally to rule well.

Thomas Hobbes

1588 - 1679

An English philosopher whose 'social contract' found man is not political by nature and should cede liberty to a sovereign for safety wherein the sovereigns right of government is absolute

John Locke

1632 - 1704

A prominent Enlightenment thinker, Locke was a proponent of limited government using a theory of natural rights to argue governments have obligations to, and limited power over, its citizens

Montesquieu

1689 - 1755

A French judge and philosopher, Montesquieu found the best form of government was one in which the legislative executive and judicial powers were separate and accountable to prevent despotism

Voltaire

1694 -1778

A French Enlightenment thinker, Voltaire believed in the efficacy of reason. He found social progress could be achieved through reason, and no authority should be immune to challenge by reason

Rousseau

1712 - 1778

A Genevan philosopher who argued for democracy, equality, and liberty. He believed a state can be legitimate only if it is guided by the “general will” of its citizens to uphold a common interest.

Immanuel Kant

1724 -1804

A German Enlightenment thinker, Kant found that every rational being had innate rights to freedom. And had a duty to enter into civil conditions governed by social contracts to protect said freedoms.

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