Core Concepts in Political Philosophy and Ethical Theory

Political Philosophy and Ethics

John Locke: Social Status and the State

Locke's concept of the state of nature and its perfection. Man is entitled to impose the law of nature (punishments). Civil society is created if a group of men agrees on rights. They transferred their political power, requiring an objective liberal consensus. The State of all individuals endorses rights and separated powers.

The Early Modern State

Originated in Europe in the late Middle Ages. Main transformations included:

• The expansive intent of ancient kingdoms.
• The appearance of new social groups.
• The loss of influence of religious power in politics.
• The creation of new assemblies.

Risks of Media Democracy

Media democracy could pose several problems:

• The politician can fall into the temptation of speaking only for the media.
• Language is replaced by labels (slogans).
• Politics can become a spectacle.
• Reporting can be mixed with opinion.
• Monopolies are formed.
• All ideas revolve around a single political image.
• Solutions to problems become dependent on how they are presented, focusing heavily on appearance, hoping for unconditional adherence.

Classical Utilitarianism

Act Utilitarianism

There are no general rules to regulate human action. Actions are evaluated based on consequences, categorized as good if they directly produce the greatest utility.

Rule Utilitarianism (Standard)

General application rules exist. Evaluation is done according to utilities, cataloged as good if the rules produce the greatest utility.

Max Scheler's Intuitionism

This philosophy serves as a critique of utilitarianism. Values are independent qualities and are fully objective. They can be known through emotional intuition. Two characteristics:

• Bipolarity: Value has an equivalent anti-value.
• Hierarchy: Importance varies from high to low.

John Rawls: Justice as Fairness

The Veil of Ignorance

A hypothetical scenario where every person decides to be free and absolutely equal, stripping away what separates us from others.

Principles of Justice

1. Everyone must have the same extensive system of basic liberties, compatible with a similar system for all others.
2. Social and economic inequalities must be ordered so that they satisfy two conditions:
   • The Difference Principle (Equity): Directed to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged.
   • Fair Equality of Opportunity: Offices and positions must be open to all under conditions that are equitable.

Jürgen Habermas: Communicative Action and Dialogue Ethics

The central core of communicative action and the basis of the ethics of dialogue is the element of discourse. Discourse allows us to understand the interests that move the members of a society.

Principles of Dialogue

Liberty, seriousness, validity, symmetry.

Justice and Happiness

Every susceptible standard is subject to revision and improvement within a community of true dialogue, based on the good life.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

The primary goal was to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with Christian thought. The supreme good is not happiness in the community.