Hoorcollege Aantekeningen – Political Philosophy and Public Administration
Hoorcollege 1: Why study (mostly) dead political philosophers? Good government and
justice in and after Plato
- Justice is a political and moral term.
- Different ways of thinking about good government
Why political philosophy?
1. Connection to other courses:
a. Politicologie
b. Foundations of Social Sciences and Public Administration
c. Administrative Ethics
2. Why study political philosophy?
a. Professional reasons
b. Political reasons
What is political philosophy?
The branch of philosophy studying the foundations of politics, focusing on the justification of
state authority, justice, rights, and the best organization of society
The canon (kanon: rule):
1. A list of main authors and foundational texts: ‘a choice among texts struggling with one
another for survival (Harold Bloom 1994)
a. One big shelf in a library that has the most important books.
2. A short list
3. An incomplete list
4. A list of connected authors and texts
a. Intertwined between decades and authors
5. An educational list
a. Eg. Separation of powers.
What is political philosophy
Look at the nature of good government from the perspective of justice.
Two uses of political philosophy
A philosophical use of political philosophy: clarification and construction of political concepts
and theories -> internal use
- Philosophers engaging with each other – e.g. Hobbes’ critique of Aristotle.
A political use of political philosophy: guidance & critique of political practice (political action,
public policy) -> external use.
- Philosophers engaging with politics – e.g. constitution-making (Plato); tutoring
politicians (Aristotle, Hobbes); policy advisors (Sen, Nussbaum)
,Good government
Plato (427 – 347 B.C.)
Texts written for non-philosophers which is why they are written in dialogue. Texts that are
addressed to the outer public. Not the students of the Plato-school. The complicated notes that
his students have taken are lost.
- Context in which he writes is Athens. His family is well situated politically. And he has an
interest in Athenian politics.
- He dislikes Athenian democracy, because it sentences Socrates (teacher of Plato) to the
Death penalty because of corruption of the youth.
- Crisis of democracy and crisis of Athens en the Peloponnesian war (431-404 BC)
Plato’s republic
- Plato: aristocratic origins
- Peloponnesian war(s): (431-404BC)
- 404 BCE: government of 30 Tyrants (Critias, Charmides)
- Socrates’ student
,Defeat of Athens -> Sparta places a poppet-government to make the change from democracy to
oligarchy.
It creates havoc that Athens starts to become an oligarchy. Revolts/rebellions to turn against the
poppet-government that turns into a bloodshed. In about 12 months appr. 5% of Athenian
population is killed. In that context of civil conflict and war that Plato writes the Republic. As a
critique of the politics of his time. But more positively to propose an alternative way of doing
politics. He does not like oligarchy because of the violence it brings. He does not like
democracy. So he proposes a new sort of politics. How philosophy could help politics.
The message of the Republic is two-fold. You cannot great a just form of government until you
have philosophical perception of what Justice means. You need to understand it properly before
you write a constitution. Second, you need those who are in power, to be familiar with it. Those
who govern need to be philosophers themselves or have been subjected to them. This is the aim
of the Republic.
, Plato’s Republic
- Book 1-2: exploration of different conceptions of justice
- Book 3: analysis of the educational system in Kallipolis (=ideal city or government of
Plato)
- Book 4: Socrates’ conception of Justice
- Book 5: Kallipolis (=the beautiful city, the ideal city of Plato)
- Book 6: the importance of philosophers for politics
- Book 7: Plato’s doctrine of Ideas
- Book 8: analysis of 4 unjust regimes (timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, tyranny)
- Book 9: analysis of tyranny
- Book 10: critique of the arts
The Republic fits in the Late periods (early, middle, late). When Socrates is talking it is actually
Plato itself who is addressing his own views.
Plato’s Republic
1. Cephalus – justice = repaying one’s debts
2. Polemarchus – justice = ‘give benefits to friends and harm to enemies’
3. Thrasymachus – justice = the advantage of the stronger
a. Similar person comes back in Hobbes
4. Glaucon – justice = result of an agreement prompted by fear of suffering
5. Adeimantus – justice = love for reputation
Plato’s Republic
3 types of goods (cf. Glaucon): why justice is not only something we care about instrumentally
but also intrinsically.
1. Things that are good in themselves (intrinsically good)
a. Health or knowledge (you value for its own sake, even if it did not have good
consequences for example)
2. Things that are good for their consequences (instrumentally good)
a. Not for their own sake, but only for the sake of something else -> medical
treatments and physical training (no value in going to the gym than the physical
health it gets you)
3. Things that are good in themselves and for their consequences (intrinsically and
instrumentally good)
Socrates’ task: show that justice belongs to (3) -> not only instrumentally good but also
intrinsically good, for its own sake. Cephalus and Polemarchus have only talked about the
instrumentally good things.
Plato’s Republic
Analogy of the individual and the constitution of the state:
- Justice is a characteristic of the individuals’ souls, but souls are hard to examine.
- States/cities are easier to examine, and they are a reflection of the souls of the citizens
living in the states.
Find in the Republic: we can’t find a clear instrument to open up the soul and find what is justice
inside the soul. We can’t answer what justice is in the soul. So he goes about it indirectly. How
does justice look in de state and then what justice looks like for an individual. Souls are hard to
examine, and states are easier to examine, and it is a reflection of the souls. They shape the
psyche.
Hoorcollege 1: Why study (mostly) dead political philosophers? Good government and
justice in and after Plato
- Justice is a political and moral term.
- Different ways of thinking about good government
Why political philosophy?
1. Connection to other courses:
a. Politicologie
b. Foundations of Social Sciences and Public Administration
c. Administrative Ethics
2. Why study political philosophy?
a. Professional reasons
b. Political reasons
What is political philosophy?
The branch of philosophy studying the foundations of politics, focusing on the justification of
state authority, justice, rights, and the best organization of society
The canon (kanon: rule):
1. A list of main authors and foundational texts: ‘a choice among texts struggling with one
another for survival (Harold Bloom 1994)
a. One big shelf in a library that has the most important books.
2. A short list
3. An incomplete list
4. A list of connected authors and texts
a. Intertwined between decades and authors
5. An educational list
a. Eg. Separation of powers.
What is political philosophy
Look at the nature of good government from the perspective of justice.
Two uses of political philosophy
A philosophical use of political philosophy: clarification and construction of political concepts
and theories -> internal use
- Philosophers engaging with each other – e.g. Hobbes’ critique of Aristotle.
A political use of political philosophy: guidance & critique of political practice (political action,
public policy) -> external use.
- Philosophers engaging with politics – e.g. constitution-making (Plato); tutoring
politicians (Aristotle, Hobbes); policy advisors (Sen, Nussbaum)
,Good government
Plato (427 – 347 B.C.)
Texts written for non-philosophers which is why they are written in dialogue. Texts that are
addressed to the outer public. Not the students of the Plato-school. The complicated notes that
his students have taken are lost.
- Context in which he writes is Athens. His family is well situated politically. And he has an
interest in Athenian politics.
- He dislikes Athenian democracy, because it sentences Socrates (teacher of Plato) to the
Death penalty because of corruption of the youth.
- Crisis of democracy and crisis of Athens en the Peloponnesian war (431-404 BC)
Plato’s republic
- Plato: aristocratic origins
- Peloponnesian war(s): (431-404BC)
- 404 BCE: government of 30 Tyrants (Critias, Charmides)
- Socrates’ student
,Defeat of Athens -> Sparta places a poppet-government to make the change from democracy to
oligarchy.
It creates havoc that Athens starts to become an oligarchy. Revolts/rebellions to turn against the
poppet-government that turns into a bloodshed. In about 12 months appr. 5% of Athenian
population is killed. In that context of civil conflict and war that Plato writes the Republic. As a
critique of the politics of his time. But more positively to propose an alternative way of doing
politics. He does not like oligarchy because of the violence it brings. He does not like
democracy. So he proposes a new sort of politics. How philosophy could help politics.
The message of the Republic is two-fold. You cannot great a just form of government until you
have philosophical perception of what Justice means. You need to understand it properly before
you write a constitution. Second, you need those who are in power, to be familiar with it. Those
who govern need to be philosophers themselves or have been subjected to them. This is the aim
of the Republic.
, Plato’s Republic
- Book 1-2: exploration of different conceptions of justice
- Book 3: analysis of the educational system in Kallipolis (=ideal city or government of
Plato)
- Book 4: Socrates’ conception of Justice
- Book 5: Kallipolis (=the beautiful city, the ideal city of Plato)
- Book 6: the importance of philosophers for politics
- Book 7: Plato’s doctrine of Ideas
- Book 8: analysis of 4 unjust regimes (timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, tyranny)
- Book 9: analysis of tyranny
- Book 10: critique of the arts
The Republic fits in the Late periods (early, middle, late). When Socrates is talking it is actually
Plato itself who is addressing his own views.
Plato’s Republic
1. Cephalus – justice = repaying one’s debts
2. Polemarchus – justice = ‘give benefits to friends and harm to enemies’
3. Thrasymachus – justice = the advantage of the stronger
a. Similar person comes back in Hobbes
4. Glaucon – justice = result of an agreement prompted by fear of suffering
5. Adeimantus – justice = love for reputation
Plato’s Republic
3 types of goods (cf. Glaucon): why justice is not only something we care about instrumentally
but also intrinsically.
1. Things that are good in themselves (intrinsically good)
a. Health or knowledge (you value for its own sake, even if it did not have good
consequences for example)
2. Things that are good for their consequences (instrumentally good)
a. Not for their own sake, but only for the sake of something else -> medical
treatments and physical training (no value in going to the gym than the physical
health it gets you)
3. Things that are good in themselves and for their consequences (intrinsically and
instrumentally good)
Socrates’ task: show that justice belongs to (3) -> not only instrumentally good but also
intrinsically good, for its own sake. Cephalus and Polemarchus have only talked about the
instrumentally good things.
Plato’s Republic
Analogy of the individual and the constitution of the state:
- Justice is a characteristic of the individuals’ souls, but souls are hard to examine.
- States/cities are easier to examine, and they are a reflection of the souls of the citizens
living in the states.
Find in the Republic: we can’t find a clear instrument to open up the soul and find what is justice
inside the soul. We can’t answer what justice is in the soul. So he goes about it indirectly. How
does justice look in de state and then what justice looks like for an individual. Souls are hard to
examine, and states are easier to examine, and it is a reflection of the souls. They shape the
psyche.
