"Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them."
Deals with the theory of government and political systems.
State of Nature: An investigation into the hypothetical scenario of humanity in the absence of social and political order.
Sovereignty: The concept of the supreme authority of a state, individual, or group over others.
Rights: The legal, social, or moral entitlements that are conferred upon individuals and groups.
Equality: The social concept that all people should be treated equally, regardless of gender, race, or social status.
Justice: The philosophical concept that refers to the notion of fairness in various moral or legal frameworks.
Liberty: The individual right to autonomy and freedom to act and think as one desires, within the legal bounds.
Democracy: A system of government in which a group of people elect representatives to represent their interests.
Rule of Law: The legal principle that states that all individuals and groups are subject to the same legal code and that no one is above the law.
Social Contract: The term used to describe the hypothetical relationship between citizens and their government, and the legal and moral obligations that arise from this relationship.
Authority: The concept of legitimate control or power in a social, economic, or political context.
Republicanism: A political ideology that supports the concepts of civic virtue, the public good, and the common welfare.
Classical liberalism: A political philosophy that emphasizes individual rights, democracy, and free-market economics.
Conservatism: A political ideology that prioritizes the preservation of traditional social, economic, and political institutions.
Marxism: A political ideology that advocates for the establishment of a classless society in which the means of production are owned communally.
Libertarianism: A political philosophy that advocates for minimal state intervention in social, economic, and political affairs.
Anarchism: A political ideology that advocates for a stateless society, in which individuals and groups are free from the constraints of government.
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization or political dominance of other countries or territories.
Nationalism: A political ideology that prioritizes the interests of one's nation-state over others.
Feminism: A social and political movement that advocates for gender equality, particularly in regard to access to education, employment, and political power.
Multiculturalism: A social policy that recognizes and values different cultural identities and promotes cultural diversity in a society.
Conservatism: A political philosophy that values tradition, customs, and the authority of established institutions. It believes in limited government intervention and traditional social hierarchies.
Liberalism: A political philosophy that prioritizes individual liberty, equality, and democracy. It advocates for limited government intervention and a free-market economy.
Socialism: A political philosophy that prioritizes collective ownership of resources and the means of production. It seeks to promote greater economic equality and reduce the power of the capitalist class.
Marxism: A political philosophy that seeks to abolish capitalism and establish a classless society through a socialist revolution. It emphasizes the importance of class struggle and the role of the working class in achieving social change.
Anarchism: A political philosophy that advocates for the abolition of government and other hierarchical institutions. It emphasizes individual freedom and voluntary cooperation within a decentralized society.
Fascism: A political philosophy that emphasizes extreme nationalism, authoritarianism, and the use of force to maintain social order. It often involves the suppression of individual freedom and the promotion of a strong leader or ruling party.
Libertarianism: A political philosophy that prioritizes individual liberty and limited government intervention. It advocates for a free-market economy and minimal social welfare programs.
Objectivism: A political philosophy developed by Ayn Rand that prioritizes individualism and rational self-interest. It advocates for laissez-faire capitalism and a minimal government.
Communitarianism: A political philosophy that emphasizes the importance of community values and the common good. It seeks to balance individual rights with social responsibility and collective action.
Feminism: A political philosophy that seeks to promote gender equality and eliminate sexism. It emphasizes the importance of social and political institutions in promoting gender equity.
"Its topics include politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of laws by authority: what they are, if they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect, what form it should take, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever."
"Political theory also engages questions of a broader scope, tackling the political nature of phenomena and categories such as identity, culture, sexuality, race, wealth, human-nonhuman relations, ethics, religion, and more."
"Political philosophy is a branch of philosophy, but it has also played a major part of political science, within which a strong focus has historically been placed on both the history of political thought and contemporary political theory (from normative political theory to various critical approaches)."
"For a long time, the challenge for the identity of political theory has been how to position itself productively in three sorts of location: in relation to the academic disciplines of political science, history, and philosophy."
"Between the world of politics and the more abstract, ruminative register of theory."
"Between canonical political theory and the newer resources (such as feminist and critical theory, discourse analysis, film and film theory, popular and political culture, mass media studies, neuroscience, environmental studies, behavioral science, and economics) on which political theorists increasingly draw."
"[...] an interdisciplinary endeavor whose center of gravity lies at the humanities end of the happily still undisciplined discipline of political science."
"But in French and Spanish, the plural (sciences politiques and ciencias políticas, respectively) is used, perhaps a reflection of the discipline's eclectic nature."
"[...] between the academic disciplines of political science, history, and philosophy."
"[...] between the world of politics and the more abstract, ruminative register of theory."
"[...] politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of laws by authority."
"[...] the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them."
"[...] on which political theorists increasingly draw."
"[...] the history of political thought and contemporary political theory."
"[...] feminism and critical theory, discourse analysis, film and film theory, popular and political culture, mass media studies, neuroscience, environmental studies, behavioral science, and economics."
"[...] addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them."
"[...] what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect, what form it should take, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government."
"[...] both the history of political thought and contemporary political theory."
"[...] an interdisciplinary endeavor."