POLITICAL THOUGHT

The study of liberty, justice, property, rights, and law is constrained into Political philosophy.  What makes a government legitimate? What are the rights and freedoms that a government should protect and why should they protect? What duties citizens owe to a legitimate government? The enforcement of legal code by authority is also concentrated. Analyzing the metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology helps to get a better idea about the political philosophy.

Reckoning the history of the political thought, western philosophy plays a vital role. The western political thought has its origin in ancient Greek times and society. The works of Plato “The Republic” followed by the work of Aristotle’s Politics has been the base for examining the forms of political organization, the monarchy, democracy, aristocracy, and tyranny of the political organization.

The industrialization and the Modern Era propelled a revolution in political thought. Urbanization, capitalism, Marxism and socialism gained popular support in this arena. The principles developed by Marx were used by the future revolutionaries of the twentieth century’s.  Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, Mao Tse Tung, Lenin are the philosophers who grabbed the thought of Marx in their ideologies.  Marx strongly believed in historical materialism where as Hegel believed in Phenomenology of Spirit. It is being said that Marx declared that on the whole, that he was trying to straighten out Hegel. The late 19^th century was marked by socialism and trade unions. Anti-imperialism and pluralism began to gain momentum in the Anglo-American world.

Christian thinking started booming in the medieval political philosophy in Europe. St. Augustine stressed on the potential harmony inherent through reason and revelation.

Communism was brought to the arena by the Russian Revolution of 1917. On the other hand governments were formed by the social democratic parties who won elections as a result of the introduction of universal suffrage.  World War I was a turning point in human history. Skepticism was expressed by analytic philosophers about the normative judgments whereas the political science turned toward behavioralism.  After World War II in the Anglican world the political philosophy moved into a temporary eclipse. But, communism remained as an important focus most importantly during the 1950s and 60s.

Marxism emphasized on structuralism and largely influenced b the continental thinkers in different lines. Debates regarding the punishment and law center on the question of natural law and the degree to which human constraints on action were marked in this time. For generating new set of philosophical problems the liberalism-communitarianism is considered worth enough.

Question

• What is the contribution of Carl Marx in the arena of political though?
• What is the origin of the political thought?