II. Underlying Themes of All Political Systems
A. Virtue/ Morality
1. Law of
Nature
2. Courage,
wisdom, moeration
B. Justice
1. Plato:
“quality of a person’s soul which leads him to do what should
be done; all people doing what they’re best suited to do.”
2. Adherance
to Natural Law
III. Thoughts on Political Systems
A. Socrates (400’s BC)
1. Governments
that “stink”
2. Best form
of government:
B. Plato (400-300’s BC)
1. Ideal state:
meritocracy
2. Degeneration
of governments
C. Aristotle (300’s BC)
1. Best form
of government: polity
2. View of
democracy
D. Cicero (early BC’s): Nat. Law and
Human Law
E. Niccolo Machiavelli (15th&16th
Centuries):
1. “Machiavellian”:
2. The Prince:
3. The Discources:
4. Religion
5. Economics
F. Thomas Hobbes (16th&17th Centuries):
1. Survival
and power
2. Formation
of Government: 2 ways
3. Power of
the Sovereign