Political philosophy
Political philosophy examines political power, authority, justice, rights, and the principles that should govern societies and states.
Justice: The principle of giving people what they are due and arranging social institutions fairly. Political philosophies disagree over what justice requires and how institutions should distribute benefits and burdens.
State: A political organization that governs a population within a territory through institutions claiming sovereign authority. The state is the principal institution whose powers and limits political philosophy evaluates.
Plato: An ancient Greek philosopher whose dialogues address knowledge, ethics, politics, and the ideal city. The Republic gives an influential account of justice and rule by philosopher-kings.
Liberalism: A political tradition that emphasizes individual liberty, equal rights, and limits on coercive power. It supplies influential arguments for protecting personal freedom and constraining government.
Human rights: Rights held by every person by virtue of being human, regardless of citizenship or political status. Their claimed universality raises questions about the grounds and reach of political obligation.
Political legitimacy: The moral justification for a political authority’s right to rule and demand obedience. It distinguishes rightful political power from mere control or coercion.
Sovereignty: Supreme authority over a political community or territory, understood as located in a person, institution, or people. The location and limits of final political authority are central disputes about government.
Aristotle: An ancient Greek philosopher whose works examine nature, ethics, politics, and human flourishing. Politics analyzes constitutions and treats political community as part of human social life.
Socialism: A political tradition advocating social or public control of important productive resources to reduce class domination and inequality. It challenges political arrangements that leave economic power concentrated in private ownership.
Distributive justice: The study of how benefits, burdens, opportunities, and resources should be allocated among people. It applies broad theories of justice to inequality, taxation, welfare, and public resources.