I

1.Freedensdefinitionofpoliticalideologies
aspresentedinthelecture
IdeologiesaccordingtoFreeden,areasetofideas,valuesandopinionsconcerningthearrangementof
social,economicandpoliticalstructures,thatweallpossess.Heproposesthatwhilemanyideologies
canexistwithinasociety(e.g.sharingwealth)thattherearethedominantideologiesthat
implementedbythedominantgroupsinsaidsociety.Ideologiesseektojustify,argueandchangethe
socialandpoliticalarrangementstosuittheirbeliefsandinturnbringthecommunitytoadecision,it
caninfluencesmallfacetofaceinteractionsorextendintoglobalpolitics..(
Itriedtobeasconciseas
possible,ifyoufeelIleftsomethingimportantoutorsomethingcouldbebetterworded,pleaseedit).
Idontthingtheeightsectionswerementionedinthelecture,theywerereadingspecific,soimnot
sureifweshouldincludethat.

2.Ideologyvs.politicaltheory
Lecturedefinition
Shouldalsomentionthesimilarities:
Botharemodesofpoliticalthought
Bothcontainpoliticalconceptsastheirbasicunits
Normativepoliticaltheorytoocontainsanideologicaldimension

PoliticalIdeology:isasetofbeliefsandvaluesthathavesomerecurringvaluetothem.

Politicaltheory:aprocessofsystematicreflectionontheconstitutionandexerciseofpolitical
authority.Itstudiestheconcepts,principlesandargumentsthathavebeenformulatedinorder
toexplain,criticizeandimprovepoliticalarrangements.

Myinterpretation
Politicaltheoryisan
interpretiveandanalyticenterprisethatisaimedatstudyingfacts/trendsand
turningtheseabstractthingsintoauniversalconcept.Itisaprocessofdescribing,evaluatingand
explaininghumanlifeasitoccursinsocietyandaimstopredictthefuture.Therearetwotypesof
politicaltheories:
1. Empirical:(whattheprofcallsexplanatory/descriptive/factseeking)whichis
basicallytherelianceonobservationthereforetheresultsalwayssupportthe
hypothesis,itisprovablebyobservationandexperiments(calledempiricallaws)
2. Normative:hypothesesonwhatisvsoughttobe:whatisrightvswhatiswrong,
whatisundesirablevsdesirable,justvsunjust.Itisapredictionabouthowthisought
toberatherthatwhattheyreallyare.

3. AnexampleistheroleofmoneyinElections:
a. Empirical(whatisthroughobservation)wouldcreateanhypothesis,designa
studythenconductexperimentsbyexaminingelections.
b. Normative(whatoughttobe)wouldtheorizetheinfluenceofmoneyonthe
valuesofthecandidates.

Politicalideologyisasetofbeliefs,myths,ideals,principlesetcofasocialmovement,class
orlargegroupsthatexplainshowsocietyshouldworkandofferssomepoliticalandcultural
blueprintforacertainsocialorder.Itisconcernedabouttheallocationofpowerandtowhat
endsitshoudbeused.Ithastwodimensions:
1. Goals:howsocietyshouldbearrangedorwork
2. Methods:themostappropriatewaystoachievetheidealarrangement

3.Therelationshipbetweenideologyand
politics/democracy

Ideologiesaregoodfordemocracytheyarenotisolatedfromeachotherbutcanoftenbe
takenoutofcontextwhenindividualsconversewithoneanother.Ideologiesprovide
membersofsocietywithachoiceandopinion.Theyaremorecommunicableand
understandablethanotherformsofpoliticalthoughtandmakeopenandcompetitivesociety
possiblebyhavingdecisionmakingframeworksinplace.Someideologiesareconsidered
destructivebutoneshouldnotignoreideologiesbecauseofthis.

4.Lockesimportanceasaliberalthinker(e.g.,
individualrights,therighttorevolution)

Lockeisanimportantliberalthinkerbecausehehasexpressedtheviewthatthe
governmentisobligedtoservepeoplebyprotectingtheirlife,liberty,andproperty.
Hefavouredrepresentativegovernmentandopposedtyranny.Lockeinsistedthat
whenagovernmentviolatesindividualrightspeoplemayrebel.Revolutionsarealast
resortandareusedastutelywhenneeded.Lockefavourssocialcontractandlimited
governmentbecausewearefreetocontractourselvesandtherearelimitationstothe
governmentduetoourrightsandconsent.

5.(Berlinsargumentinfavourof)negative
libertyvs.(hisargumentagainst)positive
liberty

NegativeLiberty:Negativelibertyisanideaofliberalismthatisconcernedwithcoercion.Berlinstatesthat
negativelibertyistheareawhereonehasfreedomwithoutinterferenceintheirpublicvs.privatelife.Theareain
whichyouareunobstructedbyothers.Keepinmindthereisemphasisonthephrase,byothers.Personal
inabilitiesdonotcountasbeingobstructed.Negativelibertyrefersspecificallytoexternalfactorspreventing
youfromattainingagoal.
(e.g.ifsomeonestopsyoufromswimming,thatiscoercion,ifyoucantswimthatis
notaninfringementonyourfreedom)
(However,eveninourprivatelifewemaystillbecoercedbyfamily&relatives,etc.Itisntpracticedperfectly
becausesomeonewillalwaystrytocoerceyou.Wehavetobecarefulaboutsacrificingourfreedomandmake
choicesknowinglyonlyforthingsthatmattertous.)(Amanislectureahah).

PositiveLiberty:NegativeLibertyreferstoexternalfactorswhilepositive

Heisagainstpositivelibertybecausepeopledonthavefreewill.Theyhavetoorwillbe
madetobeconformedtotherealself(society)ofwhattheyshouldbe.Positivelibertyis
focusedmoretowardstheactionsofindividuals,sameasastate.Meanwhile,negativeliberty
statesthat:Iamnormallysaidtobefreetothedegreetowhichnomanorbodyofmen
interfereswithmyactivity.Thereforepositivelibertycontradictsnegativeliberty.

6.Berlinsviewsonthe(lackof)relationship
betweendemocracyandliberty
Berlinthoughtthataconnectionbetweendemocracydidnotexist.Thisisbecausetheideaofwho
governsyouisseparatefromhowyouaregoverned.Intheory,youcouldhaveatotalitarianregime
whomakesyoucommittothedictator'spersonalprojectsandmakesyouworklonghours,butstill
respectsyoursphereofprivatespace,andallowsyoutohavesomenegativeliberty.Similarly,you
canbeapartofademocracy,wherethemajorityvotestotakeawaypersonalrights,leadingtono
negativelibertyforitcitizens.Thatbeingsaid,inrealityyouaremostlikelytofindlibertyina
democracyasthisiswhereyouaresafestfromtyranny.

7.Rawlsstwoprinciplesofjustice:whatare
they?Howdoeshe(dowe)arriveatthem?
Rawlstwoprinciplesofjusticestemmedfromhisdesiretocreateajustandequalsociety.He
breaksthisupintotwocategories:basicfreedoms,thedifferenceprinciple.Basicfreedoms
allowscitizens,regardlessoftheirclass,tobeabletoparticipateinelections,holdofficeand
influencesociety.Thedifferenceprinciplestatesthatinequalitiesinsocietyarefine,aslong
asithelpstheworstoffpersoninsocietycomesoutofitbetteroff.Thisledtothecreationof
theoriginalpositionandtheveilofignorance.

8.Whatrolesdotheideasoforiginalposition,
veilofignorance,overlappingconsensusplay
inRawlssargumentsforthetwoprinciples?

thatsmypersonalanswerbutreadthelongeroneforabetterunderstanding

(whyisthiswrongtoo,iswearitmakessense)whichonedoyouthinkiswrong?seemslikebothare
correct,butsecondismorewide
thatstheexactanswerimusingfortestplsnocopyrino
Theoriginalposition
isathoughtexperimentinvolvingrepresentativecitizenstodeterminetheprinciplesof
justice.Inoriginalposition,thetwoprinciplesarenotdeduced.Thepartiesareartificialperson(s)becausewe
cannottakeourgenders,sexualorientations,wealth,etc.intotheoriginalposition.Thisisalldonewiththeveil
ofignorancewhichblocksallirrelevantfactsaboutcitizenssuchasgender,race,age,wealthetc.
Becauseweallhavedifferentreasonswewon'taccepttheprinciplesofjusticeforthesamereasons.Youmay
accepttheprinciplesofjusticebecauseofyourpersonalreasons,ormoralviewpointinordertofindthesetwo
principlesright.Weacceptitbutnotforthesamereasonsthisiscalled
overlappingconsensus
WhydoesRawlsbelievethatwewillreachan
overlappingconsensus
?
1. Justiceasfairnessis
limitedtobasicstructure:
itisnotconcernedwithyourindividualactionsandhowto
livelifeyourlife.Itisnotconcernedwithanyofthat,itisconcernedwithhowbenefitsaredistributed.
2. JAFitdoesdismiss
anyreasonablecomprehensivedoctrine
,asbeingimmoral,force.Itdoesn'tevaluate
themwithacriticaleye.Itspurposeistosayoneisbetterthantheother.Itisaunitingideologytofind
thingthatpeopleallagreewithnotthedifferences.Itisn'tachildishenterprise,therehastobetolerance.
3. TheJAFpullsallthese
ideasthatgointotheoriginalposition
.Thematerialfromtheoriginalposition
doesn'tcomefromsomethingirrelevantitcomesfromtheculturethatallofushaveshapedbyinteracting
withanotherfromgenerationstogenerations.Theyhavedevelopeddifferentmeansandthingsofcoexist
withanother,thereisastrongcoexistenceofcivilliberty.That'swhywehavetostepbackandreminds
ourselvesthat(subjectiveandobjectivecircumstancesarefilledinforourjustice,andpluralismaswell).

9.Oakeshottsconservativedisposition:what
doesitmeantobeaconservativeingeneral?
Oakeshottdescribesconservativesinageneralsenseofpeoplewhoaresafeandwant
tomaintainbalance.Theyarepeoplewhoareopposedtoopposition,andarewillingto
changeonlyintheslightestforlargeissues,butforthemostpartattempttostaythesame.
Oakeshottsargumentforthis,iswhygambleontheunknownwhenwealreadyhavea
systemthatisknowntousandhasbeenfinetunedforyears.

Innovationisthechangewebringupontheworlditisthechangeweexecute.Innovation
willberejectedunderOakeshottsconservativesbecauseitisnotnatural.Itisaboutartificial
change.Thenaturedoesntwantustochange,butpeoplearefindingbetterwaysofsocial
engineering.Innovationisbadbecausethesocialorderhasextrahumanability.(HOPETHIS
HELPS)
ifyoucombinethosetwoanswers,yougetonecompleteshortanswer

idkhowwe'resupposedtoanswer10,itssuchashortlisttobeginwith

For10,wearebasicallysayinghowthegovernmentactsasabaseballumpireandtheyare
responsibleforreducingfrustrationsandjustmaintainingsocialorderthroughruleswhich
shouldbeadjusted.

ithinkmyanswerwascorrectfor10,butitfeelstoshort.Ifyoudid10,thenIagreewithyou

10.Whatwouldaconservativedisposition
requirethatagovernmentdoandrefrainfrom
doing?


Thegovernmentistomaintainpeacewithinthesystem,notthroughoppressionandby
forcingpeopletodothings,butratherbycreatingrulesthatwillmaintainpeaceand
enforcingthose.Thisisdonetopreserveharmonyamongthemanydifferentbeliefsand
ideologiesthatexistwithinasociety.

Thegovernmentshouldnotbecreatingnewplans.Theyaredoingasfewadjustmentsas
possibletotherules.