As
noted in class, one of our first philosophical tasks will be to inquire
into
the meaning of the course title, and into the reasons why courses of
this sort of title and curriculum are considered important for programs
of study in philosophy and government.
- The word 'classical,' when used with respect to
philosophy or to any kind of political theory, generally refers to
ancient Greek and Roman thought, covering the period from the mid-5th
century BCE to perhaps the third century CE. The GMU course catalog,
however, states that PHIL 323/ GOVT 323 is to cover not only this
ancient period but also the medieval period in Europe and the Middle
East, through about the 13th century CE.
- Why then is the word 'classical' in the title? There are at least
two possibilities: (1) It may have to do with the fact that there is a
length limit on course titles, and 'Classical and Medieval Western
Political Theory' would be too long. (2) There are other meanings for
'classical,' including "of or relating to a form or system felt to be
of first significance before modern times"; "regarded as of first
historical significance - used of a coherent and authoritative theory,
method, or body of ideas"; "having...qualities felt to derive from or
suggest those characteristic of the...ideals of ancient Greece and
Rome" (all definitions taken from Webster's
Third New International Dictionary,
Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1981). On this reading, the course title
suggests that both ancient and medieval political philosophy are of
great significance and set a standard that is relevant today; and that
medieval political philosophy reflects and tries to incorporate certain
exemplary aspects of ancient political philosophy (which is in fact
what the medievals believed they were doing). This, then, is a
conception we will analyze and explore in the course.
- The term 'Western' is of modern origin; none of the philosophers
we will read considered themselves "Western." That is, the term refers
to the modern notion that there are political and cultural ties among
the nations and civilizations of Europe (or western Europe) and their
colonies and former colonies in the Americas, ties that do not hold
between these nations and civilizations and those of other places. The
ancient and medieval philosophers had no such notion. The Greeks saw no
tie between themselves and western Europe (home of "barbarians"), but
acknowledged Egyptian and Babylonian influence; the Romans did not
attempt to change the cultures and beliefs of the peoples they
conquered in Europe and Africa; the Jewish and Muslim philosophers
considered themselves part of a scholarly world that included southern
Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia; medieval
Christian philosophers such as Aquinas drew heavily on the work of
those same far-flung Jewish and Muslim philosophers, not to mention on
fellow Christians such as Augustine, who hailed from what is now
Tunisia.
- In what sense then is the course about "Western" political
theory? All of the philosophers we will read influenced political
theory in what came to be known as the "West." In that sense, they
provide some of the starting points from which (or in some cases
against which) modern Western political theory developed. However, it
must also be acknowledged that the philosophers we will read (with the
possible exception of Aquinas) also influenced non-Western political
theory. For example, Muslim political theory in those parts of the
modern world not considered "Western" drew on earlier Greek, Roman,
Muslim, and Jewish work. (For discussion and evidence, a good beginning
is Hyman and Walsh, eds., Philosophy
in the Middle Ages, 2d ed., Hackett Publishing, 1973.)
- 'Political theory' can mean several things. The word 'theory'
comes from the Greek theoria,
which when used of mental activities means "contemplation,
consideration." Additional modern senses include "working hypothesis";
"hypothetical entity or structure explaining or relating an observed
set of facts"; "the coherent set of hypothetical, conceptual, and
pragmatic principles forming the general frame of reference for a field
of inquiry"; "field of intellectual inquiry" (all definitions taken
from Webster's Third New
International Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1981).
Several different disciplines may engage in political theory in
different ways: a psychologist may work to develop a hypothesis as to
how and why different kinds of advertisement affect voting behavior; a
political scientist may attempt to develop a coherent and pragmatic set
of principles for interpretation of constitutional law. A
political philosopher may inquire into the nature and coherence of the
conceptions used by the political scientist, the psychologist, and/or
the public in political thought; or the political philosopher might
inquire into how we might develop a truly coherent set of principles to
form the general frame of reference for inquiry into political matters.
- Here is a nice preliminary sketch of that kind of political
theory known as political philosophy (from Lerner and Mahdi, eds., Medieval Political Philosophy,
Cornell University Press, 1963, p. 7): "Political philosophy is a
branch of philosophy. Just as philosophy is the love and quest of
wisdom or universal and comprehensive knowledge, so political
philosophy is the love and quest of wisdom about the nature or
principles of all human affairs or political things. Just as philosophy
seeks to understand the whole and the parts of the whole and the place
of the parts within the whole, so political philosophy seeks to
understand the principles of political life, the relation of these
principles to one another, and the relation of political things to all
other things."
