POSC 150

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POSC 150

• Introduction to Political Theory
• Braunwarth

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Ideology

• Definition A coherent set of ideas that links
  thought with action
• Features
• Coherent and comprehensive set of ideas that
  explains and evaluates social conditions
• Helps people understand their place in society
• Provides a program for social and political
  action
• Four functions Explanatory, Evaluative,
  Orientative, Programmatic

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Ideologies and Religion

• Religions perform similar roles
• But tend to be concerned with the supernatural
  and the divine
• Ideologies are more interested with the here and
  now on this earth
• Political ideologies aim to help people live as
  well as possible in this world

4
Human Nature

• Implicit in each ideology is some conception of
  human nature
• Are we competitive or cooperative?
• Is human nature constructed differently under
  different ideological systems?

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Freedom

• All ideologies claim to promote freedom
• But define freedom in different ways
• Human nature and freedom are essentially
  contested concepts
• Freedom (and ideologies) includes
• an agent,
• a barrier or obstacle blocking the agent,
• and a goal at which the agent aims

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History

• Those who forget the past may be doomed to repeat
  its mistakes (Santayana)
• Without the past, one cant understand themselves
  or the world in which they live
• Our minds, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes are
  shaped by earlier ideological conflict
• If we wish to act effectively and live
  peacefully, we need to know about our and others
  political ideologies

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Thinking Ideologically

• We are going to evaluate a number of different
  ideologies
• With each section, try to think from the
  perspective of that ideology
• Do not dismiss simply because it conflicts with
  your own ideology
• The intention is not to convert but to develop a
  better understanding of others