Political philo notes_

Political philo notes: ➢ Mill ○ Do whatever you want as long as it’s not hurting anyone else ○ Rejection of paternalism (gov. as a parent figure) ○ Harm principle: political authority should limit the liberty of a citizen only if the citizen is directly harming someone else ■ Classical liberalism - stay back, stay neutral: only get involved if there is going to be harm to another person ■ Physical vs psychological harm ● Harm = reduction of good that is supposed to be there ■ Discerns between self and others ■ Harmful action only when it harms others ■ Is there such a thing as a truly selfish action (only harms self? ○ King of vultures: man vs man, some are stronger, some are willing to just do things - not everyone is reasonable/willing to act appropriately ■ Anyone who will act unjustly to get what they want ■ Allow for a central authority: monarchy, government, aristocracy ● You are strong, we are stronger ○ Danger: tyranny of minority over majority ■ A few people have power - you can't stop them if they go out of line ○ How do we restrain a centralized power? ■ Democracy: limits power of minority through overpowering ○ People are not ruling themselves, the majority is ruling them ■ General public succumbs to will of majority - minority has no say ○ Inaction: as long as you violate a duty, the government can step in ○ Self - defense: government steps in ○ Free speech: if you lose your job and get punished for speaking, then it’s not free speech ■ Minority opinion can only be true or false, if it’s silenced: ● True: you messed up by silencing the truth ● False: we are not able to tell why we believe the things that we do ■ Free speech limited: inciting violence, inciting a riot - causes harm ● Must say it dispassionately, calmly - in a newspaper ➢ Thomas ○ Nature of governance ■ To govern entails a governor, those governed, and the end of governed ● If government can mess up, there is a standard ○ There are many harbors ■ Can take the ship anywhere ■ There are many ways to govern ○ Why gather in society? ■ It is clear that the end of a multitude gathered is to live virtuously ■ People form a group for the purpose of living well together, something an individual cannot do