POL208Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Liberal Democracy
Document Summary
Different approaches and philosophical assumptions about politics and the state. D. easton and the liberal tradition: politics as allocation--who gets what when and how. Means of allocation: custom, exchange and command. Contract model of states origin/ consent of the governed. Karl schmitt and politics as us v. the other. Basic dichotomy that defines disciplines (philosophy, ethics, economics, law) Politics- friend v. foe; order in any society is only possible in so far as the threat of disorder posed by other societies is kept at bay. Most fundamental political function is deciding what other collectivities pose a threat. Politics as existential (not legal, normative, ethical) There is no legal norm so important, morality so absolute no social project so compelling as to justify men killing each other. Ideal political institutions liberal trad. - liberal democracy, checks and balances, sep. of powersrule of law. Before liberty can be protected at home we must first be safe from enemies abroad j. locke.
