Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Abrahamic Religions, Amartya Sen, Optimism Bias
1 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
How is the world doing:
Good news: democracy, improve health, global poverty from 37% to 10% in 2015, increase
literacy, reduced war deaths
Continuing challenges: climate change, global poverty 10% population,refugees, terrorism, war
(chance to destroy humanity)
Our goal: to think critically, systemically, in a factually informed way about our social and
political world.
Syria and Denmark:
Syria civil war (2011-present): over 465000 killed, breakdown of social order, 5 million refugees
Denmark: well-governed, peaceful, happy, excellent health and education
Why so different?
Politics makes the difference
It is not intelligence, propensity to violence, or even geography that explains the differences
between denmark and syria
It is the state, the rule of law, and accountable government
Politics is about collective choices we make to reduce conflict and promote cooperation.
Three types of Question
Descriptive: How things are (who rlly has power? What is the power of private corporations in
constit democracy? Who gets to make the rules?)
Explanatory: Why things are this way (why did that happen, is it the development of technology?
Why are there so many refugees from Syria?)
Normative: How things should be (What would be a just distribution of power, property? Who
should decide how to distribute the goods?)
Ex. Normative: How high should life expectancy be?
Explanatory: Why is life expectancy high?
Descriptive: What is the life expectancy?
Charles Jones Sep-dec
Narain Sep 2017-april 2018 course coordinator: Administrative questions
No tut next week start sep.18monday week
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Dr.Jones guide to university:
Pomodorotechnique.com
Two central questions in politics:
1. Who gets what?
2. Says who?
Two main themes:
In first term:
1. Political Ideas
2. Political Ideologies
Five big ideas (lectures 2-14)
1. The state
2. Political authority
3. Democracy
4. Liberty
5. Distributive Justice
Political Ideologies (Lectures 15-25)
How do I fit into the world? (What is my political view?)
How does the world work?
What should be done?
Next Time:
What is politics?
What is power?
What is authority?
Read intro to poli sci 1-5
Politics, Power, Authority Sept 12
What is politics?
Government and the state
What is power?
What is authority?
Next time: The state of nature: Hobbes Read: Wolff intro to poli 6-17
The Decline of Violence
Steven Pinker’s thesis: our era is less violent than any era in human history
Evidence (is it true?) and explanation (why?)
● Biggest claim, war is declining since coldwar
● Democracy, countries aren’t fighting each other
● Reduction in civil war, genocide, terrorism
● Spread of commerce (economic interactions, dont wanna kill trading partner)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
● Spread of reason/enlightenment moral, technological (Right’s revolution)
Noam Chomsky: (1) states generate large-scale violence (2) moral progress alongside potential
nuclear annihilation
Politics: Some Examples
Elections, Demonstrations, Policy decisions, Law-making
Politics Matters
● Decisions that affect you
● Laws assign rights and duties
● Decisions are enforced
Ex. Island of Hispaniola, dominican republic 7 times richer than haiti, even though on same
island. Dominican is better off because of institutions, imperial colonial powers
Institutions Matter
Haiti and Dominican Republic: different environmental conditions are mainly the consequence of
political decisions.
Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora (american side richer more politically responsive)
Why?
Property rights, enforcement of contracts, distribution of power, constraints on power.
Politics matters… but what is it?
Some Meanings of ‘Politics’
● Formal government activity
● Dishonesty seeking personal gain
● Noble pursuit of the public good
● ‘Who gets what, when, and how?’
Primates
A biological order that includes humans, apes, and monkeys…
Who is the cruelest primate? Human
Who Gets What, When, How?
Chimpanzee Politics
● Competition, power, conflict
● Dominance strategies and alliances
● Winners and losers
Bonobo Politics
● Peaceful
● Gentle and loving
● Erotic and egalitarian
Bonobos: Recent study: current biology 2008 hunt and eat monkeys not so nice
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Good news: democracy, improve health, global poverty from 37% to 10% in 2015, increase literacy, reduced war deaths. Continuing challenges: climate change, global poverty 10% population,refugees, terrorism, war (chance to destroy humanity) Our goal: to think critically, systemically, in a factually informed way about our social and political world. Syria civil war (2011-present): over 465000 killed, breakdown of social order, 5 million refugees. Denmark: well-governed, peaceful, happy, excellent health and education. It is not intelligence, propensity to violence, or even geography that explains the differences between denmark and syria. It is the state, the rule of law, and accountable government. Politics is about collective choices we make to reduce conflict and promote cooperation. Why are there so many refugees from syria?) Who should decide how to distribute the goods?) Narain sep 2017-april 2018 course coordinator: administrative questions. In first term: political ideas, political ideologies. Five big ideas (lectures 2-14: the state, political authority, democracy, liberty, distributive justice.
