After living in my home for a few years, I realized that I really needed to start caring more about local politics. I started going through and reading up on the latest judgements that our city voted on, and it was really fascinating to see what they came up with. I realized that if I wanted things to go my way, I needed to become more anxiously involved with local city matters. I started paying closer attention to the city newsletter and sitting in on city council meetings. This blog is all about understanding local politics and doing your part to make things right.
A philosophical debate and a political debate hardly seem to go hand in hand. Yet there are some people who think that these two things easily overlap. The question is, can they really overlap, and if so, how? Books like Thoughtful Pauses: A Political Philosophy more closely investigate these overlaps. Here are some ideas to show how this might be possible.
Personal Philosophy Influences Political Persuasion
Philosophy is a way of thinking about a certain subject. Ideas that focus on a topic and how it should be discussed or handled are often different for every individual. Politicians, for example, all have their own personal philosophies on how the government should be run. Their personal philosophies often have an impact on their political persuasion and leanings.
For example, if a politician believes that the government should be run by the people and for the people and that that particular phrase means that the government should extend a hand to all of the classes of people that need help in this country, the politician might be someone who believes that the government should provide free healthcare for all. Another politician may feel that this particular phrase means the government does not owe the citizens of its nation anything and therefore would be against healthcare for all.
Philosophy Heavily Influenced Classical Greece's Government
If you want further "proof" that politics and philosophy can overlap, you might look to Ancient Greece. Here, the great philosophers of the day heavily influenced both government and rebelling against the government, depending on the philosopher. Philosophical perspectives supported the Greek government and tore it down at the same time. You could not really have a philosophical debate without having a political debate back then, and the same holds true today.
A Purely Political or Purely Philosophical Debate
As this country comes up with more and more political debates for the 2020 campaign trail, you might be wondering if it is even possible to have a purely political or purely philosophical debate. The goal, of course, is to have a purely political debate, but personal philosophies may creep in and play a subversive role during the debates. While it is entirely possible to have a separate political and separate philosophical debate, it takes someone who is well-educated in both and well-trained in controlling a conversation to keep the debate in just one camp. If you are going to watch these debates, it helps to have points of reference for philosophy, politics, and government.
Share14 December 2019
