Specifically, the meta theory of Philosphy. First though a few things about me. I am a college student who is a double major (philosophy and Political Science) Although I am still in the first year of working on both majors, I have noticed some things that I have found to be interesting in regards to Philosophy as a field of study and its impact on civilization.
From Socrates on down to today, there seem to be two distinct camps in philosophy (as it deals with Human nature) and these different opinions seem to often reflect themselves in various political systems. Some of the more obvious examples of this would be Locke and the American version of Democracy, and Nietzsche and fascist Germany. My first question is, do Philosophers really have much impact on Political systems (I know I gave two examples, I also know that some discount Nietzsche's influnce on the Nazi party) what I am looking for is other examples of this. Also, if there two distinct camps, does it tend to express itself along the lines of how certain Philosophers view reality itself? For example, thinkers as diverse as Plato to Kant have argued for the existence of some form of absolutes, and generally seem more positive in their outlook on human nature vs. thinkers like Hobbes and Nietzsche who seem more cynical about human beings.
Basically, is their a ditinction that relates to how political systems were formed, and did Philosophers really possess that much influence over the course of human events? I ask because, if this is case, then there is a vast portion of history that is being ignored in terms of its importance and influence. Furthermore, if this is true, it could be that everyone can learn more about what political systems work in actual practice by studying the arguments and comparing them against their practical applications.
If anyone knows of any works that deal with this topic specifically could you supply that information as well? Thank you in advance.
|
