Political Thinking
Political Thinking
POL200Y1
September-17-2008
Thucydides as historian and theorist
Athens and Sparta were the superpower of Greece
Athens and Sparta led victory for Greece against Persian
Athens are sea power and Sparta is on land
After that Athens began to take power/empire over Greece
He didn’t record exactly what happened but recreated them - moments
He included his large/general judgements about human nature
About human nature
Democracy as a form of political regime
Theorist who educates our judgement on political questions ie justice
Did not imagine any utopian politics
Views politics to critically be evaluated
What significance does Thucydides have in theoretical level?
His purpose is to be useful to explain human nature in politics
Diagnosis of civil war
Saw world has suffering and filled with injustices (political diseases)
He believes that they used to make their stories
Distinguishes useful knowledge is different then pleasurable stories
They aren’t suspicious
Also distinguishes himself from the truth but his is the alternative truth for his reader
Offers a philosophical approach as human nature is unchanging and is extra historical
Can only be appreciated by the way it behaves in history
History is the way to understand human nature
Why did he turn to history and not poetry?? Medical science?
Error that the Athenians made in the past because they fail to see the tyranny of their ancestor
Ignorance of their own pasts
Their democrats was founded on a mistake
Misunderstanding past… Athenians robbed some knowledge that would have helped them
When planning against Cicily in military world
For Thucydides for we are conditioned by the past
Understanding our past can be a preconditioned for political improvement
Asks whether forgetful of past a defining characteristic of democracy
Wondering whether Athenians understand past and undrstand where they came
POL200Y1
September-17-2008
Thucydides as historian and theorist
Athens and Sparta were the superpower of Greece
Athens and Sparta led victory for Greece against Persian
Athens are sea power and Sparta is on land
After that Athens began to take power/empire over Greece
He didn’t record exactly what happened but recreated them - moments
He included his large/general judgements about human nature
About human nature
Democracy as a form of political regime
Theorist who educates our judgement on political questions ie justice
Did not imagine any utopian politics
Views politics to critically be evaluated
What significance does Thucydides have in theoretical level?
His purpose is to be useful to explain human nature in politics
Diagnosis of civil war
Saw world has suffering and filled with injustices (political diseases)
He believes that they used to make their stories
Distinguishes useful knowledge is different then pleasurable stories
They aren’t suspicious
Also distinguishes himself from the truth but his is the alternative truth for his reader
Offers a philosophical approach as human nature is unchanging and is extra historical
Can only be appreciated by the way it behaves in history
History is the way to understand human nature
Why did he turn to history and not poetry?? Medical science?
Error that the Athenians made in the past because they fail to see the tyranny of their ancestor
Ignorance of their own pasts
Their democrats was founded on a mistake
Misunderstanding past… Athenians robbed some knowledge that would have helped them
When planning against Cicily in military world
For Thucydides for we are conditioned by the past
Understanding our past can be a preconditioned for political improvement
Asks whether forgetful of past a defining characteristic of democracy
Wondering whether Athenians understand past and undrstand where they came