Lecture 1: March 4

We began by asking the question: "What is political theory?"

Political theory speaks to the society we live in and the rights and obligations we live by.

It must be said that there are many facets, or dimensions, to political theory. We can conveniently break it up into three broad categories:

1. Interpersonal relations
describe how we divide up the benefits and obligations within society. Much of the focus is on cooperative activities. For example, how do we cooperate and for what reasons? Or, how do we defend ourselves and how do we punish those who break rules/laws, etc.

2. Interpersonal-nation relations describe how individuals accept the political authority of the state and for what reasons. It is inside of this arena that important issues relating to consent and obligations are raised. Questions that probe the nature of justice and the rule of law. What are the limits of the rule of law, for example? Who rules and how? Why choose democracy or any other political system, and for what reasons?

3. Global relations raise interaction among states. Questions about the content of global community is raised. Is there such a thing as international law, for example? Do states cooperate outside of power arrangements?

In our work this term we will focus on categories 1 and 2. Category 3 will be dealt with in a third year course confined to International Relations Theory (HPOL 311).

You should note that the categories above break up into a myriad of sub issues. For example, what is equality? How is wealth distributed in society? Who leads and who follows? How is the family/individual protected in the state?

Ok, but what about the real world?

We must be careful not to conflate theory with practice. There are normative expectations that reflect the expectations of theory (who should govern for example).

But in practice (praxis) who should govern is complicated by a host of issues. Some of those issues my speak to moral expectations like the recent furore over President Zuma's personal relations.

So, we should always separate theory from praxis (practice). Also, we should expect that political theory is always in flux (changing).