Nineteenth Century Political Philosophy

1
Nineteenth Century Political Philosophy

• The development of Romanticism

2
Political Liberalism

• Associated with England and Low Countries
• Protestant
• Appreciates Work ethic
• Commerce and Industry
• Tolerant
• Wars over religion are just silly
• Respect for Rights of Property
• Individualistic
• Social mobility possible
• Role of education to improve ones lot in life
• Based on Reason and Rational thought
• John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume

3
RomanticismPassion over Calculation

• Anti-thesis of Rational Liberalism
• Anti-Industrial, Commercial
• Medieval Nostalgia
• Chivalry and Heroism stressed
• Individualism reinterpreted
• Passions rather than Intellect
• Admire all strong passions
• Even negative violent ones
• Cult of the Hero
• Nationalism encouraged
• Rebellions justifiable
• War justifiable in defence of Liberty
• Byron, Rousseau, Kant, Fichte, Nietzsche
• Identified with Germany

4
Romanticism
Rousseau
Kant
Nationalism
Schopenhauer
Hegel
Nietzsche
5
Jean Jacques Rousseau 1712 1778Man is born
free and everywhere he is in chains

• Father of Romantic Movement
• Noble Savage
• Opponent of Progress and Industrialisation
• Makes government powerful
• Crushes individuals
• Material benefits no match for human
  friendship/emotions
• Politics and morality cannot be separated
• Learn by experience
• Social Contract
• Bible of French Revolution

6
Rousseaus Social Contract

• Justifies totalitarianism
• Democracy best in small states
• Aristocracy best in medium states
• Monarchy best in large states
• Big fan of City States
• Sparta over Athens
• The General Will of the people is easily
  recognisable
• Equality over liberty
• Each of us puts his person under the supreme
  direction of the general will
• The general will is always right
• Every man governed by self interest
• Self-interest good for the individual
• Self-interest is also good for the community
• Lack of respect for private property
• The State is master of all their goods

7
Immanuel Kant1724 - 1804

• German Idealist
• Romanticist
• Building block for Hegel
• Pedantic University Professor
• Believed in Democracy
• Supported French Revolution up to Terror
• Advocated Federation of free states who outlaw
  war as war is utterly irrational
• Prussian but not a nationalist
• Often argued with authorities over some of his
  more liberal ideas

8
Immanuel Kants Ideas

• Critique of knowledge as a means of reaching
  philosophical conclusions
• Mind more important than matter
• There can be nothing more dreadful than that the
  actions of a man should be subject to the will of
  another
• Rights of Man ideals
• Moral worth exists only when a man acts from a
  sense of duty
• Two imperatives driving the will of humans
• Hypothetical Imperative
• You must do so and so if you wish to achieve such
  and such
• Categorical Imperative
• Act as if the maxim of your action were to become
  a general natural law
• Ie if it were applied by everybody would it
  work
• Eg it is wrong to borrow money because if we all
  did, there would be no money to borrow

9
Georg Hegel1770 - 1831

• Prussian University Professor
• Protestant
• 1806 Jena
• Nothing is completely real except the whole (like
  a complex organism)
• Called The Absolute
• Mr A is an uncle
• Uncle means nothing without a Nephew
• The Universe cannot be spherical
• Spheres have a boundary
• A boundary only exists when something lies
  outside the boundary
• There is no freedom without law
• In fact, freedom is the right to obey law
• Spirit is the essential historical force

10
Hegels Spirit

• Historical development of spirit
• Oriental (despotism)
• One is free
• Greeks Romans (Aristocracy)
• Some are free
• German (Monarchy NOT Democracy)
• All are free
• The monarch embodies the will of all
• The State is the idea of Spirit in the external
  manifestation of human Will and its freedom
• The German Spirit is the spirit of the new
  world
• Rewrites German History
• Not barbarians but the true spirit of man
  fighting the effete Romans
• Protestant and United Prussia praised over
  Catholic and disunited Austrians

11
Nations and Individuals in Hegels World

• Nations
• Nations are the principle of historical
  development
• A particular nation shows the true spirit
• Germany
• Individuals
• A few world historically important individuals
  who embody true spirit
• Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon
• War allows for the spirit to be purely
  represented

12
Artur Schopenhauer1788 - 1860

• Danzig, Prussia
• Dark, philosophical pessimist
• Influenced by Plato, Kant, The Vedas, Goethe
• Ascetic Mystic combined with Hellenism
• The World as Will and Idea 1818
• Emphasizes the role of Will
• The Primacy of the Will
• As the creative but irrational force of human
  nature
• Ethically evil (Pessimistic)
• Only Art can withstand the role of Will
• Personally dislikes Hegel despite some
  philosophical similarities
• Influences Nietzche

13
Friedrich Nietszche1844 - 1900

• Saxony
• Son of Lutheran Pastor
• University of Basel
• 1870 Franco Prussian War
• Medical orderly
• Retires in ill health
• Ill health plagues Nietszche for rest of life
• Insane 1888 - 1900

14
Friedrich Nietzsches Ideas

• Admires strength of will above all else
• Spartan ideals
• Life is hard the difficulties of life allows us
  to appreciate the best parts of life
• Suffering amplifies the pleasure
• Believes in Heroes (individuals over the State)
• UberMensch Superman
• Masses can suffer to produce a great man
• Napoleon
• Anti-Democratic Anti-Liberal
• All are not equal
• Democracy leads to mediocrity
• Believes in the superiority of the Aristocrat
• Not a Nationalist
• Wants an international super-aristocracy to guide
  humanity
• Anti-Christian
• Dislikes submission to a Higher Order
• Prefers old testament to new testament
• Not anti-semitic