Thinker Century Ideal Political View on Responding To Context Modern

System Human Relevance

Nature
Plato 5th-4th Philosopher- Rational soul Sophists, Saw Modern elitism,
c. BC King Rule should Athenian democracy kill rule by experts
dominate democracy Socrates; (technocracy)
wanted
wisdom to rule
Aristotle 4th c. Mixed Humans are Plato Focused on Modern
BC government political virtue, balance, constitutionalism,
(monarchy, animals and teleology virtue ethics
aristocracy,
polity)
Cicero 1st c. Republic with Humans have Roman Advocated Republicanism,
BC checks and duties to state instability, natural law rule of law
balances and law tyranny and civic debates
virtue
St. 4th-5th City of God Humans are Fall of Rome, Integrated Christian
Augustine c. (theocratic sinful, need pagan critiques Christian conservatism,
vision) divine order theology with role of religion in
politics politics
Aquinas 13th c. Hierarchical Humans are Aristotelian Synthesized Natural law
monarchy with rational but thought, faith & reason, theory, religious
natural law require divine Catholic defended conservatism
guidance doctrine natural law
John 15th c. Constitutional Humans need Absolutism, English British
Fortescue Monarchy law and divine right medieval constitutionalism,
tradition theories governance common law
foundations
Machiavelli 15th- Strong ruler Humans are Classical Writing in Realpolitik,
16th c. (Republic or selfish and idealism (esp. unstable authoritarianism
Prince) power-hungry Plato) Renaissance
Italy
Jean Bodin 16th c. Sovereignty- Humans need Civil wars in Developed the Modern ideas of
based monarchy a strong ruler France, theory of state authority,
for order Machiavelli sovereignty centralization
Althusius 16th- Federalism Humans form Absolutism, Protestant Modern
17th c. communities centralization resistance federalism,
naturally theory subsidiarity in
governance
Hobbes 17th c. Absolute Humans are English Civil Wanted order Justifications for
Monarchy selfish, need War above all else strong state
strong control power (COVID-
19, security
measures)
Locke 17th c. Constitutional Humans have Hobbes Influenced by Basis of liberal
Government reason & Glorious democracy,
natural rights Revolution human rights
Pufendorf 17th c. Natural Law- Humans are Hobbes, Early German International law,
based monarchy social but religious wars Enlightenment, moral duties of
or republic require laws peace theories states
Montesquieu 18th c. Separation of Humans need Absolutism, Advocated U.S.
Powers (mixed institutional centralized checks and Constitution,
government) balance power balances modern
democracy
Rousseau 18th c. Direct Humans are Locke, Critiqued Social justice
Democracy naturally Enlightenment inequality, movements,
good but wrote in pre- participatory
corrupted by revolutionary democracy
society France
Burke 18th c. Constitutional Humans are French Defended Modern
Monarchy & flawed, need Revolution, tradition & conservatism,
Tradition institutions Rousseau gradual change critique of radical
change
Kant 18th c. Republic based Humans have Despotism, lack Wrote during Human rights,
on moral dignity & of freedom Enlightenment moral basis of
autonomy rationality law
Vico 18th c. Cyclical view Humans are Enlightenment Challenged Postmodern
of political shaped by rationalism linear progress critiques of
evolution history and views progress, cultural
culture studies
Herder 18th- Cultural Humans Enlightenment German National identity,
19th c. nationalism belong to universalism Romanticism, multiculturalism
distinct nationalism
cultural
groups
Hegel 19th c. Rational State Humans Kant, French Dialectics, Marxism,
(constitutional progress Revolution influenced nationalism, state
monarchy) through German power debates
history idealism
Tocqueville 19th c. Democracy Humans seek French Explored Warnings about
with local equality but Revolution, democracy's mass democracy,
institutions risk American strengths & centralization
centralization democracy dangers
Mill 19th c. Representative Humans are Tyranny of the Advocated free Liberalism, free
Democracy rational but majority speech, liberty speech debates
with Individual require
Liberty education
Marx 19th c. Communism Humans are Hegel, Analyzed Socialist
(classless shaped by capitalism capitalism, movements,
society) economic industrial critiques of
structures revolution capitalism
Nietzsche 19th c. Anti- Humans seek Christianity, Critiqued Postmodernism,
democracy, power, morality moral values, elitism, critiques
Übermensch morality is nihilism of equality
(aristocratic subjective
radicalism)
Leo XIII 19th c. Christian Social Humans need Industrialization, Promoted Distributism,
(Rerum Doctrine moral and socialism Catholic social social justice in
Novarum) (balance of social teaching religion
labor & capital) responsibility
Constant 19th c. Constitutional Humans need Rousseau, Critiqued Modern liberal
Liberalism liberty with French revolutionary democracy, civil
stability Revolution radicalism liberties
excesses
Fichte 19th c. Nationalist state Humans Cosmopolitan German Nationalism,
thrive in Enlightenment Idealism, state-building
strong ideas Napoleonic theories
national Wars
communities
Schmitt 20th c. Authoritarian Humans are Liberalism, Argued for Nationalism,
State conflict- Weimar decisive populism,
(friend/enemy driven Republic leadership executive power
distinction) debates
Weber 20th c. Bureaucratic Humans Marxism, Explored Bureaucratic
rational state follow capitalism legitimacy, state governance,
institutions rational legitimacy
authority debates
Antonio 20th c. Cultural Human Marx, Lenin Focused on Critical theory,
Gramsci Hegemony consciousness cultural and ideological
leading to shaped by intellectual battles
Socialism culture struggle
Hannah 20th c. Republic with Humans seek Totalitarian Studied Modern
Arendt civic meaning, risk regimes authority, authoritarianism,
participation totalitarianism (Nazism, power, and democracy
Stalinism) mass society debates

Michael 20th c. Communitarian Humans form Rawls, Critiqued Multiculturalism,

Walzer democracy moral liberalism universalism in community-
communities justice theory based justice
Oakeshott 20th c. Conservative Humans are Rationalism, Advocated for Conservatism,
Pragmatism unpredictable, central planning traditions over limited
tradition abstract government
matters theories
Rawls 20th c. Liberal Humans seek Utilitarianism, Created “veil Modern social
Democracy fairness inequality of ignorance” justice, welfare
thought state
experiment
Nozick 20th c. Minimal State Humans have Rawls, Defended Libertarianism,
(Libertarianism) natural rights redistribution individual free-market
liberty over policies
state
intervention
Carl Popper 20th c. Open Society Humans learn Totalitarianism, Criticized Science in
(Democracy through trial historicism Marxism and politics, open
with Scientific and error totalitarian debate culture
Method) ideologies
Benedict 20th c. Imagined Humans Nationalist Postcolonial Understanding
Anderson communities as construct essentialism critique of modern
national nations nationalism nationalism,
foundation through identity politics
shared culture
Strauss 20th c. Classical Humans need Liberal Critiqued Influence on
political order, relativism modern conservative
philosophy hierarchy nihilism intellectual
revival thought
Alasdair 20th- Aristotelian Humans Liberal Criticized Revival of virtue
MacIntyre 21st c. Virtue Ethics flourish individualism, moral ethics,
through modern ethics fragmentation conservative
traditions & moral philosophy
communities
Fukuyama 20th- Liberal Humans seek Collapse of Predicted Globalization,
21st c. Democracy as recognition communism liberal post-liberal
End of History democracy's debates
dominance
Huntington 20th- Clash of Humans are Fukuyama, Cold Argued Geopolitics,
21st c. Civilizations shaped by War civilizations, nationalism,
model cultural not ideologies, identity politics
identities drive conflict
Mouffe 21st c. Agonistic Humans need Liberal Critiqued post- Populism, radical
democracy political consensus political democracy
struggle for models neutrality debates
progress