Abstract

In POL264 we have looked at two different approaches to the philosophy of politics: (1) one through a philosophy of history, an attempt to understand and forecast the course of history, (2) the other through development of ideas of justice and their application to such issues as justice between nations, justice between generations, and justice in the form of equality of opportunity. This is just a sampling of what has been written in political philosophy since the 18th century, but if you go on reading in this subject I think you'll find it is a reasonably representative sample. There is a third common approach during this period: Utilitarianism, the attempt to work out a political philosophy aimed at securing the happiness or well-being of mankind generally. The chief representative of utilitarianism is J.S. Mill, whom you met at the end of POL167. Most philosophizing about politics since the eighteenth century has come under one or other of these three heads