Philosophy Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [political-philosophy]

Describing questions about the philosophy of politics and society which investigate concerns like liberty, justice and equality.

Describing questions about the philosophy of politics and society which investigate concerns like liberty, justice and equality.

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Was Robin Hood's point of view ethically sound?

The story of Robin Hood was a favourite of mine as a child. But as an adult, I am beginning to change my mind for a couple of reasons. The first being that if we assume a free market exists, regardless of how he redistributes wealth, a disparity…
Adam Ledger
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Is mathematics politically and culturally neutral?

Lately, there have been many people who say that mathematics itself is racist, that it is simply a creation of dead white Greek men. As a mathematician, I strongly disagree, and believe that mathematics transcends any particular culture or political…
user107952
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What are some arguments against violence?

I had repercussions over an argument in class of the inevitability of war, and violence in some instances. I was on the side that was arguing that violence is never necessary. My opponent said something that has been clinging on my head ever since.…
Lucian09474
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I'm being drafted to the military but I have the option to refuse (legally), would it be immoral for me to serve?

I’m set to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces but I have the option to exempt from the military if I wish to. So I’m in a big moral dilemma on whether I should serve or not, I’m currently leaning towards not serving being the morally right…
Mimikyu
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My CO2 emissions in the light of Russia burning thousands of tons of it a day

According to the news, Russia is burning off, or "flaring," about 4.34 million cubic meters of gas a day because it does not sell it to Europe. That's apparently an equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of CO2. Is not any CO2 I could ever emit by driving a…
user14511
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When is violence appropriate?

In what situations would violence be appropriate? The way I see it, the only excuse is as a response to violence (self-defense). Am I missing anything?
Joe Flynn
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On what grounds can a democratic state prohibit pornography?

On what grounds can a democratic state interfere to prohibit or limit its citizens from producing, distributing and consuming pornography? Does the state have any right to prohibit pornography or would it rather be violation of basic liberties of…
user18079
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How much ethics did Machiavelli convey in The Prince?

My philosophy teacher and I are having a little disagreement regarding The Prince: He argues that although the book's context is a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici advising him and recommending a course of action to unite Italy, ultimately this is just…
commando
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Is Nozick's Criticism of Rawls correct?

When Nozick says distributive justice 'marks a shift from the classical liberal notion of self ownership to a notion of property rights in others', is this a fair criticism of Rawls and distributive justice?
fuzz
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Accepted Interpretation of Machiavelli's "the ends justify the means."?

Prior to reading The Prince, I had heard of the aphorism: The ends justify the means This was Machiavelli's identifying line to many people, and in my conversations with them, I got the impression that Machiavelli meant the following: that, given…
commando
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Why would Aristotle argue that "a mechanic or a mercantile life" is "ignoble and inimical to virtue"?

All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind. (Aristotle) UPDATE: As Michael notes below, a better translation of the above is in Rackham (reproduced from Michael's citation): This isn't a better translation as Michael is wrong about it being a…
please delete me
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What are the main points of contention between Marxist and capitalist economic philosophies?

What are the main points of contention between Marxist economic philosophy and the various "pro-capitalist" economic philosophies (Labor Theory of Value, Austrian School, Libertarianism, etc.?)
Joseph Weissman
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If you have won the trust of an illegal immigrant, is it ethical to turn him/her over to the authorities?

My question is NOT about the problems associated with secondary consequences of illegal immigration, such as unemployment of the native workforce. Nor is it about the causes of illegal immigration, such as the hardships faced by people living in a…
Krishnaraj Rao
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What are prominent attacks of Rawls' "veil of ignorance" argument? Which liberal philosophers have advanced it?

In John Rawls' A Theory of Justice, he argues that morally, society should be constructed politically as if we were all behind a veil of ignorance; that is, the rules and precepts of society should be constructed as if we had no a priori knowledge…
Uticensis
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Do decolonialists have to attack science and modernity?

I’m a professional scientist (mathematician, actually). I’m not a philosopher. I’ve got a lot of friends well-versed in philosophy, and they all seem to point toward modernity as a byproduct of capitalism, the last one being a byproduct itself of…
Simón Flavio Ibañez
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