Political Theory and the Child: Problems of the Individualist Tradition

1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Haydon
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Obligation ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Legitimate Concern ◽  
The Status ◽  
Child Problems ◽  
Anarchist Theory

Consideration of the status and treatment of the child is a legitimate concern of political theory, and may lead to reappraisal of some commonly deployed arguments. Several respects are indicated in which decisions taken by adults and affecting children may properly be considered political. More specifically, it is argued that (i) anarchist theory; (ii) Nozick's arguments in Anarchy, State and Utopia; and (iii) consent theories of political obligation run into difficulties when the place of children is considered. The argument points, under (i) and (ii), to putative lines of justification of the state; and under (iii) to the conclusion, contrary to common assumption, that those who have not yet attained sufficient understanding to be considered as consenting are not morally obliged to obey the state's laws and agents.

scholarly journals The natural duty of justice in non-ideal circumstances: On the moral demands of institution building and reform

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
The State ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Institution Building ◽  
Institutional Agents ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
The Status

Principles of distributive justice bind macro-level institutional agents, like the state. But what does justice require in non-ideal circumstances, where institutional agents are unjust or do not exist in the first place? Many answer by invoking Rawls's natural duty ‘to further just arrangements not yet established’, treating it as a ‘normative bridge’ between institutional demands of distributive justice and individual responsibilities in non-ideal circumstances. I argue that this response strategy is unsuccessful. I show that the more unjust the status quo is due to non-compliance, the less demanding the natural duty of justice becomes. I conclude that, in non-ideal circumstances, the bulk of the normative work is done by another natural duty: that of beneficence. This conclusion has significant implications for how we conceptualize our political responsibilities in non-ideal circumstances, and cautions us against the tendency – common in contemporary political theory – to answer all high-stakes normative questions under the rubric of justice.

Thomas Hobbes's Materialism, Language, and the Possibility of Politics

2008 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Dungey
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
First Principles ◽  
Thomas Hobbes ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Obligation ◽  
English Civil War ◽  
The Social

AbstractThomas Hobbes sought a reconstruction of philosophy, ethics, and politics that would end, once and for all, the bitter disputes that led to the English Civil War. This reconstruction begins with the first principles of matter and motion and extends to a unique account of consent and political obligation. Hobbes intended to produce a unified philosophical system linking his materialist account of human nature to his moral and political theory. However, his materialism gives rise to a set of perceptions, imagination, and desires that contribute to the chaos of the state of nature. The sort of person that emerges from Hobbes's materialist anthropology is unlikely to be able to make the necessary agreements about common meaning and language that constitute the ground of the social contract. Therefore, Hobbes's materialism frustrates the very purpose for which it is conceived.

The Natural Basis of Political Obligation

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-114
Author(s):  
George Klosko
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Obligation ◽  
Natural Basis ◽  
Political Ties ◽  
State Of Nature ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Liberal Political Theory

Though questions of political obligation have long been central to liberal political theory, discussion has generally focused on voluntaristic aspects of the individual's relationship to the state, as opposed to other factors through which the state is able to ground compliance with its laws. The individual has been conceptualized as naturally without political ties, whether or not formally in a state of nature, and questions of political obligation have centered on accounting for political bonds.

Freedom, Law and Authority

1988 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 191-223
Author(s):  
Norman Barry ◽  
Keith Graham
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Ordinary Language ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Obligation ◽  
Analytical Philosophy ◽  
Logical Positivist ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of

Despite the emphasis on the state in the history of political philosophy, the twentieth century has been characterized by a remarkable lack of philosophical reflection on the concept. Until recently analytical philosophy had eschewed those evaluative arguments about political obligation and the limits of state authority that were typical of political theory in the past in favour of the explication of the meaning of the concept. However, even here the results have been disappointing. Logical Positivist attempts to locate some unique empirical phenomenon which the word state described proved unsuccessful, and indeed led to the odd conclusion that there was nothing about the state that distinguished it from some other social institutions. For example, its coercive power was said to be not unique: in some circumstances trade unions and Churches exercised similar power over their members. Ordinary language philosophers were far more interested in the complexities that surround words such as law, authority and power than in the state. In all this there was perhaps the fear that to concentrate attention on the state was implicitly to give credence to the discredited doctrine that it stood for some metaphysical entity; propositions about which could not be translated into propositions about the actions of individuals, and which represented higher values than those of ordinary human agents.

Smashing the state gently: Radical realism and realist anarchism

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gearóid Brinn
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
The State ◽  
Standard Representation ◽  
Radical Ideology ◽  
Realist Perspective ◽  
Anarchist Theory

The revival of realism in political theory has included efforts to challenge realism’s conservative reputation and argue that radical forms are possible. Nonetheless these efforts have been criticised as insufficient to overcome realism’s inherent conservatism. This article argues that radical forms of realism can be better appreciated by considering the application of the realist perspective within an existing radical ideology: anarchism. This may seem an unusual choice, considering anarchism’s standard representation as naïvely idealistic and paradigmatically non-realist. However, attention to the breadth of diversity in anarchist theory reveals a collection of positions that together represent a ‘realist anarchism’ which not only challenges anarchism’s reputation as uniformly committed to unrealistic and idealistic utopianism but also demonstrates the existence of genuinely radical forms of realism.

Freedom, Law and Authority: The State and Legitimacy

1988 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 191-206
Author(s):  
Norman Barry
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Ordinary Language ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Obligation ◽  
Analytical Philosophy ◽  
Logical Positivist ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of

Despite the emphasis on the state in the history of political philosophy, the twentieth century has been characterized by a remarkable lack of philosophical reflection on the concept. Until recently analytical philosophy had eschewed those evaluative arguments about political obligation and the limits of state authority that were typical of political theory in the past in favour of the explication of the meaning of the concept. However, even here the results have been disappointing. Logical Positivist attempts to locate some unique empirical phenomenon which the word state described proved unsuccessful, and indeed led to the odd conclusion that there was nothing about the state that distinguished it from some other social institutions. For example, its coercive power was said to be not unique: in some circumstances trade unions and Churches exercised similar power over their members. Ordinary language philosophers were far more interested in the complexities that surround words such as law, authority and power than in the state. In all this there was perhaps the fear that to concentrate attention on the state was implicitly to give credence to the discredited doctrine that it stood for some metaphysical entity; propositions about which could not be translated into propositions about the actions of individuals, and which represented higher values than those of ordinary human agents.

Kropotkin

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Kinna
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Direct Action ◽  
The State ◽  
Social Analysis ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Special Character ◽  
Revolutionary Politics

This book is designed to remove Peter Kropotkin from the framework of classical anarchism. By focusing attention on his theory of mutual aid, it argues that the classical framing distorts Kropotkin's political theory by associating it with a narrowly positivistic conception of science, a naively optimistic idea of human nature and a millenarian idea of revolution. Kropotkin's abiding concern with Russian revolutionary politics is the lens for this analysis. The argument is that his engagement with nihilism shaped his conception of science and that his expeditions in Siberia underpinned an approach to social analysis that was rooted in geography. Looking at Kropotkin's relationship with Elisée Reclus and Erico Malatesta and examining his critical appreciation of P-J. Proudhon, Michael Bakunin and Max Stirner, the study shows how he understood anarchist traditions and reveals the special character of his anarchist communism. His idea of the state as a colonising process and his contention that exploitation and oppression operate in global contexts is a key feature of this. Kropotkin's views about the role of theory in revolutionary practice show how he developed this critique of the state and capitalism to advance an idea of political change that combined the building of non-state alternatives through direct action and wilful disobedience. Against critics who argue that Kropotkin betrayed these principles in 1914, the book suggests that this controversial decision was consistent with his anarchism and that it reflected his judgment about the prospects of anarchistic revolution in Russia.

OPERATIONAL STATE OF BRIDGES OF UKRAINE

2019 ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Larysa Bodnar ◽  
Petro Koval ◽  
Sergii Stepanov ◽  
Liudmyla Panibratets
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
The State ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Bridge Management ◽  
Bridge Management System ◽  
Program Complex ◽  
Operating Condition ◽  
Software Complex ◽  
Automatic Mode ◽  
The Status

A significant part of Ukrainian bridges on public roads is operated for more than 30 years (94 %). At the same time, the traffic volume and the weight of vehicles has increased significantly. Insufficient level of bridges maintenance funding leads to the deterioration of their technical state. The ways to ensure reliable and safe operation of bridges are considered. The procedure for determining the predicted operational status of the elements and the bridge in general, which has a scientific novelty, is proposed. In the software complex, Analytical Expert Bridges Management System (AESUM), is a function that allows tracking the changes in the operational status of bridges both in Ukraine and in each region separately. The given algorithm of the procedure for determining the predicted state of the bridge using a degradation model is described using the Nassie-Schneidermann diagram. The model of the degradation of the bridge performance which is adopted in Ukraine as a normative one, and the algorithm for its adaptation to the AESUM program complex with the function to ensure the probabilistic predicted operating condition of the bridges in the automatic mode is presented. This makes it possible, even in case of unsatisfactory performance of surveys, to have the predicted lifetime of bridges at the required time. For each bridge element it is possible to determine the residual time of operation that will allow predict the state of the elements of the structure for a certain period of time in the future. Significant interest for specialists calls for the approaches to the development of orientated perspective plans for bridge inspection and monitoring of changes in the operational status of bridges for 2009-2018 in Ukraine. For the analysis of the state of the bridge economy, the information is available on the distribution of bridges by operating state related to the administrative significance of roads, by road categories and by materials of the structures. Determining the operating state of the bridge is an important condition for making the qualified decisions as regards its maintenance. The Analytical Expert Bridges Management System (AESUM) which is implemented in Ukraine, stores the data on the monitoring the status of bridges and performs the necessary procedures to maintain them in a reliable and safe operating condition. An important result of the work is the ability to determine the distribution of bridges on the public roads of Ukraine, according to operating conditions established in the program complex of AESUM, which is presented in accordance with the data of the current year. In conditions of limited funding and in case of unsatisfactory performance of surveys, it is possible to make the reasonable management decisions regarding the repair and the reconstruction of bridges. Keywords: bridge management system, operating condition, predicted operating condition, model of degradation, bridge survey plan, highway bridge.

Varied Responses to Human-Induced Seismicity in the City of Azle, Texas

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sarmistha R. Majumdar
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Induced Seismicity ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Prior History ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
The Status

Fracking has helped to usher in an era of energy abundance in the United States. This advanced drilling procedure has helped the nation to attain the status of the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world, but some of its negative externalities, such as human-induced seismicity, can no longer be ignored. The occurrence of earthquakes in communities located at proximity to disposal wells with no prior history of seismicity has shocked residents and have caused damages to properties. It has evoked individuals’ resentment against the practice of injection of fracking’s wastewater under pressure into underground disposal wells. Though the oil and gas companies have denied the existence of a link between such a practice and earthquakes and the local and state governments have delayed their responses to the unforeseen seismic events, the issue has gained in prominence among researchers, affected community residents, and the media. This case study has offered a glimpse into the varied responses of stakeholders to human-induced seismicity in a small city in the state of Texas. It is evident from this case study that although individuals’ complaints and protests from a small community may not be successful in bringing about statewide changes in regulatory policies on disposal of fracking’s wastewater, they can add to the public pressure on the state government to do something to address the problem in a state that supports fracking.

Hukum Denda dalam Keuangan Publik Islam di Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-328
Author(s):  
Fathul Aminudin Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Islamic Law ◽  
The State ◽  
Mutual Benefit ◽  
State Budget ◽  
The People ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government

Fines are sanctions or punishments that are applied in the form of the obligation to pay a sum of money imposed on the denial of a number of agreements previously agreed upon. There is debate over the status of fines in Islamic law. Some argue that fines may not be used, and some argue that they may be used. In the context of fines for delays in payment of taxes, in fiqh law it can be analogous to ta'zir bi al-tamlīk (punishment for ownership). This can be justified if the tax obligations have met the requirements. Whereas according to Islamic teachings, fines can be categorized as acts in order to obey government orders as taught in the hadith, and in order to contribute to the realization of mutual benefit in the life of the state. As for the amount of the fine, the government cannot arbitrarily determine fines that are too large to burden the people. Penalties are applied as a message of reprimand and as a means to cover the lack of the state budget.

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