Law & Political Theory

Ungoverned man will eventually get up to no good. The ancient Greeks understood this, but apparently failed to see that self-governed man is often not much better. Except, of course, for Aristotle and Plato. Aristotle claimed the ideal government (or constitution, as he called it) is a benevolent monarchy in which the king rules according to the needs and desires of the people. His teacher, Plato, opted for a whole group of philosopher-kings as heads of a communal society dependent on cooperation and education for its success. Man has discussed and tried to implement a variety of "utopias" ever since.

According to St. Paul, the purpose of government is to uphold good and punish evil. Usually we assume government's purpose is to take money from people who need it and give it to people who don't, in which case it's doing the opposite of what it should. But political theory debates are often not about what government should do, as in how it should do it.

A poorly run government will have unhappy and possibly revolutionary citizens. The solution is not to make the people happy, however, but to learn to govern well.This is typically the nature of political theory in its philosophical and ethical context—what method of rule will work best, given the typical behavior of mankind? Christians know that proper government must adhere to biblical principles, even if it doesn't specifically acknowledge them to be such. We can't let pragmatism and emotional feeling misdirect us from the pursuit of a truly godly and well-governed society.

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All About Courts and the Law
All About Books #54
by Ruth Brindze
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American Cause
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Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates
Signet Classics
by Patrick Henry & John DeWitt
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American Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates
Dover Thrift Editions
by Patrick Henry & John DeWitt
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American Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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By What Standard?
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Challenge to Liberty
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City of God
Penguin Classics
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Common Sense
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Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Common Sense
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Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Communist Manifesto
Penguin Classics
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Political Philosophy for 10th-Adult
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Communist Manifesto
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Communist Manifesto
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Political Philosophy for 10th-Adult
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Essential American
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Evolution of Political Thought
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Federalist Papers
Signet Classics
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American Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Federalist Papers
Dover Thrift series
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American Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Federalist Papers
Signet Classics
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American Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Five Dialogues of Plato
by Plato, translated by G.M.A. Grube, revised by John M. Cooper
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Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Five Great Dialogues of Plato
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Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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God and Politics
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Gorgias
Penguin Classics
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Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Oxford World's Classics
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Great Dialogues of Plato
Signet Classics
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Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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How Would a Patriot Act?
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Ideas Have Consequences
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Ideas Have Consequences
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Keys to Good Government
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Last Days of Socrates
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Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
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Law
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Law of War and Peace
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Leviathan
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Political Philosophy for 11th-Adult
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Lex Rex
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Marx for Beginners
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Marx's Religion of Revolution
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New Road to Serfdom
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Political Thought
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Politics
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Political Philosophy for 11th-Adult
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Republic
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Road to Serfdom
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Trial and Death of Socrates
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