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Single Idea 19995
[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 1. Purpose of a State
]
Full Idea
Although all states share the same general objective, to preserve themselves, each has its own particular purpose (such as aggrandisement, war, religion, commerce, tranquillity, navigation, liberty, pleasures of the ruler, glory, individual independence).
Gist of Idea
All states aim at preservation, and then have distinctive individual purposes
Source
Baron de Montesquieu (The Spirit of the Laws (rev. 1757) [1748], 11.05)
Book Ref
Montesquieu,Baron de: 'Selected Political Writings', ed/tr. Richter,Melvin [Hackett 1990], p.181
A Reaction
[he gives examples for each of the list in brackets] I'm trying to think of the distinctive purpose of the UK, and can't get beyond sport, music gigs and comedy shows.
The
39 ideas
with the same theme
[reasons why a people forms itself into a state]:
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7346
|
Jeremiah implied a link between weakness and goodness, and the evil of the state
[Jeremiah, by Johnson,P]
|
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137
|
As with other things, a good state is organised and orderly
[Plato]
|
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19890
|
All exchanges in a community are for mutual benefit
[Plato]
|
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5140
|
Political science aims at the highest good, which involves creating virtue in citizens
[Aristotle]
|
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86
|
A bad political constitution (especially a tyranny) makes friendship almost impossible
[Aristotle]
|
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23915
|
The main function of politics is to produce friendship
[Aristotle]
|
|
2431
|
Every state is an association formed for some good purpose
[Aristotle]
|
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22548
|
A city aims at living well
[Aristotle]
|
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22577
|
What is the best life for everyone, and is that a communal or an individual problem?
[Aristotle]
|
|
22578
|
The happiest city is the one that acts most nobly
[Aristotle]
|
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22579
|
The same four cardinal virtues which apply to individuals also apply to a city
[Aristotle]
|
|
7487
|
Society exists to extend human awareness
[Spinoza, by Watson]
|
|
19943
|
The state aims to allow personal development, so its main purpose is freedom
[Spinoza]
|
|
19863
|
Politics is the right to make enforceable laws to protect property and the state, for the common good
[Locke]
|
|
19995
|
All states aim at preservation, and then have distinctive individual purposes
[Montesquieu]
|
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3921
|
The safety of the people is the supreme law
[Hume]
|
|
21096
|
The only purpose of government is to administer justice, which brings security
[Hume]
|
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19816
|
A state's purpose is liberty and equality - liberty for strength, and equality for liberty
[Rousseau]
|
|
7247
|
The greatest social good comes down to freedom and equality
[Rousseau]
|
|
19838
|
The measure of a successful state is increase in its population
[Rousseau]
|
|
19855
|
The purpose of society is to protect the rights of liberty, property, security and resistance
[Mirabeau/committee]
|
|
7542
|
The best form of government teaches us to govern ourselves
[Goethe]
|
|
22767
|
I aim to portray the state as a rational entity
[Hegel]
|
|
22789
|
Society draws people, and requires their work, making them wholly dependent on it
[Hegel]
|
|
22791
|
The state is the march of God in the world
[Hegel]
|
|
21485
|
The state only exists to defend citizens, from exterior threats, and from one another
[Schopenhauer]
|
|
23203
|
The great question is approaching, of how to govern the earth as a whole
[Nietzsche]
|
|
14838
|
The state aims to protect individuals from one another
[Nietzsche]
|
|
20367
|
Individual development is more important than the state, but a community is necessary
[Nietzsche]
|
|
23157
|
Government has a negative purpose, to prevent trouble, and a positive aim of realising our desires
[Russell]
|
|
20937
|
The state should produce higher civilisations for all, in tune with the economic apparatus
[Gramsci]
|
|
20491
|
States have a monopoly of legitimate violence
[Sartre, by Wolff,J]
|
|
15043
|
Every society has a politics of truth, concerning its values, functions, prestige and mechanisms
[Foucault]
|
|
18643
|
A minimal state should protect, but a state forcing us to do more is unjustified
[Nozick]
|
|
23114
|
The chief function of the state is to arbitrate between contending visions of the good life
[Kekes]
|
|
20164
|
The ideal of an ideology is embodied in a text, a role model, a law of history, a dream of the past...
[Kekes]
|
|
20163
|
Ideologies have beliefs about reality, ideals, a gap with actuality, and a program
[Kekes]
|
|
9311
|
We have achieved a sort of utopia, and it is boring, so that is the end of utopias
[Svendsen]
|
|
20674
|
The Nazi aim was to encourage progressive evolution, and avoid degeneration
[Harari]
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