Discuss how political scientists attempt to quantify data
# 1 Politics in Our Daily Lives
As we read and discuss the definition of politics, let’s also consider the consequences of political decisions on our everyday lives. Can you think of examples from your everyday life when you encounter politics? What makes these experiences “political”?
As you discuss this with one another, let’s not forget to comment on other people’s experiences. Have you experienced similar situations? Can you think of creative ways in which politics plays itself out in your daily life?
YOU CAN USE THIS LINK
# 2 The Study of Political Science
The reading this week discusses the role of political scientists and their attempts to treat the study of politics as a science. In these efforts, they build scholarship based on reason, balance, and supporting evidence, although much of this scholarship is based on theory.
Discuss how political scientists attempt to quantify data, manipulate data statistically, and attempt to validate hypotheses.
# 3 Liberalism versus Socialism
The term liberalism, when applied to governments, is very different from the term liberal in America. Where liberalism implies a limited government, here in the United States a liberal is not usually seen as supporting a smaller government. This can be very confusing. In an effort to better understand these various meanings, we need to explore the variations within liberalism itself.
So who would like to explain how modern liberalism varies from classical liberalism? In addition, in what ways is classical liberalism similar to conservatism today?
READ THIS
http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/difference-between-socialism-and-liberalism/ (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
# 4 Understanding the Theories
As your text explains, Plato is considered the father of political science. Within The Republic, he presents his theories on the foundations of a perfect government. Rather than a theoretical examination of government, The Republic is written in story form, as the main character Socrates explores the ideal way to form a city.
A largely studied portion of The Republic deals with Plato’s cave allegory. The story goes something like this: You, as a person, find yourself within a cave, chained to the ground, facing a stone wall. You cannot stand, and all you know are the images that play out before you, which are the shadows cast by a light source from behind you. You cannot see behind you, but you know that there are others in the cave with you. This is the only state you have ever known. It is your only reality of the world. Plato goes on to explain that then one day, people come and remove your chains, and take you out of the cave. As you can imagine, you are scared and frightful, and thus fight these individuals as they drag you into this new setting. However, over time you learn to accept the larger image of the world around you and come to understand life outside of the cave. You then attempt to go back into the cave to free others.
This story was Plato’s attempt to explain the world around us. Just picture it: You are chained to the ground and all you can see in front of you is a cave wall. There is a light source behind you, which casts reflections on the wall.
What do you think you would think of these reflections? Could they represent family members? Or friends? What about a god?
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