Politics is the Means
What Politics is About
The 3 axioms about governing established that all societies need governmental institutions to protect and strengthen both society as a whole and its members.
Now for the final 2 axioms:
Axiom #4: Governmental functions require power and wealth.
To perform its duties, a government requires:
- Coercive powers to ensure that certain things either happen or do not happen; &
- Wealth to cover the costs of exerting power and discharging duties.
Axiom #5: Individuals are the sole sources of social goods, via their will, thought and action.
Government does not exist apart from society, and society does not exist apart from its members.
- All individual members of society. must come from
- individuals in offices of power». must operate via specific «
Before proceeding, answer these two questions:
Suddenly it all becomes very clear…
From a taxonomic perspective, there is an easily recognized psychosocial phenomenon:
- individuals seeking and obtaining access to the wealth and power of a society;
and there is a clear function/purpose:
- managing society’s wealth and power authoritatively for the good of each and all via government.
Together this deserves the name «other definitions.
». So is different to , while unavoidably entails . Compare this definition withEveryone strives for a modicum of power and wealth. Those particular individuals who willingly strive to obtain access to the power and wealth of society as a whole—and who are expected to use power and wealth for the good of all—are commonly called « ».
The «
» also include necessary bureaucrats, advisors and others closely involved with government.
Next Steps
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in detail. The basics need to be understood to grasp politics: review them here.
is about what is right and good for society. That suggests a relationship to , an area that has already been investigated -
regimes or ideologies or elites forming a ruling class, because these are about how government operates. is more fundamental: it determines the regime and ideology and enables a ruling class. More in the review.
is not about -
Now consider how politics and ethics are related.
Originally posted: July 2009; Last updated: 25-Feb-2014