Political Theory

The article examines the libertarian ideal of liberty, which emphasizes minimal interference in personal actions. It critiques libertarianism’s stance on charity and welfare, arguing that the liberty of the poor, to meet their basic needs by taking from the rich, is morally preferable to the rich’s liberty to use surplus resources for luxury. By applying … Read more

Too often, doing philosophy is modeled after fighting a battle or making war. Arguments are attacked, shot down (like a plane), or sunk (like a ship). Theses are defended, defeated, or demolished (like the walls of a city), and ideas (like people) are killed and destroyed. There are problems with doing philosophy in this way. … Read more

With the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race rapidly approaching, candidates are focusing their campaigns on issues that are close to voters’ hearts. From economic challenges to environmental policies, several major themes are emerging that will likely shape the debate. In this guide, we’ll dive into the top five issues anticipated to dominate the 2024 election season. … Read more

Communistic Religious Associations emerged from early Christian teachings that emphasized equality, voluntary poverty, and communal living. During the Middle Ages, several sects attempted to institutionalize shared property and collective life, blending spiritual ideals with social reform. Influenced by reformers such as John Wyclif and Jan Hus, and shaped by movements connected to Martin Luther, these … Read more

Influence of the Reformation on Political Thought focuses on the Protestant reformers during the Reformation, both those thinkers historians commonly refer to as moderate or “magisterial” reformers (especially Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli) and those they refer to as “radical” reformers. Although the political concerns of Protestantism remained profoundly religious, and most reformers … Read more

John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism, including its doctrines of predestination and God’s absolute sovereignty in the salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation. Calvinist doctrines … Read more

Huldrych Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly center of Renaissance humanism. He continued his studies while he served as a pastor in … Read more

Philip Melanchthon was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and John Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and molder of Protestantism. “Natural law, revealed by God and inherent … Read more

Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, composer, and former Augustinian friar, and is best known as a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation and as the namesake of Lutheranism. “By emphasizing the supremacy of the state over the church, Martin Luther laid the foundation for modern political authority.” Martin Luther It was natural … Read more

The medieval period, often called an age of organized anarchy, laid the foundations for modern international relations. While local dominions dominated and universal law was mostly theoretical, the church, feudal systems, and emerging national monarchies fostered early diplomatic practices. Arbitration, territorial sovereignty, and codes of law gradually shaped a framework that influenced later international jurisprudence, … Read more