Political philosophy

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/political-philosophy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the discipline focus?Theoretical and conceptual analysis of politics, governance, and justice
2. What is the normative orientation?Prescribes how political systems and societies ought to be structured
3. Why is political philosophy different from political science?Political science looks at how power works in real life, while political philosophy asks how it should work and why it should be fair.
4. Who were some early thinkers in political philosophy?In the West, Plato and Aristotle wrote about justice and good governments. In the East, Confucius, Taoists, and Legalists had their own ideas.

Normative Theory: Focuses on what is morally right or good, prescribing ideals for society.
Social Contract Theory: Argues that political authority arises from an implicit agreement among individuals to form a society.
Cultural Relativism: The view that moral and political standards are determined by cultural context.