Editing Political philosophy (section)

== Definition and related fields ==
Political philosophy is the branch of [[philosophy]] studying the theoretical and conceptual foundations of [[politics]]. It considers the relation between individual and society, the best organization of collective life, the distribution of goods and [[Power (social and political)|power]], the limits of state authority, and the values guiding political decisions. This field examines basic concepts like [[State (polity)|state]], [[government]], [[Power (social and political)|power]], [[Legitimacy (political)|legitimacy]], [[political obligation]], [[justice]], equality, and [[liberty]], analyzing their essential features and how they influence citizens, communities, and policies.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Sankowski|2005|p=730}} | {{harvnb|Bunnin|Yu|2008|p=536}} | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=Lead section}} | {{harvnb|Miller|1998|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/political-philosophy/v-1 Lead section, § Political institutions and ideologies]}} | {{harvnb|Wolff|2006|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FVOcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 1–2]}} }}</ref> Schools of political philosophy, such as [[liberalism]], [[conservatism]], [[socialism]], and [[anarchism]], offer diverse interpretations of these concepts. They are guided by different values and propose distinct frameworks for structuring societies.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=Lead section, § 3. Political Schools of Thought}} | {{harvnb|Miller|1998|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/political-philosophy/v-1 Lead section, § Political institutions and ideologies]}} }}</ref> As a systematic and critical inquiry, political philosophy scrutinizes established beliefs and explores alternative views.<ref>{{harvnb|Besussi|2016|loc=§ Preliminary}}</ref> A central motivation for this investigation is that forms of government are not predetermined facts of nature but human creations that can be actively shaped to the benefit or detriment of some or all.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Wolff|2006|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FVOcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 2–3]}} | {{harvnb|Miller|2003|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EegRDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 1–3]}} }}</ref>

Political philosophers address various evaluative or [[Normativity|normative]] issues. They examine ideal forms of government and describe the values and norms that should guide political decisions.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Sankowski|2005|p=730}} | {{harvnb|Bunnin|Yu|2008|p=536}} | {{harvnb|Scruton|2007|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=t9uGDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA533 533]}} | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=Lead section}} | {{harvnb|Miller|1998|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/political-philosophy/v-1 Lead section]}} | {{harvnb|Wolff|2006|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FVOcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 2–3]}} }}</ref> They differ in this regard from [[Political science|political scientists]], who focus on empirical descriptions of how governments and other political institutions actually work rather than how they ideally should work.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Bunnin|Yu|2008|p=536}} | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=Lead section}} | {{harvnb|Wolff|2006|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FVOcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 2–3]}} | {{harvnb|Heywood|Chin|2023|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=u_ioEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 5–6]}} }}</ref> The term ''political theory'' is sometimes used as a synonym of ''political philosophy'', but some interpreters distinguish the two. According to this view, political philosophy seeks to answer general and fundamental questions, whereas political theory analyzes and compares more specific aspects of political institutions while being more closely associated to the sciences.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Bunnin|Yu|2008|p=536}} | {{harvnb|Scruton|2007|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=t9uGDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA533 533]}} | {{harvnb|Stevens|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=q7IhAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA264 264]}} | {{harvnb|Heywood|Chin|2023|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=u_ioEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 5–6]}} }}</ref>

Political philosophy has its roots in [[ethics]]{{em dash}}the area of philosophy studying [[Morality|moral]] phenomena{{em dash}}and is sometimes considered a branch of ethics.{{efn|[[Political ethics]] is a subfield at the intersection of these disciplines, studying moral judgments about political actions.<ref>{{harvnb|Thompson|2019}}</ref>}} While ethics examines right conduct and the good life in the broadest sense, political philosophy has a more narrow scope, focusing on the political domain.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{harvnb|Moseley|loc=§ 1. Ethical Foundations}}</ref>{{efn|For example, [[classical utilitarianism]] in ethics is the general theory that an act is morally right if it produces "the greatest good for the greatest number". Applied to the field of politics, this principle is used to evaluate institutions and policies.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{harvnb|Moseley|loc=§ 1. Ethical Foundations}}</ref>}} Political philosophy is also closely related to [[social philosophy]] and philosophical treatises often discuss the two together without clearly distinguishing between them. Despite their overlap, one difference between the two is that social philosophy examines diverse kinds of social phenomena while political philosophy has a more specific focus on power and governance.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Bunnin|Yu|2008|p=536}} | {{harvnb|Miller|1998|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/political-philosophy/v-1 Lead section]}} | {{harvnb|Christman|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=hmJQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21 21]}} }}</ref> Other connected fields include the [[philosophy of law]] and [[Philosophy of economics|economics]].<ref>{{harvnb|Moseley|loc=Lead section}}</ref>

The term ''political philosophy'' has its roots in the [[ancient Greek]] words {{lang|grc|Πολιτικά}} ({{tlit|grc|politiká}}, meaning {{gloss|affair of the state}}) and {{lang|grc|φιλοσοφία}} ({{tlit|grc|philosophía}}, meaning {{gloss|love of wisdom}}).<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Cresswell|2021|loc=§ Police}} | {{harvnb|Hoad|1996|p=350}} | {{harvnb|Knowles|2006|loc=§ Political Philosophy}} | {{harvnb|Stevens|2010|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=q7IhAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 6, 77]}} }}</ref> It is one of the oldest branches of philosophy and has been practiced in many different cultures.<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|1998|loc=[https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/overview/political-philosophy/v-1 Lead section]}}</ref>