This document provides an overview of the objectives and key concepts regarding the history of political thought. It discusses how history comes from the Greek word for inquiry and investigation and aims to understand the past of mankind. The document also examines the nature of history, noting that it has no subject matter of its own and synthesizes knowledge from many fields to illuminate pieces of the past. Finally, it explores some definitions and elements of politics and the state, such as how the state is a human community that claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

1. History of Political
Thought
History, Politics and Philosophy
(Lecture 1)
PREPARED by Raizza Corpuz

2. OBJECTIVES:
¨To evaluate the importance of HISTORY
and (POLITICS) POLITICAL THEORY
¨To understand HISTORY of Political
Theory
¨To develop an analytical way of thinking
vis a vis HISTORY and POLITICS
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3. UNLOCK THE PAST
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4. WHAT IS HISTORY?
¨History comes from the Greek word
“historie” or “historia” which means
learning, inquiry and/ or investigation.
¨In general, it is the past of mankind.
(Gottchalk)
¨It is the story of human experience.
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5. NATURE OF HISTORY
¨ IT HAS NO SUBJECT MATTER OF ITS OWN.
¨ IT SYNTHESIZES KNOWLEDGE FROM
MANY FIELDS.
¨ IT ILLUMINATES PIECES OF THE PAST,
NOT THE PAST ITSELF.
¨ IT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
¨ IT IS SUBJECTIVE.
¨ IT SEARCHES FOR THE TRUTH.
(ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS A RARE
COMMODITY)
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6. ELEMENTS OF HISTORY
¨MAN
¨PLACE
¨PERIOD (TIME ELEMENT)
¨SOURCES
- PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
SOURCES
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7. USES AND IMPORTANCE
OF HISTORY
¨ HISTORY SHOWS
US WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE
HUMAN.
¨ HISTORY
IMPROVES
JUDGEMENT.
¨ HISTORY
PROVIDES
INSTRUCTIVE
EXAMPLES.
¨ HISTORY MAKES
US BETTER
THINKERS.
¨ HISTORY
SUPPORTS
COMMON
CULTURAL
UNDERSTANDING
AND DIALOGUE.
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8. USES AND IMP’T. CONT’D…
¨HISTORY SATISFIES A NEED FOR
IDENTITY.
¨HISTORY GIVES PLEASURE.
¨STUDYING THE PAST IS
PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE.
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9. IMPORTANT QOUTES TO
REMEMBER
¨“TO FORETELL THE DESTINY OF A
NATION, IT IS NECESSARY TO OPEN
THE BOOK THAT TELLS OF HER
PAST” – DR. JOSE RIZAL
¨“WHO CONTROLS THE PAST
CONTROLS THE FUTURE; WHO
CONTROLS THE PRESENT
CONTROLS THE PAST” – GEORGE
ORWELL
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10. QOUTES CONT’D…
¨ “THE DISADVANTAGE OF MEN NOT
KNOWING THE PAST IS THAT THEY DO
NOT KNOW THE PRESENT” – G. K.
CHESTERTON
¨ “THOSE WHO CANNOT LEARN FROM
HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT” –
GEORGE SANTAYANA
¨ “THE SUPREME PURPOSE OF HISTORY IS A
BETTER WORLD” – HERBERT HOOVER
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11. Conclusion
History is made conscious of the PRESENT,
yes it is studying the PAST happenings of a
certain events, places, people. But the
realization of it is in TODAY because
understanding it is a new horizon of
interpreting the essence of our foundation.
It is the same as the TREE! Yes TREE as a
TREE--- rpc 2013
WHY A TREE?? Enable for us to taste the fruit we must
know how to plant—rpc 2013
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12. POLITICS
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13. OBJECTIVES
¨To understand the basic concept of Political
Theory
¨To develop a critical way of thinking in
interpreting Political Theories
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14. POLITICS
• (from Greek πολιτικός politikos, meaning
"of, for, or relating to citizens") is the
practice and theory of influencing other
people on a global, civic or individual
level.
• the art or science of government
• the art or science concerned with guiding
or influencing governmental policy
• the art or science concerned with winning
and holding control over a government
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15. POLITICS and POLITICAL
SYSTEM
¨is the study or practice of the distribution of
power and resources within a given
community (a hierarchically organized
population) as well as the
interrelationship(s) be
¨ is a framework which defines acceptable
political methods within a given society
between communities.
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16. According to De Leon, a state
is :
A group of persons, more or less numerous,
permanently occupying a definite portion of territory,
independent of external control, and possessing a
government to which a great body of inhabitants
render habitual obedience.
Elements of a State
1.People
2.Territory
3.Government
4.Sovereignty
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17. According to Max Weber
¨A state is a human community that
successfully claims the monopoly of the
legitimate use of physical force within a
given society.
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18. RM MacIver ,
¨sought to distinguish the state from other
kinds of associations in that it embraces the
whole of people in a specific territory and it
has the special function of maintaining
social order.
¨ It performs the function through its agent,
the government which speaks with the
voice of Law.
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19. Laski Fredrick M Watkins
¨defines the state as “ a geographical
delimited segment of human society united
by common obedience to a single
sovereignty”
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20. State and Government
¨A state is an organized political community
occupying a certain territory.
¨A government on the contrary is an
organization that has the power to make and
enforce laws for a definite territory.
The word ‘govern’ has the meaning of
‘power to administrate’.
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21. REFERENCES
The Great Political Theories
Volume 1
Political Law, Isagani Cruz
Philippine Constitution De Leon, 1997
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22. THANK YOU! ;)
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