Political Philosophy

Religions, Cults & Worldviews: Valuable Answers for Valid Questions.

Philosophy of Politics

This political philosophy segment seeks to answer our worldview question of “what is the best method by which a society should/must be governed”. The following columns represent what is commonly referred to as the “political spectrum” and is considered a linear representation of political philosophy from left to right:

Political Left

Democrat, Labour, Liberal
Primary Political Philosophies
  • Socialism
  • Globalism
  • Statism
  • Secular Liberalism
  • Communism (extreme left)

Political Center

Libertarian, Moderate, Centrist
Primary Political Philosophies
  • Libertarianism
  • Pacifism
  • Anarchism
  • Nihilism
  • Egalitarianism

Political Right

Republican, Tory, Conservative
Primary Political Philosophies
  • Direct Democracy
  • Representative Republic
  • Monarchy
  • Theocracy
  • Facism (extreme right)

Political left philosophies

Select each of the political philosopy icons below to read more information about that form of societal governance.

Socialism

Socialism

A philosophy or system of governance

whereby production, distribution, and large scale commerce

are either owned or highly regulated by government which is

comprised of officials that are put in place via a limited election process. Adherents and the system’s founder, Karl Marx, define it as governing by the community as a whole, although it rarely works out this way. In most socialist governments in the world today, an even smaller few rule over an even greater majority than in a true democracy or representative republic. Marx believed socialism to be a transitional social state between capitalism and communism. Along with communism and fascism, socialism is one of three primary forms of collectivism. Other names associated with socialism are leftists, nanny state, progressivism, social democracy, communism, marxism, labor, entitlement state

 

Globalism

Globalism:

Globalism is a political philosophy

almost exclusively embraced and promoted by those on the

left of the political spectrum which advocates for what they call

increased interconnectedness and cooperation among nations on a

global scale. In reality, it is the loss of sovereign rule and the cultural identity of individual nations. Globalism is rooted in the belief that the world is an interdependent system so that challenges and opportunities faced by one nation are often shared by others. The UN, WEF, WHO and INTERPOL are the primary agencies which globalists use to aggressively force and enforce globalist laws and ideologies on all nations e.g. U.S. and COVID-19, UK and anti-Brexit policy. This is done in the name of international collaboration to coerce economic integration (forced migration), environmental sustainability (population reduction via abortion, euthanasia etc) and global security (picking globalist winners of wars).

Statism

Statism:

The underlying philosophy

of government that contends for the

supremacy of government in all affairs of its

citizenry: politically, economically, morally, religiously,

and otherwise. A statist will hold that the ultimate duty

of government is to provide the basis for all around existence.

This is accomplished by establishing state-controlled elections by determining who can and can’t vote and what system should be used

to “tally” the votes. c.f. “its not who votes that holds the power but who

counts the votes." and the November 2020 overthrow of voter's power in the United States. Economically, the state establishes heavily regulated monopolies and markets that are controlled and determined by that government. c.f. tech industry and big national banking. Morally, statism finds it necessary to provide and control education of its masses that are in keeping with the chief interests of the state itself. c.f. government-run schools government subsidised and endorsed higher education, and politically correct indoctrination. Statism is opposite to a republic. 

Secular Liberalism

Secular Liberalism:

Widely considered “leftist”

on the political spectrum with a

decided socialist or communist approach

to governance in its call for big government or total

government involvement or ‘regulation’ in the lives of its

citizenry. The liberal’s (recently adopted moniker “progressives” to

shed the negative connotation with the term “liberal”) approach to economic governance is in keeping with Karl Marx, the founder of communism, in that liberals condemn free market capitalism as the height of greed and source of all social and economic woes (c.f. Michael Moore/ Hollywood narratives in general) Liberalism calls for a common holding of all taxes, land, and goods which are then redistributed by a “utopian-minded” government to solve the social and economic woes of society.

Communism

Communism:

A political system

of governance founded by Karl Marx

whereby all property is “public-owned” which

translates to “government-owned” which then equates

to the public having little to do whatsoever with property

commerce, or distribution whatsoever. Each citizen works and is

paid according to their abilities and needs. This is a far more “hardline” approach to “community ownership” and governance than that of its little sister socialism. Along with fascism and socialism, communism is one of three primary forms of collectivism. Normally, communism attempts to overthrow existing governmental infrastructures by way of class warfare e.g. 1% vs 99%. This results in animosity and if successful, a violent coup or takeover via populist-leaning political powers. History has shown us that the corruption at the heart of mankind results in a government which filters and skims most of the “public” proceeds leaving a society overcrowded, cramped into multi family living quarters, hungry, and destitute of purpose. Communism oddly descends into a form of fascism

Other leftist political philosophies

Nepotism

Nepotism: Although most commonly used today as an individual methodology in the context of employment, this approach can be considered a political philosophy and approach within a given governmental infrastructure. It is the practice of appointing favorites, usually relatives, to ideal positions primarily based on kinship as opposed to qualification. Historically, this was a fairly common practice within the governance of major world religions includeing Islam and the Roman Catholic Church (distinct from the Biblical/historical Christian faith) whereby Popes, Cardinals, and Bishops would appoint their relatives to church positions. Today the political practice is most evident in North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and even in American politics when President John F. Kennedy appointed his brother Robert Kennedy to Attorney General and more recently when “President” Joe Biden appointed (even sold) key commercial negotiations with China to his son Hunter while he was vice President to Barrack Obama.

Hegemony

Hegemony – The political philosophy which involves a dominance of one social, economic, political, ideological, or cultural group is exerted over all others and neither left nor right political philosophies are immune to this pervasive and corrupting approach to totalitarian governance. Although nearly all democracies, republics, socialist, and communist governmental systems ca n or have exhibited hegemony at some point in history, in recent years with the Covid lockdowns, this approach was sternly imposed nearly exclusively by leftist and globalist governments around the world which is why it can now be categorized as a leftist political philosophy.

Marxism

Marxism: This political philosophy is the grandfather of all leftist governance theories and it is just that: a theory. Each time that Marx’ “Communist Manifesto” is attempted practically as a national government, it quickly degrades into a bizarre mixture of totalitarian fascist and oligarchy governance. Examples of this in history are Soviet Russia with Stalin, Cuba with Castro, China with Mao Tse Tung and North Korea with Kim Jong Un (which adds a twist of nepotism to the concoction!). Today, Marx is praised by leftists in America like Barrack Obama, Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi which has led to a decided shift away from the American Representative Republic toward a more leftist socialist oligarchy in American politics.

Totalitarianism

TotalitarianismThe extreme version of “statism” which involves governance by complete control over all aspects of society. Totalitarianism differs from statism in that it projects a much thinner veil of citizen “rights” or “participation” in government. Totalitarianism also tends to rally more around a charismatic leader than the actual state itself. i.e. Stalin vs Marx. Judges and law enforcement operate by unwavering, unrelenting, and merciless obedience to the central governor or government. Public executions without judicial process are commonplace for this form of government. Media is simply a voice of propaganda for the state and any critical voice is deemed unproductive and therefore, illegal. Educational systems introduce, maintain, and reinforce the agenda of the state while elections are state-selected candidates with state-determined outcomes. Totalitarianism has been evident in both left and right positions of the political spectrum. Some examples are: Left – Stalinist Russia, Jong-Un N. Korea; Right – Nazi Germany, Iran – pseudo-theocracy

…but it is primarily an approach embraced by modern day globalist/leftist governments today c.f. China, North Korea, Austrailia, United Kingdom, EU, US leftist deep state in place from Barrack Obama etc.

Political center philosophies

Select each of the political philosopy icons below to read more information about that form of societal governance.

Libertarianism
Libertarianism:


A political philosophy that is the

extreme embodiment of laissez-faire
as a governmental system. Although
there is a more strict condemnation of
military action than the typical laissez-faire
approach, libertarianism maintains a very similar
set of ideals with regards to individual rights and
freedoms while condemning a "big government"

or "big brother" state.

Pacifism
Pacifism:


A political philosophy
whereby resistance to government
or authority is scorned in an effort
to "pacify" those in power and maintain
the status quo. This attitude is found in those
who call themselves "liberal, moderate, or conservative"
yet refuse to vote - which belies the underlying political philosophy
of pacifism. Many who scorn participation in the affairs of governance (politics) can usually be identified with pacifistic tendencies. This is more often used in the modern vernacular as a descriptor of a praxeology or methodology than a political philosophy or world view in that it usually pertains to someone who is in direct opposition to military conflict of any sort usually due to moral objections or religious convictions i.e. Amish, Mennonites, and Transcendentalists, are usually pacifists.

Anarchism

Anarchism:

The political philosophy
which contends that all governmental
authority is useless and undesirable. The
anarchist opts instead for a voluntary community of

cooperation, affiliation, and association of societal groups and

individual citizens. However, there isn’t an answer for the inevitable conflicts that arise when two groups clamor for prioritization regarding issues that they face. The inevitable rise of hegemony by way of social affiliation would be the result. Anarchists can't provide a solution for “who goes first” or which individual gets the nod when two people require the same singular resource at precisely the same time. 4-way stop sign intersections would be a nightmare in this system of “non-governance.” In order for the anarchist to address these issues and develop a system of prioritization at any level – would then result in the necessity of a governing system and thereby an authority over the “system”. Both system and administrator would destroy the very core of the anarchist society which operates by “non authority” and "non governance".

Nihilism
Nihilism:


An extreme center
political philosophy whereby
all established authority is corrupt
and must be destroyed in order to rebuild a
just society - i.e the idea that to succeed in a
Democracy, we must always “vote out all incumbents” or
“out with old in with the new”. This system prioritises the
individual over the many in that it shows complete disregard
(and sometimes disdain) for all religious, civic and political authority.
It is a close sister-belief to anarchism and like anarchy, it sounds great in a
university lecture hall but results in utter chaos and dystopia if applied in the daily life of what was once a community.

Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism:


The political philosophy
that declares that all citizens
are of total equality, especially with
regards to political, economic, and social policies
and interests. It is most common among socialist and communist
ideologies - although it is rarely practiced among such governments.
i.e France, Cuba, Italy, Great Britain, China, North Korea. Until the 2020 Covid lockdown, Australia seemed to operate primarily by an egalitarian political world view. However, from 2021 until the present this country has taken a bizarre shift toward leftist totalitarianism.

Other centrist political philosophies

Centrist/Moderate

Centrism or Moderate – The political philosophy of the moderate whereby radical change of the left (liberal) or the right (conservative) is scorned for a more “please everyone” approach to political reform by employing a gradual change and repeated compromise in policy. It embraces the idea being that general appeasement through compromise is the solution to social and economic woes. However, critics point to the following flaws which plague centrism:

  • “He who stands for everything – stands for nothing”
  • “You can please some of the people some of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”

In social matters, the moderate tends to lean to the left of the spectrum and in economics they tend to lean to the right, somewhat.

Laissez Faire

Laissez Faire – This is more a “creed” than a political philosophy and it rails against government interference in public and economic policy beyond the bare minimum to protect and maintain geo-political peace (secure national borders) and the personal property of the individual. This goes a bit beyond “pacifism” and “anarchism” Because of this, military action outside the role of national protection is usually condemned by laissez-faire. It is probably most consistent with the centrist political philosophy known as libertarianism.

Oligarchy

Oligarchy – A political philosophy where a small group exerts inordinate control over a larger community (the tail wags the dog) usually in a manner that serves corrupt or self-serving goals. A very close cousin to the politically incorrect “aprtheid” method of rule. e.g. The lobbyists in Washington D.C. exercise a great deal of control over the U.S. Senate which in turn exercises a great deal of control over the United States. It could feasibly be said that an oligarchy is in practice what nihilism is in theory as it values the individual authority while devaluing community authority. This is neither right nor left on the political spectrum but can be the result of a corruption of either set of political systems.

Imperialism

Imperialism: A nearly extinct system of governance whereby a particular government seeks to expand its own influence and power usually by military action or “strong-handed” foreign policy. Soviet Russia accused the United States of this policy repeatedly during the cold war years (1947-1987). Whereas Soviet Russia expanded its territory by way of military action (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Afghanistan) and heavy-handed foreign policy (overuse of veto or “Nyet!” during U.N. General Counsel sessions) during this period more than any other nation on earth. Nazi Germany was a fairly accurate example of Imperialism during the events that led up to World War II. Whereas the United States and Great Britain have had a history of imperialism during the 20th century, this political philosophy seems to be a dying albatross in light of today’s pervasive emphasis on globalism. Both left and right sides of the spectrum have had and DO have imperialistic political practices.

Political right philosophies

Select each of the political philosopy icons below to read more information about that form of societal governance.

Direct Democracy

Direct Democracy:
A political philosophy whereby

the power resides in the hands of the people by
way of majority vote. Some might call this "mob rule".

Direct democracies exert their governmental power through

frequent general and free elections. This can be accomplished at

times with limited administrative representation but in a genuine democracy, the people vote on all public policy, social machinations, military, foreign relations, taxation, and economic policy are all set by a vote of the people in conjunction with the administration of elected officials. This 'purist' form of democracy today exists in concept only and does not currently exist among first or second world nations (second world meaning "limited industrialization, etc.) Many Representative and Social Republics today are mistaken for democracies and have even coined the term "preserving the world for democracy" even while those governments are not actual democracies themselves.

Representative Republic

Representative Republic:

A political philosophy modelled

after ancient Greek and Roman governments circa1st-2nd century B.C. This government infrastructure consists of a hierarchy of elected officials who act as "representatives" acting on behalf of their constituencies (ideally) in casting votes which form public policy, social machinations, military, foreign relations, taxation, and economic policies, etc. Policies such as 2, 4, and 6 year terms and overall term limits are put in place to prevent an imbalance of power. Because these officials are put in place by public vote, this system of government is often confused with a democracy and like a democracy, there are loopholes for abuse whereby votes by the elected officials are manipulated special interest groups, lobbyists, and outright bribery. (c.f. United States "Obamacare" kickback scandals). Abuses like this result in representatives voting according to their own interests when it comes to taxation and military action and not necessarily the "will" of their constituents.

Monarchy
Monarchy:

 

A political philosophy defined

by the absolute sovereignty of a single individual.

Usually this chief of state either establishes a hereditary line or is a part of an already-established hereditary line of monarchs. The UK is considered a "monarchy" but the role of royalty in state affairs is primarily determined by a parliament and the Prime Minister. The UK resembles more of a socialist republic than it does a monarchy today but many second and third world nations still have established monarchies.

Theocracy
Theocracy:

 

From the Greek words “theo” (god)

and “krateo” (rule of). It is a political philosophy where priests,

clerics, or supreme religious leaders disseminate the law and justice

of the land as they interpret it or "hear" it from their deity. A similar term

is “ecclesiocracy” where there is a large amount of leadership, guidance, and involvement of religious leaders but there isn’t a claim to hold and operate in the position by way of “divine providence”. An ancient form of theocracy would have been Israel under Moses, Joshua, and the Judges that followed up until the appointment of Saul as their first king. A modern version of a “loose” theocracy would be many of the Islamic states in the Middle East which are governed loosely by clerics and state appointed “Prime Ministers”. Often times these Islamic theocracies tend more toward totalitarianism or fascism.

Fascism

Fascism:

A political philosophy

whereby social organization is achieved

via nationalism and enthusiastic support of a central

charismatic leader. It has, in the past, exalted a particular

race or nation over others as in the case with Germany in 1932-

1944, but this is more an exception than the rule as it is usually a party-led fight for national prominence and growth via a centralized and autocratic leader. c.f. Venezuela, and some Central African nations. Like communism, this system involves stringent social regimentation for the “better of the state” and usually there is a high level of suppression of opposition which preserves the fascist government’s control of the populace. This method of governance is often used synonymously with the term “dictatorship” or "totalitarianism". Along with communism and socialism, it is one of three primary forms of collectivism. The problem is that reform is usually impossible outside of removing the fascist in power. (Most dictators don't see a need to reform themselves just everyone else)

Other rightist political philosophies

Nationalism

Nationalism: The political philosophy that adheres to the exceptionalism of one’s own nation. This position may see the value of other nations but expresses greater zeal, support and/or favor to own’s own nation with regards to culture, heritage, interests, methodology, and overall way of life. i.e. Brazilian nationalism, American exceptionalism, UK royalists etc. With the rise of Globalism, nationalism has subsequently been denegrated as misplaced and misguided enthusiasm by a fanatical few. c.f. American mainstream media’s approach to the grassroots Tea Party movement or more recently the political persecution of demonstrators of the nationalist slogan “Make America Great Again”. Nationalism has seen a sharp decline in the west but seems to be on the rise in some of the newer first world nations like Brazil and China. This political perspective is opposite on the political spectrum of globalism.

Jingoism

Jingoism: A pejorative term used to describe extreme nationalism and militarism. Usually a person who is overly occupied with “patriotism” is referred to negatively as a jingoist. The term is sometimes interchangeable with “superpatriotism”. Although the term is currently used disparagingly for anyone with nationalistic pride, the term’s first usage in 1878 denoted a foreign policy that included a “cry for war” or intimidation and threats to achieve effective foreign policy and national security of foreign interests. Nations that utilize this policy today are China toward Japan and Taiwan, Russia toward Ukraine (threats which became a real war), and some U.S. ultraconservatives toward those Middle East nations harboring Islamic terrorists. The derogatory usage of this term today is usually levied by left wing globalists who tend to subsequently overlook the same behavior in leftist countries that embrace their political world view.

Conservatism

Conservatism: – One of the most disparaged and ill-defined political philosophies in the world today. Often referred to as “preferring an existing or traditional situation” which is incorrect. Conservatism is a political philosophy which calls for small or highly limited government and free market system which establishes the best product or service at the best price due to healthy competition within the marketplace. Conservatism condemns the high taxes required by progressive or liberal political system which fund big government. Socially, conservatism tends toward a more Judaeo-Christian moral structure with approach to governance versus the Darwinian humanist social emphasis of progressives and liberal social governance. Referred to as “rightist” on the political spectrum.

Autocracy

Autocracy: One person with absolute & unchallenged authority. Often used synonymously with fascism, despotism, totalitarianism etc. The current political environment in post-communist Russia would greatly resemble an autocratic governance with Putin acting as an unchallenged authority, arresting and oppressing opposition

All of the political philosophies mentioned above have their flaws and weaknessess which tend toward corruption and at their worst, oppression. This eventual corruption of governing bodies is due to the fact that these methods of governance are all created by mankind who is flawed and weak at the core as the Bible tells us in the book of Romans:

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Because of this corruption due to sin, I’ve attempted to assemble a worldview comprised of the elements discussed on this site but based on the word of God. Select the scroll graphic below to be taken to the Biblical world view page to discover how God has designed our world and our communities to work in a healthy and sustainable way:

The Biblical Worldview

Various philosophical worldviews will always lead the inquisitor to the same questions:

    1. How did we get here?
    2. Why am I here?
    3. What is my future, in life and after death?

It is for these questions that we have created this site that visitors may learn of the Biblical worldview which is the most correct and fully answers the three questions above.

Select the graphic below to be taken to a page to learn what the Biblical worldview is:

Take a look at the other systems of belief that comprise your world view:

Do you have a question for us? Visit our contact page and send it in. We will be happy to give an answer to those who ask. Please note that your question may be utilized as a blog entry for the education of others regarding World Religions, Cults, Christian Denominations, or various World Views.

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