IDEOLOGY & WORLDVIEW
What is an ideology?
An ideology is a set of ideas or beliefs about how society should be organized and governed.
Who was Plato, and what kinds of questions did he study?
Plato was an Ancient Greek philosopher who studied questions about government, justice, and leadership.
What is justice?
Justice means ideas about what is fair and right in society.
What did aristocratic elites believe about who should have the most political influence?
They believed experienced, educated, and established leaders should have greater political influence.
I questioned ideas and encouraged people to think deeply. I was put on trial in democratic Athens and sentenced to death. Who am I?
Socrates
What three things can influence a person's worldview?
Experiences, values, and beliefs.
Name THREE qualities Plato believed a good leader should have.
Any three: knowledge, wisdom, education, and good character.
What does Rule of Law mean?
Everyone must follow the law, including government leaders.
What did supporters of greater democracy want to expand in Athens?
They wanted to expand political rights and opportunities for citizen participation, including among citizens with less wealth.
Athens faced serious problems involving debt and inequality. I introduced reforms that responded to some of the problems faced by ordinary Athenians. Who am I?
Solon
Why can two people experience the same event but have different ideas about what should be done?
Because people can have different experiences, values, beliefs, and worldviews, which influence how they understand an issue.
Why did Plato believe education was important for good leaders?
Why did Plato believe education was important for good leaders?
Why did Aristotle believe laws were important for good government?
Laws help guide decisions, limit power, create fairness, and support a stable government.
Why did aristocratic elites value experience, tradition, and established leaders?
They believed experienced and proven leaders could provide knowledge, effective leadership, and stability for Athens.
I introduced reforms that expanded opportunities for Athenian citizens to participate in government. Who am I?
Cleisthenes
Name THREE things political ideas can influence in a society.
Who has power, how government decisions are made, and how different people or groups are affected.
According to Plato, who should a good leader serve, and why?
A good leader should serve society/the common good, rather than using power mainly for personal benefit.
How can laws and political institutions prevent one person or group from having too much power?
They create rules, limits, and ways of sharing political authority, so government does not depend entirely on one person or group.
Why didn't having the right to participate necessarily mean that every Athenian citizen had equal political influence?
Some citizens had greater wealth, education, experience, and political connections, which could give them more influence even when other citizens had political rights.
I came from a wealthy and influential family, but I later proved myself as an experienced military and political leader. I valued experienced leadership and established institutions. Who am I?
Cimon
Two Athenians experience the same government decision. One believes it is fair and the other believes it is unfair. Explain how worldview could cause them to reach different conclusions.
Their experiences, values, and beliefs may give them different worldviews. Those worldviews influence their political ideas and what they believe is fair or how society should be organized.
Athens allowed citizens to make important decisions, but those decisions were not always wise or just. What event from Plato's life could be used as evidence for his concern about this? Explain.
The trial and death of Socrates. Athens' citizens/jury condemned Socrates to death. This helped contribute to Plato's concerns about whether political decisions would always be made by the wisest and most knowledgeable people.
Imagine Athens has a wise and experienced leader, but that leader can ignore laws whenever he wants. Why might Aristotle see this as a problem?
Imagine Athens has a wise and experienced leader, but that leader can ignore laws whenever he wants. Why might Aristotle see this as a problem?
Why might two groups living in the same Athens disagree about how political power should be distributed?
Why might two groups living in the same Athens disagree about how political power should be distributed?
I believed political power was too concentrated in the Areopagus. I supported reforms that moved political authority toward institutions involving broader citizen participation. Who am I?
Ephialtes