Political Philosophy and Ideologies

What the resources cover

The unit centres on the social contract and on liberal thought. The Liberalism Mindmap sets out core values such as individualism and names thinkers including John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. The mind map on John Stuart Mill's On Liberty works through the harm principle. Other maps look at justice, political obligation, civil disobedience, conservatism, feminism and capitalism.

Older thinkers are here too. You will find flashcards on Aristotle, Plato and Machiavelli, and a mind map on Augustine's City of God. There is also a map on Nozick and his entitlement theory of justice.

Where to start

1. Open the Social Contract mind map. It compares Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes on human nature and the role of the state.
2. Read the notes on Thomas Hobbes, then run through the Thomas Hobbes flashcards on the Leviathan and sovereign power.
3. Move on to Liberalism and the Mill map on liberty.
4. Finish with justice and obligation, including Nozick and John Rawls and Civil Disobedience.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then test yourself. The quiz Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau asks about the laws of nature and the origin of religion in Hobbes. The true or false exam quizzes include statements on Burke and political society. Check any answer you miss against the matching map, then retry.

Some resources mention A-level Politics, so school students will find material they can use alongside their course. University students can use the longer notes, such as the seminar on the right of revolution from Locke to Burke to Marx.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Political and Social Philosophy strand of Philosophy. It suits comparing thinkers side by side, because many resources set one against another, such as the notes on Hobbes versus Locke.

Make it your own

Choose one thinker today, open a map and a quiz, and see what sticks. Then build a flashcard deck of your own for the ideas you keep forgetting.