Political Philosophy and Ethics discussion
Introductions
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New Member Introductions
Mod
Mod
I'm currently interested in realpolitik, political realism, and liberalism of the analytic traditi..."
Welcome to the group, Father.
Hi! New author/member here. To prime the pump, I wrote a very short story about modern managerial ethics. Would love any and all reviews or feedback, fawning praise, arch criticism, etc. Free on Amazon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Mod
Welcome to this group, Erik. I just read your story, which is interesting.
Alan wrote: "Erik wrote: "Hi! New author/member here. To prime the pump, I wrote a very short story about modern managerial ethics. Would love any and all reviews or feedback, fawning praise, arch criticism, et..."Many thanks! That one was to prime the pump. Another title coming soon.
Hi Mr. Alan. I'm Amirmasoud, an engineer from Iran, interested in philosophy and politics.Happy to join this group.
Mod
Happy to join this group."
Welcome to the group!
Hi everyone! My name is Tara. I am currently pursuing my degree in political science and history, primarily focusing on political philosophy and American history. I am currently in the middle of revising my Substack (website for freelancers to publish their work -- in my case, my political philosophies) with hopes to get it up in December. My main influences in academia are Hume (passions over reason determine [human] behaviour), de Beauviour (freedom of choice and responsibility; all oppressions are interconnected), and Spencer (divisions do not represent anything fundamental). (There's definitely more that are currently slipping my mind.) I look forward to speaking to all of you!
Mod
My name is Tara. I am currently pursuing my degree in political science and history, primarily focusing on political philosophy and American history. I am currently in the middle of r..."
Welcome to this group, Tara.
For my view regarding Hume’s (in)famous statement that “[r]eason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them” and of Hume’s ethical philosophy in general see pages 15–18 of my book Reason and Human Ethics, a PDF replica of which is online at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re.... This book also explains my ethical philosophy at large. For an overall description of the book, see https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E....
Hello Alan, hello everyone. I am Sarah. I am very happy to join this group. I am from China, and I like literature related to history and philosophy. We all know that history and philosophy are inseparable from politics, and history separated from politics is incomplete. Similarly, thinking about philosophical issues must also consider the current political environment. I don’t know much about American political issues, and this is where I need to learn. I have been here for a short time, and I will quietly read everyone’s works.
Mod
Welcome to this group, Sarah!
Alan Johnson
Founding Moderator
Alan wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Hello Alan, hello everyone. I am Sarah. I am very happy to join this group. I am from China, and I like literature related to history and philosophy. We all know that history and phil..."Hi Alan. Great to hear from you, thanks for the welcome, this group is great and I learn a lot here. Thank you for your contribution to this group. I hope everyone can gain something here. Thank you again.
Dear All,I am glad to join this group!
I am a political science fan with a deep mathematical background.
You can find more about myself on my webpage:
https://sites.google.com/site/enricom...
I wrote a book about a new election proposal, merging democracy with epistocracy. Please find out more on the "Epistocracy and Meritocracy" section, nonetheless on my webpage.
Mod
I am glad to join this group!
I am a political science fan with a deep mathematical background.
You can find more about myself on my webpage:
https://sites.google.com/site/enricom......"
Welcome, Enrico, to this group!
Alan wrote: "I created this group in order to discuss the enduring questions of political and ethical philosophy. Anyone can join and continue in this group as long as they abide by the few rules of philosophic..."Hello! My name is Niko, I'm originally from California. I studied mechanical engineering for my bachelors and am now pursuing a masters in Aerospace Engineering in Boulder, Colorado. I read daily as a hobby and have recently started a deep-dive into western philosophy starting with a close reading of Plato's Republic. I plan on reading other foundational works once I'm done analyzing the Republic and I hope to hop around quite a bit so as not to form a framework dependent on say just Plato. I appreciate any book recs but after this I plan on reading Descartes, and then Aristotle's Nicomachean ethics. I appreciate any advice or reading recommendations!
Mod
When you get to Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, you might check out my paper “Some Thoughts Regarding Book 1 of Aristotle's ‘Nicomachean Ethics’ ” at https://www.academia.edu/37014806/Som.... Additionally, my book Free Will and Human Life discusses, among others, Aristotle, Descartes, and Kant, and my book Reason and Human Ethics discusses, among others, Plato and Aristotle. In addition to Kindle and paperback editions available on Amazon.com, Free Will and Human Life is freely available in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/108171849/Al...), and Reason and Human Ethics is freely available in PDF at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re....
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator of the “Political Philosophy and Ethics” Goodreads group
Hello, I am 15 but I love philosophy, when i was (even?) younger my peers always said i should be a philosopher but never thought of it much, since it was an insult, because they dont like philosophers and see them as people who talk about nothing all day.I am reading the last days of socrates (already read euthyphro, apology and crito in july before i got the book but got it now for phaedo) and mean to read the republic soon after. I am also reading Schopenhauer's Essays And Aphorisms and I love it.
Thus I am glad to join this group!
(i would still consider myself pretty new to philosophy)
Mod
Welcome to this group Sergej. It's good to see a young person interested in philosophy. Don't get discouraged with any difficulties. Sometimes one has to read a philosophical work several times, over decades, before one thinks one has understood it. And, also, you will probably change your mind several times during the next few decades. I'm approaching 80 years old, and I keep changing my mind about some things even now. That's part of the adventure--love of wisdom, as distinguished from sophism.
Welcome. I started reading philosophy in High School (I am now 72), and have vivid memories of discovering new (to me) ways of looking at the world.In retrospect, it followed on my earlier response to science fiction, but I won’t try to explore that.
And I won’t pass on my reading list. I should add that my high school later offered a college-credit course on philosophy, which helped direct my unsystematic reading.
My name is Ken Taylor. My degree are in theology and in religious studies and those topics play to some extent in my recently published work, but I would like to explain the overall purpose and theme before I mention the title for your consideration so you can decide if you believe it complies with this group's topic . The overall theme is, I think, a presentation of a theory of learning that suggests that people are easily seduced into learning behavioral patterns of thought that lead to most of the problems in learning deficiencies, political persuasions and behavioral conduct. As such, even though I challenge the entire premise of ethical behavior as par to the course that leads to unfavorable behavior, I think my book fits nicely into this category and I would like to offer it for your consideration. The book begins by discussing the problems of consciousness and whether much of our behavior is the result of unawareness, or pre-awareness development in early childhood, and incorporate these thoughts with contemporary research from child behavioral research, contemporary genetic research and quantum explorations and how they effect learning behaviors. The book then looks at differences and similarities between western and eastern conceptions of behavior and from there to archaeological discoveries that might indicate historical precedents and early attempts at conforming those behaviors through modifications by early kings/religious ideologies and the development thereafter of various ethical positions. My final chapters (presented as thoughts) are concerned with psychological theories of behavior.
As the book is primarily concerned with behavioral learning I believe that is quite an ethical discussion, and one of the thoughts is devoted to discussion of the prime ethical conceptions mankind has developed. And these ethics of mankind are viewed primarily as impositions of behavioral control by those who would lead; and so while it is not directly politically idealized towards a methodology it is political in the sense of offering behavior and learning as a consequence of ethico-political modification.
So if you feel this meets the qualifications for discussion within this group, I would like to offer it for discussion.
Mod
Welcome to this group, Ken. Although we don’t discuss religion as such (except insofar as it relates to ethical or political issues), it seems to me that your book is within the scope of this group. Please do not, however, create a separate topic for your book (see the Rules and Housekeeping topic, which you should review before posting). Rather, you can discuss it in the “Publications of Group Members Relevant to Ethical or Political Philosophy” topic (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...) and/or in any other preexisting substantive topic in which it fits.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Alan wrote: "Ken wrote: "My name is Ken Taylor. My degree are in theology and in religious studies and those topics play to some extent in my recently published work, but I would like to explain the overall pur..."Thank you. I shall try to compose the ethical theme of my book and post it, as you suggested.
Glad to have found this group, nice to meet you everyone, I'm Doga. I hold a bachelor's in international relations and political science and exclusively focused on the USSR as a newbie socialist during my studies then, besides the concepts of social contracts and terrorism studies. Although I still have the foundation, I fear I have stopped making time for political philosophy lately, and hopefully this group shall be a remedy to this suffering! :) Not an expert in anything, but open to discuss everything- lately this is how I have been approaching philosophy, and it has helped me tremendously. Looking forward to our discussions!
Mod
Welcome, Doga, to this group. You have an interesting background.
Hello all. I'm new to this app and to the philosophy conversation. l'm 17 and still figuring out how to navigate around the app but looking forward to any debates/conversations on anything philosophy. I've been reading some Plato, Sun Tzu, Auralius and such. Open to any suggestions.
Mod
Welcome to this group, Jack. It's good to have young people interested in philosophy.
Jack wrote: "Hello all. I'm new to this app and to the philosophy conversation. l'm 17 and still figuring out how to navigate around the app but looking forward to any debates/conversations on anything philosop..."Dear Jack, I'm new to the app as well! For starters, I believe the authors you are reading are suitable. I think you might enjoy Seneca and reading about stoicism in general. Augustine of Hippo's "Confessions" is a delightful and informing read if you want to delve a bit into theology as well. If you want "general" books, I believe these two below might help you, although Russell might be confusing at times depending on your background.
A Brief History of Philosophy: From Socrates to Derrida
A History of Western Philosophy
"Hello, Goodreads Friends! 👋I’m Colin Green, a diplomat-turned-author with a passion for exploring how language and culture connect us. After traveling to over 50 countries, I’ve seen firsthand how words and traditions bring people together. I’m excited to be part of this group and can’t wait to share ideas and learn from you all!
Looking forward to connecting! 😊
Colin"
Mod
I’m Colin Green, a diplomat-turned-author with a passion for exploring how language and culture connect us. After traveling to over 50 countries, I’ve seen firsthand h..."
Welcome to this group, Colin. Your background is interesting, evidently a combination of ethical and political philosophy and practice.
Doga wrote: "Jack wrote: "Hello all. I'm new to this app and to the philosophy conversation. l'm 17 and still figuring out how to navigate around the app but looking forward to any debates/conversations on anyt..."Hi Doga, thanks for the recommendations. I most definitely will be reading further into stoicism, including Seneca. I’ve been interested in theology as of late, reading the Quran, and I just ordered a copy of the Bible (King James Version) online. I wasn’t aware of Augustine of Hippo until now but I’m likely going to read about him going forward. And A History of Western Philosophy, that seems to cover a large sum of material to learn so I plan on getting a copy. Thanks.
Hi all, I'm Avni. I'm a secondary school student from London and have become interested in political philosophy after reading a couple of introductory philosophy books and listening to several philosophy podcast episodes. I am particulary interested in reading the works of Plato, Mill, Rousseau,Rawls and Nozick in the future. I hope that I can grow as a philosopher with the guidance and book recommendations of others in this group!
Mod
Welcome to this group, Avri! It's always good to have younger people in it.
Hi everyone! I'm excited to join this group and engage in thoughtful discussions on ethical and political philosophy. As a high school teacher of Catholic Social Justice and Ethics, I enjoy exploring the intersection of philosophy, morality, and society—both in the classroom and in my own reading. Looking forward to insightful conversations and the opportunity to learn from all of you!
Mod
Welcome to this group, Tony. I see that you live in Hudson, Ohio. I lived in the Cleveland, Ohio area for about 30 years, and my law firm boss from 1983 to 1986, Howard Hendershott, lived in Hudson as well as my coworker, Christopher Soukup. I visited Howard's large home in Hudson on one or more occasions for firm parties. I practiced law in Cleveland and, later, in Pittsburgh for about thirty years before my 2003 retirement from law practice. Since that time, I have been an independent philosopher, historian, political scientist, and legal scholar and have published four books on those subjects (with the fifth to be completed and published sometime this year or next.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello, my name is Luna. I come from Norway and I am currently doing a bachelors degree in engineering. I find philosophy fascinating, and I express myself quite philosophically, I’ve been told, but I have to admit I know little of it. I want to learn more, and that is why I am here: to learn and to explore! Thanks for having me here!
Mod
Welcome to this Goodreads group, Luna.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
My name is Federico Navarrete. I have a strong interest in economics and politics and have spent over a decade working in the tech sector. The most significant shift in my journey came after moving to Spain, where I joined a club focused on macroeconomics, politics, and philosophy. At the present time, I live in Luxembourg where I also take part in a philosophy club.
Mod
Welcome, Federico, to this group.
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello everyone,We are Richard Girard and Geneviève Gagné, authors of a recently published bilingual book, Surviving Canadian Chaos: A Tale of Politics, Propaganda, and Pandemic.
This work explores, through a citizen-driven and rigorously documented perspective, the erosion of democratic principles, the influence of media narratives, and the psychological forces that shape modern societies—both in Canada and beyond.
As political tensions and ideological shifts continue to unfold on both sides of the border, we believe this book could spark a thoughtful group discussion about the deeper forces reshaping our era.
If it aligns with your interests, we’d be honoured to propose it as a book of the month selection and would gladly engage with anyone interested in discussing its themes.
[Amazon link: https://a.co/d/cW2MgbF]
Mod
We are Richard Girard and Geneviève Gagné, authors of a recently published bilingual book, Surviving Canadian Chaos: A Tale of Politics, Propaganda, and Pandemic.
This work explor..."
Congratulations on the publication of your book. We don't do a "book of the month" club in this Goodreads group. At the request of one member, we tried something similar a number of years ago (on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics), but it didn’t work out. I suggest that you post a summary of the book in the “General Remarks about Political Philosophy” topic (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...) of this group, and then group members can comment or ask questions about it, as appropriate.
I just tried to purchase your book with the link you provided. However, because it is amazon.ca (Canada), Amazon will not let me do so. I was, however, able to access and download your book at https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Cana..., which is the Amazon site for the United States. I look forward to reading it, though I have a number of books left to read before I complete and publish my final book, Reason and Human Government, sometime later this year or next year. Current drafts of some chapters of Reason and Human Government can be located at https://chicago.academia.edu/AlanJohnson. What may or may not be similar themes as those addressed in your book are discussed in Chapters 5 (“Citizen and Media Ethics”) and 6 (“Political Ethics”) of my 2022 book Reason and Human Ethics, a PDF replica of which is online at https://www.academia.edu/107899091/Re... it is also available in Kindle and paperback editions on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Human-E...) and is listed on Amazon.ca (https://www.amazon.ca/Reason-Human-Et...), though it may not be available in Canada.
I won’t comment on your book until I have read it. At first glance, we probably agree on the danger of authoritarianism, though I think this danger is mostly from the Right (Trump and MAGA), whereas you seem to think it is from the Left. I agree that Left postmodernism and its practical offshoots are irrational (though I probably disagree with you on the issue of pandemic mitigation), but in the USA, here and now, the huge, imminent authoritarian threat is from the Trump administration and the MAGA movement generally. The "woke" Left has little influence here except as a demagogic bogeyman for the Right. It is mainly a preserve of elite universities and many progressives in Hollywood or elsewhere in the State of California (also known as the "Left Coast").
But I’ll have to read your book before evaluating it.
Alan E. Johnson
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar
Founding Moderator (2014) of the “Political Philosophy and Ethics” Goodreads group
Mod
See this excellent June 11, 2025 article by Anne Applebaum titled “This Is What Trump Does When His Revolution Sputters: His military deployment in Los Angeles follows a long, disturbing tradition”: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc.... (This is supposed to be a gift link. If you encounter a paywall, please let me know.) I have posted a slightly revised version of the present comment in the "Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism vs. Rule of Law" topic (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...).
Hello, I am just introducing myself as a new member of the group. I have long been interested in philosophy, ethics and political science (studying the latter at uni many, many moons ago). I look forward to reading and engaging in the group's various discussions.
Regards,
Charles
Mod
I am just introducing myself as a new member of the group. I have long been interested in philosophy, ethics and political science (studying the latter at uni many, many moons ago). I look ..."
Welcome, Charles, to this Goodreads group!
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Hello everyone, I feel thrilled to have joined this group.
As a short intro, I'm a Portuguese architect, who spent the last couple of decades living and working around the world - from Shanghai to Amsterdam - designing spaces but also constantly reflecting on the "space" between people.
Underneath the surface, I always anguished with the accelerated disconnect of our world (while increasingly digitally connected) in contrast to the deeply human connections I was able to build across continents and cultures. These topics forced me to dive into thought and research for the last few years (which in turn resulted in my latest book 'Tethered').
I am currently living in Amsterdam, but eager to return soon to a more connected life back in Portugal.
I'm excited to be a part of this group and to exchange ideas and learn from your informed perspectives.
Luis
Mod
I feel thrilled to have joined this group.
As a short intro, I'm a Portuguese architect, who spent the last couple of decades living and working around the world - from Shanghai t..."
Welcome, Luis, to this Goodreads group!
Hi everyone,
I’m Ramkumar S. P., and I’m currently in a career transition phase after spending over 10 years in the supply chain and logistics industry.This shift gave me some space to reflect on long-standing questions I’ve had about politics, power, and society — thoughts that have been simmering for years but never had the time to fully express.
I’m new to Goodreads and still figuring my way around, but I joined to connect with readers who enjoy deep, meaningful books — the kind that don’t just inform, but challenge.
During this break, I took the opportunity to write my first book: The Endless Pendulum. It’s a nonfiction reflection on why democracies swing between extremes, and how ideology, fear, and power keep repeating in different forms.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I’m here more to learn than to promote, but I’d be happy to share more about the book in the appropriate thread if anyone’s interested. Looking forward to discovering new reads and thoughtful discussions!
I’m Ramkumar S. P., and I’m currently in a career transition phase after spending over 10 years in the supply chain and logistics industry.This shift gave me some space to reflect on long-standing questions I’ve had about politics, power, and society — thoughts that have been simmering for years but never had the time to fully express.
I’m new to Goodreads and still figuring my way around, but I joined to connect with readers who enjoy deep, meaningful books — the kind that don’t just inform, but challenge.
During this break, I took the opportunity to write my first book: The Endless Pendulum. It’s a nonfiction reflection on why democracies swing between extremes, and how ideology, fear, and power keep repeating in different forms.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I’m here more to learn than to promote, but I’d be happy to share more about the book in the appropriate thread if anyone’s interested. Looking forward to discovering new reads and thoughtful discussions!
Mod
I’m Ramkumar S. P., and I’m currently in a career transition phase after spending over 10 years in the supply chain and logistics industry.This shift gave me some space to reflect on ..."
Welcome to this group, Ramkumar. I've downloaded your book on Kindle and will read it when I get a chance. You may comment on your book or any other relevant subject in accordance with the "Rules and Housekeeping Topic" (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...).
Alan E. Johnson
Founding Moderator
Independent Philosopher, Historian, Political Scientist, and Legal Scholar
My name is Josu, and I am from the Basque Country.I am currently writing a novel based on the life of the German communist Max Hoelz (adapted to the Basque context of today). I also write poetry and political articles—mostly for myself, since the people around me don’t tend to read much.
I’m happy to be here and look forward to contributing my views to this community.
Political Philosophy and Ethics
Books mentioned in this topic
A Brief History of Philosophy: From Socrates to Derrida (other topics)A History of Western Philosophy (other topics)
An Economy of Want (other topics)
Kafka Unleashed: Stories, Dreams & Visions (other topics)
Threeway: A Short Novel for a Long Season (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Seneca (other topics)Augustine of Hippo (other topics)
Georgina T. (other topics)
Congratulations on figuring out how to create a Kindle edition of your book. I have now downloaded it. I will read it, along with some other books on economics that I have not yet read, when I get to the section or chapter on economics in my forthcoming book Reason and Human Government.
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