Political Philosophy and the Role of Government Explained
This paper examines how differing political philosophies determine the role and function of government. Beginning with a general overview of government's common functions, it traces key thinkers — including Plato, John Locke, and Karl Marx — to show how each philosophical tradition produces a distinct vision of what government should do and how much power it should hold. The paper also surveys Plato's typology of government forms — aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny — before concluding that a society's underlying philosophical values, particularly regarding individual rights versus collective authority, ultimately determine the character of its government.
- Introduction: Philosophy determines government's shape and function
- The Job of Government: Common governmental functions and philosophical context
- Different Views of Government and Their Function: Plato, Locke, and Marx compared on government
- Different Styles of Government: Plato's five forms of government surveyed
- Conclusion: Philosophy and values shape all governmental models
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What makes this paper effective
- It frames the central question — what is the job of government? — as philosophically contingent, showing that the answer depends on prior assumptions about human nature, equality, and authority.
- It draws useful contrasts between thinkers (Plato vs. Marx, Locke vs. Marx) to illustrate how divergent philosophical premises produce divergent governmental models.
- The Platonic typology of government forms (aristocracy through tyranny) provides a concrete organizational scaffold that connects abstract theory to recognizable political structures.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper employs comparative political philosophy — juxtaposing the views of Plato, Locke, and Marx to highlight how foundational assumptions (about property, class, equality, and reason) generate distinct theories of government. This technique is especially visible in the Marx–Locke comparison, where the paper isolates points of agreement (liberty) before foregrounding their critical divergence over private property and class.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by establishing why political philosophy matters for understanding government, then surveys common government functions as a baseline. It moves into a theoretical section comparing Plato, Locke, and Marx, followed by a typological section applying Plato's five forms of government. The conclusion synthesizes the argument by returning to the idea that a society's philosophical values — particularly the tension between individual rights and collective authority — ultimately shape its governmental form.
Introduction
The role and function of government has, over the centuries, been at the centre of debate and even conflict among various political theorists and activists. The question of what the "job" of government should be hinges to a great extent on the underlying philosophical trajectory that determines the shape, form, and function of government — including the extent of its powers and control, and how it is expected to act in certain circumstances.
The central question of the job or function of government is thus predicated on a range of prior questions relating to the way in which the nature and function of government is perceived. For example, the ideal of government in an elitist and aristocratic model will differ considerably from a more democratic model, just as a Marxist view of government will differ from the model put forward by a thinker like Locke. The central point — explored throughout this paper — is that different philosophical views of government determine its role and function.
The Job of Government
In very general terms, the function of government is based on priorities, such as ensuring that the country functions smoothly and that its citizens are protected from danger. Among the other common functions of modern government frequently cited are the following:
- Foreign relations — diplomacy and defense
- Protection and regulation of the sustainable use of natural resources
- Enforcement and regulation of fair and responsible business practices
- Determination and enforcement of civil laws of property and conduct
- Provision of public goods and services for the well-being of the community
However, government is also representative of a certain way of thinking about society and politics. In this sense, the function of government forms an integral part of a political and philosophical worldview of a people or a country. The shape and nature of a government depends to a great extent on the underlying philosophy and political system of thought. Therefore, in order to answer what the job or function of government is, certain political philosophies must be explored. As Woodrow Wilson writes:
"What are the Functions of Government? — the question has its own difficulties and complexities… we must ask in return, of what government? Different states have different conceptions of their duty, and so undertake different things. They have had their own peculiar origins, their own characteristic histories." (Wilson)
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