Thomas Hobbes: Political Philosophy

Philosophers

• Thomas Hobbes: An English philosopher (1588-1679) who argued for a social contract and an absolute sovereign in his work "Leviathan" to avoid chaos and violence in the natural state of mankind.
• He believed that in the absence of political order and law, human life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
• Karl Marx: A German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, and socialist revolutionary (1818-1883) who is known for his theories about capitalism and communism.

Marxist Theory

• A socio-economic theory that centers on the role of class struggle in societal development and advocates for a society without classes or state.
• The theory posits that capitalism, through its inherent inequalities, would lead to its own destruction and be replaced by socialism and eventually communism.

Legal Systems

• Court of Appeals (Highest): The highest appellate court in a jurisdiction, which reviews decisions of lower courts and can uphold, reverse, or modify those decisions.
• In the United States, the Supreme Court serves as the highest Court of Appeals.
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (History): A bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, enacted in 1982, that guarantees fundamental freedoms and rights to Canadians.
• The Charter includes freedoms such as freedom of expression, right to equality, and right to life, liberty, and security of the person.

Rights and Freedoms

• Right: A moral or legal entitlement to have or do something.
• Example: The right to vote in elections is a fundamental democratic right.
• Freedom: The power or right to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint.
• Example: Freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without censorship.

Social Concepts

• Stereotyping: Generalized beliefs about a particular group of people.
• Prejudice: Preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience.
• Discrimination: Unfair treatment of people based on their membership in a particular group.
• Example: Assuming all elderly people are bad drivers (stereotyping), feeling distrust towards a person from another ethnicity (prejudice), refusing to hire someone based on their gender (discrimination).

Law

• Secondary Source of Law: Materials that discuss, interpret, and analyze primary sources of law (statutes, regulations, and case law).
• Example: Legal textbooks, law review articles, and commentaries are secondary sources of law.
• Actus Reus: The physical act of committing a crime.
• Mens Rea: The mental intent to commit a crime.
• Example: In a theft case, actus reus would be the taking of property, and mens rea would be the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it.
• Freedom of Expression: The right to articulate one's opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship.
• Example: Protesting government policies peacefully in public.
• Hybrid Offence: An offence under Canadian criminal law that can be prosecuted either as an indictable offence or a summary offence.
• Example: Assault can be prosecuted as either a summary offence or an indictable offence, depending on the circumstances.
• Bail: Temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on the condition that a sum of money be lodged.