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Aristotle is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential thinkers of all Greek philosophers.

  • His political works include Nichomachean Ethics and politics. In which he proposed that citizens should be given the right to happiness and to pursue their dreams and goals.

Aquinas is considered one of the greatest European medieval philosophers.

  • He wrote about the nature and role of government in On Kingship
  • Aquinas writing on government boldly stated the governments responsibility to its citizens. It was the requirement of the government to serve people and help them to live rightly.
  • The government had a moral responsibility to be obedient to divine laws
  • Believed in religious freedom

Friedrich Engels was a radical thinker and is best known for his contributions to the Marxist theories of government.

  • Established himself as a revolutionary.
  • Writings include his collaboration with Karl Marx in the communist manifesto which gave him fame. Engels also helped edit Marx’s Das Kapital.
  • His writings told of the need for the common worker to arise and resist the powers of leadership especially business owner. Stated should revolt to get the benefits they deserved.

Niccolo Machiavelli is the father of modern political science.

  • Based his theories on logic. Presented the state as a living organism with the ruler as the head and its subjects as its body. Everything must be done so that the government will run smoothly and the people will remain peaceful and secure.
  • In The Prince Machiavelii argued that a ruler must do anything necessary to keep the body healthy even if the ruler has to be cruel and deceitful in order to maintain the balance of power.

Karl Marx was a German social scientist and professional revolutionary of the era.

  • Influenced communism and socialism.
  • Wrote the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.
  • Communist Manifesto is the pamphlet that laid the groundwork for Marxism. In the Maniesto Marx claimed that history could be seen as a series of battles between the dominant class and the subordinate class.
  • Believed the working class would overthrow the upper class.
  • Das Kapital presented his view on the free enterprise system. Admitted the free enterprise system was the most powerful economic system ever created he nevertheless pointed out the flaws he believed it had.

John Milton was a prolific writer of the 17th century wrote Paradise Lost and Samson Agonistes.

  • He was in favor of the ruling party other than a monarchy.
  • He wrote of the peoples right to select and eliminate rulers in The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.