Topics Justice

Question There is this field of philosophy called "social and political philosophy." I have a difficulty distinguishing "social" from "political." How does "social philosophy" differ from "political philosophy"? I think this is significant; otherwise, the field should be simply called either "social philosophy" or "political philosophy."

Accepted:
May 18, 2007

Comments

The main reason for adding "social and" to "political philosophy" seems to be to include conceptual, empirical, and normative questions about human social life that do not fall within the political as conventionally conceived -- for example, issues about shaping the personality and character of young people through education in schools and in the family.

The expression "social philosophy" for the whole field would be quite bland (the expression occurs rarely on its own). It would not make sufficiantly clear that the central concern is to think about political systems and the rules that structure them and the rules generated by them (which importantly organize and condition much of human life in the last few millennia).