Philosophy Bites

Michael Ignatieff on Political Theory and Political Practice

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Apr 12, 2014
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ANECDOTE

From Harvard to Politics

  • Michael Ignatieff, a Harvard professor, was unexpectedly asked to run for public office in Canada.
  • He quickly accepted, driven by a philosophical tradition and a desire to move from theory to practice.
INSIGHT

Politics and Fortuna

  • Politics involves mastering chance, contingency, and fortune, much like Machiavelli's concept of Fortuna.
  • Great politicians control time, while bad politicians become victims of it.
INSIGHT

Politics as War

  • Politics is deeply adversarial, like war, which can be shocking for academics.
  • It's learned through experience and mistakes, not lectures.
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