nt

That being said, obviously Locke was the best. Although Mill's recognition of sexual equality was awesome.

Adam Smith? You've got an odd list there, although I do understand choices are limited in polls.
I lean towards the Commonwealthmen, myself, so your list is very incomplete to me. Also, I would suggest that Socrates was no political philosopher, that Plato was running his own game in The Republic, and that Aristotle would be more fitting a selection if you wanted to use Greeks.

-- Mal

Adam Smith was awesome, but so was Plato. Aristotle isn't even in the same league as Plato.

All of this is IMHO and is probably wrong, lol.

One question that should be considered is what is meant by "greatest." If it is considered in terms of influence, then Machiavelli and Aristotle move far up the list.

-- Mal

... and the Schoolmen based all of their philosophy, including what passed for political science, on his works. It is difficult, though, in the Mediaeval period, to separate the political "philosophy" from the theology. By the time the early Renaissance guys start talking about virtu and the dynamic between the active and contemplative life, his influence can be seen to be even greater.

-- Mal

But you are definitely right that Aristotle was the man until philosophy and science took an Epicurean turn in the modern period.

By the way, I vastly prefer Plato's defense of his "true aristocracy" in the Republic to Aristotle's defense of democracy.

... since the earliest writers on Political Economy were interested in aristocracies. But Aristotle's concept that the political life (taken broadly, not just in terms of office-seeking) was the highest expression of ethics is not without merit.

-- Mal

because Epicurus recommended staying away from politics as much as possible.

I would guess it might be a combination of an ice cream flavor/hair color and a music genre.

A vote for Socrates is actually a vote for Plato, since Socrates himself never wrote a word.

the very early stuff was supposedly dialogs as they existed...then plato found his own voice. at least, that's what i remember from 25 years ago...totally FWIW!!

Plato, Xenophon, and Aristophanes were three writers who wrote from direct acquaintance with Socrates. Socrates himself never wrote a word. That is one of the ironies of the history of philosophy. Plato, a student of Socrates, was deeply affected by Socrates' life and death. But even the early dialogues of Plato are definitely Plato's own creations. He was not trying to record Socrates' words; he was trying to disclose the meaning of recurrent ideas discussed and debated by Socrates with his friends and other fellow citizens. One such idea was the idea of justice -- still worth discussing in our own time. Separating remnants of the historical Socrates from the literary art of Plato in the works of Plato is practically impossible. In a sense, even the early works of Plato are idealizations and not historical representations of Socrates. Aristophanes ("The Clouds&quot , on the other hand, depicted Socrates as a rogue and a sophist who took pay to teach clients how to get the better of their opponents in court. Xenophon, like Plato, wrote dialogues; but he was not well-acquainted with Socrates; and his writing is quite unremarkable. It is interesting, however, that Xenophon's Socratic dialogues include women.

Plato wrote them down.

Or I should say "were," as I haven't looked at anything recent on the question.

IIRC, The Republic is 95% Plato.

-- Mal

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.”

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."
- Groucho Marx.

We line them up against the wall and POP goes the weasel!

He didn't know what to do with it
If you think this country's bad off now
Just wait 'til I get through with it

Rufus ti Firefly

Reinhold Niebuhr. Marx for political economy.

"The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet."

Bar none.

Because he was cautious, prudent and sane?

Still got to give it to either Plato or Machiavelli

readings is still a very important one.

Not up there with Locke or Voltaire or Plato, though.

Or Tamerlane.

Plato was full of shit, which suggests Socrates was too.

That was Thomas Aquinas, so...

There are so many to choose among.

[1] The Haudenosaunee prophet known as the Peace Maker.

[2] Malcolm X

[3] Martin Luther King, Jr.

(in no particular order)