Theorists Steven Lukes Max Weber Plato Theorists who

Theorists

Steven Lukes

Max Weber

Plato

Theorists who support direct democracy • Jean Jacques Rousseau argued that elections were not good and that people were only ‘free’ when they participate directly and continuously in shaping their community • Alexis de Tocqueville argued that popular elections do not guarantee that wise and experienced people hold public office Theorists who support representative democracy • Joseph Schumpeter considered representative democracy a credible solution to the problem of most people simply not having the time or expertise to be able to continuously engage in complex political debate. • Robert Dahl argued that competitive elections prevent any permanent elite emerging and ensure wide access to the political process • Plato said that experts were needed to ‘steer the ship’ and direct democracy was ‘sons leading fathers’

Edmund Burke

Theorist point! Edmund Burke argued that deeply opposed the French Revolution on the grounds that wisdom is not about abstract principles but about experience, tradition and history And ‘change is only necessary in order to conserve’.

Theorist point! Edmund Burke argued that human beings were intellectually imperfect especially when they are confronted with the complexity of social life

Karl Marx

Theorist point! Karl Marx said ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”. This means that those with the most should contribute the most while those who need the most should receive the most help.

Theorist point! Karl Marx argued that society was in a constant state of conflict between the classes (remember conflict theory mean girls!) He argued that those at the bottom (workers) would eventually realise they were being exploited and revolt

Vladimir Lenin

Theorist point! Vladimir Lenin argued that history was the story of class struggles and that the Capitalists were actively working against the proletariat (working class) and peasants.