Definition-Politics.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition - Politics Google Definition https://www.google.com/#q=definition+politics Politics: noun The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power. Webster Dictionary Definition http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics 1. Activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government 2. The work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government 3. The opinions that someone has about what should be done by governments 4. A person's political thoughts and opinions 5. The art or science of government 6. The art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy 7. Political affairs or business; especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership 8. Political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices 9. The total complex of relations between people living in society ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Origin of Politics Greek politika, from neuter plural of politikos political First Known Use: circa 1529 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics Politics (from Greek: politikos, meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens") is the practice and theory of influencing other people on a civic or individual level. More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organized control over a human community, particularly a state. A variety of methods are employed in politics, which include promoting one's own political views among people, negotiation with other political subjects, making laws, and exercising force, including warfare against adversaries. Politics is exercised on a wide range of social levels, from clans and tribes of traditional societies, through modern local governments, companies and institutions up to sovereign states, to the international level. A political system is a framework which defines acceptable political methods within a given society. History of political thought can be traced back to early antiquity, with seminal works such as Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics and the works of Confucius. Modern political discourse focuses on democracy and the relationship between people and politics. It is thought of as the way we "choose government officials and make decisions about public policy". ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Greek Dialogue on What Constitutes a Statesman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statesman_%28dialogue%29 Statesman (dialogue) The Statesman (Greek: Politikos), also known by its Latin title, Politicus, is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. The text describes a conversation among Socrates, the mathematician Theodorus, another person named Socrates (referred to as "Young Socrates"), and an unnamed philosopher from Elea referred to as "the Stranger". It is ostensibly an attempt to arrive at a definition of "statesman," as opposed to "sophist" or "philosopher" and is presented as following the action of the Sophist. According to John M. Cooper, the dialogue's intention was to clarify that to rule or have political power called for a specialized knowledge.[1] The statesman was one who possesses this special knowledge of how to rule justly and well and to have the best interests of the citizens at heart. It is presented that politics should be run by this knowledge, or gnosis. This claim runs counter to those who, the Stranger points out, actually did rule. Those that rule merely give the appearance of such knowledge, but in the end are really sophists or imitators. For, as the Stranger maintains, a sophist is one who does not know the right thing to do, but only appears to others as someone who does. The Stranger's ideal of how one arrives at this knowledge of power is through social divisions. The visitor takes great pains to be very specific about where and why the divisions are needed in order to properly rule the citizenry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------