Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

MODULE 2 `: The Structures of Globalization

SUBJECT CODE: GE 4
SUBJECT TITLE: The Contemporary World
MODULE TITLE: Political Thought, Global Governance and Interstate System

MODULE DESCRIPTION:

In this module, the learners will look into the meaning of global governance through the
discussion of the United Nation’s (UN) organs roles and functions.
This course introduces the students to the contemporary world by examining the multifaceted
phenomenon of globalization. Using the various disciplines of the social sciences, it examines the
economic, social, political, technological, and other transformations that have created an increasing
awareness of the interconnectedness of peoples and places around the globe. To this end, the course
provides an overview of the various debates in global governance, development, and sustainability.
Beyond exposing the students to the world outside the Philippines, it seeks to inculcate a sense of global
citizenship and global ethical responsibility.

EXPECTED OUTCOME/ OBJECTIVES: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. discussed the Political Thought, Global Governance and Interstate System.

LESSON CONTENT

Intergovernmental cooperation is at the center of the global partnership for development. It has
a vital role to play in the achievement of global development goals, in terms not only of the resources and
technical assistance it can provide, but also in the areas of policy decision-making and norm-setting.
Global governance encompasses the totality of institutions, policies, norms, procedures and initiatives
through which States and their citizens try to bring more predictability, stability and order to their
responses to transnational challenges. Effective global governance can only be achieved with effective
international cooperation. Neither the existing proposals to strengthen global governance nor the global
rules to support development are fully satisfactory; they have also not received sufficient attention by the
intergovernmental processes addressing the development agenda for the post-2015 era. This Note
presents comprehensive yet practical recommendations on how international cooperation, through its
various institutions, arrangements and rules, could be reformed and strengthened to achieve and sustain
development gains beyond post-2015.

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

It argues that international cooperation and the resulting governance mechanisms are not
working well. First, the current global governance system is not properly equipped to manage the growing
economic integration and interdependence among countries, both of which are compounded by the
current globalization process. Globalization tends to accentuate interdependencies among countries.
Second, global governance structures and rules are characterized by severe asymmetries in terms of
access, scope and outcomes. While developing countries must abide by and/ or shoulder the effects of
global governance rules and regulations, they have limited influence in shaping them. Meanwhile, the
unbalanced nature of globalization implies that important areas of common interest are currently not
covered, or sparsely covered, by global governance mechanisms, while other areas are considered to be
overdetermined or overregulated by a myriad of arrangements with different rules and provisions,
causing fragmentation, increased costs and reduced effectiveness. These deficiencies have contributed to
the generation of asymmetric outcomes among countries and have had important implications for
inequality at the national level as well. Finally, current approaches to global governance and global rules
have led to a greater shrinking of policy space for national Governments, particularly in the developing
countries, than necessary for the efficient management of interdependence; this also impedes the
reduction of inequalities within countries.

Five principles are critical to guiding the reforms of global governance and global rules:

(i) Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities: This principle calls
for recognizing differences among countries in terms of their contribution and historical
responsibilities in generating common problems, as well as divergences in financial and
technical capacities, in order to address shared challenges. This principle also
acknowledges the diversity of national circumstances and policy approaches—a diversity
which should be embedded in the architecture of global governance as an intrinsic feature
of the global community, not as an exception to general rules.
(ii) Subsidiarity: Issues ought to be addressed at the lowest level capable of addressing them.
This principle implies that some problems can be handled well and efficiently at the local,
national, subregional and regional levels reducing the number of issues that need to be
tackled at the international and supranational level. Subsidiarity suggests an important
role for regional cooperation in addressing issues of mutual concern.
(iii) Inclusiveness, transparency, accountability: Global governance institutions need to be
representative of, and accountable to, the entire global community, while decision-
making procedures need to be democratic, inclusive and transparent. Robust governance
implies mutual accountability, verified by transparent and credible mechanisms and
processes to ensure that agreed commitments and duties are fulfilled.
(iv) Coherence: Definitions of global rules and processes need to rest on comprehensive
approaches, including the assessment of possible trade-offs, so that actions in different
areas will not undermine or disrupt one another, but instead be mutually reinforcing.
Enhanced coherence is also needed between the international and national spheres of
policymaking. This also requires improved coordination among various stakeholders and
enhanced information sharing.

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

(v) Responsible sovereignty: This principle recognizes that policy cooperation is the best way
to achieve national interests in the global public domain. It also requires Governments
and States to be fully respectful of the sovereignty of other nations so as to fulfil agreed
policy outcomes.

After laying out these core principles, this Note then examines how the principles could be applied
to strengthen key areas of international cooperation that are in need of reform. It identifies deficiencies
in their respective governance structures and makes recommendations on how to address the
shortcomings based on the five principles introduced above

In the final section, the Note considers the role of the United Nations in the global governance
architecture. It argues that the General Assembly, with its universal membership and democratic decision-
making process, should function as the main political forum for managing global challenges, in close
interaction with the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies on economic, social and
environmental issues. For the Organization to utilize its distinct advantages, however, Member States
need to strengthen its position in global governance. In particular, the Note suggests that the Economic
and Social Council take on greater responsibility for advancing the global governance reform agenda, and
that it provides guidance to the United Nations system in addressing current governance deficiencies in
areas requiring improved international cooperation. These areas include the environment, international
monetary and financial architecture, capital and labor flows, trade rules and inequality. Moreover, the
Council’s ability to coordinate and guide should be supported by appropriate follow-up and monitoring
mechanisms for bridging the gap between commitments made and their implementation. The layout of
such a system will require special attention in relation to the quantification of targets, data collection, and
definitions and indicators measuring representativeness, inclusiveness, transparency and coherence of
global governance.

LESSON 5: Introduction to Political Thought

Lesson Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, the learners must have:

1. described the theoretical formation of states over time as a by-product of
evolution, expansion and development.

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

1. Persons settling in one geographical territory, living in a community, sharing similar

purposes in life, obeying social contracts, organized by an authority, and enjoying
freedom from any external control is described as a State. Its role is to create a healthy
environment, conducive to attaining better welfare and construct policy frameworks
that enable various agencies of the state to explore and realize the full potential of the
people while maintaining workable standard operations that support and protect public
interest.
2. Max Weber (pronounced as Max Veba) defined a state as a polity that maintains
monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. It sounds very cruel but is justifiable if it is
to establish a standard behaviour among residents of the state. For example paying
taxes, keeping the environment clean, respect to other members in the society, avoiding
all actions that destroy the future of the young like drug addiction, prostitution, theft
and burglary,etc.
3. There are four (4) theories of a state: Force Theory, Evolutionary Theory, Divine Right
Theory and Social Contract Theory. A state is created through some force, as the losers
of war subject themselves to the victorious new rulers; the Force Theory follows this
thought. The evolutionary theory supports the idea that formation of states developed
naturally and gradually as by product of historical development, factors of which include
family and kinship, religion, natural social instinct, economic needs and politics.
(Evolutionary Theory)
4. On the other hand, a political doctrine, in support to monarchical absolutism, asserted
that kings derived their authority from God and could not be accountable for their
actions by an earthly authority like the parliament. This is the idea pushed by the Divine
Right Theorists. The Social Contract Theory is the view that persons’ moral and or
political obligations are dependent upon an agreement among them that form the
society in which they live (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
5. What is then the role of the government running off the state?
Major State responsibilities include schools, hospitals, conservation and
environment, roads, railways and public transport, public works, agriculture and fishing,
industrial relations, community services, sport and recreation, consumer affairs, police,
prisons and emergency services. These form government spending and subsidies that
are primarily sourced from taxes. Moreover, government‘s role to development
includes controls over production, distribution, consumption of commodities. To
achieve these objectives, it devises physical controls, monetary and fiscal measures that
are essential for reducing economic and social inequalities (Suman) that prevail in
underdeveloped economies like the Philippines.

Technical Terms

1. Monetary measures are policies on money supply management and interest rates
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

regulation by the Central Bank that help achieve a macroeconomic objective like curving
inflation, regulating consumption, achieving target growths and maintaining certain
level of liquidity.
2. Fiscal measures are policy handles of the government like taxation and government
spending that greatly affect overall spending adjustments of the country.
3. Economic inequality measures the extent to which income, most commonly measured
by household or individual, is distributed in an uneven manner.
4. Areas of social inequality include access to voting rights, freedom of speech and
assembly, the extent of property rights and access to education, health care, quality
housing, traveling, transportation, vacationing and other social goods and services.
Apart from that, it can also be seen in the quality of family and neighbourhood life,
occupation, job satisfaction, and access to credit. (Social Inequality)

LESSON 6: The Republic

Lesson Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, the learners must have:

1. differentiated the concepts of an ideal city or an ideal state presented in the
discourse of Socrates and his companions about how to achieve a perfect
government as opposed to other kinds of states.

1. To understand the dynamics of political influences and instruments, it is essential to

review, Plato‘s best-known work and world’s most influential works of philosophy and
political theory, the Republic. The Republic contained Socratic dialogue with Athenians
and foreigners about the idea and meaning of justice to an ideal utopian city. Will being
just bring happiness to the just man? Will he be happier than the unjust man will?
2. Socrates listened to the various definitions of justice from his companions. Justice is
essentially, giving what is owed. Justice is an art that gives good to friends and evil to
enemies. Justice is but the interest of the stronger. Socrates overturned all these
definitions by asserting that it is advantageous for a man to be just and disadvantageous
to be unjust. Socrates needed to prove that justice is not only desirable, but that it
belongs to the highest class of desirable things.
3. His companions presented advantages of being unjust. The unjust man could grow
wealthy by injustice and does not need to be fearful of Divine judgement in the afterlife
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

because he can always allocate a portion of his gains to religious losses, thus rendering
him innocent in the eyes of the gods. Socrates emphasized the need to define justice
from the city rather than to a person. The individual is unable to supply everything he
needs and thus seeks provisions from the city he called the Healthy State.
4. The healthy state needs guardians (now called political leaders) that protect the city
from attacks and the discussion furthered describing what type of education is
appropriate for them in their early years. They concluded that to ascribe evil to the gods
are untrue and hence, should not be taught. What should be the lifestyle of the
guardians? Essentially, the city is assumed to contain individuals who are happy in the
occupations that best suit them. If the city is happy, the individuals are happy.
5. For the guardians, in the physical education and diet, the emphasis is on moderation;
for both poverty and excessive wealth corrupt them. Without controlling their
education, the city cannot control the future rulers. Socrates says that it is pointless to
worry over specific laws, like those pertaining to contracts, since proper education
ensures lawful behavior, and poor education causes lawlessness (425a425c).
6. In a just human being, reason rules, spirit is reason’s ally, and appetite is held in check.
In this way, the three parts of the soul are organized in such a way that action is in
accordance with knowledge of what the good life is. This knowledge belongs to reason.
In this part of the soul, there is the knowledge that existence in the body is temporary,
that the body and its needs are distractions, and that the good life is one of
“contemplation”. (Henry George Liddell)
7. Accordingly, Socrates defines justice as “working at that to which he is naturally best
suited”, and “to do one’s own business and not to be a busybody” (433a–433b) and goes on
to say that justice sustains and perfects the other three cardinal virtues: Temperance,
Wisdom, and Courage, and that justice is the cause and condition of their existence.
Socrates does not include justice as a virtue within the city, suggesting that justice does
not exist within the human soul either, rather it is the result of a “well ordered” soul. A
result of this conception of justice separates people into three types; that of the
soldier, that of the producer, and that of a ruler. If a ruler can create just laws, and if the
warriors can carry out the orders of the rulers, and if the producers can obey this
authority, then a society will be just.Socrates proceeded to search for wisdom, courage,
and temperance in the city, because justice will be easier to discern in what remains
(427e). They find wisdom among the guardian rulers, courage among the guardian
warriors (or auxiliaries), temperance among all classes of the city in agreeing about who
should rule and who should be ruled. Finally, Socrates defined justice as a state in which
each class performs only its own work, not meddling in the work of the other classes
(433b).
8. The virtues are then sought in the individual soul. Socrates creates an analogy between
the parts of the city and the soul (the city-soul analogy). He argues that a completely
unified soul could not behave in opposite ways towards the same object, at the same

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

time, and in the same respect (436b). The guardians, both females and males, should be
educated in wisdom, temperance, justice and courage, gymnastics and physical training.
Physical training is aimed at maintaining good health and physical fitness in order for
them to live preventing illness and weakness and without needing medical attention to
focus their energies in serving the people.
9. Socrates and companions assume at essentially each individuals are employed in an
occupation that best suit them, saying that if the whole city is happy, so are individuals.
Moreover, lifestyles of guardians are that of moderation because both poverty and
excessive wealth lead to corruption. Ensuring good education, the future leaders’
quality is also ensured. Proper education safeguards lawful behaviour while poor
education causes lawlessness. It is pointless to worry about laws when leaders’
behaviour is corrupt.
10. Guardians are of three classes – guardian rulers must have the wisdom, guardian
warriors must possess courage and temperance should be found among classes in the
city agreeing who should rule and be ruled. For Socrates, justice means each class performs
only its own work and not meddling on the work of others. Moreover, Socrates also
discovered virtues in the city from the individual soul, the city-soul analogy.
11. He argues that a completely unified soul could not behave in opposite ways
– meaning the city and the individual must possess the same behaviour toward same
objective. A person is wise if he is ruled by the part of the soul that understands what is
good for the part and for the whole. A person is courageous if his soul preserves
pleasures and pains and that the decision is reached by the rational part; and a person
is temperate if the three parts agree that the rational part should lead. One person
cannot be just if he does not have the other virtues.
12. The ideal city will have harmonious cooperation of all the citizens of the city. The
philosopher-King must be intelligent, reliable and willing to lead a simple life. Education‘s
curriculum is designed to teach learners THE GOOD. Just as visible objects need to be
studied in order to be seen, so must also the objects of KNOWLDEGE kings need in order
to properly lead. A would be philosopher – king must study arithmetic, geometry, music
and astronomy.
13. Would be guardians should be educated in military training, gymnastics, martial arts and
warfare and philosophy for five years. Math is taught for ten years and five years
dialectic training. Guardians may spend 15 years as young leaders, and at 50 years of
age, when they are fully aware of the form of good and are mature already, they are
now ready to lead.
14. The four unjust constitutions are timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny being
aristocracy as the best. Aristocracy is the just government, dominated by wisdom loving
system of government, ruled by the philosopher-king. When the social structure breaks
down and civil war is created, timocracy is formed. Warrior generals, who are the ruling
class of property owners, dominate timocracy. When wealth accumulation replaces

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

honour, the government formed is oligarchy, where the rich are the ruling class.
15. When the number of poor widens and starts a revolt, democracy is established. Democracy
emphasizes maximum freedom and power is distributed evenly. This form of
government is dominated by desire in an undisciplined and unrestrained ways. Populism
of the democratic government leads to mob rule, fuelled by fear of oligarchy, which
can be exploited by tyrants to take power and establish tyranny.
16. In a tyrannical government, the city is enslaved to the tyrant, who uses his guards to
remove the best social elements and individuals from the city to retain power (since
they pose a threat), while leaving the worst. He will also provoke warfare to consolidate
his position as leader. In this way, tyranny is the most unjust regime of all.

Technical Terms

1. City-soul analogy – Justice is the right order of the soul. The city-soul analogy refers to
Plato‘s argument saying that the just person is happier than the unjust person and that
if the city is composed of just persons, then the just city is happier than the unjust cities.
The city cannot go opposite to what is good for the soul. (Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy)
2. Timocracy - A timocracy in Aristotle’s Politics is a state where only property owners may
participate in government. The more extreme forms of timocracy, where power derives
entirely from wealth with no regard for social or civic responsibility, may shift in their
form and become a plutocracy where the wealthy rule. Possession of property is
required in order to hold office in an Timocracy Also, government power and glory
motivates the rulers. (Your Dictionary)
3. Democracy is a system of government that bases its legitimacy on the participation of
the people, uniformly characterized by (1) competitive elections, (2) the principle of
political and legal equality, and (3) a high degree of individual freedom, or civil liberties.
(Dallas Learning Cloud)
4. Aristocracy is a form of government by a relatively small privileged class or by a minority
consisting of those presumed to be best qualified to rule. This word is derived from the
Greek word aristokratia meaning rule of the best.
5. Oligarchy is the rule of the few. There are numerous kinds of oligarchy rule and Timocracy
and Aristrocacy fall under it. One very attractive rule of government is Geniocracy which is
exclusively ruled by the geniuses. The criteria to govern include excellence in problem
solving and creative intelligence. A geniocratic government usually has faster economic
growth and better welfare. Germany and Canada are two famous countries practising
geniocracy. (Buddy Mantra) Technocracy, a quite similarly defined form is a rule where
the leaders are technical experts as practiced by Peoples Republic of China and of Russia.
6. Tyranny comes from a Greek word tyrannos meaning an absolute ruler who is

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

unrestrained by law.

LESSON 7: Great Political Theories

Lesson Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, learners must have:

1. differentiated great political theories established as alternative standards of
operations in a society and polity and explained the subtle meanings underlying
the thought.

I will present four political theories only for you to carry as you go through life. These
are the ideas on The Social Contract, Romanticism and Idealism, Utilitarianism and Marxism. I
hope these concepts will make you more equipped in facing deals and ordeals in the societies
you circulate now and in years ahead.

1. The Social Contract presents the reconciliation of the freedom of the individual with the
authority of the state. It appears to be like the constitution of the land. In particular, it
says.
Each of us puts his person and all his power in common, under the
supreme direction of the general will and in our corporate capacity; we
receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.
The contract presupposes alienation of each associate, together with all his rights to
the whole community. For, as one gives himself absolutely, the conditions are the same
for all; and this being so, no one has any interest in making them burdensome to others.
No one has anything more to demand for if individuals retained certain rights, as there
would be no common superior to decide between them and the public, each, being on
one point, his own judge would ask to so on all, the state of nature would thus continue
and the association would necessary become inoperative and tyrannical.

2. Lastly, each man, in giving himself to all, gives himself to nobody, and as there is no
associate over whom he does not acquire the same rights as he yields others over
himself, he gains an equivalent for everything he loses and an increase of force for the

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

preservation of what he has. in simple words, social contract is an agreement between

the individual and the society and or the government about upholding certain rights and
abiding on certain laws in order to ensure smooth relationship dynamics of citizens in a
city or a country.
3. Romanticism and Idealism theory is a philosophical movement during the Age of
Enlightenment that emphasizes emotional self-awareness as a necessary precondition
to improving society and bettering the human condition. Some of the main
characteristics of Romantic literature include a focus on the writer or narrator’s emotions
and inner world; celebration of nature, beauty, and imagination; rejection of
industrialization, organized religion, rationalism, and social convention; idealization of
women, children, and rural life. Imagination, emotion and freedom are the focal points
of romanticism.
4. One key theme of the romantic period is revolution, democracy, and republicanism. The
essential political thinking of the period is liberty, equality and brotherhood as a reaction
against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and of the
scientific rationalization of nature. While age of enlightenment or the age of reason
dominates intellectual discourse in Europe during 17th and 18th centuries, an emerging
thought had convinced many that the truest basis for political power was the consent of
the governed.
5. By the evolution of time, concepts of democracy and republicanism developed. Republic
form of government is a state ruled by representatives of the citizen body. Citizens do not
govern the state themselves but through representatives. Democracy is a form of
government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect
their lives. Democracy allows people to participate equally— either directly or through
elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. Though
they may not be identical, there are areas they both share the same such as election,
the current economic system and a particular social structure. The Venn diagram below
presents such condition.

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

Democracy Republic
Vote for

Majority Based change Constitution

decisions based decisions
Economic

National System Individual

Sovereignty Sovereignty
Social

Figure 1

6. Another key theme is the Sublime and the Transcendence. Many had become fascinated
with the ideal of sublime in physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic,
spiritual greatness. Such greatness is beyond measure and sublimity is on the perception
of the perceiver, mind and imagination. The briefest definition of sublimity is the
presence of exquisite and admirable quality of beauty. Edmund Burke disputes such. He
says there are sublime experiences that bring terror, like seeing tsunami, or walking in
the edge of a cliff etc.
7. Absorbed by the personal genius of man, it was believed that this man got the
inspiration from tutelary spirits teaching him to work in certain set of acceptable and
admirable behaviour. This concept of some experiences of inspiration symbolizes the
truth of external realm called the transcendence. The power of the imagination, genius,
and the source of inspiration is real.
8. Quotes of Romanticism by William Wordsworth- the man who introduced Romanticism.

a. Wisdom is near when we stoop than when we soar.

b. Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin
from emotion, recollected in tranquillity.
c. Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.
d. With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony and the deep power of
joy, we see into the life of things.
e. Getting and spending, we lay waste of powers.
f. Fill your paper with the breathing of your heart.
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

g. The best portion of good man‘s life -his little, nameless, unremembered
acts of kindness and love

9. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that
maximizes utility. Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as the
sum of all pleasure that results from an action, minus the suffering of anyone involved
in the action. Jeremy Bentham (1748— 1832) Jeremy Bentham was an English
philosopher and political radical. He is primarily known today for his moral philosophy,
especially his principle of utilitarianism, which evaluates actions based upon their
consequences.
10. Utilitarianism is one of the best known and most influential moral theories. Utilitarians
believe that the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of
good things (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the amount
of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness). The goal of utilitarian ethics is to promote the
greatest happiness for the greatest number. Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher,
was the founder of utilitarianism; John Stuart Mill was its best-known defender.
11. Utilitarianism is based on the Greatest Happiness Principle, which states that actions are
considered moral when they promote utility and immoral when they promote the
reverse. Utility, itself, is, defined by Mill as happiness with the absence of pain. There
are three principles that served as the basic axioms of utilitarianism.
a. Pleasure or happiness Is the only thing that truly has intrinsic value.
b. Actions are right insofar as they promote happiness, wrong insofar as they
produce unhappiness.
c. Everyone’s Happiness Counts Equally.
12. Quotes on Utilitarianism
a. Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often, man forgets the flowers
at his feet.
b. The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of thelaw.
c. It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people, which is the
measure of right and wrong.
d. Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system
of a regular government.
e. All punishment is mischief; all punishment in itself is evil.
f. Tyranny and anarchy are never far apart.
g. Nature has placed humankind under the governance of two sovereign
masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought
to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.

13. Marxist social and political thought encompasses the Marxist class conflict and Marxian
economics. Together with Friedrich Engels, he wrote The Communist Manifesto that lays
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

the theory of class struggle and revolution. Marx presented the flaws of capitalism in his
book Das Kapital and argued that capitalism shall naturally vanish because of the chaotic
nature of free market and surplus of labour.
14. Marx portrayed capitalist society as composing of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat,
i.e. the ones controlling the means of production and the workers that transform raw
commodities to valuable economic goods. The bourgeoisie‘s power to control capital
allows them to limit workers‘ ability to produce and obtain what they need to survive.
Capitalism is all about commodities bought and sold, reducing the value of labour as
another kind of commodity for sale, like cars, wine, cloth and the like making labourers
weak in the capitalist economic system.
15. One very influential concept introduced in Marxist political and economic thought is the
labour surplus theory. This measures the difference between wages paid to the workers
and the price of goods sold, which the workers previously manufactured. For example,
if a worker who is making wall clocks is given a daily wage of $300 and his productivity
rate is 8 clocks per day, which clock is sold for $300 each and that the market absorbs
all 8 clocks daily, then the value of labour of the worker is reduced to only one clock and
the revenue from the remaining clocks sold belongs to the capitalists. The $2100
difference is called the surplus value of labour that is not enjoyed by the workers. To
maintain their position of power and privilege, the bourgeoisie employ social institutions as
tools and weapons against the proletariat. The government enforces the will of the
bourgeoisie by physical coercion to enforce the laws and private property rights to the
means of production. The media and academics, or intelligentsia, produce propaganda
to suppress awareness of class relations among the proletariat and rationalize the
capitalist system. Organized religion provides a similar function to convince the
proletariat to accept and submit to their own exploitation based on fictional divine
sanction, which Marx called “the opium of the masses.” The banking and financial
system facilitates the consolidation of capitalist ownership of the means of production,
ensnares the workers with predatory debt, and engineers regular financial crises and
recessions to ensure a sufficient supply of unemployed labour in order to undermine
workers‘ bargaining power. (Investopedia)

16. Quotes of Karl Marx

a. Surround yourself with people who make you happy, people who make you
laugh, who help you when you‘re in need, people who genuinely care. They
are the ones worth keeping in your life. Everyone else is just passing through.
b. The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The
point, however, is to change it.
c. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real
suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the
oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

conditions. It is the opium of the people.

d. The less you eat, drink and read books; the less you go to the theatre, the
dance hall, the public house; the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint,
fence, etc., the more you save-the greater becomes your treasure which
neither moths nor dust will devour- your capital. The less you are, the more
you have; the less you express your own life, the greater is your alienated
life-the greater is the store of your estranged being.
e. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians
have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen
of all countries unite!
f. I am nothing but I must be everything.
g. If anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist.
h. If money is the bond binding me to human life, binding society to me,
connecting me with nature and man, is not money the bond of all bonds?
Can it not dissolve and bind all ties? Is it not, therefore, also the universal
agent of separation?
i. In proportion therefore, as the repulsiveness of the work increases, the wage
decreases

LESSON 8: Global Governance and Interstate System

Lesson Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, the learners must have:

1. explained how the world operates in a highly differentiated sovereignties of
countries.

1. World Government is an idea where every country unites under one political authority,
but this has not happened yet. Proponents reasoned that such political organization will
solve problems on war, production of weapon for mass destruction, poverty and
inequality as well as environmental decay. The more modern objective is to design global
institutions that move humanity world federalism or cosmopolitan democracy.
(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Opposing this move suggests that this is
infeasible, undesirable and totally unnecessary.
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

2. However, it is no longer uncommon to hear words like World Bank, World Health
Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Food Programme etc. that give us
the concept of some global polity. The World Bank is an international organization
designed to help fight poverty by providing financing and research advice to development
projects of the poorer economies.
3. If global world sounds infeasible, global economy is far from different. When
governments control their own specific economies, big banks and large companies fund
these governments. In effect, these large financial institutions and corporations dominate
and control global economies (Burrows). Less than one per cent of the companies 40%
of the entire business ownership network in the global economy. This organization
controls the financial flows going in and coming out the economies.
4. However, other factors certainly affect the movements in global economies. If there is
an increase in the price of oil due to some quantity controls, essentially, the cost of
production and shipping costs increases. This eventually is translated as price hikes for
goods bought in from store shelves. The multiplier effect continues by driving off
purchasing power of earning individuals, which, if uncontrolled, leads to increasing
number of families under poverty line. The higher the prices, the more likely it is to
create larger disparities in incomes.
5. Economic instabilities will generate social problems. More poor people will participate
in many underground illegal activities like drug trafficking, prostitution, and burglary.
Police matters become one of the hit news in each morning headlines and some dirty
politicians may take advantage of the poor by hiring them as internet trolls against their
opponents. Another social could come out from this trolling game. It could create social
upheavals and collective disruptions making the ordinary citizen and less informed
individuals confused.
6. Thus, in order to maintain social and economic order, countries try to help one another
through trade and international organizations aiming at achieving a common goal of
peace, harmony, economic growth and technological advancements, social progress
and cultural development. The six international organizations we need to know include
The United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union
(EU),World Trade Organization, the Group of Twenty (G20) and International Criminal
Court (ICC). Within our reach is the Association of Southeast AsianNations.
7. The UN’s mission is to promote international peace and stability, human rights and
economic development. Specialized agencies under it are UNICEF (United Nations for
Children‘s Fund), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO). (Six Essential
International Organizations You Need to Know)
8. NATO’s mission is to safeguard its member‘s freedom and security through both political
and military means. Members of NATO are primarily countries in North America and
Europe including Turkey. EU’s mission is to help member countries cooperate on

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

economic, political and security matters. WTO, on the other hand, has a mission to
manage the rules of international trade and to ensure the fair and equitable treatment
of all members via negotiations and trade disputes settlement. The G20 convenes
officials from the largest economies both the wealthiest economies and developing to
jointly address global concerns and to coordinate economic policies.

REFERENCES:

• The Contemporary World 2019 by Tumoroh C. Brazalote and Ryan M. Leonardo

• The Contemporary World by Lisandro E. Claudio and Patricio N. Abinales
• https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/polytechnic-university-of-the-philippines/the-
contemporary-world/lecture-notes/the-global-economy/3175033/view

___________________________________________________________________________________

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUERIES AND SUBMIT IT on OCTOBER 30, 2021 AT THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:
marygamboa.occ@gmail.com.

LESSON 5:Introduction to Political Thought

1. Kindly choose five states and describe its history, economic system, military strengths, political
structures and general provisions of the government to the people

I. Answer what is described in the following sentences.

1. The distribution of Social Amelioration Program is an indicator of the

presence of
(a) economic stability
(b) aristocracy
(c) democracy
(d) social inequality
(e) political will

2. Earning differences among people in the society indicates the presence

of
(a) economic stability
(b) aristocracy
(c) economic inequality
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

(d) social inequality

(e) political will

3. Tax revenues and government spending are tools of the

government called
(a) employment policy
(b) monetary policy
(c) trade policy
(d) tax policy
(e) fiscal policy

4. The Central Bank is responsible in regulating

(a) corporate taxes
(b) money supply
(c) drug trafficking
(d) government‘s spending roads and bridges
(e) GSIS loans

5. Subsidies are primarily sourced from

(a) the banks
(b) the pork barrel
(c) taxes
(d) salaries and wages
(e) personal loans

6. In Monarchical Absolutism, it is asserted that kings derived their

authority from
(a) the congress
(b) the house of commons
(c) the president of the country
(d) God
(e) the people

7. The state created by Spaniards after colonizing the Philippines is an

example of
(a) social contract theory
(b) force theory
(c) evolutionary theory
(d) monarchical absolutism

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

(e) feudalism theory

8. A social contract is beneficial to one if

(a) the law is implemented fully
(b) the others adhere to it as well
(c) the lawyers consider it as contract
(d) it lawful
(e) if it is moral

9. Max Weber (pronounced as Max Veba) defined a state as a polity that

maintains monopoly on the legitimate use of violence because
(a) the government is tyrant
(b) the government want to ensurepeacefor the good citizens and
physical control over the insurgents
(c) the government is ready for war
(d) violence is the weapon against rebellion
(e) the people are naturally ready for violence

10. Quality of life is improved if people are

(a) healthy
(b) educated
(c) having enough choice sets
(d) enjoying freedom of speech
(e) all of those enumerated earlier

LESSON 6:The Republic

Conceptualize your perfect village, or your perfect town, or your perfect city or your ideal country.
Identify the variables you wish to be in place in your village, say day care center, police station, grades
school and advanced schools, etc. You may present your ideas in a drawing or pictures

II. Answer the following as described below.

1. When governments are run by geniuses, that form of government is
known as
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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

(a) democracy
(b) autocracy
(c) aristocracy
(d) oligarchy
(e) geniocracy

2. Oligarchy is defined as the rule of the

(a) people
(b) lawyers
(c) oligarchs
(d) few
(e) king

3. Tyranny is never good for the state because

(a) the ruler is unrestrained by law
(b) the president is corrupt
(c) the king is violent
(d) the leader is immoral
(e) the people are poor
4. One possible drawback of democracy is its tendency toward
(a) populism
(b) oligarchy
(c) tyranny
(d) technocracy
(e) aristocracy

5. The four unjust constitutions are timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and

tyranny being aristocracy as the best because
(a) Aristocracy is the just government, dominated by
wisdom loving system of government, ruled by
the philosopher-king
(b) oligarchy is the form of government where the rich are the
ruling few
(c) democracy is the rule of government where people have
freedoms but could become abusive if uncontrolled
(d) timocracy is a government formed after conquest
6.

(a) Justice is the right order of the soul

19 | P a g e
MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

(b) the just person is happier than the unjust person

(c) if the city is composed of just persons, then the just
city is happier than the unjust cities
(d) The city cannot go opposite to what is good for the soul
(e) all of those mentioned earlier, define the city-soul analogy.

7. Who should be educated in military trainings, gymnastics, maths,

dialectics, martial arts, warfare and philosophy in the ideal city?
(a) military generals
(b) righteous kings
(c) would be guardians
(d) oligarchs in preparation for control
(e) members of the parliament

8. In the ideal city, who should be intelligent, reliable and willing to lead a
simple life?
(a) the would be guardians
(b) military generals
(c) the philosopher king
(d) the members of congress
(e) members of the business club

9. How should education curriculum be designed for the ideal state?

(a) designed to emphasize academic freedom and press
autonomy
(b) designed to include vocational and technical education
(c) designed to focus on military skills and tactics for war
and invasion
(d) designed to teach the good infusing arithmetic geometry,
astronomy and music
(e) designed to teach trading, diplomacy and political values

10. Why is it advantageous for man to be just than to be unjust?

(a) It is because a just man‘s life is pleasurable and
consequently gives him happiness
(b) it is because a just man cannot separate himself from his
own soul
(c) it is because injustice creates reaction that destroys

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

man‘s peaceful sleep

(d) it is because justice will lead man to heaven in
the after life
(e) it is because man cannot go against himself

LESSON 7:Great Political Theories

III. Answer in five lines only.
1. Why do you think money separates us when it bonds us?
2. What is the problem of capitalism presented by Marx?
3. If actions are within our control, why is happiness not derived from actions?
4. What will happen if the parties having the social contract betray one another?
How would social contract work?
5. What is the problem in the age of enlightenment that pushes the emergence
of romanticism thought?

LESSON 8:Global Governance and Interstate System

IV. Essay
1. Argue how the ASEAN region contributed to the growth of Philippine society.

2. Describe in what way big companies and international organizations have helped the Philippine
economy.

21 | P a g e
MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor
 Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oas, Albay

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MARY R. GAMBOA
OCC Instructor