| dc.description.abstract | Polarization has become an increasingly concern for the United States, especially in recent years. The political parties have refrained from working together, but instead have been dehumanizing one another that has been triggered by media platforms. Philosophy is a field of study that instills value into basic ideas in our world. That being said, the aim of political philosophy is to find the value of political entities in our societies. Evaluating these ideals allow us to answer a question: Which philosophical political ideals can we use to create solutions to the increased polarization in the United States? In order to answer this question, this work analyzes philosophical texts such as Plato’s Statesman, Aristotle’s Politics, and Hannah Arendt’s Between Past and Future to find ideals that are best suited to find ways to decrease polarization. While looking at the current state of United States politics, this work also analyzes the role modern media platforms play in group polarization. Combining these elements provides a framework based on philosophical political ideals on how we can prevent group polarization from increasing any more in this country. This project contains four main solutions, which are tied to philosophical ideals, in order to diminish the divide between the modern partisan groups. First, from Arendt’s ideals on the importance of freedom of speech in our political entities, we as individuals need to respect not only our right, but as well as that same right of others. Next, Plato’s ideals of a political leader’s responsibility to unify different people in the community tells us we, as a society, need to hold our political leaders accountable for accomplishing this goal. The third solution is to take action to encourage modern media platforms to take measures to change their role in polarization and is derived from Arendt’s emphasis on our individual responsibility to take action in our political spheres. The final solution is to find common ground with one another and begin making real change in our political entity. Aristotle’s ideals act as a reminder that the ultimate purpose of politics is to provide a good life for everyone in the political sphere. This work is designed to bring the realization that the political entity in the United States is not a competition as we have been treating it. Rather, it is a unified front to create the best life for those who are a part of it. | en |
