Part I: Identification and significance
Respond to the four terms below. In a few sentences (150-200 words each), define the term fully, connect it to at least one of the theorists we have studied and describe the significance of the concept for the study of political theory. Please check for spelling and grammar.
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"The right of nature is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature, that is to say, of his own life, and consequently of doing anything which, in his own judgment and reason, he shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto."
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"From this arises an argument: whether it is better to be loved than to be feared, or the contrary. I reply that one should like to be both one and the other; but since it is difficult to join them together, it is much safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking."
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One believes himself the master of others, and yet he is a greater slave than they."
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"The ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class."
Please identify the author of the following phrase, and write a concise explanation of what he/she was referring to.
"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant."
Part II: Brief Essays.
Select two topics from the list below. Write a formal essay that includes an introduction, body and conclusion. Be sure it is clear which questions you are answering. Each essay for this section must be between 400-500 words.
What is the origin of democratic thought? How has it changed over the centuries and how does it compare with democratic thought in practice today for the United States? How can it be evaluated (compare and contrast) with other countries in the West, and in developing states? Provide specific example to help clarify your response.
Explain the concept of alienation. How does it relate to socialism, to capitalism, and to democracy? With which political thinker is the concept most closely associated, and how was it considered significant to his/her political thought?
What is anarchism and can it be rationally and morally justified? Is anarchism possible in a complex society? Is democracy effective in a complex society? Identify specific political thinkers associated with anarchism and use examples from the readings to defend your position.