Introduction to Political Philosophy

Ideas in Political Philosophy

Part 1 – Identify and Explain Discuss three (3) of the following ideas. Each answer should identify the idea, its author and its context, explain what it means, and provide some analysis of its significance : 1.Tyranny of the majority 2.Grassy Narrows 3.Neoliberalism 4.Unpaid labour 5.Justice as fairness 6.Cathy and Ben 7.Time-slice principles of justice 8.Surplus Value 9.Intersectionality

Page 2 of 3Part 2a – Short Answers Select and respond to two (2) of the following questions1.What are the similarities and differences between how Friedman and Hayek would answer the question ‘Should the state tax its citizens, and if so, for what and how?’ 2.Compare and contrast the positions of liberalism and anarcho-communism when it comes to property. 3.Explain this quote: ‘Just as man seeks justice in equality, society seeks order in anarchy' (Proudhon) with reference to Rawls and Marshall. 4.What is the feminist critique of national income accounting? Why is it important for understanding feminist approaches to moral and political philosophy and the question of what is ‘the good’? 5.Explain why Mill believes everyone should have freedom of opinion and action, even if their words and actions go against collective opinion and provide an example to illustrate. 6.What are the most important principles of environmental justice and why are they significant? Part 2b – Short Answers Select and respond to one (1) of the following questions 1.Why is race and racism an important consideration for understanding feminist theory and praxis? Explain with an example. 2.Do individuals have a moral responsibility to follow public health rules related to COVID-19 even if they know there won’t be any legal consequences to breaking the rules? Explain with reference to Hobbes, Mill, and Hourdequin. 3.I think that plastic straws, plastic take-out cutlery, and plastic grocery bags make life more convenient but the Government of Canada is going to ban them by the end of 2021. Should I stop using them now? What about after the ban comes into effect? Page 3 of 3Part 3 – Essay Respond to one (1) of the following questions in essay form, presenting a clear argument with supporting evidence  1.Critically examine the social contract from the perspective of recent protests against anti-Black racism using three of the following: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, Hill Collins & Bilge, hooks 2.‘The major objection to speaking of everyone's having a right to various things such as equality of opportunity, life, and so on, and enforcing this right, is that these 'rights' require a substructure of things and materials and actions; and other people may have rights and entitlements over these. No one has a right to something whose realization requires certain uses of things and activities that other people have rights and entitlements over’ (Robert Nozick). Discuss the conflict between liberty and equality as it relates to redistribution. Draw from the work of Mill, Rawls, Nozick, and Friedman. 3.How can society best balance virtue (choice) and fortune (chance) in determining what opportunities are available to whom? Discuss with regard to three or four of Machiavelli, Rawls, Friedman, and Hill Collins & Bilge. 4.Western political thought is marked by tension between the rights of the individual and duty to society. Explore how this tension is addressed by three or four of the following: Hegel, Mill, Locke, Nozick, Goldman, Hayek, Nussbaum, Sinnott-Armstrong, Hourdequin. Does Confucianism offer a better approach to this dilemma? Why or why not