PHIL 332

End of Class Questions

Oct. 1, 2009: Why did the authors of the Declaration of Independence say “We hold these truths to be self-evident”?

Oct. 6, 2009: Consider the following quotation: "[O]f the voluntary acts of every man, the object is some good to himself." (122). Explain why this quotation is not a statement of egoism. [Egoism is the view that all motivation is to benefit oneself.]

Oct. 8, 2009: Although Hobbes identifies several “laws” of nature, he later explains that they are not really laws, but only “theorems”. What does he mean by this? [Hint: In your answer use the terms in foro interno and in foro externo.

Oct. 13, 2009: Why, according to Hobbes, can no law be unjust? In your answer you must refer to Hobbes’s definition of justice and make sure to distinguish between valid and invalid covenants.

October 15, 2009: Compare and contrast Hobbes and Locke on how they would answer this question: What is necessary to move from the state of nature to a civil society? Ground your answer in the text.

Oct. 20, 2009: Why does Locke think that Hobbes is mistaken about the terms of the original covenant/agreement that establish a sovereign with nearly absolute powers? Ground your answer in the text.

Oct. 22, 2009: Locke argues that giving citizens the right to judge the legitimacy of the government could make governments more stable. How?

Oct. 27, 2009: Compare Rousseau’s state of nature with Hobbes and Locke’s. What is the most important way that it resembles Hobbes’s? What is the most important way that it resembles Locke’s? Ground both answers in the text.

Oct. 29, 2009: What are the key ideas (no more than eight) from the first half of this course?

Nov. 3, 2009: What are the most important ideas from the first half of the course? List up to eight.

Nov. 10, 2009: Why is Smith’s explanation of national prosperity an “invisible hand” explanation?

Nov. 12, 2009: Compare Kant’s conception of the general will with Rousseau’s.

Nov. 17, 2009: Compare Burke with Rousseau. Identify the most important similarities and differences in their political philosophy.

Nov. 19, 2009: Compare Burke and Tocqueville by giving at least five important similarities and dissimilarities (five total). Ground your answer in the Tocqueville text; (Burke, too, if you would like to.)

Nov. 24, 2009: Compare Hegel and Rousseau, including, but not limited to, on freedom, the general will, and justice. Ground your answer in the Hegel text.