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The quiz will consist of a number of short answer questions. For each of the
philosophers we have covered, you should be able to give an account of their
basic ideas and apply these ideas to a concrete situation. You should also know
some major criticisms that can be offered of each philosopher. The exam will
include at least two quotations for you to identify and explain. If you have had
any difficulties with the main text, Palmer's Does the Center Hold? will
be of great help. The descriptions of Marx’s theories of alienation and
ideology that I have written and that are available on the website may also be
of help. What follows are suggestions that may help with your review.
1.
There will be at least two review question covering material from the first part
of the class. There may also be questions that ask you to compare the
viewpoints of the new philosophers we have studied with the views of the
philosophers we studied in the first part of the semester. The philosophers
from the first part of the class may be the authors of the quotations that you
will need to interpret on the exams.
2.
Know the definitions of negative rights, positive rights, and distributive
justice.
3.
Understand the libertarian conservative theory of Nozick (liberty with an
emphasis on property rights, no taxation to support social welfare or positive
rights, a distribution is just if everyone is historically entitled to the
portion he or she has and there has been no violation of negative rights , no
evaluation of the justice of the end-state). You should also be able to offer
criticisms of this perspective.
4.
Understand the liberal theory of John Rawls (Kantian liberalism, social contract
chosen by a rational person behind a veil of ignorance, two principles of
justice are liberty and fairness, inequalities in distribution are just as long
as it works out to the advantage of all and everyone has an equal opportunity to
compete). You should also be able to offer criticisms of this perspective.
5.
Understand the philosophical basis of Marxism (two sets of premises: human
beings as self-creating beings and human beings as ensembles of social
relationships, theory of alienation as a description of the situation of workers
under capitalism, six aspects of alienation, why Marx condemns capitalism,
degradation and manipulation of human needs and powers, ideology as a conceptual
framework that fits a particular mode of production, ruling ideas). You should
also be able to offer criticisms of this perspective.
6.
You should be able to compare and contrast these views. You might be asked to
compare and contrast Marx, Nozick, or Rawls with one of the philosophers we
studied earlier. For example, you might be asked to contrast Marx and Hobbes.
7. There will be some extra credit questions on current events.
Author: Hollace
Graff |