Political Works - Modern Political Thought - Exam, Exams of Political Science

Download Political Works - Modern Political Thought - Exam and more Exams Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh GX_____ National University of Ireland, Galway Semester II Summer Examinations, 2007/2008 Front Page Template Exam Code(s) 2BA1, 2BA6, IOA1,1EM1 Exam(s) 2nd Arts Module Code(s) SP215 Module(s) Modern Political Thought Paper No. Repeat Paper Special Paper External Examiner(s) Professor Henri Goverde Dr. Hilary Tovey Internal Examiner(s) Professor Chris Curtin Dr. Pete Morriss Instructions: Candidates should answer TWO Questions: one from Section A and ONE from Section B. Duration 2hs No. of Answer books 1 No. of Pages Department(s) Political Science & Sociology SP215 Modern Political Thought Time Allowed: Two Hours Candidates should answer TWO Questions; ONE from Section A and ONE from Section B. SECTION A The following are all important passages from one of the main political works of the four key thinkers in this course. Choose any ONE of the passages below, and explain (a) what the writer meant by it, and (b) how this idea fits in to the writer’s general political philosophy. 1. “Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war, as is of every man, against every man. … Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” (Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan chapter 13) 2. “Men being, as has been said, by Nature, all free, equal and independent, no one can be put out of this Estate, and subjected to the Political Power of another, without his own Consent. The only way whereby any one devests [divests] himself of his Natural Liberty, and puts on the bonds of Civil Society is by agreeing with other Men to joyn and unite into a Community, for their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongst another, in a secure Enjoyment of their Properties, and a greater Security against any that are not of it. This any number of Men may do, because it injures not the Freedom of the rest; they are left as they were in the Liberty of the State of Nature. When any number of Men have so consented to make one Community or Government, they are thereby presently incorporated, and make one Body Politick, wherein the Majority have a right to act and conclude the rest.” (John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government Chapter 8; italics as in the original) 3. “An action then may be said to be conformable to the principle of utility, or, for shortness sake, to utility, (meaning with respect to the community at large) when the tendency it has to augment the happiness of the community is greater than any it has to diminish it. A measure of government (which is but a particular kind of action, performed by a particular person or persons) may be said to be conformable to or dictated by the principle of utility, when in like manner the tendency which it has to augment the happiness of the community is greater than any which it has to diminish it.” (Jeremy Bentham, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Chap. 1) 4. “It is quite compatible with the principle of utility to recognise the fact, that some kinds of pleasure are more desirable and more valuable than others. It would be absurd that while, in estimating all other things, quality is considered as well as quantity, the estimation of pleasure should be supposed to depend on quantity alone.” (John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism Chapter 2; italics as in the original) SECTION B 5. Which approach to political philosophy do you prefer: the social contract approach or utilitarianism? Defend your answer against supporters of the other approach. 6. “The social contract approach leads inevitably to democracy, even if the classical social contract theorists did not realize it”. Discuss, drawing on the ideas of at least two thinkers. 7. How, if at all, does seventeenth and eighteenth century republican theory and nineteenth century democratic theory differ?