Final Review

Format:

4 short answers. Same as last time. 6-7 options, 1-2 paragraphs each. (40 %)
3 quotation IDs. Same as last time, but only from the second half of the course. 5 options. (20 %)
1 longer essay, 4-5 paragraphs. One question, but considerable leeway in both the theorists you addess, and the topics you engage them on. (40 %)


The focus will be on the second half of the course, but not exclusively so. I can't give you a list of topics that will exhaust everything you might want to discuss on the final, but I can tell you that the following topics will be of considerable value:

Mill

Fallibility
Harm principle
freedom of speech (reasons for)
different kinds of speech to be protected (and why)

Why was Mill a feminist?
Why was Mill a nervous supporter of democracy?
What is utilitarianism? How did Mill revise it to suit his approach?

Burke/Conservatism

Why was Burke nervous about social change?
Why did Burke prefer Wisdom over Reason?
Why was Burke nervous about capitalism?
Explain a Burkean/Morean position on the concept of "rights."
How is Burke different from modern conservatism?
What does Burke mean by politics as an "experimental science"?

Marx

What is a social class? (be precise)
What is historical materialism (phases of history, how history moves forward)
Why does Marx dig capitalism?
Why do we say Marx isn't a utopian socialist?
Explain Marx' conception of communism. Why is it inevitable as a result of a proletarian revolution?
Marx thinks that ideas don't matter much when it comes to understanding history and society. What does matter?
What picture of human nature do we get from Marx's estranged labor essay? What does that tell us about his views on capitalism?

Nietzsche

What is the difference between a good vs bad moral outlook and a good vs evil moral outlook?
Why does Nietzsche prefer the former?

Why does Nietzsche dislike egalitarianism?