POLI 231 TA Conference Questions After Midterm
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McGill University *
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231
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Political Science
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Jan 9, 2024
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POLI 231 TA Conference Questions After Midterm
Weeks 5/6:
Text at stake:
Summa Theologica
I-II Q90, 91.2, 92.1, 94, 95.1-2
Key concepts:
Natural law, teleology, dominion and obligation, justice, virtue, law and order.
1.
How does Aquinas incorporate
Aristotle's
political thought into his own? To what extent
is his synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian doctrine successful (i.e. convincing)?
a.
Consider, perhaps, both thinkers’ understanding of human nature, political
regimes, teleology, and the common good.
2.
What is the role of
law and order
in Aquinas’ view?
b.
Consider, perhaps, his treatment of eternal law vs. natural law vs. human law vs.
divine law.
c.
What is
justice
for Aquinas?
3.
What do you make of the
written structure
of the
Summa
? Why does Aquinas write in
this format,
and to what effect
?
4.
How might Aquinas respond to Aristotle’s assertion that some forms of slavery are
‘natural’?
Week 7:
Themes at stake:
Social contract theory, promises and social order, natural law,
human law, meritocracy and merit, sovereign power, authority, commonwealths and
institutions.
5.
What did you
already know
about Hobbes (e.g., from other classes, popular
culture, word of mouth, etc.)? To what extent did the lecture and readings
conform to (or challenge) your prior understandings of Hobbes?
6.
What is the difference between
contracts and promises
? Why are promises
and contracts important to Hobbes?
7.
What is
meritocracy
for Hobbes? Why is it important?
d.
Do you agree that individuals ought to be rewarded in society based on
merit? What are the opportunities and challenges of a society
organized based on merit?
8.
What is the
social contract
? Why do we need it? Who does it protect?
e.
Feel free to talk about the social contract via other thinkers we've
looked at in class/via thinkers you have explored elsewhere.
f.
What are the consequences of not adhering to the laws of the
sovereign?
9.
What are the different types of
commonwealths and institutions
? Which
are favoured by Hobbes?
10. What caused the
rise of fascism
within each thinker’s respective context? Think about
historical events, socio-economic climates, ideological divides, etc.
g.
What was the role of
nationalism
? Did it prove to be a helpful or harmful force?
h.
What was the role of
intellectualism?
Did it prove to be a helpful or harmful
force?
11.
Define fascism
according to Gentile and specify its relationship to
liberty
.
i.
What problems arise from thinking about liberty in this way?
12. Consider the role of
conscience
in Eichmann. Why are seemingly ‘ordinary’ individuals
capable of committing evil acts?
j.
How should we make sense of
individual responsibility and accountability
in
light of Eichmann’s claim that he was ‘simply following orders’?
k.
Where can we locate
justice,
given this account?
What might Arendt suggest we
ought to
do
?
Week 8:
Texts at stake: Plato, Book IV of the
Republic
, Marx’s
Communist Manifesto
, Hartmann’s
The
Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism.
13. What did you
already know
about Marx (e.g., from other classes, popular culture, word
of mouth)? To what extent did the lecture and readings conform to (or challenge) your
prior understandings of Marx and Marxism?
14. What problems does Marx have with
liberalism
?
l.
Consider Marx in relation to the liberal rights theorists we discussed earlier in the
course (e.g., Hobbes, Rousseau, Locke).
m.
What is
alienation?
How does it relate to liberalism?
15.
What is
historical materialism?
Do you find this account of history
convincing?
16. What problems are there with the Marxist account?
n.
Consider the guest lecture on Marxist Feminism.
Do you believe that Marxism
can be rehabilitated as a feminist project?
17. Could we call Plato’s ideal city in Book IV of the Republic a
communist society
? In
what ways?
Week 9:
Texts at stake for conferences this week:
Selections from Plato’s
Republic
, selections from
Rawls’
Justice as Fairness
18. Rawls defines justice
as fairness
. What does this mean?
o.
In
A Theory of Justice
, Rawls develops a very famous thought experiment: the
‘veil of ignorance
’. Explain this thought experiment. What is its purpose?
p.
How do you think Rawls’ experiment is relevant to the socio-economic conditions
of the world today? What kinds of public policies might Rawls’ account imply?
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