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Hobbes Links: Rousseau Links: Study questions on Hobbes and Rousseau ("Of the Natural Conditions of Mankind" and "Dissertation on the Origin and Foundation of the Inequality of Mankind")

1.  Why does Hobbes think that people are in a state of war when there is no common power?

2.  What characterizes Hobbes' state of war?

3.  According to Hobbes, does justice exist in the state of nature?  Explain.

4.  According to Hobbes, did the state of nature exist once upon a time, or is it merely contrived?  What, if any, explanatory purpose is served by the state of nature?

5.  What inclines people to peace according to Hobbes?

6.  Why does Hobbes think that absolute monarchy is the only form of government that enables humans to escape the state of nature?

7.  How do people existing in Rousseau's state of nature differ from people living within society?  How do they differ from people living in Hobbes' state of nature?  Who do you think has the right view of pre-civil people:  Hobbes or Rousseau?  Why?

8.  What is the role of natural pity (compassion) in the state of nature according to Rousseau?  What is the role of self-love (self-preservation)?

9.  Rousseau thinks that natural pity for others is undermined in civil society.  Explain what he means and why he thinks that this is so.  Do you agree or disagree with Rousseau?

10.  What is Rousseau's distinction between natural and non-natural inequalities?  Give examples.

11.  Explain why, according to Rousseau, inequality inevitably arises when the institution of private property is established.  Could there be inequality without private property?  Explain.

12.  How did the division of goods and labor originate, according to Rousseau?

13.  Why do people form governments according to Rousseau?

14.  What, according to Rousseau, are the conditions that lead to oppression?



Marx Links: Study questions on Marx ("Wages of Labor" and "Estranged Labor")

1.  According to Marx, what factors enter into determining the minimum wage?

2.  Why is the worker at a greater disadvantage than the capitalist under capitalism?

3.  For Rousseau, the division of labor helped to deprive people of their self-sufficiency and was, for this reason, a distortion of their human nature.  How is Marx's attitude toward the division of labor different from Rousseau's?

4.  What are the four forms of estrangement and how are they related to one another?

5.  Does a worker have to feel oppressed to be oppressed?

6.  In what sense is labor power a special commodity?

7.  "With the increasing value of the world of things proceeds in direct proportion the devaluation of the world of men."  Explain.  Is this claim necessarily true, according to Marx?  Under what conditions might things be different?

8.  What view of human nature begins to emerge in Marx's discussion of species being?

9.  How is Marx's critique of private property related to Rousseau's?  How are their views of private property different?



Veblen Links: Study questions on Veblen ("Conspicuous Leisure")

1.  According to Veblen, in order to gain and to hold the esteem of others, it is not sufficient merely to possess wealth or power.  What more is required?

2.  Veblen thinks that the desire to accumulate wealth is a driving force in modern society.  One would think this desire would result in industrious and frugal behavior.  Why does Veblen think, on the contrary, it motivates abstention from work?

3.  According to Veblen, is the desire to abstain from work restricted only to the "superior pecuniary class"?

4.  Why does labor come to be seen as dishonorable during the "predatory" stage of cultural development?

5.  In what sense are the occupations of the leisure class non-productive during the "quasi-peaceable" stage?

6.  What are the examples of the Polynesian chief and the king of France meant to convey?

7.  What is the ulterior economic ground for manners, according to Veblen?

8.  According to Veblen, how did the institution of ownership begin?

9.  Explain what Veblen means by "vicarious leisure".

10.  Why is an inept butler a serious grievance to his master, according to Veblen?

11.  According to Veblen, which is evidence of greater wealth:  The possession and maintenance of slaves employed in the production of goods; or the maintenance of servants who produce nothing?

12.  What is the role of the modern housewife, according to Veblen?



Friedan Links:


Study questions on Friedan ("The Happy Housewife Heroine")

1.  What are some of the characteristics of the image, identified by Friedan in the women's magazines, of the American housewife during the 1950’s-60’s?

2.  What are some of the characteristics of the image, identified by Friedan in the women's magazines, of the American housewife during the 1930’s-40’s?

3.  Friedan describes a "Feminine Mystique" that arose around the 1950's image of the American housewife.  What does the Mystique tell women to do?

4.  Describe the notion of femininity that the Mystique subscribes to.

5.  What is the "new feminine morality story" that the Mystique describes?

6.  According to the Mystique, what is the natural occupation of a woman?  What should a woman avoid at all costs?

7.  Under the notion of "togetherness" that was popular in 1950's women's magazines, the husband should take on a more active role in domestic affairs; and both the husband and the wife should devote themselves to the well-being of the family, as a unit.  According to Friedan, why was "togetherness" inherently biased against women?

8.  How does Friedan respond to the claim made by many editors of 1950's women’s magazines that they are only giving the customer what she wants?

9.  What sort of evidence does Friedan provide for her contention that the image of the 1950's housewife is harmful?

10.  What is one explanation Friedan considers for why the image of the American housewife changed so radically from the 1930's-40's to the 1950's-60's?



Fanon Links: Study questions on Fanon ("Concerning Violence")

1.  In describing the process of decolonization, Fanon uses the famous biblical epigram, "The last shall be first and the first last".  What does he mean by this?

2.  Contrast the tools of oppression used in capitalist and colonial societies which enable the oppressors to insure the submission of the oppressed.

3.  What role, according to Fanon, does the Christian religion play in the oppression of the colonized people?  In what ways can Christianity be seen to be an instrument of oppression in capitalist society?

4.  Fanon maintains that the native intellectual is often too concerned with the details of liberation, and therefore loses sight of the fundamental goal of the movement.  From the standpoint of the native masses, what is the goal of liberation?  In this same context, what constitutes "truth" and "goodness" for the colonized people?

5.  Fanon claims that the colonized people often avoid facing the true cause of their plight.  In what ways then do they redirect their aggression?

6.  What is the function of myth and ritualistic dance in colonial society, according to Fanon?  Could one make a case for there being analogues to these in our own society?

7.  Some have argued that because of the colonizer’s military, police, and great weaponry, it would be virtual suicide to attempt liberation by means of force.  How does Fanon respond to this objection?  Do you think that the factors which he cites are enough to even the score?

8.  According to Fanon, how is it that the actual violence of the revolution gets started?  What, according to Fanon, makes the colonized masses think that it is violence that will ultimately free them?

9.  Why, according to Fanon, does the capitalist support the right of the colonized people to self-determination?
 



King Links: Study questions on King ("Letter from the Birmingham Jail")

1.  What is King's response to the "outside agitator" argument?

2.  What is nonviolent direct action meant to accomplish, according to King?  How does it do this?  What characteristics do you think a society must already possess in order for nonviolent direct action to be effective?  (In other words, why do you think nonviolent direct action worked in the U.S. and India, for instance, but not in Algeria?)

3.  What is King's response to the claim that nonviolent direct actions like sit-ins and marches, are unproductive and take attention away from what really works; namely, negotiation?

4.  What is King's response to the argument that nonviolent direct action is too hasty and we should instead allow the given issue to resolve itself through the proper political channels?

5.  State one of King's definitions of an unjust law.  Is it convincing?  Why or why not?

6.  What is King's response to the claim that nonviolence, while peaceable, leads to violence and thus should be condemned?

7.  What is King's response to the charge that the nonviolent movement is a form of extremism?

8.  Both King and Fanon characterize the oppressed as being in a state of inner tension.  How do they differ in their remedies?
 



Hobbes Links: Mill Links: Study questions on Hobbes2 and Mill ("Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a Common-wealth" and On Liberty)

1.  Why does Hobbes think numbers alone do not guarantee security?

2.  According to Hobbes, ants and bees are able to cooperate without a sovereign power.  Why does he think humans are different?

3.  How does the absolute sovereign gain legitimacy, according to Hobbes?

4.  Why does Mill think that the freedom of speech is justified?  What do you think about the right of holders of morally repugnant views (such as the Neo-Nazi party or the Ku Klux Klan) to freely speak their minds?

5.  Why does Mill think that individuality is essential for "progress" and "improvement"?  Could highly conformal societies like pre-modern China still exhibit tolerance according to Mill?

6.  If there were a planet of androids programmed to plant food (they have to eat), pray to God, fight wars, get married, etc., what would Mill think would be missing?

7.  Why does Mill think that a democracy might be particularly susceptible to a leveling of all opinions and abilities to a low common denominator?  Do you think that there has to be a separation of classes in order for innovation and creativity to thrive?

8.  How does Mill respond to the accusation that the Harm-To-Others principle encourages the view that people should not be concerned about the welfare of others unless their own interests are involved?

9.  What distinctions does Mill think can appropriately be drawn between actions and inactions that result in the harm of others?  Do you agree with him?

10.  What are Mill's views on paternalism?  What would Mill say about U.S. laws against the possession of substances like LSD and other drugs?

11.  How does Mill argue against the view that people have the right to sell themselves into slavery?

12.  Explain Mill's distinction between duties to oneself and duties to others.  Is Mill's view that duties to oneself are not socially obligatory consistent with his view about selling oneself into slavery?



Marx Links: Study questions on Marx2 ("Private Property and Communism")

1.  According to Marx, how is the relation between lack of property and property dif-ferent from the relation between labor and capital?

2.  What characterizes the first ("crude") form of communism Marx considers?  Why does Marx think this form is inadequate as a means of annulling private property?

3.  How does Marx use the relation between marriage and prostitution to de-scribe the notion of private property under crude communism?

4.  How does Marx view the relation between man and woman?

5.  In what sense does Marx think that the third ("true") form of communism will answer to the problem of estrangement?

6.  Why does Marx think that social activity includes not only activity engaged in in the presence of others, but also activity engaged in by one’s self apart from others?

7.  What does Marx mean when he says that private property makes us "one-sided"?

8.  What does Marx mean when he says that (true) communism is the negation of a negation?



Study questions on Rocco and Palmieri ("The Political Doctrine of Fascism" and "Fascism and the Meaning of Life")

1.  What kind of doctrine is fascism according to Rocco?  According to Palmieri?

2.  What does Rocco think is the connection between liberalism and socialism?  What are the differences between the two?  Does Rocco's description of liberalism seem an accurate description of Mill's views?  Does his description of socialism seem an accurate description of Marx's views?

3.  How does fascism differ from both liberalism and socialism according to Rocco?

4.  In what ways is Rocco's view of a "social group" historical and organic?  What does he mean when he says that a social group is "a fraction of the human species"?

5.  What economic system does Rocco recommend?  Why?  What economic system does Palmieri recommend?  What are the important differences between their views?

6.  What four institutions does Palmieri think are important and why?  On what three principles should behavior ("the conduct of life") be based?  Describe them.

7.  What does Palmieri mean by a "hero"?  What is the importance of the hero for the rest of us non-heroic types?  What role should the hero play today?  Would Rocco agree with Palmieri about the importance and role of a hero-leader?

8.  What does Palmieri describe as the fascist conception of liberty?  How does it conflict with individualistic (i.e., liberal) notions of liberty?  What does Palmieri say is wrong with the individualistic conception?

9.  What does Palmieri say is the relation between the state and the nation?  What areas of life are legitimate concerns of the state?

10.  What connections do Rocco and Palmieri see between the fascist state in Italy and ancient Rome?  What went wrong in the intervening history between antiquity and the twentieth century?

11.  Do you see any connections between the two theories of fascism and the racism and xenophobism (e.g., the oppression of Jews, Gypsies, etc.) that seemed to characterize actual fascist states?  Explain.


Goldman Links: Study questions on Goldman ("Anarchism:  What it Really Stands For")

1. What is Anarchism according to Goldman?  How does it differ from Fascism?

2. In what ways does Anarchism, as described by Goldman, differ from the Liberalism advocated by Mill?  In what ways does it differ from the Communism advocated by Marx?

2. How does Goldman respond to the charge that Anarchism is impractical?

3. How does Goldman respond to the charge that Anarchism is violent and destructive and should thus be avoided?

4. Goldman states that the concern of Anarchism is the reconciliation of the individual and social instincts.  What are the three main obstacles it faces and how do they prevent the "harmonious blending of individual and social instincts"?

5. Goldman suggests that government is necessary only to maintain or protect property and monopoly.  How would the Fascists respond to this claim?  How would Mill respond to it?

6. How does Goldman respond to the claim that government is necessary to uphold "natural laws"?

7. How does Goldman respond to the claim that government is necessary to maintain social order and prevent crime?

8. How does Goldman respond to the claim that government is necessary to prevent the lazy man from fleecing his fellows?

9. Recall that Rousseau describes three stages of inequality:  Private property, government, and tyranny.  How might Goldman's view of government fit into this sequence?

10. What, according to Goldman, is the "logical, consistent" method of Anarchism?  How does it compare with the methods advocated by Fanon and by King?


Nozick Links:


Study questions on Nozick ("Equality, Envy, Exploitation, etc.")

1. One way to achieve equality of material condition in society is to redistribute goods and services based on need.  Why does Nozick think this is illegitimate?

2. Instead of redistributing material goods and services (which might already belong to other people) to achieve equality, perhaps all we should do is make provisions for equality of opportunity in society.  Why does Nozick think even this is illegitimate?

3. Does Nozick think we should redistribute goods/services/opportunities based on merit, with those who really deserve a better chance in life, but cannot get it due to circumstances, getting help from the government?  Explain how Nozick uses the "Dumb Suitor" example to make this point.

4. Beyond life and liberty, what else do people have rights to, according to Nozick?

5. How might an argument for equality based on concerns for self-esteem be constructed?  Why does Nozick think such an argument is inadequate?

6. What is "meaningful work"?  How is it related to the Marxist critique of capitalism?

7. Why does Nozick think meaningful work is compatible with capitalism?  Do you think his argument is convincing?

8. How does not having access to the means of production lead to worker exploitation, according to the Marxist?  Why does Nozick think such exploitation can be avoided?

9. Nozick thinks that the terms of employment between capitalist and worker only seem unfair under the discredited labor theory of value.  Why does Nozick think the terms of employment between capitalist and worker are not unfair under his entitlement theory of justice?

10. Why does Nozick think the worker is not, in general, forced to work for the capitalist?  Explain how Nozick uses the Marriage example to make this point.

11. One argument for an extensive state is that people will only give to charity if they are compelled to do so (through taxation, for example).  One worry with Nozick's "minimal state" is that social welfare will suffer under it as a result.  Why does Nozick think this need not necessarily be the case?

12. Why does Nozick think Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose cannot be compelled by the creatures that live in his antlers not to swim across the lake?

Study questions on Cohen ("The Structure of Proletarian Unfreedom")

1.  Cohen admits that workers have choices other than selling their labor-power (e.g., begging, accepting charity, starving, etc), so in what sense does he think that workers could be "forced" to sell their labor-power?

2.  Cohen thinks that "where relations of production force people to do things, people force people to do things."  How does he justify this claim?

3.  Cohen concludes from his analogy that each person is free only on condition that the others do not exercise their similarly conditional freedom.  According to Cohen, how then are the people in the room still unfree?

4.  Cohen speaks of there being "an ideologically valuable anonymity on both sides of the relationship of exploitation."  What is so valuable about such anonymity?

5.  What are some reasons that Cohen gives for the claim that not every exit from the proletariat (working class) is crowded with persons trying to escape?

6.  There is an objection to Cohen's argument from collective unfreedom which claims that it is incorrect to say that the proletariat is collectively unfree, as opposed to collectively unable, because the fact that there are few exits from the proletariat is not a consequence of human action.  How does Cohen reply to this objection?

7.  How does Cohen distinguish between collective unfreedom and group unfreedom?  Given this distinction, what would Cohen say to someone who objected that the proletariat is free to put an end to capitalism?

8.  There is an objection to Cohen's argument for collective unfreedom which claims that capitalists, as a class, suffer from collective unfreedom, since they could not all become sellers of labor-power (since for there to be sellers there must be buyers).  How does Cohen respond to this objection?

9.  How does the distinction between the freedom to do A and the capacity to do A provide Cohen with a reply to the objection that most workers are individually unfree to leave the proletariat since most lack the requisite abilities to do so?  How does he use his distinction to formulate a more formidable objection?

10.  Tannenbaum claims that for most workers the existence of petty bourgeois does not provide an acceptable alternative course to remaining a worker.  How does he justify this claim?

Freire Links:
Study questions on Freire, "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed", Chap 1.

1.  Freire calls an effect of oppression "dehumanization".  What does this mean and whom does it affect?

2.  What should be the goal of the oppressed in a struggle for liberation?  Why shouldn't they seek to take over the role of the oppressor?

3.  Freire says that "the oppressed suffer from the duality which has established itself in their innermost being".  What is this duality?

4.  Why is a "pedagogy" of the oppressed necessary?  Why must it be forged with the oppressed, not for them?

5.  Freire says frequently that it is important that subjectivity and objectivity be in a constant dialectical relationship.  What does this mean?

6.  How does Freire describe the relationship between violence and oppression?

7.  What kind of consciousness does the violence of oppression create in the oppressors themselves?

8.  Freire describes several self-deceptive mistakes that can easily be made by those people who are "converted" to the side of the oppressed and genuinely want to help them.  What are these mistakes?

9.  How can the oppressed overcome their dependence on the oppressor and their self-depreciation?

10.  In what sense is liberation a human phenomenon for Freire?