Political Science 451
Modern and Contemporary Political Theory
Final Exam Study Sheet
Exam: May 12 (Monday), 10:15am-12:15pm
Short answer section. The exam will have 12 short answer questions, of which you are to answer 10
(4 points each). As with the midterm, use the following list of terms and concepts to help you in preparing for this section of the exam.
Politics as science
Classical liberalism
Importance of institutions
Mercantilism (Hume’s and Smith’s critique)
Popular opinion
Clear and present danger
Conservative/progressive
Ascetic ideal
Money and effective rights/freedoms species being crude, state, and true/pure communism positive and negative power
Individualism
The case of China
Necessary wage-rate
Proletarian-bourgeoisie
Rent
Concentration of capital
Competition of capitals
Alienation disciplinary society pastoral power natural vs. artificial biopower normalization monarch to general will statistics and population surveillance society raison d’etat history as critique
Essay Question. Two of the following three essays will be on the final. You will be required to write an essay on one of the two.
1.
In his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts , Marx argues that the best remedy against the ravages of capitalism is competition. In your essay detail the arguments Marx gives that support this position. What are the ravages of capitalism, how does capitalism help, and how might governmental policy adopt Marx’s prescription?
2.
In his essay “On Liberty,” Mill argues for the importance of individuality, even if the expression of this individuality causes offense to others. Begin with an example of what you think might be a case of an individuality that others might take offense to and then provide an argument along Mill’s lines that justifies this individuality. In the context of this essay, discuss the limits Mill believes are appropriate. In short, at what point can government legitimately restrict our liberty? Be sure to give examples.
3.
One of the central premises of Foucault’s political philosophy is that positive, constitutive power is a much more effective and effective form of power than the traditional negative, repressive power that is generally associated with political power. Much of Foucault’s book,
Security, Territory and Population sets out a historical analysis of the transition from negative to positive power, typified by the concepts of biopower and governmentality. After laying out key parts of this history, discuss the concepts of biopower and governmentality and be sure to provide examples along the way.