GV100 2020/21 – Summative Essay Topics Plato 1. Does Socrates answer Thrasymachus’ challenge? 2. What do the Philosophers know and why does that equip them to rule? 3. Critically assess Plato’s arguments against democracy. Aristotle 4. Explain Aristotle’s account of the naturalness of the Polis and the place of women within it? 5. Critically assess Aristotle’s account of the best polity/constitution. 6. Does Aristotle defend slavery? Machiavelli 7. Critically assess Machiavelli’s account of the relationship between virtu and fortuna. 8. Assess Machiavelli’s depiction and justification of violence in the Prince. 9. Is Machiavelli a teacher of wickedness? Hobbes 10. If Hobbes is right about the state of nature how can anyone ever leave it? 11. Why must sovereignty be absolute? 12. Is the Hobbesian state of nature a reflection of the international realm? Locke 13. If there can be society in the state of nature why do we need a state according to Locke? 14. Explain the importance of private property in Locke’s political thought. 15. Why does Locke defend a right of Revolution? Rousseau 16. Why does civil society corrupt man’s natural innocence? 17. ‘Rousseau is both on of the greatest social contract theorists and one of social contract theory’s most profound critics.’ Discuss. 18. Critically assess Rousseau’s claim that one can be forced to be free? Kant 19. What if anything in Kant’s account of the state leads to the view that there should be a world state? 20. Critically assess the conditions of perpetual peace. 21. Was Kant a racist and does it matter? Mill 22. Is Mill’s principle of Liberty compatible with his utilitarianism? 23. How democratic is Mill’s theory of Representative Democracy? 24. Is Mill and imperialist? Marx 25. Is Marx and economic determinist? 26. Does Marx have a conception of the autonomy of politics and does it matter? 27. Assess the place of imperialism in late Marxist thought. Arendt 28. Critically assess Hannah Arendt’s concept of ‘totalitarianism’. Fanon 29. Explain and Assess Fanon’s account of the mental violence of Colonial Racism. Nkrumah 30. Is Nkrumah a Marxist? Does it matter for his critique of NeoColonialism? The Feminist Critique of the Canon 31. How does the concept of patriarchy feature in western political thought? Essays should be no more than 2000 words including all footnotes and bibliographical references. This is an assessed piece of work and the word count will be strictly observed. The submission date for Summative Essay 1 is 5pm 4th January 2021 and is on Moodle. Please read the guidance on avoiding plagiarism. You may submit a summative essay on a thinker discussed for you formative essay. This must be a different question AND new work. NOTE that you cannot resubmit material from that earlier essay. Your formative and summative essays will be submitted through Turnitin antiplagiarism software on Moodle and a match will constitute an assessment offence and a mark of ZERO. Self-plagiarism is an assessment offense. If you are in any doubt about what this involves speak to your class teacher. In the event of illness or household illness or other relevant challenges that may require an extension please discuss with your tutor and academic mentor as a matter of urgency. Professor Paul Kelly GV100 18 January 2021.
