POL 1
Political Theory
Stories, Documents and Incidents
Essay Topics
1. Lay out the Hobbesian theoretical framework and discuss the
nature of our rights, duties and what freedom there is for resistance
within it.
2. As Locke and Agamben both have pointed out, one of the
fundamental problems with Hobbes’ contract theory is that the
absolute authority invested in the ruler effectively transfers the state
of nature into civil society. Discuss.
3. How could the implementation of the four principle Boutros-Ghali
articulated in Agenda for Peace have avoided the first Battle for
Mogadishu?
4. Write an essay in which you position the UN theoretically in terms
of social contract theory. Then discuss the six organs of the UN and
critically evaluate the efficiency of the UN with reference to the
paradox of sovereignty
5. Write an essay in which you argue either for or against the right to sing
struggle songs like Umshini Wam (“My machine gun”) and Awudubhule
ibhunu (“Shoot the Boer”). Your essay must a) situate the debate in the
context of constitutionalism and b) critically engage all arguments on
both sides.
6. The Freedom Charter is and is not to our constitutional democracy
as the Magna Carta is to the English uncodified constitution.
7. The next time you hear of somebody in the township who’s water
got cut off, or how cannot afford a basic minimum electricity, how
would you explain to him/her the history of that moment? You may
write this essay as a personal letter, starting: “Dear Thulisile …
8. Write an essay in which you discuss the role of the myth of Hamitic
origin in Rwandan genocide discourse. Contextualise your discussion
with reference to the economy of the Manichaean allegory.
9. Explain and critically evaluate the main differences in how Naomi
Klein and John Williamson understand the social consequences of
free market economics.