II. Essay # 2: Machiavelli or Locke pick one of the questions/topics
a) Machiavelli:
1) Write a dialogue between Plato and Machiavelli that
centers on the nature of
politics (what are its characteristics and appropriate
goals) and role of
morality in political life. In the process, make sure that
you clarify what each
theorist claims about the issues, and also who you think
makes a better
argument.
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2) “Machiavelli taunts the modern reader by claiming that
the ruler must be
attentive to the needs of the people. For those raised in
democratic
institutions, this position may seem to imply that the ruler
must get the
consent of the people, or, at the very least, that the ruler
has the interests of the
people in mind when he acts. But, in actuality, Machiavelli
is only concerned
about the people insofar as they are important for the power
designs of the
ruler.” Critically evaluate this quoted position, in the
process making sure to
deal with the following issues: How does Machiavelli see the
importance of
the populace? What relationship must the ruler have to the
populace? For
Machiavelli, is the ruler only concerned about the people
because of their role
in his power plans? If so, why? If not, why not? What should
be the relation
of ruling to the interests of the people?
3) One of the reasons that Machiavelli is so disturbing to
many readers is that he
attempts to chart that political territory where one must
break moral rules
while also following something like a political morality.
Write an essay in
which you critically discuss how Machiavelli sees the
relationship of political
action to ordinary morality. How does he view the
relationship between
ordinary morality and political action? When is a prince
entitled to use cruel
and violent means? Why is the ruler able to do so? Does
Machiavelli go too
far in his willingness to let moral considerations go? If
so, why? If not, why
not?
4) If Machiavelli is known for his espousal of power
politics, he is also
considered one of the first theorists to clearly articulate
classical republican
ideals. Write an essay in which you critically analyze
Machiavelli’s
republican position, ultimately looking at the relation it
has to our own
conception of politics in the United States.
b) Locke:
1) “As a theorist who draws upon a conception of the state
of nature, Locke attempts to
show why a limited government is necessary and legitimate.
Yet, it’s not clear whether
Locke’s state of nature would lead one to form a government
at all, let alone a limited
one.” Write an essay in which you critically discuss this
statement, arguing a position on
whether Locke’s characterization of the state of nature
would lead to the political
community he describes. In the process, make sure to deal
with the following issues:
How does Locke characterize the state of nature? Why does
one enter a political
community? If Locke’s assumptions do not lead to the
political community he describes,
where would they lead him?
2) “Locke is primarily a theorist of property rights. For
him, all other natural rights (even
that of life) recede in importance when compared to the
fundamental right to have
possessions.” Write an essay in which you critically
evaluate the role of property in
Locke’s theory. In the process, make sure to deal with the
following issues: according to
Locke, how is property acquired? Why is it a natural right
and not a political right? How
do property rights determine the form of government? What
are the problems associated
with this emphasis on property? How does his conception of
property show him to be an
apologist for capitalism?
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3) As we know, liberalism is a living ideology that still
provides the basic framework
through which we understand and interpret the political
world (note: see lecture module
for this discussion). Write an essay in which you analyze
the role that Locke’s theory has
in our political culture. In the process, make sure to deal
with the following issues: what
are the basic tenets of our liberal culture? What are the
important aspects to Locke’s
theory? What role does Locke’s theory play in our
contemporary understandings? Given
that role, what are the problems that this poses for
negotiating a radically different world
than Locke’s?
4) One of the most important aspects to Locke’s theory
relates to his establishment of the
right to revolution. Such a theory not only helped to
motivate and justify our own
revolution against the English, but it still inspires
political movements today. Write an
essay in which you critically evaluate his argument for
revolution. For Locke, what
should be the purpose of government? What are the conditions
in which one can
rightfully engage in a revolution, and establish a new
government? Does Locke’s theory
sufficiently deal with the criticism that his position would
justify any person to engage in
revolution if they felt grieved by their government?
