1) Many political theorists claim that Plato’s Republic is the first real work of Western political theory. While subsequent works of theory may not accept all of Plato’s premises, Republic establishes the basic framework on which the enterprise of political theory depends. Using evidence both from Plato’s argument in Republic and from at least two of the four theorists we covered in the second half of the semester (Mill, and Marx, DuBois, and Nietzsche), support or refute this claim.
2) In the second half of this semester, we discussed two theorists (Marx and DuBois), where were particularly interested in finding remedies or solutions to specific kinds of inequality (class for Marx and race for DuBois). Imagine a conversation between either (or both) of these theorists and John Locke about the relationship between justice and inequality. Would Locke agree with the critiques made by Marx and DuBois? What would Marx and/or DuBois have to say about Locke’s theory of natural rights, and about his claim that we consent to inequality by consenting to the use of money? Do you think one of these theorists (Locke, Marx, or DuBois) has a stronger argument than the others? Why?
3) “What is justice?” for the theorists we had read up to that point (Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Locke). Please do the same for the four theorists we have covered in the second half of the course (Mill, Marx, DuBois and Nietzsche). After describing what justice means for these four theorists, please take a position on which of the eight theorists we covered this semester has the best answer to this question, and defend this position.
