Locke
Philosophy & Politics
Thomas Hobbes described life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Question: What famous sea monster did Hobbes use as the title of the book in which he explained this idea?
What are the four natural rights?
Life, liberty, property, health
What is "the leviathan"?
The state, or government, that exerts near-complete power
What is the harm principle?
Individuals can act however they want so long as they don't cause harm to others.
What is the veil of ignorance?
The veil of ignorance is a thought experiment that asks people to imagine they are designing society without knowing anything about their own position within it.
History
The French Revolution popularised the slogan:
“Liberty, Equality, _____.”
Question: What is the missing word?
Fraternity
Describe Locke's labour theory of property
All people have individual ownership of their labour
All people have equal ownership over shared resources, such as land
By mixing your labour with shared resources that are available to all, you gain individual ownership over the product of your labour
He links his argument to the idea of the "natural world" being violent, brutish and dangerous. Submission to the state ensures safety from the dangers of the natural world.
How does Mill define harm?
"An action that wrongfully damages another person’s interests, rights, freedom, or wellbeing."
Would a society designed using John Rawls’ veil of ignorance necessarily produce equality, or could rational individuals still justify significant social and economic inequality?
There could still be a degree of inequality, but only if this is allowed with consideration to how it can help the most disadvantaged members of the society (i.e. higher tax rates for wealthier members of society).
Science
Question: Which planet in our solar system rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets?
Venus
Dungeons & Dragons
In Dungeons & Dragons, what type of die is most commonly used to determine whether an action succeeds or fails?
D20
Explain Locke's view of the social contract theory
The government has an obligation to uphold your natural rights.
So long as the government maintains this obligation, citizens are obligated to obey the government.
If the government fails to uphold your rights, civil disobedience (potentially violence) is justified
Explain Hobbes' view of social contract theory.
Humans without government would live in fear and conflict.
People therefore agree to a social contract in which they surrender most of their freedoms for security.
They give power to a strong ruler to guarantee peace and safety.
According to Mill’s harm principle, should governments be allowed to restrict actions that primarily harm the individual rather than society?
No, as Mill's defines harm in relation to others. While actions that primarily harm the individual are inadvisable, Mill does not suggest restricting these actions.
What are the two primary benefits Rawl's ascribes to employing the veil?
Logic & Critical Thinking
Question: A bat and a ball cost $1.10 altogether. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
5 cents