Chapter 7 Self-test questions

. The key characteristic of normative political theory is that …

it is concerned with how norms, or traditions, are shaped in society.

it is associated with Marxist thought.

it is concerned with how things ought to be, not how they actually are in practice.

it was traditionally only studied in France.

. What are the problems with using consent as the means of justifying the state?

We are not usually asked for expressed consent as to whether we wish to obey the state or not, and there is no option to opt out if we do not wish to obey the state.

It requires too much money to gain the consent of every individual in the state.

The state can force you to give consent through threat of violence.

All of the above.

. Which authors are most associated with the social contract tradition?

Locke and Rousseau.

Hobbes and Locke.

Calvin and Hobbes.

Bentham and Singer.

. What is the distinction between legal and natural rights?

Legal rights are only invoked when you are in a court of law; otherwise they are known as natural rights.

There is no difference between legal and natural rights; the terms can be used interchangeably.

Natural rights are the basic rights, legal rights just go further.

Legal rights reflect the existing law of any given society and which rights the state protects. Natural rights are possessed by humans irrespective of whether the law chooses to recognize or protect them, since they derive from 'natural law' or from God.

. What are some of the problems of the 'general will' in terms of legitimizing the state?

It assumes individuals are moral, when in fact we might not care about pursuing the common good, and instead want to pursue our own selfish interests.

It only applies to democracies.

It relies on a contentious notion of the 'common good'-What is this common good? Does it exist?-which may be used by dictators etc. to justify tyrannical measures on the basis that they are in the public interest.

Answers a and c.

. Utilitarianism is concerned with maximizing…

equality.

profit.

happiness, or pleasure.

rights.

. Why is utilitarianism sometimes regarded as problematic?

By focusing on the outcomes rather than motives it appears to condemn laudable intentions which inadvertently lead to undesirable outcomes, and vice versa.

Its idea of happiness or pleasure is very Western and inflexible.

Because of its aggregative nature, which means that some individuals may be sacrificed for the greater good (greater happiness of the most).

Answers a and c.

. When was Berlin's famous article regarding positive and negative freedom first published?

1964.

1958.

1858.

1946.

. Why might we need positive freedom?

Negative freedom means we are not free, so positive freedom means we are, which is what we all strive for.

Without positive freedom we cannot be assured of our personal safety.

Positive freedom means we are all treated exactly the same.

Negative freedom-freedom from physical coercion or violence-does not take into account the other ways we might be constrained, such as economically, which mean that we might still not be free.

. What is the problem with Mill's harm principle (that only actions that harm others should be prevented by the state)?

It is hard to find an action that only affects the actor alone.

Harm may be emotional rather than physical, which we might still want to prevent, but Mill's theory does not allow this.

Sometimes we might want to prevent someone from harming himself/herself (such as through smoking).

All of the above.

Chapter 7 Self-test questions

Quiz Content