HCJ test notes...

These are just some notes for the (example) HCJ test questions.

1: What are the main arguments in the Leviathan? To what extent are they comparable to Machiavelli?

The Leviathan is an all powerful ruler of the military and religion. It is metaphorically hired to stop chaos and to bring order to society. However, if he doesn't do this, he can be overthrown.

Hobbes argued that all men are naturally equal, but without a government, there would be an all v.s. all war. He describes life in this situation as "Nasty, brutish and short". He also says that the main motive for this war is 'self preservation'.

For this reason, we need the Leviathan.

This links to Machiavelli in the idea of 'self preservation', Machiavelli says that after a war, humans forget their father's death, but not their property's destruction. According to both Hobbes and Machiavelli, we are self centred.


2: Discuss Locke's theories of government. What philosophical trend underlies his political theory?

First treatise of government: It attacks the concept of 'The Divine Right of Kings' - the doctrine that said that kings got their power from God. Overall, Locke dislikes the concept of monarchy.

Second treatise of govt.: Everyone enjoys freedom but obey the natural laws, these are the laws that we know intuitively e.g. murder is wrong.

State of Nature: In Locke's opinion, your life and your property are the same, he believed that you could kill someone who you think poses significant danger to your life and/or property. Locke also believed that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and property. However, we have a problem with perceiving the danger that others pose.

Locke proposed the idea of a government by consent (his Social Contract), where laws keep the government at bay, but allow it to interfere when needed to e.g. when a law is broken.

In this system, taxes could be levied if the people didn't consent taxes.

Citizens could rebel if the government didn't follow the laws.

Also, the monarchy is kept separate from the government and law - this meant that the monarchy didn't have full power.


3: What evidence is there that the world is actually as it exists? Plato and Descartes.

Plato's cave/form theory explains the world's existence.

This is about prisoners being chained together in a cave, facing a wall unable to see the outside world and all they can see is their shadows. However, one prisoner decides to turn around and see what the outside world has to offer, he frees himself from his restraints to discover exactly what's outside.

Descartes' Cogito: "I think therefore I am". This theory says that because I think, I must exist. However, how do I know that anyone else exists, because I don't know whether anyone else exists because I can't think for them and don't know if they're thinking.

Descartes was sceptical about everything, because at one time or another, we have dreamt about what we are doing. Our thoughts and actions have no more status than dreams or hallucinations.

Our beliefs can be doubted whenever there is any sceptical alternative to suggest otherwise.


4: Discuss deduction, inducation, a priori and a posteriori, with reference to Hume.

Deduction: This starts with the effect and deduces the cause from it. The example Hume gives is the cannonball and cushion: the cushion has an indent in it, so we can deduce that the cannonball has caused it.

Induction: This is the opposite of deduction. It starts at the cause and induces the effect, it can be induced that the cannonball caused the indent when placed on the cushion.

A priori: This is something that can be derived from logic without any observed facts. Hume says that they give no information to the world and don't depend on anything else in the universe being in place. An example is mathematical logic.

A posteriori: Hume describes this as 'matters of fact'. They depend on certain things being in place and to doubt them would be inconcievable. An example is the sun rising: the sun must be aligned with the earth for it to rise. We can never know for sure whether it will or not because there is no logic to prove that it will happen for sure.


5: Rousseau is seen as the founder of the romantic movement. Describe his ideas and their impact on politics and culture.

Social Contract: This says "Man is born free and is everywhere in chains", this means that we are born free to do what we like, but laws and rules top us from having this freedom.

He criticised Locke by saying that the problems of inequality were caused by property ownership.

The main problem for Rousseau was finding a government that would uphold the powers/rights of the people, whilst uniting everyone. The answer to this problem was the General Will.

General Will: We all agree on what goes into the GW by giving our opinions on what should be made law - this supposedly gives more freedom to people.

It is clear that the GW influenced the French Revolution's 'Rights of Man' doctrine.

It can also be said that the General Will started the concept of democracy - everyone has a say and all the views are put together.