Of the philosophers we have studied, which of them would most likely agree with this statement?

According to the US Constitution, the legislative power
“shall be vested in a Congress of the United States”. Of the
philosophers we have studied, which of them would most likely agree
with this statement?

a.

Locke

b.

Hobbes

c.

Machiavelli

d.

Hume
According to Locke, if everything is given to humankind in
common, how is private property possible?

a.

Individual ownership of property is possible, because that is
how the legislature of the commonwealth has decreed things to
be.

b.

Because that’s how the dominant mutual-protection association
has decreed that the resources should be distributed.

c.

Individual ownership is not possible according to Locke: the
value of things (e.g., of the crops that you harvest, or the apples
that you pick) comes from “the earth itself”.

d.

Individual ownership is possible, because each individual owns
their labor, and the value of things (e.g., of the crops that you
harvest, or the apples that you pick) comes mainly from the labor
you have invested in them.

Question 6
The Executive Orders issued by the President of the United
States are absolute (e.g., they cannot be challenged in the
courts).
True
False
Question 7
According to Locke, why would free individuals voluntarily leave
the state of nature and enter into a society?

a.

Because the state of nature is also a perpetual state
of war, in which life is “poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

b.

Because the majority of the people with whom you associate have
decided that everyone needs to belong to a society.

c.

Because that is the course of action that will ensure fairness
to everyone.

d.

Because individuals in the state of nature lack a common, known
authority to whom to appeal if they are wronged.

Question 8
On Locke’s view, the judiciary power is the supreme
power in a commonwealth.
True
False
Question 9
Hume argues that even if a society is not founded on a mutually
accepted contract, people will still have a practical reason to
abide by the rules of the society.
True
False
Question 10
According to Hume’s essay “Of the original contract”, the
historical record shows that societies have rarely (if ever) been
formed in the way envisioned by the social contract theorists.
True
False
Question 14
According to Gauthier’s view, moral rules that constrain the
pursuit of individual interests (e.g., by demanding co-operation)
are the best option available to humans, given that human nature is
what it is.
True
False
Question 15
What is the story about the Ring of Gyges (in Plato’s
Republic) supposed to illustrate?

a.

To provide an example of what kinds of stories should not be
allowed in the perfect society.

b.

To show that all the rulers in the society need to be identified
by special rings.

c.

To show that there’s One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to
find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind
them.

d.

To show that it is foolish for anyone to follow the society’s
rules, especially since you can break those rules without a fear of
getting caught.

e.

To illustrate that even a perfectly just person would become
corrupt, if they were given the opportunity to break the rules
without consequences.

Question 16
Which of the following individual rights is listed only in the
body of the US Constitution (of 1787), and not in the Bill of
Rights (of 1791) or in the subsequent amendment?

a.

Right to freely express views that are critical of the
government.

b.

Right to assemble freely.

c.

Right to keep and bear arms.

d.

Right to challenge one’s detention in courts (aka. Habeas
corpus).

e.

Right to seek patronage from a government official (aka.
Expecto patronum).

Question 17
[MULTIPLE ANSWER: SELECT UP TO THREE OF THE FOLLOWING] (1p for
each correct answer):
Which of the following events need to take place before the US
Constitution can (typically) be amended?

a.

The proposed amendment must be ratified by three fourths of the
states/state legislatures.

b.

The proposed amendment must be approved by two thirds of the
members of the House of Representatives.

c.

The proposed amendment must be unanimously approved by all the
members of the US Supreme Court.

d.

The proposed amendment must be approved by two thirds of the
members of the Senate.

e.

The President must sign the proposed amendment.

f.

The proposed amendment must receive the support of a simple
minority of all citizens eligible to vote in a national
referendum.

Question 18
According to what you have learned of Locke’s system, which of
the following claims is not true about the legislative power?

a.

The legislative power grants the necessary force for the
executive power.

b.

If the legislature uses its power to subordinate the citizens,
the legislature acts contrary to the trust reposed in it.

c.

The legislative power, although supreme, is not arbitrary.

d.

Legislative power of a society applies only to the citizens of
the commonwealth (or, state), not to individuals who are merely
visiting (or, passing through) the common wealth.

Question 19
According to Nozick, which of the following might not be a
justified function of the minimal state?

a.

Enforcing seatbelt laws (or, laws that require individuals to
wear seatbelts while driving a vehicle).

b.

Enforcing laws that prohibit the use of intoxicants in public
(aka. public drunkedness laws).

c.

Enforcing laws that protect individuals against physical
assaults.

d.

Enforcing laws that protect individuals from financial
fraud.

Question 20
What is the so-called “fool’s objection” to Hobbes’s version of
the social contract theory?

a.

That only a fool would agree to serve as the sovereign in a
society that Hobbes envisions.

b.

That it is foolish for anyone to blindly follow societal
authorities.

c.

That only a fool would keep up their contracts, if they could
get away with breaking them.

d.

That it is foolish for anyone to trust the leaders of their
society.

3 points
Question 21
According to Gauthier’s view, one precondition to making a
social contract (to establish morality) is that no one party may
improve their position through actions that worsen the position of
others.
True
False
2 points
Question 22
Gauthier argues that a moral theory which is derived from
rationality supersedes the ‘traditional understanding of morality’
(i.e., our ordinary moral intuitions).
True
False
2 points
Question 23
In the Rawls reading, we encounter the concept of veil of
ignorance. What does Rawls mean by this?

a.

That in order to make the social contract as fair as possible,
all individuals should be ignorant of their position in the future
society they are setting up.

b.

That most all members of contemporary societies are ignorant of
the current affairs.

c.

That elections in a modern society need to be private (so that
each individual casts their vote privately, or behind a veil).

d.

That the consequences of the rules of justice are veiled, as
people remain ignorant of what the future may bring.

3 points
Question 24
The US Constitution follows closely Locke’s idea of social
contract, in particular the notion that the commonwealth’s power
ultimately comes from the members of the commonwealth.
True
False
2 points
Question 25
How does Hobbes respond to the “fool’s objection” in the
Leviathan?

a.

He doesn’t really respond to the objection; he just pities the
fool.

b.

He agrees with the objection; he thinks that it would be even
more foolish than not for an individual to trust the
authorities.

c.

He claims that the society should remain tolerant of everyone –
including even the fools.

d.

He claims that only a fool would choose short-term gains over
long-term repercussions (e.g., loss of reputation).