Exam 9: Justice and the Good Society

John Rawls's two principles of justice are more consistent with a communitarian than a libertarian social ideology.

What is the "invisible hand"?

From Karl Marx's point of view, a situation in which workers work merely for someone else, and not themselves, exemplifies ​

Adam Smith believed that simple people (like peasants), unlike princes, did not depend on the assistance and cooperation of many thousands of people in making their lives possible.

For most people, the good life carries no presupposition about the kind of society in which one should live.

What is Simone de Beauvoir suggesting when she says, "One is not born a woman"?

B ecause aggressive measures to reform things often end up making things worse, the Tao Te Ching recommends that rulers ​

The feminist philosopher who first argued against the notion that the natural condition of female existence required excessive concern for romantic love and desirability was ​

Lao-Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching , would probably have agreed with Thomas Jefferson when he said, "That government is best which governs least."

One challenge any society would face in providing for equality of opportunity is that ​

Aristotle argues that in sexual reproduction ​

Rousseau describes life in the state of nature (but not life in society)as a ​

If Tim has a right to a job, then ​

According to Karl Marx, workers in capitalist societies become increasingly alienated from themselves and their labor.

In arguing that "degrading distinctions" ought to be accepted only when necessary, Harriet Taylor implied that ​

What objections do feminist philosophers, such as Susan Bordo and Genevieve Lloyd, make to philosophers such as Descartes and Plato?

In social philosophy, people are conceived as either unequal, where some are "better" than others by virtue of their birth, abilities, or accomplishments, or as ​

A country ruled by a handful of powerful men would be called an oligarchy.

The ancient Greeks believed that one had to live in a good society in order to live a good life.

Write an essay that argues for or against the viewpoint that patriarchy (rule by men), sexism, and/or racism have been institutionalized in Western philosophy and culture.   To do this successfully, you will need to argue for or against the existence of a pervasive bias that permeates the thinking of all members of a society and distorts its language and view of the world. In your discussion, do not limit yourself to generalities but give specific examples from specific philosophers we have studied to illustrate how (for example)an emphasis on the superiority of reason over emotion appears to denigrate women, who tend to be more closely identified with emotion. You will probably want to turn back to earlier discussions of philosophical theories for illustrations.