Y3 The Basis of Political Authority Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is human nature?
Human nature is the fundamental set of psychological and behavioural characteristics that humans have, prior to moulding by the environment.
Human nature can be grouped to two separate categories, good and bad.
If human nature is good, that means that humans are naturally good without the influence of other human beings or society.
If human nature is bad, that means that we are fundamentally selfish and cruel, and require influence from society to behave contrary to our nature.
What is the definition of the state of nature?
The state of nature is a hypothetical scenario where humans live together in the absence of a government.
How do you think your belief about human nature implies what you think the state of nature is like?
You can select more than an option.
A If human nature is good, then the state of nature will be generally peaceful.
B If human nature is good, then the state of nature will be chaotic.
C If human nature is bad, then the state of nature will be chaotic and violent.
D If human nature is good, then the state of nature will still be disorganised.
A,C and D
If you think human nature is good, which type of government is more likely to be justified?
Democracy or Authoritarian
Democracy
If you think human nature is bad, which type of government is more likely to be justified?
Democracy or Authoritarian
Authoritarian.
What are the two types of government that you learnt and who were the people who justified these government?
The two types of government are authoritarian and democracy.
Thomas Hobbes justified Authoritarian while John Locke justified Democracy.
What is Hobbes’ belief about human nature?
Hobbes believes that the human nature is bad.
What is Hobbes’ belief about the state of nature?
Hobbes’ belief that the state of nature will be in chaos if there is an absence of a government.
What kind of government Hobbes thinks is justified?
Authoritarian
Four reasons Hobbes gives for that type of government
The evil caused by one is lesser than the evil caused by many.
The ruler’s wealth is proportionate to the subjects (prevent unhappiness within the people). This ensures that the ruler will be putting his utmost effort in ensuring the prosperity of the country and so that he has a better standing and is reputable when negotiating cooperation through trade with other countries.
Secrets can be kept better.
- Some people may want to sell their secrets if they are unhappy, thus by having one person, this prevent this issue from occurring.
When there is one person, it is easier to make decisions.
What is Locke’s belief about human nature?
Locke believes that the human nature is good.
What is Locke’s belief about the state of nature?
Locker believes that the state of nature would be generally peaceful in the absence of a government, however a government is required to ensure that there is a standardised punishment and a set of rules, thus guaranteeing the people’s rights in the country.
What kind of government Locke thinks is justified?
Democracy
What are the Four reasons Locke gives for that type of government?
If there is an abuse of power, the people will be voted out by the people. Thus, this ensures that there is at least a mechanism to vote the people in power out. This also ensures that the rights of the people are protected.
Clear set of rules + standardised punishment.—> standardise the rules (for e.g. shown in the student handbook) The people would be aware of the consequences as well. And this is the reason why a government is still required. For e.g. in the east, people will say if you steal from me, you will be killed while in the west, people will say, if you steal from me, I will fine you.
Government can keep records and protect people’s rights with a clear set of rules.
Close relations between populate and leaders
- can understand issues
- actively choosing
- can understand issues
- when it is carried out (the policies), the populate will trust the leaders
According to Locke, which of the following is a main role of the government?
A) Ensure economic stability
B) Build a sense of community
C) Maintain a fair system of justice
D) Prevent citizens from killing each other
C
My stand is that the state of nature is warlike. This can be seen from the fact that there is no clear authority figure in the state of nature, and when you have a group of people Iiving together without one, there will be chaos and fighting. How many premises are there here in the subject of philosophy?
Which of the following can we say about the argument above?
A) Hobbes will not agree with the conclusion.
B) Locke will not agree with any of the premises.
C) Both Hobbes and Locke will both agree with one of the premises.
D) None of the above are true.
C
Which of the following is not possible in the state of nature?
A. Choosing a delegate to represent the society in negotiations.
B. Voting to choose a village chief whose word must be followed.
C. Taking it upon yourself to take revenge on behalf of theft victims.
D. Trading goods and resources with one another for mutual benefit.
B
Which of the following statements correctly describes Locke’s or Hobbes’ view on rights?
A. Hobbes thinks that the strong will decide what rights we have in the state of nature.
B. Hobbes thinks that the monarch can grant us the right to do whatever it takes to protect our lives.
C. Locke thinks that no one can morally infringe on our rights to life, liberty and property.
D. Locke thinks that everyone will respect one another’s rights in the state of nature.
C (in the reading)
Which of the following reasons for why dictatorship is a better system of government than democracy is Hobbes unlikely to support?
A. A single person in power is more capable of protecting citizens than multiple people in power.
B. A single person in power is likely to result in a more stable government than multiple people in power.
C. A single person in power is more likely to make decisions more quickly than multiple people in power.
D. A single person in power will serve as a better moral role model than multiple people in power.
Ans: D
According to Hobbes, which of the following is not a role of the government?
A. Protect the Iives of citizens from one another.
B. Protect the lives of citizens from external aggressors.
C. Rescue citizens from the condition found in the state of nature.
D. Protect citizens form contingencies like natural disasters and illnesses.
Which of the following reasons is Hobbes most likely to use to show why a democratic government is not a justified form of government?
A. People are fundamentally corrupt and are likely to vote corrupt officials into power.
B. A group of people in authority will make decisions more slowly than just one ruler.
C. We must have a single strong ruler in the state of nature to manage the chaos and disorder.
D. As there are no educational institutes in the state of nature, people are too ignorant to choose the best people to lead them.
Ans: B —> positive reasoning (why not democracy)
Option C: negative reasoning (why absolute authority)
Discontent with the government has led to violent protests on the streets. Which of the following responses would Hobbes certainly not recommend?
A. Install curfews and disperse protesters with tear gas
B. Monitor social media in an attempt to identify and arrest the protest leaders.
C. Put pressure on companies to fire workers who are part of the protests
D. Wait the protestors out and try to address the underlying cause of the discontent.
D
Which of the following is not a reason that John Locke would use to justify political authority?
A. People can have subjective opinions on fair punishment.
B. A single person to hold the power to punish someone is most effective.
C. We can cause harm to other people despite our fundamentally good nature.
D. A single person may not be able to punish someone who has stolen from them.
B
