Gov 1060 Paper and Exam Questions
Fall 2008
Paper 1
I. On Plato
1. What changed in Plato’s political thought between the Republic and the Laws?
2. Why does Socrates accept Glaucon’s characterisation of the first city in the Republic as a ‘city
of pigs’?
3. Why did Plato wish to exclude poets and orators from his city?
II. On Aristotle
4. What role does the multiplicity of goods play in Aristotle’s ethical and political thought?
5. How did Aristotle justify slavery?
6. What is Aristotle’s ideal constitution? Would we regard it as democratic?
III. Comparative
7. What is the difference between Plato’s and Aristotle’s attitudes to education?
8. Compare Plato’s and Aristotle’s views about the role of private property in the state.
IV. None of the Above
9. Make up your own question and come and get it approved by one of us.
For guidance, please see the ‘Writing Guidelines’ sheet posted on the class website.
Please hand in one 8-page paper in class on Monday 3 November.
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