10 Contemporary Debates in Political Philosophy Free Online FlashCards

How do justice and political legitimacy differ?

Justice evaluates how benefits and burdens are distributed and how people are protected and heard; legitimacy concerns whether political power is justified.

What are two meanings of liberty?

Liberty can mean freedom from interference, such as censorship, or the effective ability to act and participate.

What distinction matters when evaluating political equality?

Equality before the law and equal political status are different from equality of resources or opportunity.

What political role do rights play?

Rights protect important interests and limit what governments or majorities may do.

What does the “contract” usually mean in social-contract theory?

The contract is often a thought experiment about principles people would accept for political life, not a claim that everyone literally signed an agreement.

Why does Hobbes defend a powerful sovereign?

Hobbes argues that people authorize a sovereign to enforce rules and maintain peace because, without common power, security is unreliable.

When may citizens resist government, according to Locke?

Locke grounds government in consent and the protection of rights; if rulers violate their trust, citizens may resist or replace them.

What does Rousseau mean by the general will?

Rousseau’s general will expresses citizens’ common political interest, not merely the sum of private preferences or a ruler’s will.

What is Rawls’s original position?

The original position is a hypothetical choice situation in which people select principles of justice without knowing their social position or natural advantages.

What does Rawls’s difference principle require?

Rawls’s difference principle permits social and economic inequalities only when they work to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged.

What priority do basic liberties have in Rawls’s theory?

Rawls gives equal basic liberties priority, so economic gains cannot by themselves justify removing equal political or civil freedoms.

What democratic concern does Plato’s ideal city raise?

Plato’s ideal city assigns distinct political roles and places rulers guided by philosophical understanding in charge; this raises concerns about citizens’ freedom and equal standing.