Journal Entry #1 Hobbes and Locke
Order Description

– Please write in the same Microsoft word file named “The Task”

– Use quotes from actual books and reference them.

– answer all of the questions colored in green with short answers.

– Remember its not an actual essay, you just have to answer the question.

– Check the marking guide to see if you left any mistakes and to make sure that your answer fulfill the the question.
Introduction to Political Thought
Personal Journal
*This journal includes a variety of activities and tasks, all of which are designed to enhance your learning experience. Most importantly there are four mandatory tasks – these are identified in red.

You must complete these 4 tasks, by the set deadlines, and submit this journal for assessment using the Moodle assessment boxes to upload it. Late entries will result in penalties and, possibly, failure.

Introduction to Political Thought commences with classical and medieval foundations moving on to the Renaissance, embracing the ideas of Machiavelli, and continuing through the modern period to more recent thinkers / thought. Key themes arising from the study of each thinker are identified and further developed as the unit progresses; themes include leadership, sovereignty, liberty, equality and the origins, functions and powers of the state. These and other key themes comprise one dimension of the unit matrix; the other dimension comprises the thinkers themselves. The unit aims to both consider the contemporaneous understanding of key aspects of thought as well as their relevance today. The unit concludes by assessing whether we have reached a new stage in the history of political thought due to the processes of what is now called ‘globalisation’.

Look at the themes identified above. Can you think of other examples? Make a list and keep adding to it. Make sure that you can define each of the concepts

1. Sovereignty ………………………………………..
2. ………………………………………………………

As you progress through the unit you should reflect on your own political position – ideas from the thinkers should help you formulate your own position and views. Try and keep an account of what you believe. You might, for example, think that it’s good to have a strong, authoritarian state so that we can all be secure though, of course, have little liberty.

Reflect on your own political beliefs. Do you find yourself agreeing with a particular thinker? Keep on coming back to this box adding more and thinking more deeply.

Plato believed that states should be ruled by an elite group of philosophers rather than democratically – what do you think?

What is Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean?
The medieval philosophers had clear ideas about just war – what relevance do those ideas have today?

Does Machiavelli deserve the reputation he has today? Can you think of any recent Machiavellians?
What do you think would happen if there was no formal state, no laws, no structures? Would it be chaos or would there be some sort of natural order?

Mandatory Journal Entry 1 Deadline: 17th November 2015 Midday
In no more than 600 words, using APA referencing throughout, address the following question (THIS IS NOT AN ESSAY – JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION). Look at the marking grid below and make sure that you address the criteria
Which state of nature is more plausible, that proposed by Locke or that proposed by Hobbes?

– They both talked about the state of nature
– We need to say Hobbes said that and Locke said this and I think that
– 1 or 2 quotes with citation
– Give examples of our modern life (life the war in Iraq etc.)
– 600 word and every word counts, so think twice before writing
Marking Guide
OBJECTIVE
Roughly 600 words
Yes No
Objective fully met Objective nearly met Objective only partly met Objective not met at all
Entry has a succinct focus on the question / task

No significant errors of fact

No unsupported interpretations / analyses

No significant amounts of irrelevant material

Includes quote(s) from primary sources as well as other citations (e.g. from commentaries) in the entry

Fair attempt at using APA referencing throughout

Fair spelling, grammar and syntax (taking account that this is essentially a blog)

General Comments:

Journal Entry #1 Hobbes and Locke
Order Description

– Please write in the same Microsoft word file named “The Task”

– Use quotes from actual books and reference them.

– answer all of the questions colored in green with short answers.

– Remember its not an actual essay, you just have to answer the question.

– Check the marking guide to see if you left any mistakes and to make sure that your answer fulfill the the question.
Introduction to Political Thought
Personal Journal
*This journal includes a variety of activities and tasks, all of which are designed to enhance your learning experience. Most importantly there are four mandatory tasks – these are identified in red.

You must complete these 4 tasks, by the set deadlines, and submit this journal for assessment using the Moodle assessment boxes to upload it. Late entries will result in penalties and, possibly, failure.

Introduction to Political Thought commences with classical and medieval foundations moving on to the Renaissance, embracing the ideas of Machiavelli, and continuing through the modern period to more recent thinkers / thought. Key themes arising from the study of each thinker are identified and further developed as the unit progresses; themes include leadership, sovereignty, liberty, equality and the origins, functions and powers of the state. These and other key themes comprise one dimension of the unit matrix; the other dimension comprises the thinkers themselves. The unit aims to both consider the contemporaneous understanding of key aspects of thought as well as their relevance today. The unit concludes by assessing whether we have reached a new stage in the history of political thought due to the processes of what is now called ‘globalisation’.

Look at the themes identified above. Can you think of other examples? Make a list and keep adding to it. Make sure that you can define each of the concepts

1. Sovereignty ………………………………………..
2. ………………………………………………………

As you progress through the unit you should reflect on your own political position – ideas from the thinkers should help you formulate your own position and views. Try and keep an account of what you believe. You might, for example, think that it’s good to have a strong, authoritarian state so that we can all be secure though, of course, have little liberty.

Reflect on your own political beliefs. Do you find yourself agreeing with a particular thinker? Keep on coming back to this box adding more and thinking more deeply.

Plato believed that states should be ruled by an elite group of philosophers rather than democratically – what do you think?

What is Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean?
The medieval philosophers had clear ideas about just war – what relevance do those ideas have today?

Does Machiavelli deserve the reputation he has today? Can you think of any recent Machiavellians?
What do you think would happen if there was no formal state, no laws, no structures? Would it be chaos or would there be some sort of natural order?

Mandatory Journal Entry 1 Deadline: 17th November 2015 Midday
In no more than 600 words, using APA referencing throughout, address the following question (THIS IS NOT AN ESSAY – JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION). Look at the marking grid below and make sure that you address the criteria
Which state of nature is more plausible, that proposed by Locke or that proposed by Hobbes?

– They both talked about the state of nature
– We need to say Hobbes said that and Locke said this and I think that
– 1 or 2 quotes with citation
– Give examples of our modern life (life the war in Iraq etc.)
– 600 word and every word counts, so think twice before writing
Marking Guide
OBJECTIVE
Roughly 600 words
Yes No
Objective fully met Objective nearly met Objective only partly met Objective not met at all
Entry has a succinct focus on the question / task

No significant errors of fact

No unsupported interpretations / analyses

No significant amounts of irrelevant material

Includes quote(s) from primary sources as well as other citations (e.g. from commentaries) in the entry

Fair attempt at using APA referencing throughout

Fair spelling, grammar and syntax (taking account that this is essentially a blog)

General Comments: