PhD Doctor of Philosophy Political Philosophy and Social Justice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Libertarianism in political philosophy holds that individual liberty is the paramount value and opposes:
- Coercive redistribution of wealth (Correct answer)
- Free markets
- Civil rights
- Private property
Correct answer: Coercive redistribution of wealth
Political libertarians, like Nozick, argue that taxation for redistribution violates individual rights to self-ownership and property.
Question 2: Iris Marion Young's concept of the 'five faces of oppression' includes exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and:
- Violence (Correct answer)
- Poverty
- Discrimination
- Alienation
Correct answer: Violence
Young's framework identifies violence — the threat or enactment of physical harm based on group membership — as a structural form of oppression.
Question 3: Deliberative democracy, associated with Habermas and Cohen, holds that legitimate political decisions must result from:
- Inclusive rational public deliberation (Correct answer)
- Majority vote alone
- Expert technocratic judgment
- Market competition
Correct answer: Inclusive rational public deliberation
Deliberative democrats argue that laws are legitimate when they arise from free and equal public reasoning open to all affected parties.
Question 4: Feminist political philosophy has challenged the public/private distinction by arguing it serves to:
- Shield domestic oppression from political scrutiny (Correct answer)
- Protect individual freedoms
- Enhance democratic participation
- Separate church from state
Correct answer: Shield domestic oppression from political scrutiny
Feminists like Carole Pateman argue that confining gender relations to the 'private' sphere insulates patriarchal domination from political challenge.
Question 5: The capability approach, developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, evaluates social justice in terms of people's:
- Real freedoms to live flourishing lives (Correct answer)
- Aggregate welfare levels
- Formal legal rights
- Income distributions
Correct answer: Real freedoms to live flourishing lives
Sen and Nussbaum argue that justice requires ensuring people have genuine capabilities — the real opportunity to do and be what they have reason to value.
Question 6: Critical race theory examines how race and racial inequality are perpetuated through:
- Legal systems and institutional structures (Correct answer)
- Individual prejudice alone
- Biological differences
- Cultural inferiority
Correct answer: Legal systems and institutional structures
CRT scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw argue that racism is embedded in legal and institutional frameworks, not merely in individual attitudes.
PhD Doctor of Philosophy Political Philosophy and Social Justice 2
Libertarianism in political philosophy holds that individual liberty is the paramount value and opposes: