PLC3701 – Political Ideas Study notes _Practice exam
questions and answers 2021
Questions
(1) What are philosophy and political philosophy?
(2) Give examples of the kinds of questions asked by political philosophers.
(3) Can you distinguish between the broader and narrower meanings of
political theory?
(4) Discuss similarities and differences between normative political theory and
empirical political theory.
Answers
1 Philosophy and political philosophy both mean a search for knowledge and
truth. Political philosophy elucidates the modes of political existence.
2. Political theory is broadly understood as (a) comprehensive, including all
areas of human experience and existence, and (b) a tradition going back to
classical Greek thought.
3. Political theory is presently interpreted in a narrow sense as referring to
(a) Normative political theory, or traditional political theory, and
(b) Empirical political theory, or modern political theory.
4. In accordance with the contemporary distinction, normative political theory
is contentiously and predominantly concerned with (moral) values, while
empirical political theory is solely concerned with the factual.
Questions
1What does logic mean and what does it help us do?
(2) Which of the following arguments is deductive and which is inductive?
Give reasons for your answer.
All politicians are clever.
Book A on philosophy is interesting.
Rambo is a politician.
Book B on philosophy is interesting.
Therefore Rambo is clever.
Book C on philosophy is interesting.
Therefore (probably) all books on philosophy are interesting.
,(3) Which of the following deductive arguments is (logically) invalid? Give a
reason for your answer.
All businessmen are rich.
All students are hardworking.
Sipho is rich.
Ike is a student.
Therefore Sipho is a businessman. Therefore Ike is hardworking.
(4) What is the difference between real and nominal definitions?
(5) Give an example of an analytical statement and state its purpose.
(6) What are the criteria for determining the truth in the analytical dimension?
(7) Write short explanatory notes on the content of the analytical dimension of
political philosophy.
Answers
. Logic is one of the most fundamental dimensions of political philosophy. It
means
``reason'', and helps us to reason in a systematic way and to construct valid
arguments.
. Deduction involves reasoning from the general to the particular, whereas
induction argues from the particular to the general. The first argument of
question 2 is deductive and the second is inductive.
In a valid deductive argument, the conclusion follows necessarily from the
premises. The first argument of question 3 is logically invalid because the
conclusion does not follow directly from the premises.
. The difference between a real and nominal definition is that a real definition
seeks the essential (fundamental) characteristic of a concept. A nominal
definition selects a certain set of characteristics, usually on the basis of its
relevance to the purpose of the exercise or investigation.
. Analytical or logical statements do not refer to a factual state of affairs, but
concern the clarification of concepts, the meaning and structure of
statements. Examples are: 3 and
3 = 6; democracy is rule for the people by the people.
. The criteria for determining the truth of analytic statements and arguments in
the analytic dimension are the rules of logic and the rules of language.
Questions
1. What does empiricism mean?
(2) Which of the following empirical statements are descriptive and which are
explanatory? Give reasons for your answers.
, (a) Human beings have certain characteristics which set them apart from the
animal world.
(b) Human beings differ from the animal world because they have a rational
faculty.
(c) Political philosophers are interested in all areas of human experience.
(d) Aristotle rejected democracy as he believed it would lead to un
governability.
(3) Why do political philosophers have to take account of empirical situations?
(4) What is the criterion for truth determination in the empirical dimension of
political philosophy?
Answers
. Empiricism means obtaining knowledge from experience. All knowledge
arises from sensory experience.
. There are two types of empirical statements, descriptive and explanatory.
Descriptive statements concern the ``what'' and explanatory statements the
``why'' of phenomena.
Statements (a) and (c) are descriptive because they tell us something about
the nature of human beings and interests of political philosophers. Statements
(b) and (d) are explanatory because they give a reason why human beings
differ from other creatures, and why Aristotle rejected democracy.
. Political philosophers have to consider facts to be able to prescribe,
recommend and evaluate some state of affairs.
. The criterion of truth determination is evidence or facts. An empirical
statement is true when it is verified, that is, when it corresponds to the
relevant factual situation, and false when it does not.
Questions
(1) What is the main focus of the normative dimension of political philosophy?
(2) What is a normative statement or a value judgment? Give examples.
(3) Which of the following statements are normative, empirical and analytical?
Give reasons for your answers:
(a) The edicts of government should not always be obeyed.
(b) All people ought to have equal rights.
(c) A bill of rights is enshrined in the constitution of South Africa.
(d) Always do well and avoid evil.
(e) Freedom is the capacity to choose among alternative options.
(f) My grandmother's parrot swears.
(g) For the ancient Greeks, democracy meant government by the many.
(h) Happiness is the ultimate end to pursue.
(i) Smoking is bad for your health.
(4) How does one ascertain the truth of normative statements and
arguments?
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