Midterm Study Guide-1

Boston College: THEO 2160/PHIL 1160, The Challenge of Justice Midterm Study Guide Potential Essays : Please be able to respond to the following questions in their entirety. 1. Select ONE of the following parables (Mark 10:17-31, Matthew 20:1-16, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 15:11-32 or Luke 19:1-10) and articulate the vision of justice being presented by Jesus. In what ways does this vision of justice adhere with or challenge contemporary notions of justice? 2. How would you describe the biblical view of justice? In what ways are righteousness, justice, and charity connected? Be sure to illustrate your ideas with references from the Old and/or New Testaments. 3. In dialogue with either Plato or Aristotle, what is justice and what is its role in establishing the ideal form of social life? 4. Compare and contrast Plato and Aristotle’s understanding of what constitutes human flourishing and how it is achieved. 5. According to Kant what is the role of duty in living a moral life? How does one determine his duty? Would Kant maintain that we need to follow one’s duty even if the consequences could be bad? Why or why not? 6. Compare Kant’s idea of respect for person with Catholic social teaching’s principle of human dignity. In what ways are the two ideas similar? How are they also different? 7. Would a good Aristotelian behave much differently in day to day life from a good utilitarian? How would the principle of justice illuminate their actions? Be sure to explain and illustrate your example. 8. Do you agree with Mill that the Greatest Happiness Principle adequately addresses the concern for justice and does not violate an individual’s rights? Why or why not? 9. Would a Rawlsian support affirmative action? Why or why not? In your response be sure to address the two principles of justice as well as the concept of the natural lottery 10. With regard to distributive justice, should society be organized according to the principle of the common good or the greatest good? What is the difference in these approaches and why do you favor the one over the other? 11. How does Rawls’ difference principle and Catholic Social Teaching’s preferential option for the poor try to address the needs of those who are marginalized? In what ways are the two principles similar? What are the foundations for both principles? 12. How is Rawls’ theory of justice influenced by Locke and Kant? Why is Rawls critical of utilitarianism? Be sure to illustrate with insights from Rawls’ theory. 13. Discuss Nozick's libertarian critique of Rawls as well as Sandel and Li's communitarian critique. Do you resonant with one of these critiques or do you feel Rawls approach to justice is adequate, why? 14. Discuss Rawls’ two principles of justice. How would Marx respond to Rawls’ theory of justice? Would the two agree on anything? How would Rawls respond to Marx? Ultimately, what is your view of distributive justice and what thinker do you resonate more with? Case study: You will select a case from the options offered to you. In responding to the case, you will need to refer to Plato, Aristotle, Utilitarianism, Locke, Catholic Social Teaching, Kant, Libertarians, and Rawls in order to demonstrate your ability to use them in a practical situation. 1. Why do humans join together in a commonwealth and what is the function of government? Are human beings naturally social? 2. Should the federal government provide entitlement programs such as unemployment, healthcare, or social security? Why or why not? In responding be sure to address whether human beings possess fundamental positive rights, only negative rights, or have no rights at all. 3. Does the right to private ownership also entail an absolute right to use one’s property as she sees fit? Can, in the name of justice, society impose limits on how one uses her property? 4. Justice is closely related to fairness and equality. But how ought we to understand equality: equality before God, equality before the law, equality of opportunity, and/or equality of outcome? After briefly