Modern Political Theory

INSTRUCTIONS: Please respond to BOTH writing assignment questions. EACH response must consist of 850 words (1700 words total). While 850 words is a minimum, students should not go too far beyond 850 words for each response.

1. In what way can it be said that Rousseau’s Social Contract is the solution to the problem disclosed in his Discourse on Inequality?

2. Burke tells us that society is based upon a contract. What exactly does he mean by this and how does this both inform his idea of political reform and explain his criticism of radical political change?
IMPORTANT: Please Read Carefully
Only the primary texts under consideration is to be used — NO SECONDARY MATERIAL is permitted!

Neither footnotes, nor endnotes are required or even desired. A simple page number (or numbers) in parenthesis will suffice for reference. If quotations from the text are used, students must be aware of the difference between judicious use and excessive use of quotations.

This final paper assignment is an exercise in explication not opinion. Papers are marked in terms of the quality, clarity, and precision of writing, and how well the student understands and can articulate the texts under consideration — i.e., in terms of understanding the key terms and concepts drawn from the assigned readings; recognizing the relationship between main and supporting ideas; the choice of relevant evidence from the text and its precise and accurate representation.

Papers are to be SINGLE SPACED

P/S: ONLY USE SOURCES/QUOTES/REFERENCES FROM THESE BOOKS:
_ Read Rousseau’s, “Discourse on Inequality,” in The Basic Political Writings, pp.29–92.
_ Read Rousseau’s Social Contract, Book I (entire), Book II (chapters 1 and 3), and Book IV (chapter 2).
_ Read Rousseau’s Social Contract, Book II (chapters 6, 7, and 10), Book III (chapters 1, 10, and 15), and Book IV (chapters 1, 2, and 8).
_ Read Burke’s Reflections, pp. 3–170. (Read pages 62–100 and pages 156–170 with as much attention as you can)

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