HIST/ POLS 426 Study Guide: Exam II

Main Index
I. Identification
The second section will be listing and identification section.  For identifications, be sure to explain completely who, what, when, where, why, how  & significance for each item.  

Philosophy Environtmental Determinism Eusebeia v. Asebeia Civis/ Civitas
Logical Fallacies Allegory of the Cave Socratic Riddle Sophists
Thales of Miletus Pythagoras Materialism Fallacy of the Trades
Herodotus Melian Dialogue Thucydides Ostracism
Cosmology First Human Rights Charter Socratic Method Oligarchy
Ancient Slavery Democracy Trial of Socrates First Principles
Myth of Er Plato Aristotle Ekklesia
Athens Language & Politics Materialism Justice
The Academy Alphabets vs. Cuneiform Guardians The Noble Lie
Philosopher-king Analogy of the Trades Analogy of the Sun Politiea
Socrates Analogy of the Divided Line Analogy the Good Oikos
30 Tyrants Social Structures (Ancient World) Polity Aristocracy
Justice Hebrew  Social Structure Gentleman's education Rule of law
Realism v. Idealism Tyrant/ Tyranny Immortality of the Soul Timocrachy
Cosmos v. Chaos Friction of Distance Bad latitudes  
       
       


II. Listing

The following are possible listing items.

  1. List four important factors of the ancient political context

  2. Name five themes of Western Political Thought

  3. List four types of government and their definition from Plato

  4. Name the six types of states in Aristotle, which are the good states & which the bad?

  5. List four philosophers prior to Socrates and one idea of each.

  6. List the classes in Plato's Republic and their corresponding virtues

  7. List five political innovations of Greek polei

  8. Name and give an example of three environmental political concerns

  9. Name the four elements and humors

  10. List four political themes in Herodotus

  11. List seven and define logical fallacies

  12. Name six works of Aristotle.

  13. Name the 10 categories of existence according to Aristotle

  14. List the seven sages.

     

     

 

IV. Quotes.

Identify the speaker and/or work for each of the following quotes.

  1. I declare our city is an education unto Greece.
  2. For if I tell you that this would be a disobedience to a divine command, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say that the greatest good of a man is daily to converse about virtue, and all that concerning which you hear me examining myself and others, and that the life which is unexamined is not worth living — that you are still less likely to believe.
  3. Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature and that man is by nature a political animal.
  4. For the best material of a democracy is an agricultural population
  5. The unjust man enjoys life better than the just
  6. Until either philosophers become kings or those now kings and regents become genuine philosophers.
  7. the holy cities beyond the Tigris whose sanctuaries had been in ruins over a long period, the Gods whose abode is in the midst of them. I returned to the places and housed them in lasting abodes.
  8. the powerful warrior who has no rival among the princes of the four quarters of the earth; the shepherd of his people, fearless in battle, the overpowering tidewater who has no opponent; the king, subjugator of the unsubmissive, who rules the total sum of all humanity; the potent warrior, who tramples his enemies, who crushes all the adversaries;

V. Essay
The third section will be to write one complete essay on one of the following.  You will have a choice of three questions. You choose one. Use specifics from your textbook, the materials discussed in class and other readings.

  1.  Compare and contrast the ideas of Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics.  Include the nature of the state, justice, ideas about politics, citizenship and order.  How does Aristotle criticize Plato?  
  2. Both Plato and Aristotle discuss the nature of governments, particularly oligarchy and democracy.  Evaluate the definitions and characteristics each offer.  Which of these is most accurate? Why?  Which ideas are most applicable to modern political life and why?
  3. Discuss the connection between education or knowledge and politics.  How did the ancient world view this? Discuss the practical issues, as well as the ideas of Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle on education and citizenship.
  4. Aristotle is usually considered the first political scientist.  Explain why he might be considered so, using specific evidence from his book.  If you reject this description, explain why with specific evidence.
  5. Compare and contrast the political and critical approaches of Herodotus and Thucydides.  What are their contributions to political theory?
  6. Explain the definition of politics in the Ancient World.  Do the empires of the Near East qualify? Why or why not? Do these definitions of politics still work now? Why or why not?
  7. Aristotle and Plato are often considered the two opposing sides of  Western political ideas.  Explain what approaches and ideas each philosopher represents for the West and why. What criticism of each other are inherent in their writings?
  8. Discuss the political context of the ancient world. What were the major issues?  How did they differ from the modern world and why?  How are we still similar?
  9. Aristotle defines six types of states.  Explain each, their foundations, and their relationships to each other.  Which of these does Aristotle consider the best and why? The worst?