About Marx on consciousness, ideology, and alienation.

Social and Political Philosophy

Gurpreet Rattan

University of Toronto at Mississauga

Third Response Paper Questions

Instructions:

Please write a paper of TWO TO THREE PAGES that answers ONE of the following questions clearly and

concisely. Only so much can go into three pages. Be selective about what you include.

In the paper, you will be arguing for a particular claim. Be clear about what that claim is. Be clear about what the

argument is.

In preparing the paper, take special care in writing and organization. Be careful in formulating your sentences. Be

careful in your use of terminology. Avoid lengthy sentences. Avoid long paragraphs. Make sure that the paper is

structurally transparent. Indicate in the ing what claim you will be arguing for and and how you will proceed in

the paper. Follow out the plan you describe. Make sure to make clear references to the different texts where

appropriate. Before submitting, check whether you did these things. Reproduce this list with checkmarks at the

end of the paper.

Papers must be submitted online to turnitin.com (information to follow) AND to the Blackboard Assignments

section. The paper will not be considered submitted unless it is submitted both to turnitin.com and to Blackboard.

Submit as a .doc, .docx or .rtf, in 12-point Times Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and numbered

pages.

The paper is due on Monday, March 9th, 2015, at 5pm. However, you may submit the paper by Monday March

16th without penalty. Late papers submitted after 5pm on Monday the 16th and within a week of the 16th will receive a

maximum score of 50%. No papers will be accepted after the 23rd.

Questions:

1. About Marx and the philosophy of history (I). What role does history play in Marx’s political philosophy?

Compare Marx’s use of history with the use of the state of nature and the social contract in Hobbes and Locke.

What does an appeal to history do for Marx that an appeal to the state of nature cannot? What does an appeal to

the state of nature do for Hobbes and Locke that an appeal to history cannot? Discuss specific relevant passages.

2. About Marx and the philosophy of history (II). Explain the metaphysics of Marx’s philosophy of history.

What is the role of material relations? What is the role of ideas? What is the role of consciousness? Discuss

specific relevant passages.

3. About Marx on consciousness, ideology, and alienation. What is the role of consciousness in Marx’s political

philosophy? Why is it important that the proletariat develop a certain consciousness? What does ideology do to

consciousness? What does alienated labour do to consciousness? Discuss specific relevant passages.

4. About Marx on alienated labour. Explain in detail one kind of alienation Marx thinks wage labour produces.

What is alienation? Be sure to explain the ontology of alienation €“ what or who is alienated from what or who.

Why is there alienation? Be sure to explain the mechanism of alienation €“ how and why it comes about. What is

it about wage labour that alienates? Discuss specific relevant passages; a comparison with Locke may also be

relevant.

5. About Kleingeld on Kant on the state of states. If individuals ought to exit the state of nature of nature, should

the same not be true for states? Should there be a state of states? Kleingeld argues on Kant’s behalf that although

it may be permissible for individuals to be coerced into the state, states should not be coerced into a state of

states. Why not? Discuss critically with reference to specific passages.