Political Essay

Essay #2 – Choose from the following essay suggestions. You may create your own topic, with approval, if

you consult me before 3 May. You must use secondary sources appropriate to your topic in both focus and

quantity. Your paper should demonstrate a grasp of both the primary text(s) you choose to write on and

the critical materials available. This means that you must show an understanding of the reliability of

critical materials, how to find scholarly criticism, and an ability to judge whether a work is dated or

current. While some topics will have more or less critical materials available than others, I advise a 3-4

sources minimum. You may wish to consider biographical materials, letters, print history, journals, or

other such sources as well.

• Several of the authors we have studied seem to be inspired by or interested in each other’s work.

Consider two or more authors’ relationships (personal or philosophical) and how they can inform

their writings. Is it a mutual influence? Does a later author alter the way we read an earlier one?

Try to consider as many levels in the texts as possible, such as allusions, style, themes,

argumentative purposes, or even related texts and biographical information.

• The concept of the subject that we encountered in the first half of the course is substantially

different from that which we encounter in the second. Compare potential differences between the

Marxian and Enlightenment notions of subjectivity. Do they lead to different ideals of a just

society? Do they lead to different notions of citizenry or authority? Is either view valid? Which

has the most in common with the world in which we live today (and bear in mind, our beliefs and

actions in relation to this topic may differ substantially)?

• What elements of the critical ideas in the second half of the course are useful for considering your

own present political and social circumstances? Are they too “radical” to be of help in our

understanding of the modern world? Are they too “dated” by the passage of time, or are they too

“specific” to a different cultural or social context? Using one or more of the readings from the

second half of the course, consider its value in analyzing a contemporary political dilemma.