Topic outline

  • How to prepare for the book exams

    The course includes two literature exams:

    Thursday 16 March      Introducing Capitalism: A Graphic Guide

    Thursday 13 April           Introducing Political Philosophy: A Graphic Guide

    You can buy your own books (they are not that expensive on e.g. Amazon) or access them through the links above and elsewhere on this site, e.g. in Course materials, tab on the left (if you do not see the tabs on the left, click the three lines in the upper left-hand corner and they will appear).

    The use of the books (and other materials, including internet sources) during the exams is allowed and encouraged. (The OpenAI chatbot is not that reliable - I tried. ;D )

    Experience shows that having a printed copy in your hands will make your work during the exams easier. So print it out, if you have the proper equipment. If not, you can split the screen in the exam - browse the text while keeping your answer also visible. If you don't know how to split the screen, look it up - it is easy and useful.

    How to prepare for the FIRST literature exam on CAPITALISM

    1. 

    Read the book before the exam – it is a homework assignment – and prepare to answer both specific (narrower, more confined) and overarching (wider, more general) questions about the content.

    Here are some examples of specific and overarching questions about the book:

    Specific

    Where and when did capitalism start, what elements were necessary for its emergence, and what were its main features in the beginning?

    What were the main features, similarities, and differences of Saint-Simon’s and Bakunin’s “utopian socialist” views?

    Karl Marx opposed the idea that societies can be designed by contract. How did he formulate his own opposing view of history from feudal times to the eventual collapse of capitalism?

    After the big Crash and the Great Depression, what economic models have been proposed to prevent this from happening again? Describe and evaluate.

    Overarching

    Different theories supporting or criticizing capitalism have different views on “value” – what it is and which contributions by different agents create it. What are the main views on this, as described in the book?

    How did Max Weber explain the emergence and nature of capitalism; and how did his view concur with, and differ from, the preceding explanations since Adam Smith?

    According to Hegel, Marx, and Fukuyama, where does, or did, “history end”, in what sense, and why?

    How did the Neo-Marxists (the Frankfurt School scholars and the Situationists) differ from Marx in their views on the plight of the proletariat and its resolution; and what were their main criticisms against capitalism and its effects in a post-industrial world? Describe the views, compare, and evaluate.

    2.

    On the day of the exam, you will get the questions via email and MyCourses at 4 pm.

    You will then have three hours to complete your answers. If you need special arrangements, contact matti(dot)hayry(at)aalto(dot)fi and we’ll sort it out.

    3. 

    Be prepared to answer two questions during the hours allotted for the exam.

    One of the questions will be a question mentioned in section 1 above.

    The other question – which can be specific or overarching – will be a “new” one: one not mentioned in section 1.

    You are expected to answer both.

    Be prepared to allocate your exam time so that you can complete both answers during the exam session. 

    4.

    You are allowed to use sources in the exam – the book, your notes, internet sources, etc. (But, as I said above, OpenAI chatbot is not very reliable. It seems that the questions are a bit too nuanced for it.)

    You are, however, expected to work independently, by yourself. The exam is intended to test your knowledge, not somebody else’s. (Or Elon Musk's. ;D )

    5.

    Once you have completed your answers, send them to Matti Häyry by email: matti(dot)hayry(at)aalto(dot)fi

    Both answers will be assessed on a 0-5 scale, and your aggregate mark for the exam will reflect the two separate marks.

    6.

    You are allowed, but by no means encouraged, to complete your answers at home during the next 24 hours following the exam session.

    Using this opportunity will be interpreted as inadequate homework preparation, and it will result in a one-point reduction in both answer marks (even if you submit one of the answers by the end of the session).

    So, in this case, both answers will be assessed on a 0-4 scale, and your aggregate mark for the exam will reflect the two separate marks.

    Sorry, this is just my attempt at keeping the course flow. If, however, you have a recorded disadvantage that makes you require more time, that will, of course, be duly noted and the time adjusted.

    How to prepare for the SECOND literature exam on POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

    1.

    Read the book before the exam – it is a homework assignment – and prepare to answer both specific (narrower, more confined) and overarching (wider, more general) questions about the content.

    Here are some examples of specific and overarching questions about the book:

    Specific

    How would Plato have criticized populism in political life, and how can this criticism be countercriticized?

    Compare the “states of nature” in Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.

    What, according to the book’s authors, are the “ideological myths” of classical liberalism? Are these mere myths or is there some truth in them? Describe, analyze, and assess.

    What are the main similarities and differences between socialist and anarchist thinkers?

    Overarching

    How are the main ideas of Sophists, Plato, and Aristotle reflected in current modern ideas on political philosophy?

    What kinds of political theories, ideologies, and systems do different views on human nature support?

    Explain the nature and role of the “development of consciousness” in Hegel and Marx as an element of political change.

    What are the similarities and differences between the utilitarian theories of Bentham and Mill?

    2.

    On the day of the exam, you will get the questions via email and MyCourses at 4 pm.

    You will then have three hours to complete your answers. If you need special arrangements, contact matti(dot)hayry(at)aalto(dot)fi and we’ll sort it out.

    3.

    Be prepared to answer two questions during the hours allotted for the exam.

    One of the questions will be a question mentioned in section 1 above.

    The other question – which can be specific or overarching – will be a “new” one: one not mentioned in section 1.

    You are expected to answer both.

    Be prepared to allocate your exam time so that you can complete both answers during the exam session.

    4.

    You are allowed to use sources in the exam – the book, your notes, internet sources, etc. (Again, Elon Musk's machine had difficulties with the depth of the questions, so do not rely on it.)

    You are, however, expected to work independently, by yourself. The exam is intended to test your knowledge, not somebody else’s.

    5.

    Once you have completed your answers, send them to Matti Häyry by email: matti(dot)hayry(at)aalto(dot)fi

    Both answers will be assessed on a 0-5 scale, and your aggregate mark for the exam will reflect the two separate marks.

    6.

    You are allowed, but by no means encouraged, to complete your answers at home during the next 24 hours following the exam session.

    Using this opportunity will be interpreted as inadequate homework preparation, and it will result in a one-point reduction in both answer marks (even if you submit one of the answers by the end of the session).

    So, in this case, both answers will be assessed on a 0-4 scale, and your aggregate mark for the exam will reflect the two separate marks.

    What I said about the possibility of special arrangements applies here, too, of course.


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