Topic 2: Political Concepts

Building on knowledge acquired through a detailed study of the texts in Topic 1, students can go on to develop their understanding of the following political concepts:

• Liberty/Freedom and Toleration

  • Definitions of liberty/freedom:

    • ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ freedom

    • historical development of the term

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of freedom

  • Definitions of toleration:

    • historical development of the term

    • distinctions between tolerance and permissiveness

    • arguments for and against toleration

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of toleration

• Equality and Social Justice

  • Definitions of equality:

    • foundational equality, formal equality, equality of opportunity

    • equality of outcome

    • historical development of the term

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of equality

  • Definitions of social justice:

    • historical development of the term and the controversy surrounding it

    • liberal, socialist and conservative models of social justice

• Rights and Obligations

  • Definitions of rights:

    • moral rights

    • legal rights

    • negative and positive rights

    • historical development of rights

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of rights

  • Definitions of obligations:

    • historical development of the term

    • arguments for and against the social contract theory of obligation

    • the limits of obligation

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of obligations

• Democracy and Representation

  • Definitions of democracy:

    • models of democracy (especially representative and direct)

    • historical development of the term

    • general arguments for and against democracy

    • liberal, conservative, Marxist and anarchist views of democracy

  • Definitions of representation:

    • different types of representation – trustee, delegate, mandate, resemblance

    • the limitations of representative democracy