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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How may a commonwealth be formed?

2. What results are there when an actor makes a contract?

3. Why must people create a covenant or agreement to give power to one person, or small group of people?

4. How does Hobbes define a pact or covenant?

5. What does Hobbes call the intention to do wrong or harm another?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Hobbes describe a despotic dominion?

2. How does Hobbes identify skepticism in regards to belief?

3. What is Hobbes' view of money?

4. Give Hobbes' idea about how much a country needs individuals.

5. How does Hobbes differentiate between command and counsel?

6. How does Hobbes say that a group may be classified as an author?

7. How does Hobbes define justice?

8. How does Hobbes say people reason?

9. How does Hobbes illustrate what he calls compound imagination?

10. In what way does Hobbes warn against errors in logic or speech?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a paper on the effectiveness of punishments to control a commonwealth. How has that been carried to unreasonable extreme by such regimes as Saddam Hussein in Iraq? What, in your opinion, are the most effective punishments?

Essay Topic 2

Write a paper giving your opinion about the place of religion in any society. Discuss your opinion of state sponsored religion as opposed to a system that tolerates all religions.

Essay Topic 3

In Hobbes' political philosophy, the only valid reason for taking up arms against a sovereign is for self protection. Write your paper based on Hitler's taking over Germany and the plight of the Jews and other minorities his persecuted. Hobbes' theory is that the people thus under such a sovereign are constrained to obey the laws of the sovereign first.

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This section contains 820 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample