Food for Thought

Week 6: Tuesday, February 24

For this class period, I will divide you into Americans and French. Look below to see which questions you are responsible for.

American Revolution (Section A: Bonaventure to Joseph; Section B: Allwarden to Johnson)

1) In what specific ways is the Declaration of Independence a Lockean document? In other words, how do the declaration's arguments and assumptions resemble those of Locke?

2) In Common Sense, what arguments does Paine present against hereditary monarchy?

3) According to Paine, why are the supposed checks and balances of the English constitution inadequate?

4) According to Paine, what is the purpose of government?

5) In what way is Paine's Common Sense a Lockean document? What arguments and assumptions does it share with Locke?

French Revolution (Section A: June to Snell; Section B: Landri to Ziino)

1) How does Sieyes define a nation? Who belongs to the nation? Who does not? Why? On what grounds does Sieyes judge whether one belongs to the nation or not?

2) According to the declaration of the Rights of Man, why was there a need for such a declaration?

3) According to the declaration, what was the relationship between liberty, equality, and fraternity? In other words, how did the document define liberty, how did equality defend liberty, and how did liberty and equality lead to fraternity?

4) How are the ideas in the declaration related to Locke's?

5) How did the French Revolution change the French army?