Trends in Paper 1 Part A
- Western Political Thought:
- Trace the evolution of western political thought from ancient to contemporary period. [2020]
- Plato:
- Explain Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s Idealism. [2019]
- ‘Plato was an enemy of the open society’. (Popper). Comment. [2015]
- Aristotle:
- Explain Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s Idealism. [2019]
- Everywhere inequality is a cause of revolution’. (Aristotle). Comment. [2017]
- Comment on Aristotle’s conception of equality. [2015]
- Machiavelli:
- Comment on Machiavelli on secularism. [2020]
- Critically examine Machiavelli’s views on religion and politics. [2018]
- Compare and contrast the views of Kautilya and Machiavelli on statecraft. [2015]
- Thomas Hobbes and John Locke:
- Comment on Hobbesian notion of political obligation. [2017]
- How would I and my fellow human beings behave if we were to find ourselves in a state of nature, and what does this behaviour tell us about our innate predispositions? Thomas Hobbes. Discuss. [2016]
- John Locke is a father of liberalism. Explain. [2018]
- S. Mill:
- Representative democracy…means the people as a body must be able to control the general direction of government policy. (J.S. Mill) [2020]
- John Stuart Mill is a ‘reluctant democrat’. (CL Wayper). Comment. [2018]
- Karl Marx:
- Discuss Karl Marx’s concept of class. [2020]
- Differentiate between freedom and liberty. Discuss Marx’s notion of freedom. [2017]
- Explain Marx’s understanding of human essence and alienation. [2016]
- Discuss the relationship between base and superstructure in Marxist theory. [2015]
- Gramsci:
- According to Gramsci, ‘hegemony is primarily based on the organisation of consent.’ Comment. [2019]
- Comment on Gramsci’s concept of hegemony. [2016]
- Discuss Gramsci’s notion of organic intellectuals. [2015]
- Hannah Arendt:
- Critically examine Hannah Arendt’s conceptual triad of labour, work and action. [2019]
- Discuss Hannah Arendt’s analysis of the role of ideology in the modern totalitarian regime. [2016]
- Political Theory:
- Discuss the significance of normative approach to Political Theory. [2020]
- Comment on resurgence of political theory. [2019]
- Comment on the decline of Political Theory. [2018]
- Comment on the post behavioural approach. [2016]
- Theories of State:
- Comment on Post Colonial theory of State. [2020]
- Write a short note on pluralist theory of the State. [2019]
- Critically examine the neoliberal theory of State. [2018]
- Comment on neoliberal perspective of the State. [2017]
- Discuss the feminist theory of the State. [2016]
- Examine the challenges to sovereignty of the State in the contemporary world. [2015]
- Justice:
- Make a comparative assessment of Greek perspective of Justice and Rawlsian perspective of Justice. [2020]
- Examine communitarian perspectives on justice. [2019]
- Comment on distributive justice. [2018]
- Analyse John Rawls’ justification of discrimination to achieve the goals of justice. [2018]
- ‘Rawls’ theory of justice is both contractual and distributive’. Examine. [2017]
- Critically examine John Rawls argument for democratic equality. [2016]
- Comment on difference principle in the Rawls theory of justice. [2015]
- Equality:
- Comment on equality of opportunity. [2020]
- Equality means fair treatment rather than equal treatment. Comment. [2018]
- Comment on affirmative action. [2016]
- Rights:
- Assess the significance of right to property in political theory. [2020]
- Discuss the doctrine of ‘rights as trump’. [2019/15m/200w/4b]
- What do you understand by three generation of human rights? [2018]
- What do you understand by multiculturalism? Discuss Bhikhu Parekh’s views on multiculturalism.[2017]
- The implementation of human rights is regarded as a matter of changing the conduct of states. Comment. [2016]
- Comment on the idea of Natural Rights. [2015]
- Democracy:
- Write a short note on Deliberative democracy. [2019]
- Comment on Substantive democracy. [2018]
- Critically examine MacPherson’s views on democracy. [2018]
- Deliberative democracy does not have its salience without participation and Participatory democracy does not have its credence without deliberations. Comment. [2017]
- Explicate the features of representative democracy. [2016]
- Elaborate the difference between participatory and deliberative democracy. [2015]
- Power:
- Examine the nature and meaning of power. [2020]
- Explain the relationship between power, authority and legitimacy. [2018]
- Distinguish between power and authority. [2015]
- Discuss the ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in capitalist societies. (Habermas). [2015]
- Ideologies:
- Liberalism as a revolutionary idea. [2020]
- Compare negative and positive concepts of liberty. [2019]
- The political ideology of Globalisation is neoliberalism. Comment. [2016]
- Define socialism. Discuss the salient features of Fabian socialism. [2017]
- Discuss the key features of pre-Marxist socialist theory. [2015]
- What is the contemporary relevance of Marxism? [2019]
- ‘Nothing against the state, nothing over it, nothing beyond it’. (Mussolini). Comment. [2018]
- Distinguish between liberal feminism and radical feminism. [2019]
- Comment on Ecofeminism. [2017]
- Comment on Postmodernism. [2017]
- End of Ideology:
- Discuss the end of Ideology debate. [2019]
- Write a brief note on the End of History. [2017]
Indian Political Thought
- Ancient thought and Kautilya:
- Explain the sources of ancient Indian Political Thought. [2020]
- Discuss Kautilya’s views on the elements of the State. [2019]
- What do you understand by the notion of statecraft? Discuss the theory of statecraft as given by Kautilya. [2017]
- Compare and contrast the views of Kautilya and Machiavelli on statecraft. [2015]
- Sri Aurobindo:
- According to Sri Aurobindo, Swaraj is a necessary condition for India to accomplish it’s destined goal. Comment. [2017]
- Discuss Sri Aurobindo’s views on cultural nationalism. [2016]
- K. Gandhi:
- Explain ideological components of Gandhism. [2020]
- Discuss MK Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj. [2019]
- Examine Gandhi’s critique of modernisation. [2016]
- Comment on Gandhi’s views on the state. [2015]
- R. Ambedkar:
- Comment on Ambedkar on Constitutionalism. [2020]
- Discuss Ambedkar’s ideas on Annihilation of Caste. [2018]
- ‘Political democracy could not last unless social democracy lay at its base’. (BR Ambedkar). Comment. [2017]
- Discuss Dr. BR Ambedkar’s idea of state socialism. [2016]
Sources and strategy
- Stick to your notes and revise them repeatedly.
- If possible make mind maps and tables for thought and theory for quick revision.
- In case of lack of material, stick to IGNOU.
- Answer writing key for conceptual clarity, interlinkage and scholars to quote.
