Question 1

Nozick thinks we inhabit a wholly just world.

Accepted Answer

Nozick does not believe that we inhabit a wholly just world. He argues that the principles of justice must be based on individual rights and that any attempt to create a perfectly equal or just society will inevitably violate those rights.

Question 2

What are the features of the relation between the mothering person and child identified by Held? Do you find them significant for our thinking about society? Explain.

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Question 3

Are you convinced by Held that we should change the perspective we take when thinking about society and morality? Explain.

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Question 4

Held thinks that women have been left out of the way we conceive of society.

Accepted Answer

Held argues that the traditional conception of society and politics has been male-centric and has excluded women's perspectives and experiences.

Question 5

Held claims that human mothering is like animal mothering.

Accepted Answer

Held's research and theories distinguish human mothering from animal mothering, emphasizing the unique nature of human maternal care.

Question 6

Held claims that the mothering person must be a woman.

Accepted Answer

Held argues that mothering is a set of nurturing practices that can be performed by any caregiver, regardless of their gender. She does not believe that being a mother requires being a woman.

Question 7

Held claims that the relation between a mothering person and a child is mutually disinterested.

Accepted Answer

According to Held, the relation between a mothering person and a child is mutually interested, rather than disinterested. The mother has an interest in the child's well-being and development, and the child has an interest in receiving care and attention from the mother. This mutual interest forms the basis of the mother-child bond.

Question 8

Held wants to leave men out of the picture when thinking about society.

Accepted Answer

Virginia Held does not aim to exclude men from societal considerations but rather emphasizes the importance of care and the ethics of care, which traditionally have been associated with women, in understanding social relations and moral obligations. Her work seeks to incorporate these values into broader societal and ethical discussions, not to exclude any gender.

Question 9

Locke is a contract theorist.

Accepted Answer

John Locke is widely considered to be a contract theorist, as he believed that political legitimacy and moral authority stem from the consent of the governed. His idea of the social contract argues that individuals willingly give up some of their natural rights to a government in exchange for protection and security.

Question 10

How, according to Young, is the relationship between women and men or between racial minorities and whites similar to the relationship that Marx describes between workers and capitalists? Do you agree that women and minorities are really exploited in this Marxian sense? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Young claims that many groups suffer more than one form of oppression. Pick a group that you think is marginalized and state which of the five forms of oppression you think it suffers. Explain how it suffers those forms of oppression.

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Question 12

On Young's view, does powerlessness come from a lack of respectability, or is it the other way around?

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Question 13

Young believes that all five "faces" of oppression have something important in common.

Accepted Answer

Young believes that all five "faces" of oppression (exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence) stem from the same underlying dynamic: the systematic privileging of some groups over others based on social identities such as race, gender, or class.

Question 14

To be exploited, in Young's sense of the term, is to work for the benefit of someone else without adequate compensation.

Accepted Answer

To be exploited means to work without receiving adequate compensation or benefits, which is in line with Young's definition of the term.

Question 15

To be marginalized, in Young's sense of the term, is to be excluded from the labor market.

Accepted Answer

Marginalization, as defined by Young, refers to the exclusion of individuals from the labor market, resulting in their inability to participate in economic activities.

Question 16

Young argues that marginalization is a problem primarily because it causes people to depend on the state for their well-being.

Accepted Answer

While Young does acknowledge that dependence on the state is a potential issue, her primary argument about marginalization is that it leads to exclusion from mainstream society and limits opportunities for social, economic, and political participation.

Question 17

Young believes that, because the United States is not a "genuine democracy," most Americans suffer the kind of oppression she calls "powerlessness."

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Question 18

According to Young, cultural imperialism involves incorrectly treating a dominant group's experiences as representative of and the norm for humanity as a whole.

Accepted Answer

This is a correct definition of cultural imperialism according to Robert Young.

Question 19

Young claims that any time someone is attacked violently, that person is being oppressed.

Accepted Answer

While violence can be a form of oppression, it is not always the case. Violence can also be a result of personal conflict or criminal activity unrelated to oppression.

Question 20

Each of Young's categories of oppression (e.g., exploitation, marginalization, etc.) can be defined in terms of a particular group of people it oppresses (e.g., sexism, racism, etc.).

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 8: Society