Question 1

A _________ view of society implies widespread discord, the seriousness of which ranges from minor disputes to wars and revolutions.

Accepted Answer

A conflict view of society sees society as being made up of different groups competing for resources and power. This competition can lead to various levels of conflict, from minor disputes to major wars and revolutions. The other options (rational, consensus, and structural) do not necessarily imply widespread discord.

Question 2

Which theorists consider the distribution of the income and wealth to be primary source of conflict within Western societies?

Accepted Answer

Conflict theorists, such as Karl Marx, view the distribution of income and wealth as a key source of conflict within Western societies. They argue that the bourgeoisie (wealthy capitalists) exploit the proletariat (working class) through unequal pay and lack of access to resources, leading to societal conflict. Rational theorists prioritize individual decision-making and consensus theorists emphasize shared values and beliefs, while structural theorists focus on overarching social structures rather than specific sources of conflict.

Question 3

Who contended that conflict will always exist regardless of the social or economic nature of society?

Accepted Answer

Max Weber contended that conflict will always exist regardless of the social or economic nature of society, as he believed in the inevitability of social conflict due to differing interests and values.

Question 4

Which theorists are aware that conflicts often arise in social life, but stress that most are temporary, and can be and are solved within the framework of shared fundamental values by a neutral legal system?

Accepted Answer

Consensus theorists acknowledge that conflicts do occur in social life, but they believe that most of these conflicts are temporary, and they can be resolved within the framework of shared fundamental values by a neutral legal system. They argue that society is held together by a consensus on basic values and norms that is maintained through the legal system. They stress the importance of cooperation and compromise in maintaining social order.

Question 5

Weber thought that ________ denotes economic power and is non-social or "barely social" because it is instrumental in orientation and lacks any sense of shared social belonging.

Accepted Answer

Weber believed that economic power is linked to class, which is non-social or "barely social" because it is focused on instrumental orientation (the pursuit of economic gain) and does not necessarily entail a sense of shared social belonging. Status, on the other hand, refers to social prestige and often involves a sense of belonging to a particular group or community. Party refers to an organized group with a specific political agenda or orientation.

Question 6

Who viewed society as composed of multiple temporary as well as semi-permanent alliances of self-interested individuals that coalesce and dissolve as their interests wax and wane?

Accepted Answer

This view is associated with Max Weber's understanding of social action and his concept of the "ideal type" of the modern capitalist society. Weber saw society as a collection of individuals who form various alliances and groups based on shared interests, but these groups are temporary and can dissolve when those interests change. This perspective is often referred to as methodological individualism, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the actions and motivations of individual actors in shaping larger societal patterns.

Question 7

____________ was an individualist who viewed alienation as the result of individuals being too engaged with the whole, too assimilated into the community, and too concerned with its conformity demands.

Accepted Answer

Søren Kierkegaard was an individualist philosopher who believed that excessive conformity to society would lead to alienation. He emphasized the importance of individual choice and authenticity in one's beliefs and actions. Max Weber, Immanuel Kant, and Karl Marx did not share these views on alienation.

Question 8

____________ view of alienation was that it was a material condition that could only be alleviated by a socialist mode of production that would allow humans to realize their human essence.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx's view focused on the idea of alienation in capitalism, where workers were separated from the products they produced, from the process of production, from their fellow workers, and from their own human essence. Marx believed that only a socialist mode of production could alleviate this alienation and allow humans to fully realize their potential.

Question 9

Who felt that once capitalism created abundance, we could slay the golden goose, change the division of labor, abolish class divisions and inequality, and still continue to enjoy economic and material progress?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that capitalism would create an abundance of goods and services, but that this abundance would eventually lead to its downfall as the working class became aware of their exploitation and revolted against the capitalist class. Marx believed that the end result would be the abolition of class divisions and a more just society.

Question 10

Who believed that capitalism provided opportunities to develop charisma because "it fosters entrepreneurship, the mother of charisma"?

Accepted Answer

Max Weber believed that capitalism provided opportunities to develop charisma, as he argued that it fosters entrepreneurship, the mother of charisma. He viewed charisma as a form of authority that existed outside of traditional or legal-rational authority, and believed that capitalism's emphasis on individualism, innovation, and risk-taking could cultivate charismatic leaders.

Question 11

____________recognized that people have different abilities, but in his society they would not be granted license to benefit from them.

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that there are restrictions imposed on individuals based on their abilities, which is a key concept in Karl Marx's theory of communism. Marx believed that in a capitalist society, those with certain abilities or privileges would have an advantage over others, leading to inequality and class struggle. Therefore, he advocated for a system in which resources and opportunities would be shared equally among all individuals, irrespective of their abilities.

Question 12

According to the text, ___________ knew enough about human nature that he would never trust an intellectual elite convinced that they alone have the truth and the right, indeed the obligation, to coerce the rest of us into conformity.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle is known for his understanding of human nature and skepticism towards the idea of an intellectual elite imposing their beliefs on others.

Question 13

Weber felt that social life had nothing to do with the pursuit of social power.

Accepted Answer

Weber argued that social life is inherently tied to the pursuit of social power, and that power is a fundamental aspect of social relations. He believed that individuals and groups compete for power and influence in various spheres of social life, including politics, economics, and culture.

Question 14

Marx believed that wage labor thus quite literally de-humanizes human beings by taking from them their creative advantage over other animals-robbing them of the species being and reducing them to the level of animals.

Accepted Answer

This is a correct statement about Marx's view on wage labor. He argued that work is an essential part of human life and that under capitalism, laborers are reduced to mere commodities, stripped of their creativity and humanity.

Question 15

In his last work, Laws, Plato recognized that the state he had envisioned in the Republic was an impossibility given human nature, although he continued to see it as the ideal state.

Accepted Answer

Plato recognized in his last work, Laws, that the ideal state he had envisioned in the Republic was impractical due to human nature, although he still saw it as the perfect state.

Quiz 7: Conﬂict and Cooperation: Alienation and Equality