- The purpose of this assignment is to consider how the ideas of the organiz theorists (Plato and Aristotle) and/opr the Contractarian theorists (Hobbes and Locke) have survived and are still present in our conceptions of the state. To help illustrate this, students will examine Kennedy's Inaugural ( http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html ), Reagan's "Let Us Begin an Era ( http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/reagan1.htm ), Pericles' Funeral Ortaion, Plato's The Crito, Hobbes' Leviathan, and Locke's Second Tretise on Civil Government.
- Using the provided works of Pericles and Plato (as examples of the organic conception of the state) and the works of Hobbes and Locke ( as examples of social contract thought) look at the inaugural addresses of Kennedy and Reagan ( as examples of modern political thought) to argue one of two positions:
1. The United States is now a country that predominatly embraces the "contract" conception of the state.
2. The United States is now a country that predominatly embraces the "organic" conception of the state.
Whichever position you take should rely heavily on the primary documents I have provided. Each paper should use at least three examples, i.e. quotes, from the organic/contract works and three from the modern speeches (for a total of 6 quotes).