Theme Questions

Question 1

Structure of Government

Answer 1

1. What form of government would the thinker use to structure their society?
2. Who is at the top, middle, and bottom of the government?
3. How are laws passed within society?
4. Who maintains and establishes this form of government?

Question 2

Religion

Answer 2

1. How influential is religion in the formation of society?
2. Could the thinker’s society survive without religion?
3. How is religion best expressed in society?
4. should the people follow the laws of god or the laws of society?

Question 3

economy

Answer 3

1. what type of economy would the thinker use in their society?
2. who benefits most and least from the society?
3. how much influence does the public have on the economy?
4. how much influence does the government have on the economy?

Question 4

authority

Answer 4

1. what is the relationship between men and women in society?
2. how is the authority figure chosen in society?
3. how long does the authority figure serve for?
4. how much power does the authority figure have?

Question 5

rights and freedoms

Answer 5

1. who has the rights in the thinkers society?
2. how are these rights given to the people?
3. who can take away the rights of the people?
4. what are the rights of the people based off of?
5. how much freedom exists within society?

Question 6

morality/ethics

Answer 6

1. what should people base their morality on?
2. what is the most basic ethical principle of the thinker?
3. what is an ethical principle the author would disagree with?
4. what is an ethical principle that the author might not agree with?

Question 7

relationship to the natural world

Answer 7

1. what is the thinker’s stance on the current state of the environment
2. what, if any, does the thinker believe we should do to fix the environment?
3. what government policy would the thinker agree with regarding their environment policy?
4. what government policy would the thinker disagree with regarding their environment policy?