Government: Lesson 150

When people say that we need to have a "living Constitution," what it really means is that the way it's interpreted should be subject to change. Even though the Constitution included proper ways to make updates, this ideology persists. Rather than changing the interpretation, which puts all power in the hands of the judges, we …

Western Civilization 1: Lesson 170

Discuss the rise and fall of Girolamo Savonarola. Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar who lived in the 15th century. He was very opposed to the Renaissance, and considered it to be a pagan movement. Rather than going along with the new teachings of philosophy, he encouraged everyone to get back to their foundation--the gospel. …

Western Civilization 1: Lesson 100

When the Roman Empire fell, there was suddenly nothing to protect the people living in (what is now) England. During the ninth- and tenth-centuries, Norsemen, more commonly known as Vikings, took advantage of these people by continually raiding them and taking back to their homes whatever they wanted, including food, gold, and women. This resulted …

Government: Lesson 135

Q: The "benefit principle" has been used to justify progressive income taxation. What is the benefit principle? Are there any problems with it? If so, what? A: When it comes to taxes, the benefit principle says that the amount you have to pay should be determined by how much you benefit: the more you benefit, …

Government: Lesson 125

Discuss monopolies and antitrust laws. Antitrust laws assume that in a free market, monopolies will be formed and come to dominate their respective industries. This assumption is false. In a free market economy, what would really happen to monopolies is that they would go bankrupt very quickly. How would that even happen, you might ask? …

Government: Lesson 115c

Is government aid actually harming those who receive it? On the surface, getting free money seems like it would be an incredible benefit to have--perhaps even a superpower. But when you don't have to face the consequences of your actions because you're constantly getting bailed out, it causes terrible problems. When a person or organization …

Government: Lesson 115b

Is "income inequality" a problem, in your opinion? Why or why not? Someone should be paid according to the benefits they provide to others. Is it wrong that Bill Gates has so much money? While I think that he is extremely corrupt, he has certainly had a positive impact on the world as well. Can …

Government: Lesson 115a

What are the arguments for and against government science funding? The most common argument for government science funding is that there are certain kinds of scientific research that the free market could never take care of. This is because the discoveries happen by chance and they are only profitable in the long run. This category …

Government: Lesson 100

Q: What is Robert Nozick's point in The Tale of the Slave? Do you think his point is valid? A: The Tale of the Slave is a collection of 9 situations that involve someone being taken advantage of. They start out with quite an extreme example of slavery, then gradually turn into the situation we …

Government: Lesson 95

Q: How did the Age of Discovery provide an opportunity for Spanish thinkers to reflect on the idea of rights? A: The Spaniards were mistreating the Native Americans as if the land was rightfully theirs, though it was the natives were there first. This behavior sparked debates about whether or not it was moral for …