Final Review Questions

Midterm Review Questions: (Fall '01)
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Please identify the following quotes and be prepared to discuss essential theoretical concepts contained in these quotes against the background of the philosophical and political framework of their authors.

1. What is the difference between materialism and idealism according to Marx?
   
2. What are the key concepts of Gramsci's Project?
   
3. Durkheim focuses on social cohesion. What is it?
   
4. Weber is a pessimist. Why?
   
5. In which way is Weber an elitist?
   
6. What is Weber's methodological approach?
   
7. What are the ultimate implications of this approach?
   
8. What do Weber, Gramsci, and Marx have in common?
   
9. What is the difference between sociology and Marxism?
   
10. Sociology is a discipline. What does that mean?
    
11. Weber develops a theory of power. What does it consist of?
    
12. What do Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Weber have in common?
    
13. What is the significance of Carl Schmitt?
    
14. Gramsci develops a theory of intellectuals. How does it differ from a theory or elites?
    
15. How does Gramsci's theory of hegemony differ from Weber's theory of power?
    
16. What is at issue in Weber's sociology of religion?
    
17. What is Weber's primary project?
    
18. Why does Weber study the city?
    
19. What is Weber's educational background?
    
20. How does Weber differ between politics and science?
    
21. Which social group is crucial for the evolution of capitalism according to Weber?
    
22. Which group in China and India is comparable?
    
23. Why did capitalism not emerge in India, according to Weber?
    
24. Why did capitalism not emerge in China, according to Weber?
    
25. *What is the importance of Weber's study of Roman Law?
    
26. *Why is inheritance a major feature in the evolution of capitalism. according to Weber?
    
27. *How did the concept of calling/vocation link to Berufspflict?
    
28. *Weber distinguishes between three forms of legitimation of authority? Which ones?
    
29. What is Weber's theory of history?
    
30. What effect does Weber's typology of ideal types have upon a theory of history?
    
31. *Some see Weber as a early pioneer in systems theory. What is it?
    
32. How does Weber correct Marx?
    
33. What is Weber's essential conceptual pair?
    
34. *What is the essence of die entsauberung der welt?
    
35. What is the difference between Marx's concept of ideology and Weber's theory of religion?
    
36. What is Marx's position on religion?
    
37. *What is "leap in consciousness" according to Marx?
    
38. What is knowledge production in Marx?
    
39. What is the function of the superstructure according to Marx?
    
40. What operates in the base?
    
41. What do feudalism and capitalism have in common?
    
42. *What is use value?
    
43. *What is surplus value?
    
44. *What is exchange value?
    
45. Who owns the instruments of production under capitalism?
    
46. Who owns the instruments of knowledge production under capitalism?
    
47. *How does the Protestant Ethic support capitalism?
    
48. What is the difference between class and status group?
    
49. Bourdieu also operates with the concept of status. What is social capital?
    
50. How does Gramsci's concept of intellectual differ from Weber's concept of status group?
    
51. In Marx, the worker is considered a commodity. What does that mean?
    
52. Are contemporary workers commodities?
    
53. What is Marx's ethical framework?
    
54. What do Marx and Aristotle have in common?
    
55. What is Marx's educational background?
    
56. What is Marx's relation to Hegel and Kant?
    
57. What is Kant's epistemology?
    
58. What is the difference between Kant's notion of perception and Hegel's concept of interaction?
    
59. Both Marx and Hegel operate with the concept of dialectics. How?
    
60. What is Hegel's theory of history?
    
61. What is Marx's theory of history?
    
62. How did Marx correct Feuerbach?
    
63. What is dialectical materialism?
    
64. What is the difference between Kant and Marx with resepect to "critique?"
    
65. What is Marx's fourfold definition of alienation
    
66. What is the relation between Marx's concept of alienation and his ethics?
    
67. How do you distinguish between Weber's methodology and that of Marx?
    
68. *What aspects of Marx's project can be calculated scientifically?
    
69. The Bourgeoisie fulfills two historical functions. Which ones?
    
70. What is crucial to capitalist accumulation?
    
71. What is fetishism?
    
72. What is Marx's ontology?
    
73. *What is the difference between essence and appearance for Marx?
    
74. What is the difference between Hegel and Marx's theory of the state?
    
75. *What is the relation between ideas and modes of production?
    
76. Both Weber and Marx have a theory of a "Life Project." Explain.
    
77. *What is Hilferding's relation to Marxism?
    
78. *What do Gramsci and Hilferding have in common?
    
79. What is Marx's critique of political economy?
    
80. Historicity: how does it work?
    
81. *The concepts of subject and object are central to Marxism. How?
    
82. What is the relation of knowledge to interest?
    
83. Is democracy intrinsic to capitalism?
    
84. *What is reification?
    
85. *How has the focus in Marxism changed due to world historical events?
    
86. What is the difference between the early Marx and the late Marx?
    
87. How do Marx and Engels differ?
    
88. What does a theory of intellectuals entail?
    
89. What is Marx's notion of freedom?
    
90. *What is Gramsci's position on Fordism?
    
91. *At the present, does capitalist production work with Fordist principles?
    
92. What are productive forces according to Marx?
    
93. What does the worker have the owner of the means of production does not have?
    
94. Division of labour is a key concept in both Marx and Weber. Where do they differ?
    
95. What is the essence of work according to Marx?
    
96. What is the essence of a commodity according to Marx?
    
97. *How is consciousness determined for Marx?
    
98. *What is Hegel's master/slave dialectic?
    
99. *Has Marx's theory of rights been validated?
    
100. *What are the conditions of life chances, according to Marx?
     
101. *What is our relation to past generations, according to Marx?
     
102. *What is the lumpen-proletariat?