Discussion and Exam Prompt Bank 🗣️¶
Use these prompts for self-study, study groups, or written practice.
Level 1 - Core Understanding¶
- Plato vs Aristotle: Which gives a stronger account of ethics for daily life?
- Compare Stoic and Confucian approaches to self-control.
- Is Hume's skepticism a threat to science or a protection against bad reasoning?
- What does Kant mean by autonomy, and why is it politically important?
- Why does Nietzsche attack inherited morality, and what is at stake?
Level 2 - Comparative Analysis¶
- Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau each justify authority differently. Which model best handles modern plural societies?
- Compare Marx and Mill on freedom: are they talking about the same thing?
- Can Aquinas and Maimonides both be rationalists in religion without collapsing into the same framework?
- How does Wittgenstein challenge earlier analytic ambitions in Frege/Russell?
Level 3 - Critical Synthesis¶
- Build a chain from Plato to Marx and show how the concept of justice changes.
- Is moral progress better explained by reason (Kant) or genealogy (Nietzsche)?
- Does political legitimacy depend more on consent (Locke) or material conditions (Marx)?
- Can a single framework combine Stoic resilience and democratic critique?
Fast Group Format (30 Minutes)¶
- 5 min: prompt selection
- 10 min: individual notes
- 10 min: debate (claim + objection + reply)
- 5 min: written synthesis
Quality Rubric¶
- Concept accuracy (/5)
- Textual support (/5)
- Objection handling (/5)
- Clarity and structure (/5)