Abstract
Freedom of expression is one of the crucial ideas, if not the crucial idea, behind modern concepts of liberty and democracy. This paper discusses the issues surrounding the limitations on free speech with reference to John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Thomas Hobbes and other philosophers.

From the Paper
"This issue of whether and to what extent to curtail free speech has a clear role in that most historical significant of liberal documents, the American constitution. Its first amendment prevents the executive or Congress from passing legislation which curtails freedom of expression, freedom of the press or the right to openly petition the government for any grievance. The United States, does, of course have a slightly contrary relationship with freedom; for all its commitment to "life, liberty and happiness" it took until the 1960s to get rid of institutionalised racism, and it still lags behind Europe in its attitudes on gay marriage and abortion. However, of most relevance to this essay is the Patriot act of 2001, which sought to use the power of the state to curtail unnecessary liberties which created fertile ground for terrorism."

Tags:hobbes, rawls, democracy, philosophy, civil, liberty, rights, islam, terrorism

Abstract
This paper provides a pragmatic evaluation of Karl Marx's paradigm and his contribution to classical and contemporary sociological theory. It is an attempt to make clear, by philosophical criticism, the value, purpose and relevance of Marx's work. Marxism is a very broad field and this paper does not necessarily cover every single aspect of it. Instead, not sacrificing depth of analysis, it examines only Marx's theoretical assumptions about how society's technological superstructure relates to its respective economic base. In addition, commodity is the main key concept explored since it synthesizes and represents an important aspect of Marxist epistemology and is indeed a concept free from 'pure' theoretical abstraction. Therefore, the paper also establishes commodity as a tangible, practical and relevant concept that is still used as a framework to explain technocracy in high-modernity.

From the Paper
"Marx's theoretical approach has received critical attention from postmodernist thought sociology which has largely rejected his orthodox social analyses. For instance, Jurgen Habermas, a member of the Frankfurt school argued that one of the weaknesses of Marxist epistemology is the assessment of human evolution as just an economic and technological progress. He insisted that evolutionary progress can be discerned not only in the sphere of technical control, but also in the sphere of social and moral development (How, 2001). In addition, he also suggested that Marx's theory of capitalism is too deterministic since that it encompasses a known end. In this way, Habermas reconstructs and expands Marx's ideas by eliminating notions of evolutionary stages and revolution by moving Marxist analysis to social scientific and critical inquiry. "

Tags:hegel, commodity, capitalism, habermas

Abstract
This paper examines how the structure vs. agency debate is one of the most highly contentious dualisms within the social sciences. By providing an evaluation of the theories surrounding the debate and an overview of the nature of it, the paper seeks to explain the basis of the argument and the predominant schools of thought on the subject. Theoretically the paper concentrates on the monocausal theories of structuralism and intentionalism and the dialectical theories of structuration and the strategic-relational approach.

From the Paper
"The structure-agency debate has existed in one form or another for 'decades indeed arguably centuries' (McAnulla. 1999. p1) and has been based around philosophical questions and other similar dualisms. It seeks to address the extent to which individuals control their lives through their own actions in order to reach their goals, compared to how actors' lives are structurally controlled by external forces. Therefore, structure can be seen as the social and physical environment (context) in which individual actors inhabit, and which limits, causes or allows directly or indirectly our actions within. On the other hand, agency refers to an individual's ability to make changes or control their social and physical environment in order to reach their goals. "

Tags:Individualism, Holism

Abstract
The paper discusses the presence of an elitist democratic power base in both Greek and Roman democracies that were essentially based on discriminatory and exclusionary practices. The paper then argues that our modern representative democratic processes, while based on universal electoral suffrage, have not removed such faults from the process. The paper explains how social and economic inequality and injustice means that those less privileged cannot attain similar levels of advancement. The paper therefore shows how the continuing power of elites within the democratic process is largely a consequence of inequality at the social level.

From the Paper
"Winston Churchill once confidently proclaimed, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried" (Ponting, 1994, P.143). He may well have been correct, however there can be little doubt that as we progress through the preliminary years of the twenty first century; democracy is at its zenith. There are those who argue that both China's brand of communism and Islamic fundamentalism of the Khomeini variety present a realistic and potent challenge to the democratic ethic. However, even if we take into consideration the limited appeal such alternatives may have in certain regions of the globe, democracy still stands aloft as the most desirable form of political organisation available at the moment. Thus, Churchill's utterance, whilst deliberately humorous is also decidedly accurate."

Tags:inequality, electorate, exclusion

Abstract
This paper examines a chapter from Hannah Arendt's "The Origins of Totalitarianism" in which she theorizes about the composition of and relevance of the masses in totalitarian regimes. It looks at how her definition of 'masses' does not include specific classes or citizens, but incorporates the section of the population that does not belong to a class or any other kind of social group. It also discusses how many of the first critiques of the book, first published post World War II, were negative and how more recent texts have seen Arendt's work in its historic context, i.e. as an important piece of post war, totalitarianism historiography.

From the Paper
"A Classless Society appears in the third section of the Origins entitled Totalitarianism. In this chapter, Arendt theorizes about the masses - the people who followed Hitler and Stalin unquestioningly. The masses are politically indifferent or disillusioned men, who had become isolated due to the disintegration of the class system, who did not belong to any professional or social organizations, and who had become atomized, lonely individuals. Arendt claims that this atomization occurred 'naturally' in Germany but that in Russia, Stalin created an atomized society 'by the skillful use of repeated purges' that eliminated social groups who appeared to be stable and therefore threatening to his regime. As Canovan points out, this suggests that while certain
'natural' circumstances led Hitler to totalitarianism, Stalin deliberately anticipated totalitarianism, or perhaps he was merely fulfilling his (Hegelian) historic role."

Tags:fascism, germany, hitler, class

Abstract
This paper embarks on an examination of the theories of Marxism and argues that a specific engagement with "The Communist Manifesto" should prove to be fruitful in fulfilling this task. It points out that the theories of Marxism were based on the notion that the degeneration of capitalism would contribute to its eventual downfall, however the antithesis of degeneration has occurred. Hence, one could argue that the theories of Marxism carry no more relevance in an age of global capitalism. Despite this, this paper goes on to contend that to leave ones analysis at this would make it incomplete. One needs to go below the surface and back to "The Communist Manifesto" where amongst the passages one will find Marx and Engels anticipating and providing a vivid account of the global capitalism the world is now experiencing and a number of examples to support this are cited. Further evidence is cited which explains the reasons why the proletariat have not revolted. It concludes by noting that countless changes have occurred in the world since "The Communist Manifesto" was written which may well have led to a decline in the "fashion" and significance of Marxist theories.

From the Paper
"Central to Mar's views on the capitalist system lies his notion of "surplus value" which is the difference between the value of capital at the start of the capitalist production process and the additional value of commodities, which are produced. Surplus value only occurs in capitalist societies. The critical point that Marx makes is that the bourgeoisie or the minority of individuals appropriate surplus value or profit, which is in reality, produced by the rest of society namely the proletariat. Someone else reaps the product of their labor, they have invested their time and efforts in it, yet it is taken away from them. The profits of capitalist depend on the exploitation of the worker."

Tags:bourgeoisie, communism, engels, manifesto, proletariat, revolution

Abstract
This paper is a comparison between the political theories of John Rawls and Robert Nozick and their opinions on distributive justice. Very emotive examples are utilised throughout this paper and the welfare state and the legitimacy of such a system is discussed. The Rawls' 'veil of ignorance' to legitimise the welfare state is described and the counter arguments of Nozick are reviewed. Finally, there is also a mention of morality and philanthropy.

From the Paper
"Rawls's theory is based upon the view that there should be an equal distribution of the wealth of society among all individuals, where "everyone should have an equal share" (Clayton et al, 2002, p165). He believes that all individuals have an equal claim to these benefits and that individuals should not be "advantaged or disadvantaged by natural future or social circumstances" (John Rawls, 1971, p18) in their lives which they have no direct control over, such as family, social class, and physical and mental attributes. His view is that men are born into different positions within society and so they have different expectations of life determined, in part by the political system, as well as by economic and social circumstances and in this way the institutions of society "favour certain starting places over others" (Ibid, 1971, p7). "

Tags:Veil, of, Ignorance, welfare, state, Rights, liberties, Locke

Abstract
Game theory is the use of mathematical models to predict the outcome of a dispute or interaction between two or more independent actors. It has been applied in a wide range of contexts, including gambling, business and international relations. This essay examines the importance of game theory when analyzing the foreign policy decision-making process. It argues that while simple games such as the Prisoner's Dilemma may not illuminate the process on their own, more complex models can offer a systemic device by which foreign policy can be analyzed more accurately.

From the Paper
"Perhaps the most widely recognized game is the Prisoner's Dilemma, which examines the choices faced by two people arrested for the same crime, and observes the likelihood that they would both accuse the other one, and thus both go to jail. When used in foreign policy analysis, it is often used to describe the nature of arms races, or the possibility of nuclear fallout. This is a non-zero-sum game, a game where it is possible for both players to lose, or to win (as opposed to a zero-sum game, where one actor's gain is always equal to another actor's loss)."

Tags:bureaucratic, cuban, nash, policon

Abstract
By exploring the idea of a nation state as an 'imagined community' this study tackles the difficult issue of national identity. It explores the cultural characteristics that contribute to the boundary construction of collective ideologies - territory, race, language and others. Drawing from a wide range of sources, the paper considers how crucial the feelings and perceptions of nationalism are to the objective existence of the state.

From the Paper
"Anyone can declare a nation into existence." (Beissinger 1988: 173). There are many different definitions of a "nation". This essay aims to weigh up Benedict Anderson's definition of a nation as an "imagined community" and explore its claims. Criticisms of subjective definitions are investigated, in a brave attempt to consider other perspectives. A "nation-state" is separate from the "nation" under discussion; it refers to a political set-up with appropriate institutions involved in governance over a spatially bounded territory and the policing of it.

Tags:anderson, benedict, gellner, nationalism, state

Abstract
This paper examines the concepts of modernisation and dependency theory in relation to developed and undeveloped countries. It shows how the theories are very different in their approach and the eventual outcomes of their analysis of the world system lead to very different ideas as to how the undeveloped world can "catch up" with the western world. It attempts to address the different elements inherent within the two theories, highlighting any differences and similarities and how they may be applied in the current global environment.

From the Paper
"The theory of Dependency was according to Chong-Ya: "in vogue in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s," although its origins as an established critique stem from the inauguration of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) in 1948. The major role of the ECLA was to initiate "more systematic economic research" whilst it also "necessitated a policy of import substitution, later systematized into a fully-fledged development strategy." Yet the theory still holds weight in light of the increase in supposed exploitative agents. Recent globalization is thought to have been the origin of the exponential growth of the dominance of multi-national largely western corporations in the world system."

Tags:america, debate, dependency, development, international, latin, north, relations, south, third, world