Assessed Essay Topics

 

(MPhil in Economics and Development Studies, 2004-2005)

 

The following list of assessed essay topics and responses aims to demystify the process of essay writing and examination at Cambridge.  Lack of formal assessment, till the end of the year, makes it hard to determine one’s standing at the University.  These responses demonstrate what typical graduate essays are like (or rather, were like in 2004-2005).  Remember, not all essays are of distinction quality; but all secured a passing grade.

 

What is the key to getting a decent grade?  Simple: answer the question! And, if you can, adhere to the limits set forth – like word limit for essays, which was 2000 words per essay in 04-05 – by the instructor.

 

This link points to useful guidance on how to write philosophy papers. Useful material on how to incorporate citations is available here.  Finally, if you would like a printer friendly version of the following essay questions, click here; and this link provides some guidance given by Dr. Meeks on specific essay topics.

 

Assessed essay topics:

 

1.      Invent an example to illustrate the following form of attack on utilitarianism:

in situation Z, utilitarianism implies one ought to do P; but doing P [or doing P on utilitarian grounds alone] is morally repugnant; so utilitarianism should be rejected.  Use the example to illustrate ways in which such an attack could be resisted.   Do any leading critical cases in the literature seem especially resistible in one or more of these ways?  Do any still seem strong?  Does your analysis suggest any conclusions about the effectiveness of this method of criticism?

 

Response 1   by Maryam Tanwir

 

2a.  ‘For many evaluative purposes, the appropriate “space” is neither that of utilities (as claimed by welfarists), nor that of primary goods (as demanded by Rawls), but that of the substantive freedoms – the capabilities – to choose a life one has reason to value’ (Sen).  Explain the basis for this view; and outline what problems might arise in making capabilities the evaluative space.  How far do you agree with Sen’s claim?

 

Response 1   by John Ssegendo

 

OR 2b.  Compare the cases of a starving man in a famine, a fasting priest, a person with very expensive tastes in food, and an undernourished Indian wife nourishing her husband, in order to investigate advantages and difficulties in taking ‘the appropriate “space”’ for much evaluation to be ‘that of the substantive freedoms – the capabilities – to choose a life one has reason to value’ (Sen).

 

Response 1   by Mariah Mansvelt Beck

Response 2

 

3.  ‘A society that puts freedom first will, as a happy by-product, end up with both greater freedom and greater equality’ (Friedman, M. and R.).  ‘A large measure of equality, so far from being inimical to liberty, is essential to it’ (Tawney).   Discuss what these writers mean by the terms ‘equality’ and ‘freedom/liberty’.  Analyse and comment on the relationships they see between these concepts.  Is it possible to draw any moral about the requirements for a ‘free’ society?

 

Response 1   by Mariah Mansvelt Beck

Response 2   by Maryam Tanwir

 

4.  ‘The assertion…that poverty is a value judgment…suffers from difficulties’ (Sen).  Consider possible links between the following statements and outline arguments that could be presented for each:

(i)                  judgments of poverty are theory-laden;

(ii)                judgments of poverty are value-laden;

(iii)               judgments of poverty can be judgments of fact.

Using your analysis, discuss the assertion that poverty is a value judgment.

 

Response 1   by Mariah Mansvelt Beck

 

5.   Amartya Sense is making a reasoned choice of a piece of fruit from a basket passed round at a dinner party.  Filling in background circumstances as required, catalogue a range of  bases on which his selection might be made and examine what  role, if any, self-interest could be held to play in each of them.   Do you think that there is a clear relationship between choice, preference and self-interest?

 

Response 1   by Mariah Mansvelt Beck

Response 2   by Maryam Tanwir

Response 3   by John Ssegendo

Response 4

 

6.  ‘Transitivity is a matter of language, not of behaviour’ (Anand).  ‘If we individuate to the finest degree, practical preferences are not constrained at all by transitivity’ (Broome).  Carefully compare these arguments and then comment on the proposition that transitivity is a requirement of rationality.

 

7.  The standard definition of rationality in economics is both ‘unreasonably demanding and unreasonably permissive’ (Kahneman, Marshall lectures 2005).  Explain the grounds for such a view.   Could it still be maintained that it is reasonable to use this definition?  

 

8.  ‘We should not conclude from [my analysis of the state of long-term expectation] that everything depends on waves of irrational psychology’ (Keynes).  Why not?  Is the balance Keynes seeks to strike between powerful irrational factors and the endeavours of ‘our rational selves’ an uneasy one?

 

Response 1

 

9.  Analyse and discuss the proposition that, since neither Popper’s method of conjecture and refutation nor Kuhn’s concept of scientific revolution applies satisfactorily in economics, it is a waste of time for economists to study the philosophy of science.

            [Note: Paper 14 candidates may choose to substitute ‘development economics’ or ‘the social sciences’ for ‘economics’, and similarly for ‘economists’.]

 

10.  ‘Happiness...can be measured’ (Layard).   How convincing is Layard’s recent argument that  advances in scientific measurement techniques now defeat the claim that problems in assessing happiness mean it cannot function effectively as the social maximand? 

 

Response 1   by Maryam Tanwir

Response 2   by John Ssegendo

 

Additional option for Development Studies candidates only: for your 4th essay, you may write on a question you devise yourself within the area of the course.  However, please note that (a) I take the ‘area of the course’ to be quite narrowly defined; (b) the question must be very well specified and must promise to be feasible within the limited time-span; (c) you will need to clear your proposed question with me first, well ahead of the deadline; (d) this may well prove to be a more difficult route than answering another of questions 1 – 10.

 

(Dr. J G M Meeks)