Social and Political Philosophy - Classical and Modern Western Philosophy - Philosophy Previous Year Questions

1

2022 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2022

Karl Marx in his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts discusses various forms of alienation within capitalist society. Which of the following appear(s) in Marx’s list of alienation?

A

From the product of one’s labour

B

From one’s species-being

C

From one another

D

From one’s natural rights

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2

2023 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2023

Marx introduces the concept of ‘commodity fetishism’ in Capital. Which one of the following is a correct description of the concept?

A

The reflection of human spiritual capacities in the material product

B

The reflection of human needs in the material product

C

The reflection of the social character of human labour in the material product

D

The reflection of the dignity of human labour in the material product

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3

2023 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2023

In Plato’s Republic, the virtue of moderation is present:

A

Only in the guardians

B

In the auxiliaries and guardians

C

Only in the money makers

D

Throughout the republic

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4

2024 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2024

Which of the following combinations of the idea and thinker is/are CORRECT?

A

Life in the state of nature as nasty, brutish and short: Thomas Hobbes

B

Economics is the base structure of all reality: John Locke

C

Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains: J.J. Rousseau

D

Life in the state of nature is a state of total freedom and equality bounded by the laws of nature: Karl Marx

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5

2025 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2025

In proposing the ‘state of nature’ and the ‘ground of legitimate government’, Thomas Hobbes would agree on which of the following?

A

In the state of nature, rights cannot be enforced

B

The sovereign power creates the possibility of a just order

C

The agreement among all cannot be rational to the extent that each person benefits from it

D

The sovereign lies within the contract which creates it, and therefore, is bound by its terms

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6

2025 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences-Philosophy (XH-C4) 2025

Which among the following is/are advocated by Karl Marx in proposing the Dialectical process?

A

Accepting that the driving force of history is humans’ relation to matter

B

Acknowledging that both the knower and the thing known are in continual process of mutual adaptation

C

Interpreting the world as moving in the direction of increasing abstraction

D

Accepting the thesis that it is “Spirit” that causes history to develop

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7

2026 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences - Philosophy (XH-C4) 2026

According to Marx, “Religion is the heart of a heartless world”. Which one of the following concepts helps most in explicating this statement?

A

Atheism

B

Alienation

C

Surplus value

D

Secularism

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8

2026 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences - Philosophy (XH-C4) 2026

Which of the following philosophers do/does NOT take the primary aim of the state to be the production of eudaimonia among its citizens?

A

Locke

B

Aristotle

C

Hobbes

D

Bentham

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9

2026 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences - Philosophy (XH-C4) 2026

“The consumption of alcohol is a purely private matter. As long as it doesn’t have adverse effects on third parties, and it is consumed by competent adults, the State should not prohibit it”.
Which one of the following principles does this argument illustrate most closely?

A

Mill’s Harm Principle

B

Aristotle’s Golden Mean

C

Kant’s Categorical Imperative

D

Gandhi’s Principle of Non-violence

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10

2026 · Philosophy · Classical and Modern Western Philosophy · Social and Political Philosophy

Humanities & Social Sciences - Philosophy (XH-C4) 2026

Which one of the following considerations leads Socrates, in Plato’s Republic, to introduce the analogy between the city and the individual?

A

To understand the nature of justice in the individual, it is helpful to first understand the nature of justice in the city, since justice in the city will be easier to recognize because of its larger scale.

B

To understand the nature of justice in the city, it is helpful to first understand the nature of justice in the individual, since justice in the individual will be easier to recognize because of its smaller scale.

C

Justice in individuals is only possible if they live in a city.

D

Justice involves a social contract between individuals and a city.

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