Who possesses or exercises power, and how do these people or groups justify and legitimate their power? Does power primarily work negatively to repress, confine, and punish us, or does it primarily work positively to cultivate and direct our capacities?

The goal of these papers is to help you to synthesize the course materials and begin preparing for the longer papers. Your papers may respond to any combination of two assigned readings for that unit, but should focus on synthesizing the unit by putting those two texts in conversation to show how putting these texts together sharpens and improves our understanding of power. Your analysis should focus on the dimensions of the texts related to power, do not simply reconstruct the theories writ large. A successful response paper will addressin depthone or two of the questions outlined in the course description. Make judicious use of quotationsI am interested in your voice, reading, and analysis of the text. course description that can be seized, possessed, and displayed, or is its influence only visible in its effects?If power does encourage and enable us to develop and flourish, what social groups are systematically excluded from these positive incitements of power? Do we obey power begrudgingly, or might we find pleasure and reward in complying with its imperatives? How have the forms taken by and the tactics employed by power that is, the nature and aims of power changed dramatically over the ancient, modern, and post-modern eras? If power is increasingly scattered and invisible, how might we meaningfully resist it? readings: Machiavelli, The Prince, Ch. I-III, VI-VIII, X, XII-XV, XVIII-XIX (57 pgs) Locke, Second Treatise, Ch. 1-7, 9, 11, 13, 19 (76 pgs . Mill, On Liberty, Ch. 1, 3, 4 (50 pgs) Rousseau, Second Discourse, Parts One & Two (55 pgs)