Q.1 Which contemporary political thinker is best known for the concept of 'Justice as Fairness'?
John Rawls
Robert Nozick
Michel Foucault
Antonio Gramsci
Explanation - John Rawls developed the theory of 'Justice as Fairness' in his book 'A Theory of Justice' (1971), emphasizing equality and the original position.
Correct answer is: John Rawls
Q.2 Robert Nozick is most associated with which political philosophy?
Libertarianism
Socialism
Communitarianism
Feminism
Explanation - Robert Nozick, in 'Anarchy, State, and Utopia' (1974), argues for minimal state intervention and individual property rights, key tenets of libertarianism.
Correct answer is: Libertarianism
Q.3 Which thinker is known for the idea of 'biopolitics'?
Michel Foucault
Hannah Arendt
Jürgen Habermas
Chantal Mouffe
Explanation - Foucault introduced 'biopolitics' to describe how modern states regulate populations through various forms of surveillance and control.
Correct answer is: Michel Foucault
Q.4 Who argued that 'the personal is political'?
Simone de Beauvoir
Betty Friedan
Carol Pateman
Hannah Arendt
Explanation - Carol Pateman emphasized in her feminist theory that personal experiences, especially regarding gender, are deeply connected to political structures.
Correct answer is: Carol Pateman
Q.5 Jürgen Habermas is best known for his theory of:
Communicative action
Structural functionalism
Discourse ethics
Political realism
Explanation - Habermas developed the 'Theory of Communicative Action', focusing on rational discourse and consensus in democratic societies.
Correct answer is: Communicative action
Q.6 Which thinker focused on the 'public sphere' and its role in democracy?
Jürgen Habermas
John Rawls
Antonio Gramsci
Robert Dahl
Explanation - Habermas highlighted the importance of the 'public sphere' where citizens engage in rational debate to influence political action.
Correct answer is: Jürgen Habermas
Q.7 Antonio Gramsci is best known for his concept of:
Cultural hegemony
Social contract
Political liberalism
Deliberative democracy
Explanation - Gramsci introduced 'cultural hegemony' to explain how the ruling class maintains dominance not just through force but by shaping culture and ideology.
Correct answer is: Cultural hegemony
Q.8 Which contemporary thinker emphasized 'deliberative democracy'?
Jürgen Habermas
John Rawls
Robert Nozick
Michel Foucault
Explanation - Habermas argued that democracy should involve rational deliberation among citizens rather than mere aggregation of votes.
Correct answer is: Jürgen Habermas
Q.9 Chantal Mouffe is associated with the concept of:
Agonistic pluralism
Social contract
Libertarian democracy
Biopolitics
Explanation - Mouffe advocates 'agonistic pluralism', where political conflicts are acknowledged as inevitable but channeled constructively within democracy.
Correct answer is: Agonistic pluralism
Q.10 Who critiqued liberal feminism for ignoring power structures?
Simone de Beauvoir
bell hooks
Carol Pateman
Betty Friedan
Explanation - Pateman critiqued liberal feminism for not addressing fundamental patriarchal and power inequalities embedded in social and political institutions.
Correct answer is: Carol Pateman
Q.11 Which thinker explored the relationship between power and knowledge?
Michel Foucault
Robert Nozick
John Rawls
Hannah Arendt
Explanation - Foucault argued that knowledge and power are intertwined; those who control knowledge can exert social and political control.
Correct answer is: Michel Foucault
Q.12 Hannah Arendt is best known for her work on:
Totalitarianism
Justice as fairness
Cultural hegemony
Deliberative democracy
Explanation - Arendt analyzed totalitarian regimes, emphasizing the mechanisms of oppression and the role of ideology in controlling societies.
Correct answer is: Totalitarianism
Q.13 Which thinker introduced the concept of 'the banality of evil'?
Hannah Arendt
John Rawls
Michel Foucault
Antonio Gramsci
Explanation - Arendt used this concept in 'Eichmann in Jerusalem' to show that ordinary individuals can commit atrocities without malicious intent, through thoughtlessness or conformity.
Correct answer is: Hannah Arendt
Q.14 bell hooks is primarily known for her work on:
Intersectional feminism
Libertarianism
Communicative action
Cultural hegemony
Explanation - bell hooks highlighted how race, class, and gender intersect to shape experiences of oppression, emphasizing inclusive feminist theory.
Correct answer is: Intersectional feminism
Q.15 Which thinker emphasized the importance of civil society in political transformation?
Antonio Gramsci
Robert Dahl
Jürgen Habermas
John Rawls
Explanation - Gramsci believed civil society is a site of cultural struggle, crucial for establishing social change and challenging hegemonic power.
Correct answer is: Antonio Gramsci
Q.16 Which contemporary thinker focused on the critique of neoliberalism?
David Harvey
John Rawls
Robert Nozick
Hannah Arendt
Explanation - David Harvey critiques neoliberalism for increasing inequality and concentrating wealth, emphasizing social justice and urban political economy.
Correct answer is: David Harvey
Q.17 Martha Nussbaum is known for her capability approach. This approach focuses on:
Individual freedoms and opportunities
Maximizing economic growth
State power and control
Cultural hegemony
Explanation - Nussbaum’s capability approach emphasizes what individuals are able to do and be, advocating for policies that expand real freedoms.
Correct answer is: Individual freedoms and opportunities
Q.18 Which thinker argued that ideology shapes our perception of reality and social relations?
Antonio Gramsci
Michel Foucault
Robert Nozick
Jürgen Habermas
Explanation - Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony explains how dominant groups maintain power by influencing societal norms, ideas, and values.
Correct answer is: Antonio Gramsci
Q.19 Which contemporary thinker is known for ecofeminism?
Vandana Shiva
bell hooks
Carol Pateman
Martha Nussbaum
Explanation - Vandana Shiva links environmental issues with feminism, highlighting how ecological degradation disproportionately affects women and marginalized groups.
Correct answer is: Vandana Shiva
Q.20 Which thinker focused on the ethics of care in political theory?
Carol Gilligan
Robert Nozick
John Rawls
Chantal Mouffe
Explanation - Gilligan emphasized the importance of relational and context-based ethics, arguing that traditional moral theories often overlook care and relationships.
Correct answer is: Carol Gilligan
Q.21 Which thinker critiqued the liberal social contract from a feminist perspective?
Carole Pateman
Simone de Beauvoir
bell hooks
Martha Nussbaum
Explanation - Pateman argued that the social contract in traditional political theory often ignores gender inequalities, perpetuating patriarchal power structures.
Correct answer is: Carole Pateman
Q.22 Which thinker argued that democracy should embrace disagreement and conflict?
Chantal Mouffe
John Rawls
Michel Foucault
Antonio Gramsci
Explanation - Mouffe’s agonistic pluralism emphasizes that political conflict is inevitable and democracy should allow structured spaces for debate and disagreement.
Correct answer is: Chantal Mouffe
Q.23 Who introduced the concept of 'deliberative democracy' emphasizing rational discussion among citizens?
Jürgen Habermas
Robert Nozick
Antonio Gramsci
David Harvey
Explanation - Habermas’s deliberative democracy theory advocates for informed, rational debate as the basis for legitimate democratic decisions.
Correct answer is: Jürgen Habermas
Q.24 Which thinker’s work focuses on race, class, and gender as interconnected systems of oppression?
bell hooks
Carol Pateman
Michel Foucault
Martha Nussbaum
Explanation - bell hooks emphasized intersectionality, showing how multiple social categories combine to influence experiences of oppression.
Correct answer is: bell hooks