ENGL 298 B: Intermediate Writing Social Sciences   Autumn 2011, University of Washington

I have been very pleased, so far, with my political theory assignments.  I feel as though I have learned a great deal in this class about how to become a better writer, and I have learned many new concepts from Professor DiStefano about political theory as well.  The most difficult aspect of political theory, so far, has been writing about Locke.  I would not say it is a hard subject matter necessarily, but it was definitely the most difficult concept for me to grasp.  There are many things to learn about in Locke’s state of nature, state of war, natural rights, etc. and especially when having to compare these things to Hobbes. I think Locke may have been hard for me to grasp because there is so much to learn about his philosophy, and I would often become confused when comparing his theories to Hobbes’ theories. Personally, the easiest concept for me to write about was Plato.   I think Plato’s recollection of Socrates is very straightforward when reading, and the underlying concepts, such as tacit consent and the Socratic Method, are easy to understand.  I, overall, have enjoyed learning about the different political theories and I embrace the challenging philosophies as more of a learning experience.