MMW 15 Study Guide - Spring 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Totalitarianism, Capitalism, Cold War
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
MMW 15
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Outline Lecture One: Introduction to Themes of the Course
I) MMW15 as Culmination of a Thematic Sequence
a) Capstone course of the MMW sequence
b) Questions to ask as you conclude the sequence
(1) “What are the future challenges for me and for the world?”
(2) “Do I have a better sense of my place and role in the world as an individual?”
(3) What is the crucial difference between “having one’s own way” and “finding a
way that’s one’s own”?
c) The existential struggle between self and conformity
i) Wide array of forces that compel us to conform
ii) Struggle to fit in vs. semblance of independence
II) The Unresolved Question of Liberalism or “The Enlightenment Project”
a) The Legacy of Liberalism
i) Basis in the Enlightenment Movement, as well as in capitalism’s free market system
ii) Tension between simultaneously affirming the rights of the individual and the need
for that individual to conform
iii) Social contract meant to protect the rights of the people.
b) What is (Historical) Liberalism? What does it stand for?
i) Politically
(1) Historical liberalism: insist on individual rights of citizens, but also stood for self
determination of nation states
(2) Include rep. Govt based on social contract
(3) Adherence to the rule of law
ii) Economically
(1) Right to private property
(2) Favored Laissez Faire
(3) No taxation without representation
(a) Taxes okay only if people are represented
(4) When it comes to taxation, there should be a minimum level of taxation
iii) Socially
(1) Freedom of worship, expression,
(2) Education of informed citizenry
c) The Clash of “ISMs”
i) Direct connection between MMW 14 and MMW 15
(1) MMW 14—A course of emerging “isms” in the “long 19th century” 1789-1914
(a) 1789= French Rev
(b) 1914= Outbreak to WWI
(2) Clash of these “isms” as they matured in the “short 20th century” 1914-1989
(a) Nationalist movements against the encroachments of imperialism
(b) Communist and socialist revolutions against capitalism
(c) Liberalism against religious fundamentalism and reactionary conservatism
ii) Do these struggles still define our world today?
(1) Expansionist nationalism
(2) Nationalist aspirations for independence
(3) Liberalism vs. different forms of fundamentalisms
d) Emphasis on the “Beyond”
i) “History” did not end in 1989
ii) Lessons from the atrocities of the 20th century
(1) Thucydides: “A wise person with the understanding of history might actually
foresee events and help guide them…yet most people were not equipped to
understand history and apply its lessons to good use.”
Document Summary
France had imperic victory (triumph but at such an immense cost that victory was irrelevant) Industrial infrastructure was severely compromised: lucrative wartime role as arms and food supplier to the allies. American industries profited from having to sustain war. Turned u. s. into a global power: ideal vs. pragmatic agenda, wilson"s idealistic proclamation to make the world safe for democracy . To convince policymakers for u. s. to go to wawr (2) 1915 sinking of the lusitania targeted and sunk by german u boats (to disrupt supply line of u. s. boats) lucrative opportunity for american suppliers. German perspective: retaliation of british blockade on baltic sea. U. s. perspective: went against wilson"s belief of freedom of the sea, how dare. Germany do this: redress the colonial issue (article v, point iii) U. s. positioned self as opponent to imperialistic ventures (hypocritical bc u. s. saw central america as their own backyard) (1) called for an absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims .
