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VICPoliticsUnit 4: Global challenges

Quick questions on Realism and cosmopolitanism in global ethics: VCE Politics

6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.

What is realism?
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Realism holds that states are the primary actors in an anarchic international system with no authority above them. From this perspective:
What is cosmopolitanism?
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Cosmopolitanism holds that all human beings belong to a single moral community and have obligations to one another regardless of borders. From this perspective:
What is using the perspectives to judge?
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The best answers do not just label positions; they use the contrast to explain why responses succeed or fail. Responses driven by cosmopolitan principle often founder on realist resistance, because states protect sovereignty and interest. Recognising this tension explains why the international community sets ambitious norms yet enforces them unevenly.
What is q1?
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Define realism and cosmopolitanism as ethical perspectives. [4 marks]
What is q2?
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Explain how realist and cosmopolitan perspectives produce opposite positions on one global ethical issue. [6 marks]
What is q3?
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Analyse how the tension between realism and cosmopolitanism explains the uneven effectiveness of responses to a global ethical issue. [10 marks]

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