Swift's politics, human nature, satire

Analyze 'A Tale of a Tub' as a satirical allegory for the divisions in Western Christianity.

Explain Swift's critique of 'modern' learning and intellectual pride in 'A Tale of a Tub' and 'The Battle of the Books'.

Compare Swift's critique of abstract rationalism in 'The Battle of the Books' with Michael Oakeshott's critique of rationalism in politics.

Summarize the historical context and purpose of Swift's pamphlet 'The Conduct of the Allies'.

Analyze Swift's economic and political arguments against the War of the Spanish Succession in 'The Conduct of the Allies'.

Characterize Swift's political principles during his Tory phase (c. 1710-1714), focusing on his views on monarchy, aristocracy, and the Church.

Contrast Swift's Tory vision of a balanced constitution with the Whig political philosophy derived from John Locke.

Explain the economic and political context of the 'Wood's Halfpence' controversy in Ireland.

Analyze the rhetorical strategies in 'The Drapier's Letters' used to mobilize Irish public opinion.

Deconstruct the argument in 'A Modest Proposal', explaining how Swift uses extreme irony to critique English exploitation and Irish passivity.

Evaluate 'A Modest Proposal' as a work of political rhetoric, connecting its method to your study of policy ethics.

Interpret the political allegory of Lilliput in Part I of 'Gulliver's Travels', connecting its disputes to 18th-century English politics.

Analyze the King of Brobdingnag's critique of European society, law, and warfare in Part II of 'Gulliver's Travels'.

Analyze the satire of abstract intellectualism in Part III ('A Voyage to Laputa'), connecting the 'projectors' to Hayek's 'knowledge problem'.

Describe the societies of the Yahoos and Houyhnhnms in Part IV, focusing on their relationship to reason and passion.

Debate whether the hyper-rational Houyhnhnms represent a utopian ideal or a critique of life devoid of human passion.

Analyze Swift's statement on human nature through Gulliver's position between the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms.

Synthesize Swift's view of human nature, drawing evidence from 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'A Modest Proposal'.

Contrast Swift's cynical view of human nature with the more optimistic conceptions of human potential found in the works of John Locke and John Stuart Mill.

Analyze Swift's concept of 'liberty' as it appears in his Irish tracts, comparing it to Isaiah Berlin's concepts of negative and positive liberty.

Evaluate whether Swift should be considered a misanthrope or a moralist, using evidence from his major works.

Assess the coherence of Swift's political thought, classifying him as a reactionary, a radical, or a pragmatic conservative.

Formulate a final thesis on how Swift's critique of human nature serves as a counter-narrative to the dominant Enlightenment belief in reason and progress.