Discussion Questions on Swift on Community

1. What relations are there between philosophical communitarianism and political communitarianism?

2. On page 138 Swift lists 7 criticisms of liberalism that he then develops and responds to. What is the unifying thread? What is it that communitarians really don't like about liberalism?

3. What defines liberalism? In what sense are Locke and Teddy Kennedy both liberals?

4. What is "community" and why is community important?

5. In a famous Supreme Court case involving Amish in Wisconsin, the court judged that freedom of religion implies that the Amish have the right to take their children out of school after 8th grade. Do you think that was a good decision? How does it bear on communitarianism vs. liberalism?