Philosophy 101 - Midterm

Front 1

Briefly explain the trial of socrates. What are the main ideas present and do you agree or disagree with these ideas?

Back 1

Socrates was sentenced to death for corrupting the youth and being an athiest. He sought out the oracle of Delphi who said: no man is more wise than Socrates. Through his investigations he gathered that every man was wise in his own profession but didn't know anything outside of that which was the case. He taught that you should question authority and wonder why they have the power against you since they are only in the positions because man put them there. I agree with his ideas, I think that no one has the authority to change your own personal beliefs unless you come to the conclusion yourself.

Front 2

What is Descartes argument from doubt? What is he trying to prove is he successful? Why or why not?

Back 2

"I can doubt that my body exists. I cannot doubt that I exist as a thinking thing. I, a thinking thing, am not identical with my body."

He is trying to prove that the mind is separate from the body since you can doubt the body away you cannot doubt your own personal self away so in that sense they are two separate things. I think he's successful because by using his reason he sort of proved that when all else fails all I have is my own personal mind and that everything else comes in a secondary package.

Front 3

Discuss the differences between rationalism and empiricism. Which theory of knowlege makes a better case and why?

Back 3

Rationalism is the belief that the only knowledge is acquired from reason alone. Empiricism is the belief that knowledge is gathered through sense experience.

I believe that empiricism is the best theory because through personal sense we can come to the conclusion on whether knowledge is viable ourselves, rather than listening to someoen elses form or reason which can often be construed to suit their own personal agenda.

Front 4

Explain a gettier style thought experiment. What is gettier trying to show? In your own opinion, what counts as having knowledge?

Back 4

The Gettier style thought experiment is trying to show that often there are pieces of questionable knowledge omitted from the truth. So, in the case with the two men trying to get a job: one subject knew that the person with the coins in his pocket was going to get the job. He didn't know which person so he jumped to the conclusion that the other person would when in fact he did. I think he's trying to show that if you think you know something even with the best information possible there could be other factors which deem your information as false. I think having knowledge is knowing the entire situation inside and out but it is impossible to know in full depth because of the limitations of ourselves and because information is often limited.

Front 5

Explain the argument in favor of hard determinism. How does this argument relate to moral responsibility? What objections are there to this argument? In your oninion, are those objections successful? Why or why not?

Back 5

Hard determinism is based on the idea that every action causes a reaction. So, our will is based on the reaction of other causes that came before we think we make the decision to do something which would limit our free will and expunge us from our moral responsibilities. So if you aren't in control of what you're doing and you're just reacting to situations or environmental activity then you are not responsible morally because you didn't have a choice in the matter of whether you were to do that action or not.

The objection is that if you can see the cause and effect from a broader perspective then you can tell the future and know exactly what people are going to do. Which is impossible due to there being no god.

I think they're successful to a point but then god is based on faith and you can't argue faith with reason which is what hard determinism is based off of.

Front 6

Explain the main theories of the self? Which theory is more successful and why?

Back 6

Illusion Theory: which states that there is no self that persists through time. We change from moment to moment and in a second you could be something entirely different based on what you think you are at this very moment.

Body Theory which states that we are the same person as long as we have the same body. 1

Soul theory: which is the same soul is the same person. If you could transfer a mind to another body will it remain the same person?

Memory theory: as long as we have memories we are the same person.

Front 7

Explain two arguments for dualism? How might a critic respond to these arguments?

Back 7

Religion which is based on pure faith that you are a spirit inside of a physical body. Since there is no actual reasonable arguement against faith.

Introspection: I think therefore I am - There is no way to tell if you're actually thinking or if anyone else is actually thinking as well. We could just be mechanical objects reading from a script.

Front 8

Epistemology

Back 8

The study of knowledge

Front 9

Metaphysics

Back 9

The theory of reality

Front 10

Literal definition of philosophy

Back 10

Love of wisdom or knowledge

Front 11

Kant - What is enlightenment

Back 11

Emergence from mans self-imposed immaturity

Front 12

Difference between public and private reason

Back 12

Public reason is free to all and private reason is narrowly restricted.

Front 13

Socratic Method

Back 13

The use of inquiry to make sure the student being asked understands the content clearly.

Front 14

Traditional definition of knowledge

Back 14

A true justified belief.

Front 15

Logical problem with global skepticism

Back 15

Global skepticism calls everything into question a priori without any arguments. People believe it without a doubt.

Front 16

What is magical thinking?

Back 16

Attributing relationships between actions and events that cannot be justified by reason and observation.

Front 17

Placebo Effect?

Back 17

A positive reaction to an inert substance labeled as real.

Front 18

Nocebo effect?

Back 18

An adverse reation to an inert substance.

Front 19

Innate Idea

Back 19

An idea without any empirical origin.

Front 20

Rationalism?

Back 20

Knowledge about reality that can be acquired through reason alone.

Front 21

Empiricism?

Back 21

Knowledge is gained through sense experience.

Front 22

What is a universal belief falsifier?

Back 22

Brain in a vat.

Front 23

What is a thought experiment? Give one example.

Back 23

A parable used to make people use their own imagination in order to understand the idea personally. "Thomson's growing baby."

Front 24

What is the principle of the uniformity of nature?

Back 24

The future will resemble the past.

Front 25

What is the old problem of induction?

Back 25

When a new event of one kind follows an event of another that was a pattern it is ignored due to assumption.

Front 26

What is the new problem of induction?

Back 26

How do we know which inductive conclusion is the right one to make given a particular set of observations?

Front 27

What is hard determinism?

Back 27

Since every event has a cause we have no free will and no moral responsibility.

Front 28

What is compatibilism?

Back 28

determinism is true but we do have moral responsibility.

Front 29

Difference between predeterminism and hard determinism?

Back 29

Predeterminism is decided from the beginning of the universe til the end of time and hard determinism is based on the cause and effect of human action.

Front 30

What is metaphysical freedom?

Back 30

Being able to CAN at any given moment. For instance I have the ability to scream at the top of my lungs and leave this room. I won't because I will get an F on this midterm.

Front 31

What is theological determinism?

Back 31

If god is all knowing then there is no free will.

Front 32

What is the principle of alternative possibilities?

Back 32

A person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherwise.

Front 33

How would Schopenhaur view romantic love?

Back 33

An animalistic need to procreate.

Front 34

How would a buddhist view the nature of the self?

Back 34

It is the main source of suffering.

Front 35

What is the problem of personal identity?

Back 35

You can change at any given moment.

Front 36

Difference between second and third wave feminism?

Back 36

Second wave had women in masculine attire and in more predominately masculine roles. Third wave had women in masculine roles but they chose to keep their femininity intact.

Front 37

What is Baumeister's key objection to the feminist critique of society?

Back 37

That the culture exploits men.

Front 38

What is dualism?

Back 38

That the mind and body are two separate things.

Front 39

What is idealism?

Back 39

Thoughts are dependent on the activity of the mind.

Front 40

What is physicalism?

Back 40

The only existing substance is physical.