Philosophy 101

Introduction to Philosophy

Spring 2005


Study Guide for Examination #3


See the previous Study Guides for (i) the distinction between presenting a theory vs. presenting an argument, and (ii) instructions on how to Present, Explain, and Evaluate an argument.

 

0.         Be prepared to Extract, Explain, and Evaluate an argument from an unfamiliar text.

 

1.         Define the following terms: ‘theist’, ‘atheist’, ‘agnostic’.

 

2.         Define the terms ‘epistemic reason’ and ‘practical reason’. PEE Pascal’s Wager. Your evaluation should mention the problem of other gods.

 

3.         Define the following terms: ‘God’, ‘supreme’, ‘perfection’.

 

4.         Define the following terms: ‘omnipotent’, ‘omniscient’, ‘omnibenevolent’, ‘necessary existent’. For each of these properties, state why it has been traditionally thought to be a perfection.

 

5.         Define the terms ‘creative’ and ‘incorporeal’.

 

6.         State the Final Principle about God. This is the principle which gives our final set of necessary and sufficient conditions for being God: “x is God iff x is the omnipotent, etc.” (Be sure to distinguish between this Principle and our official definition of ‘God’.)

 

7.         PEE the Argument from Scripture, the Argument from Consent, and the Argument from Religious Experience.

 

8.         State the Principle of Universal Causation for Objects. Give some reasons for believing it. PEE the First, Second, and Third Cosmological Arguments. Draw appropriate diagrams to illustrate each argument. In your evaluations of the first two arguments, you should explain why it is impossible for them to be sound (explain why their premises are inconsistent).

 

9.         Define the following terms: ‘the world’, ‘independent’, ‘sufficient reason’. State the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Draw a diagram illustrating Leibniz’s conception of God’s relation to the world. PEE Leibniz’s Argument from Sufficient Reason. In your evaluation, you should present objections to both the first and the second premise. (On of these objections may appeal to the fallacy of composition.)


 

 

10.       PEE Paley’s Argument from Design. Present two criticisms of the argument. One of them should concern whether the (alleged) designer is God.

 

11.       PEE Descartes’s Ontological Argument. In your evaluation, you should mention the example of the Universal Creditor and explain its relevance to the argument.

 

12.       State Anselm’s definition of ‘God’. Define the terms ‘exists in reality’, ‘exists in the intellect’, and ‘exists only in the intellect’. State Anselm’s Ontological Axiom. PEE Anselm’s Ontological Argument. In your evaluation, present Gaunilo’s Parody and explain what it shows about Anselm’s argument.

 

13.       PEE the Argument from Evil, First Version. Explain the term ‘adequate solution to the Problem of Evil’. In your evaluation, be prepared to discuss at least the following objections to the argument. For each of these objections, be sure to say which premise, if any, it denies in the argument, and whether it is an adequate solution. Be able to discuss replies to these objections.

            a.         The mystery response.

            b.         God is not omniscient.

            c.         God is not omnipotent.

            d.         God is not omnibenevolent.

            e.         God’s goodness is not our goodness.

            f.         Manicheanism.

            g.         There is no evil. Be prepared to describe the following two (mutually inconsistent) reasons for saying that there is no evil:

                        (i)        All evil is just the absence of good.

                        (ii)       Everything that appears to be evil is really intrinsically good.

            h.         The existence of some evil is necessary for the existence of any good at all.

 

14.       PEE the Argument from Evil, Revised Version. Be prepared to explain the motivation for revising the original Argument from Evil. In your evaluation, be prepared to discuss at least the following objections to the argument. For each objection, be sure to say which premise, if any, it denies in the argument. Be prepared to discuss replies to those objections.

            i.         All evil exists to allow for certain higher-level goods.

            j.         All evil is due to human free will (the Free Will Defense) Be prepared to consider several replies to this objection.