Intro Philosophy Test 1

What is the problem of evil?

"If God exists, and is all-good and all-powerful, why is there suffering and evil in the world?"

What are Clarks argument against Clifford?

1) Clifford's maxim does not live up to own standard. (Clark is wrong, Clifford does present evidence.) 2) Human can't live up to Clifford's Maxim

What are some objections to Pascals claim?

1. Premise 2 is questionable b/c he gets the math wrong. 2. Belief isn't a bet b/c we largely don't have a choice in what we believe. 3. The wager cheapens religious belief (People believe in God only for the reward) 4. The many gods objection (Pascal's claim is only directed to the christian god) 5. You can't force a belief.

What are objections to Paley's claim?

1. Random Chance 2. Supernatural Design 3. Evolution 4. Premise 2 of Paley is a false analogy

What justifies a belief?

A belief is justified in proportion to how much evidence is has

What does the Trolly experiment show?

A persons moral and ethics.

What is an example Clark used to define his principle?

A random letter saying your spouse cheated.

inductive reasoning

A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations. (Every time you eat peanuts, you start to cough. You are allergic to peanuts.)

Normative Claim

Aim to tell us how they world should be, express value judgement

What is the payoff principle?

Among the actions/beliefs available to you, you should do/accept the ones which have the highest payoff.

What is theodicy?

An apology or a way of accepting god's doing

What are pragmatic arguments?

Arguments that support their conclusion with considerations of practicality over truth.

What are theological arguments?

Arguments that support their conclusions with consideration of purpose.

What is Paley's argument?

Complexity means it has a creator. The universe is complex which means it must have someone behind the scenes.

False Dichotomy

Consists of a consideration of only the two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities

What is Pascal's Argument?

Expected payoff believing in God exceeds the expected payoff of not believing in God. (God is incomprehensible, therefore we can't fathom evidence of him.)

What is a weak statement Clark used to support his principle?

God gave his awareness to everyone. If you don't believe in God, you're pushing aside that awareness.

What is Clifford's Principle?

It is immoral for anyone in any case to believe anything based on insufficient evidence.

What is Clarks Principle?

It rational to believe in God without evidence.

Why does Clark believe it is rational to believe in God? (three reasons)

P1. We have to take some beliefs on faith P2. God has given us an awareness of himself that is not dependent on theistic arguments P3. belief in God is more like belief in a person than belief in a scientiic theory

Who's principle has a false dichotomy?

Paley - Design flaws in nature challenge the existence of the designer

What is logic?

Reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity

What is one problem with Paley's Argument?

The watch story is inconsistent with the theory of one God. (It takes many people to make one watch)

Problems with Clifford's Principle?

This argument over-generates *over-generates means generates more conclusions than we are willing to accept.

Rebuttals to Clarks Premise's:

What counts as evidence? What counts as insufficient evidence? Premise one of Clarks statement is not buyable

Should we reject Clifford's Maxim?

Yes, it would require people to not believe in others, and giving up ones belief can make it impossible to thrive in life - bleak existence.

What are exceptions to Clifford's Principle?

aesthetic beliefs (ex. taste in music), Confidence in oneself

Descriptive claim

matter of fact that aim to describe the world

deductive reasoning

reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)

Reformed Epistemology

states belief in God is rational even without irrefutable evidence or proof

What is analytic philosophy?

t is characterized by an emphasis on argumentative clarity and precision, often making use of formal logic, conceptual analysis, and, to a lesser degree, mathematics and the natural sciences.

Evidentialism

the view that we are justified in believing something only if it is supported by sufficient evidence