philosophy final

A life with contentment is not necessarily a meaningful life, according to Taylor.

true

According to Chisholm, the problem of human freedom arises because humans are responsible agents, but this fact conflicts with both determinism and indeterminism.

true

According to Singer, we need to alter our moral conceptual scheme due to changes in how the world is set up.

true

According to Van Inwagen, the problem of free will and determinism is a problem about human powers.

true

Armstrong notes that before the seventeenth century—before the advent of modern science—there was little intellectual consensus.

true

Brittleness is an example of a disposition.

true

Descartes argues that God exists, because we have an idea of God and couldn't have created it ourselves.

true

Descartes is looking for an indubitable foundation for all of his knowledge.

true

For Chisholm, there is no significant difference between a belief or desire causing an action and another person causing someone's action.

true

For Taylor, the life of someone in a coma is just as meaningless as the life of an insect.

true

For Van Inwagen, if John is locked in a room, then he lacks free will in the matter of staying or leaving.

true

For physicalists, if I have complete physical knowledge of the world, then I know everything there is to know about the world.

true

Hume holds that the belief in the continued existence of objects is prior to the belief in the distinct existence of objects.

true

Searle argues that the Turing test is an invalid way to determine whether something shows understanding.

true

Singer takes our current patterns of spending to indicate that we value many superficial things more than we value the lives of people who are worse off than us.

true

The reason that Wolf's "Blob" case is an example of a meaningless life is that he is completely passive.

true

Wolf argues that a meaningful life is necessarily a happy life.

true

Which of the following best defines "qualia"? a. What it is like to feel an experience b. The physical explanation for a color c. The imagine the mind comes up with when it imagines a color d. A feature of something

a. What it is like to feel an experience.

What does Chisholm mean by "immanent cause"? a. An event or state of affairs causes another event or state of affairs b. An agent, as distinguished from an event, causes an event c. God's role in causing all events as the prime-mover d. A belief or desire causing an action

b. An agent, as distinguished from an event, causes an event.

Why, according to Searle, is the "brain simulator reply" an odd reply to Searle's thought experiment? a. Because for Strong AI, we don't have to know how the brain works to know how the mind works b. Because once a brain is simulated, we no longer have a machine; we have a person c. Because it actually supports Weak AI d. All of the above

a. Because for Strong AI, we don't have to know how the brain works to know how the mind works.

Which of the following isn't an aspect of a meaningful life, for Wolf? a. Engaging with moral value b. Activity c. Purposeful projects d. Engaging with something of positive value

a. Engaging with moral value.

Armstrong ultimately suggests that a philosophy of mind should... a. Follow the discoveries and hypotheses of science. b. Follow religious doctrines that are important to humanity. c. Be developed using strict logic. d. None of the above.

a. Follow the discoveries and hypotheses of science..

If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, according to Singer, then... a. If we can do it without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we should. b. It would be good for us to do it but not wrong for us not to do it. c. We should only do it if it means we don't have to give up our current way of life. d. We should do it regardless of any other considerations.

a. If we can do it without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we should..

If determinism is true, then it would take a ________ for other possible futures to obtain. a. Miracle b. Agent-cause c. God d. None of the above

a. Miracle.

What problem arises if God is understood to be the prime mover? a. No one is responsible for their actions b. Then no action is determined c. Then God cannot be responsible d. None of the above

a. No one is responsible for their actions.

What problem arises if we accept the indeterministic view of action, according to Chisholm? a. No one—nothing—is responsible for any actions b. Everyone is responsible for their actions c. God cannot be the prime mover d. None of the above

a. No one—nothing—is responsible for any actions.

What is meant by "determinism"? a. The thesis that only one continuation of the state of things is consistent with the laws of nature b. The thesis that there are many open possible futures c. The thesis that there probably are no possible alternative futures d. The thesis that free will is a matter of having the choice to make certain decisions

a. The thesis that only one continuation of the state of things is consistent with the laws of nature.

What, according to Hume, makes our perception of objects different from passions that we feel? a. We suppose the objects we perceive continue to exist when we stop perceiving them b. The perception of objects inherently involves reason c. The perception of objects is better understood than our unruly passions d. Hume posits no difference between these two things

a. We suppose the objects we perceive continue to exist when we stop perceiving them.

According to Singer, much suffering in the world... a. Is out of control of humans b. Could be reduced through human efforts c. Could only be reduced by making sacrifices we cannot ask people to make d. Is a result of patterns of wealth distribution due to capitalism

b. Could be reduced through human efforts.

Which of the following is a limit that the skeptic faces, according to Hume? a. Her assertions run contrary to everyday thought, and this isn't desirable b. Even though she asserts her belief or reason is not justified, she still must believe and reason thusly c. Skeptics can't justify themselves philosophically d. None of the above

b. Even though she asserts her belief or reason is not justified, she still must believe and reason thusly.

Most people believe that there can only be meaning in life if... a. Lives can be meaningful. b. God exists. c. Not all value is subjective. d. None of the above.

b. God exists..

According to Singer, if I am one among many people nearby as a child drowns... a. It is morally permissible that I don't help, as long as I urge others to help. b. I am no less obliged to help than I am if I am the only person nearby. c. I am less obliged to help than I am if I am the only person nearby, but I still should help. d. I am not obliged to help.

b. I am no less obliged to help than I am if I am the only person nearby..

Which of the following is Churchland's second point against the knowledge argument? a. The argument equivocates on the sense of "knows about" b. If the argument works against physicalism, then it also works against dualism c. That its claim that Mary couldn't imagine the relevant experience is false d. None of the above

b. If the argument works against physicalism, then it also works against dualism.

Why does Armstrong ultimately reject behaviorism? a. It is necessarily incompatible with a physicalist account of the mind b. It cannot account for the phenomenon of thinking c. It posits a "ghost in the machine" d. It cannot account for our 3rd-personal experience of behavior

b. It cannot account for the phenomenon of thinking.

Descartes finds reason to doubt everything because... a. It is possible that he is dreaming. b. It is possible that there is an evil demon deceiving him about everything. c. Sometimes his senses are mistaken. d. He has limited mental capacities.

b. It is possible that there is an evil demon deceiving him about everything..

According to Taylor, human life is... a. Necessarily meaningful. b. Possibly meaningful. c. Always meaningless. d. Subjectively meaningful only.

b. Possibly meaningful..

What scenario does Descartes imagine that is even more nefarious than dream skepticism? a. That we are in an experience machine b. That an evil demon is deceiving us c. That we are a brain in a vat d. None of the above

b. That an evil demon is deceiving us.

What is Searle's "Chinese room" thought experiment supposed to show? a. That computers aren't yet able to simulate the human ability to understand b. That understanding involves more than the ability to formally reproduce appropriate outputs c. That it is only possible for systems to demonstrate understanding d. That no machine can demonstrate genuine understanding

b. That understanding involves more than the ability to formally reproduce appropriate outputs.

What does Hume mean by the phrase "the double existence of objects and perceptions"? a. That perceptions cannot be of independent objects b. That we have a perception and it is of an object that exists independently of our perception c. That we have two perceptions of any given object d. That objects exist only in our perceptions

b. That we have a perception and it is of an object that exists independently of our perception.

What, roughly, is behaviorism? a. The view that we are composed of a mind and a body b. The view that the mind is simply part of physical behavior c. The view that we are simply physical and chemical processes d. The view that the mind is an inner principle

b. The view that the mind is simply part of physical behavior.

Why does Taylor think most people have accepted the traditional theological and philosophical reasons for life's being meaningful? a. They are convincing b. They are comforting c. They are demanding d. They put one in touch with something higher

b. They are comforting.

For Singer, the best way to prevent starvation is... a. Developing governments b. Through the donation of money c. Urging our governments to help those countries in need d. None of the above

b. Through the donation of money.

Why is the question "What is the meaning of life?" unclear, for Wolf? a. It is only intelligible if one is religious, and she is secular b. What is meant by "meaning" isn't obvious c. Because it isn't yet clear what meaningfulness is d. None of the above

b. What is meant by "meaning" isn't obvious.

According to Descartes, when is the will most free? a. When it has many options, none of which it must choose b. When it is certain about what to choose c. When it isn't certain about what to choose d. Our wills are not free, according to Descartes

b. When it is certain about what to choose.

Which of the following best describes the "systems reply" to Searle's thought experiment? a. We only attribute understanding to people because of their behavior, so we should for machines too b. While the individual in the room doesn't understand the story, the system she's a part of does c. There would be understanding if we put the system into a mechanism that walked around, perceiving d. None of the above

b. While the individual in the room doesn't understand the story, the system she's a part of does.

Who is René Descartes? a. A philosopher who argued that the brain in a vat inspired skepticism is incoherent b. A philosopher who created the "experience machine" thought experiment c. A philosopher who considered skeptical scenarios involving dreams and evil demons d. A philosopher who argued that we value more than what we can be conscious of

c. A philosopher who considered skeptical scenarios involving dreams and evil demons.

According to Descartes, which best describes the soul? a. A body b. Spiritual essence c. A thinking thing d. None of the above

c. A thinking thing.

For Descartes, why do we necessarily exist, despite the possibility that we're being deceived by an evil demon? a. Because it is wildly implausible that we're being deceived by an evil demon b. Because we cannot be deceived about mathematical truths c. Because even if we doubt our existence, we must exist to doubt it d. None of the above

c. Because even if we doubt our existence, we must exist to doubt it.

What common feature makes the lives of Sisyphus and the Quebecoise nuns meaningless? a. Both involve endless toil b. Both involve endless pain c. Both involve endless, purposelessness d. Both involve endless frustration

c. Both involve endless, purposelessness.

The Humean view of causes holds that... a. Causation is incompatible with free will. b. There are event-causes and agent-causes. c. Causes and effects are always events. d. Causation is always ultimately a matter of an agent causing some event.

c. Causes and effects are always events..

Physicalists and materialists offer accounts of the nature of mind that are... a. Incompatible with the view that we are simply physico-chemical mechanisms b. Incompatible with behaviorism c. Compatible with the view that we are simply physico-chemical mechanisms d. Compatible with behaviorism

c. Compatible with the view that we are simply physico-chemical mechanisms.

In order to establish any firm and lasting knowledge, for Descartes, what must he do? a. Trust in his senses b. Consider what he can know if he assumes that God exists c. Find something certain and indubitable that can act as a foundation for whatever one knows d. Prove that God exists

c. Find something certain and indubitable that can act as a foundation for whatever one knows.

Chisholm holds that if an act was in someone's power not to perform, then... a. God cannot be the prime mover. b. It could have been caused or determined by an event not within that person's power. c. It could not have been caused or determined by any event not within that person's power. d. None of the above.

c. It could not have been caused or determined by any event not within that person's power..

Why is all animal life meaningless, according to Taylor? a. It is full of frustrating toil b. It is merely about survival c. It is all for nothing, and goes on without end d. None of the above

c. It is all for nothing, and goes on without end.

According to Van Inwagen, to say someone has free will is to say... a. One is always able to take more than one of the forks in the road of time. b. One believes that the future is open, even if it isn't. c. One is at least sometimes able to take more than one of the forks in the road of time. d. None of the above.

c. One is at least sometimes able to take more than one of the forks in the road of time..

Which of the following best describes what Wolf means when she talks about "actively engaging" a project? a. Pursuing the various aspects of that project b. Recognizing that the project is of some value c. Proudly and happily embracing that project d. None of the above

c. Proudly and happily embracing that project.

The knowledge that Mary lacks, according to Jackson, is knowledge about... a. Her own experience. b. The physical world. c. The experience of others. d. Physics.

c. The experience of others..

What, for Hume, is the principle of individuation? a. No two perceptions can be of the same object b. Perceptions are inherently different from our senses c. The invariableness of an object over time allows us to take it to be the same object d. None of the above

c. The invariableness of an object over time allows us to take it to be the same object.

Physicalists hold that complete physical knowledge is ______ knowledge simplified. a. incomplete b. true c. complete d. false

c. complete.

Which of the following is not a type of idea, according to Descartes? a. Innate ideas b. Ideas we get from outside of us c. Ideas we produce d. All of the above

d. All of the above.

Mary is... a. Confined to a black and white room. b. Educated through black and white books. c. Taught everything there is to know about physics, chemistry, neurophysiology, etc. d. All of the above.

d. All of the above..

Why does Wolf take her idle rich, pig farmer, and corporate executive cases to be examples of meaningless lives? a. All of their lives are characterized by passivity b. All of their lives are characterized by a failure to engage with something objectively valuable c. All of them treat value as purely subjective d. All of their lives are characterized by pointless activities

d. All of their lives are characterized by pointless activities.

What does the term "supererogatory" describe? a. An act that is bad to do but not wrong to do b. An act that is wrong to do c. An act that is good to do and wrong not to do d. An act that is good to do but not wrong not to do

d. An act that is good to do but not wrong not to do.

Which of the following best describes the position of Strong AI? a. The principal value of computers is that they are powerful tools for studying the mind b. Having a mind is a matter of having the right outputs c. Computers cannot be minds d. An appropriately programmed computer is a mind, in the sense that it can understand

d. An appropriately programmed computer is a mind, in the sense that it can understand.

How does Armstrong propose we conceive of the mind? a. A so-called "ghost in the machine" b. As outward behavior c. A disposition to behave in certain ways d. An inner principle identified with outward behavior

d. An inner principle identified with outward behavior.

Schopenhauer held that our lives are meaningless... a. Because of the pain they inherently involve b. Because of economic issues c. Because of the structure of government d. Because of the very nature of life

d. Because of the very nature of life.

Why might the phenomenon of dreaming lead us to a sort of skepticism? a. It doesn't lead us to skepticism b. Because sometimes dreams are better than reality c. Because we can successfully refer to things in our dreams d. Because there is no principled way to tell the difference between a dream and real life

d. Because there is no principled way to tell the difference between a dream and real life.

Which of the following best describes the "deterministic view" of human action? a. The act, or some event that is essential to the act, is not caused at all b. Acts are caused by beliefs and desires c. We can predict what people will do if we know what their beliefs and desires are d. Every event that is involved in an act is caused by some other event

d. Every event that is involved in an act is caused by some other event.

Which of the following isn't a kind of impression conveyed by the senses, for Hume? a. A body's figure b. Taste c. Pain d. None of the above

d. None of the above.

What is meant by the term "incompatibilist"? a. Someone who holds that free will is not compatible with indeterminism b. Someone who denies the possibility of free will c. Someone who holds that free will is compatible with determinism d. Someone who holds that free will is not compatible with determinism

d. Someone who holds that free will is not compatible with determinism.

According to Searle, intentional states are defined in terms of... a. Their form. b. Their syntax. c. Their similarity to human mental states. d. Their content..

d. Their content...

What is Nozick getting at with his experience machine thought experiment? a. That we only value the experience of pleasure b. That we value being a certain person, not the experience of being that type of person c. That we value contact with reality d. both (b) and (c)

d. both (b) and (c).

According to Descartes, it is entirely possible that we are brains in a vat, and so we should be skeptical about our experience.

false

Armstrong is wary of the influence modern science is having on philosophy.

false

Central to Jackon's argument is the fact that Mary gains an ability to imagine the experience of color upon her release.

false

Chisholm endorses using the term free will, rather than talking about people causing actions.

false

For Descartes, it isn't clear whether God exists.

false

For Hume, there is absolutely no differences between the beliefs we have about the continued existence of objects and the beliefs we have about cause and effect.

false

For Searle, we need to use different senses of understanding, and so while computer programs can be said to understand in a certain sense, they don't understand in the strong sense that humans do.

false

For Wolf, to answer the question "What makes a life meaningful?" we need an answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?"

false

Hilary Putnam was a famous dream skeptic.

false

Hume argues that our senses cause us to believe in the continued existence of objects.

false

Searle holds that Schenk's program genuinely understands stories.

false

Singer holds that proximity should affect our moral obligations.

false

Sisyphus's fate was to ceaselessly roll stones up a hill in order to create a great temple.

false

The knowledge argument rests upon the fact that Mary couldn't imagine color before her release.

false

Van Inwagen holds that a moral evaluation of what someone has done doesn't require alternative possibilities of action for that person.

false

When wax melts, according to Descartes, it ceases to remain the same thing - it's identity changes.

fasle