Phil 2 Quizzes

What's central to the two main theodicies discussed by John Hick?

Belief in human free will.

Slave Morality:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. All persons are created equal. To be moral is to act rationally to maximize happiness.

What thoroughly disgusting idea does Dennett mention in discussing the concept of the boundary between the self and the world?

Drinking saliva that you've spit into a glass. The point he's making is that we have psychological ingrained concepts of our boundary as a living being, and we're very sensitive and protective about that boundary, even when it's not very rational. Dennett will next argue that it's the goal of protecting what's inside this boundary which produces the evolutionary value of the concept of self.

What is the main claim of the Irenaean theodicy?

Evil serves the purpose of soul-building.

Which of the following is NOT an element of the Augustinian theodicy?

God allows evil to exist as a challenge to humans. That God uses evil as a challenge to humans is part of the Irenaean theodicy, but not part of the Augustinian.

According to Birsch, which of the following would be the best way to understand the claim that God is transcendent?

God exists outside of space and time.

Which of the following biographical statements about Friedrich Nietzsche is NOT true?

He was born in the year 1900.

Which of the following is the best one sentence summary of Sartre's main point in Existentialism is a Humanism?

Humans have complete responsiblity for every aspect of their lives.

According to Walpola Rahula which of the following is an appropriate characterization of the attitude of Buddhism towards life?

Realistic, but light-hearted and joyful.

Which of the following does Kierkegaard consider the highest stage of human existence?

The religious stage.

Which of the following is NOT one of the fundamental differences between traditional Buddhism and the major Western religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam?

Traditional Buddhists do not believe that humans should be ethical

Which of the following is NOT an objection to the Irenaean theodicy?

To understand evil we should think of God as a parent. If parents protect their children from every danger, then the children don't acquire the skills to protect themselves.

The Eight-fold Path encompasses practical advice about living a life that is conducive to enlightenment. According to the author of the text, what two characteristics is the Buddha chiefly concerned to develop?

Wisdom and compassion. Compassion is the essence of Buddhist ethics; it's about accepting everything as it is, and seeing things from their own perspective. Wisdom is an understanding that goes deeper than language. The eight-fold path encourages the cultivation of both.

What is a theodicy?

An attempt to reconcile the existence of God with the existence of evil.

Towards the end of the second meditation there is a famous passage in which Descartes describes an object and the way it changes. It's a confusing passage in which he's emphasizing that the existence of the mind is more obvious than the existence of bodies, and that what can be known can only be known through the mind. What's the object he describes?

A piece of wax.

The first Noble Truth is that all of existence is dukkha. The second Noble Truth is that dukkha arises from within. What is the third Noble Truth?

Cessation of dukkha. Liberation, Nirvana; it goes by many names, but the main idea of the third truth is that Dukkha can be eliminated.

In Part I of the reading by Daniel Birsch, we get a list of the traditional properties of God. Which of the following is NOT among them?

God is unknowable.

What is the origin of dukkha?

It's a result of our internal thirst and craving. Dukkha arises from within.

Which of the following is NOT among the criticisms of Kierkegaard presented in the first half of the reading?

It's self-contradictory for Kierkegaard to try to rationally explain why we should embrace an irrational belief.

According to the first half of the reading, Kierkegaard's ideas about religion and faith are a response to two concerns about Christianity. What are they?

That Christianity is based on a logical contradiction, and that God's existence cannot be known as an objective truth. The extraordinary thing about Kierkegaard is that he claims to embrace Christianity BECAUSE it's irrational, and cannot be known to be true by reason or observation.

In Meditation 2 Descartes discovers something that he cannot doubt. What is it?

That he exists as a thinking thing. In a different text, The Discourse on Method, Descartes describes the same point in the famous slogan "Cogito Ergo Sum," which means "I think, therefore I am."

What does the Buddha say about the human soul or self?

The Buddha says that there is no soul, nor even a self.

Put in a couple of words, what is the best account of the "self" according to Dennett's description?

The subject of our linguistic story-telling.

Which of the following is NOT one of Nietzsche's criticisms of "slave morality?"

Under a system of slave morality people are not treated as equals. Some people are made subordinate to others.

Daniel Dennett uses a lot of analogies to explain his ideas. Which of the following analogies does NOT appear in the Origins of Selves reading?

Understanding the concept "self" is like understanding the concept "here."

What is Nietzsche's doctrine of the Superman? (The German word is "Ubermensch," sometimes translated as "overman.")

A being who represents the next evolutionary stage of man.

According to Kierkegaard, what is the only legitimate path to belief in God?

A leap of faith.

Which of the following is the best reconstruction of Paley's argument? (Hint: This is a teleological argument, and teleology is about purpose. The argument goes from the recognition of purpose in the world, to the conclusion that God exists.)

All things like watches have a purpose. All things with a purpose have a designer. Nature is like a watch. Therefore nature has a designer.

Sartre asserts that when we make choices we involve the whole of humanity. What does he mean?

By choosing an action we are creating an image of what all of humanity should be.

What does DMR stand for in the reading?

Deep Moral Responsibility

The reading, "Origins of Selves"by Daniel Dennett, starts off with a reference to another philosopher that we have read and his conception of the self. Which of the following does Dennett mention?

Descartes and his belief that the self is an immaterial soul.

Dukkha is a central concept in Buddhism. As the author, Walpola Rahula, points out it's often translated as "suffering." However, it really means something broader and more complex. The Buddha identifies three aspects or categories of dukkha. Which of the following is NOT among them?

Expectation. Having expectations is a recipe for disappointment. This category includes all of the forms of "suffering" that we bring upon ourselves through our hopes and desires.

Descartes claims that all of his beliefs that are derived from the senses can be doubted. Which of the following is the main reason he gives for this claim?

He cannot be certain that he is not dreaming. BECAUSE The senses are contaminated by impurities. Information gathered by the senses requires interpretation. He recently drank a lot of cheap wine.

Which of the following is NOT a true statement about Jean-Paul Sartre?

He was deeply religious, serving as a Catholic bishop in Paris during the latter part of his life.

René Descartes explains his purpose at the beginning of the reading. What is he trying to accomplish?

He's trying to establish a solid foundation for knowledge. As we will see, Descartes' legacy is rather different than his intention, but what he wanted to do was to establish a foundation for knowledge.

Hitler comes up in the conversation. What is he compared to?

Hitler is compared to an earthquake. The idea is that in accord with Strawson's completely naturalistic view, Hitler is no more morally responsible for his action than an earthquake is for it's action. Both are merely phenomena in the world.

Which one of the following philosophical statements would Sartre agree with?

Human free will is a burden that causes anguish.

In this reading Tamler Sommers, a UH professor of philosophy, interviews Galen Strawson, a professor at the University of Reading in England. What's the main idea that they're discussing?

Humans do not have free will and thus they are not ultimately morally responsible for their actions.

Sartre says that for humans "existence precedes essence." What does this slogan mean?

In contrast to objects like paper-knives which are created for a specific reason, humans arise in the world undefined and become only what they will themselves to be.

The second half of the conversation turns to questions about the illusion of free will. What does Strawson suggest about the possibility of living without this illusion?

Living without the illusion of free will is exceptionally difficult, but perhaps through appropriate training an enlightened mind might accomplish it.

Which one of the following is a true statement about Nietzshe's philosophical views?

Nietzsche rejects the idea that there is a universal morality that applies equally to all persons. Nietzsche is among the first modern moral relativists.

There are several extraordinary claims made in Chapter 4. Which of the following is NOT among them?

Nirvana is the perception of the ultimate Reality or "Rädsara," a realm of perfect and unchanging forms.

Nietzsche's distinction between "master morality" and "slave morality" is fundamental to his philosophy. Nietzsche would say that three of the following statements are characteristic of "slave morality," which one is characteristic of "master morality?"

One should do as one will, creating one's own values. Christian ethics, Kant's deontology, and utilitarianism are all forms of slave morality for Nietzsche.

The three aspects of Dukkha are:

Ordinary suffering. Pain and sadness and all the standard negative experiences and emotions are in this category. Change. Change is always stressful, and the very fact that everything in the world is impermanent is a source of "suffering." Conditioned States. Often translated as the dukkha of being or existence, this is the hardest to understand. It has to do with facing the facts of our existence as a constantly changing aggregate of processes.

Enlightenment or Nirvana is the "ultimate purpose" of Buddhism. It's described in many ways. Which of the following is NOT among them?

Reincarnation. Enlightenment or nirvana is the absolute truth that one awakens to when the illusion of the self is "blown out" and dukkha is eliminated. It's certainly not reincarnation, because enlightenment is achieves an end to the cycle of rebirth.

Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism. He lived in Northern India (present-day Nepal). During what century was he born?

Sixth century B.C.E (500's B.C.E.)

Which ONE of the following claims does Dennett make in the final section of the paper?

The self is determined by a sort of internal "election" in which the unconscious mind chooses a narratively defined persona to act as "Head of Mind."

Descartes claims that he has some beliefs which do not derive from the senses, such as the belief that "two and three together always form five," and "squares can never have more than four sides." Nonetheless, Descartes casts doubt even upon these beliefs. Which of the following is the worry he raises?

There may exist an all-powerful evil being who deceives him. Some texts use the phrase "evil demon," others use "evil genius" or "malevolent deceiver," but however you put it, the idea is that there is a powerful evil force that intentionally deceives us, even about things like mathematics.

Aquinas offers five proofs for the existence of God, often called the Five Ways. Which of the following is the best summary of the proof from motion?

Things in the world move, and everything that moves has to be moved by something else. But there cannot be an infinite chain of movers, so there must be a first mover, namely God.

Which of the following is a premise in Strawson's argument against free will?

To be free is to be ultimately responsible for what you do. To be ultimately responsible for what you do, you have to be ultimately responsible for what you are. You cannot be ultimately responsible for what you are because you do not create yourself.

Kierkegaard is considered one of the founders of the philosophical movement known as existentialism, a philosophy that focuses on the nature of human experience/existence. Both of the readings describe Kierkegaard's portrayal of the fundamental human condition. What is it?

We are alienated from God by sin, and as a result we experience anxiety and despair.

William Paley claims that if we were to find a watch on the ground we would immediately know that it must have had a designer. Which of the following is his main reason for saying this?

We would see that the watch has a purpose.