Philosophy 1301 Final Exam: Written Response Questions
Philosophy 1301 Final Exam: Written Response Questions
The following five response questions are based on your assigned readings as well as our discussions in class (but mostly the readings).
Please answer all five questions. You may answer with however many words you see fit. Most students prefer to write one to two paragraphs per question, but it is up to you, so long as you feel you have provided a complete response.
1) Philosophy of God
David Hume says, “There is no being whose nonexistence implies a contradiction.” State as clearly as you can why Anselm and Descartes disagree. (Hint: Anselm and Descartes each have their own unique “proofs” for God’s existence, each of which relies on this existence as a logical necessity.) Consider the debate between the two sides (Hume versus Anselm and Descartes). On which side do you fall? Or are you unsure? Explain.
Despite Darwin’s and Hume’s criticisms of teleological (purpose-driven) accounts of nature, it is in fact difficult to look at certain natural phenomena (such as the keen eyesight of an osprey) without assuming that such phenomena are structured purposefully; that is, created for a natural purpose or goal (to spot fish from high up in the air). Is this intuition enough to support the teleological proof of God’s existence in your judgment? Explain.
2) Philosophy of Freedom
What does Sartre mean by “monstrous freedom”? Explain his concept of the “vertigo of possibility.” What are the “guardrails against anguish” that we construct in order to protect us from our own freedom? Does Sartre think that our freedom is infinite, or limited? Does he think our freedom is comforting to us, or anxiety-inducing? Explain.
According to “soft determinists,” or as they are sometimes referred to, “compatibilists,” the reality of determinism does not prevent the existence of freedom. These two concepts—determinism and freedom—would appear to be mutually exclusive, but compatibilists argue that they can coexist. Explain how this is possible, according to compatibilist theory.
3) Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
What does Nietzsche mean when he refers to the “Platonic inheritance”? Is this inheritance a good or bad thing? Does it have anything to do with “faith in opposite values”? If so, how?
Why does Nietzsche believe that Plato was actually writing out of instinct as opposed to pure reason? (Hint: In the Allegory of the Cave, the goal is to escape the cave so that you may understand “real things.” But humans have an instinctual fear of the dark…)
Nietzsche believes that the relentless pursuit of Absolute Truth is anti-human, because it is impossible for a human being to know truth “absolutely.” Since we are not an omniscient God, we know truth only in pieces. Nietzsche offers a new form of truth for us to befriend, and he calls this new form of truth “un-truth.” What is the nature of un-truth? How does it differ from Absolute Truth? Is un-truth synonymous with falsehood, or is it different from falsehood?
4) Philosophy of Art
Wittgenstein’s notion of “open concepts” tends to be pretty polarizing. Some philosophers find it liberating, while others find it misguided. Do you think Wittgenstein was onto something, or do you think he was incorrect? Moreover, since Wittgenstein first utilized the term “open concepts” in philosophy of language (as opposed to philosophy of art), some have argued that it is a mistake to try and apply the theory of open concepts to art. What is your opinion? Is art truly“radically open, radically indefinable,” or is this an erroneous way of thinking? Are there things that shouldn’t count as art? Why or why not?
5) Heidegger, What is Metaphysics?
What is “the fundamental question of Metaphysics,” according to Heidegger? (Hint: The answer is formatted the following way: Why is there ______ instead of _______?)
Heidegger believes that dread (or as I believe it’s translated in your copy of the text, “anxiety”) is a very important feeling. Describe the character of dread/anxiety. (Hint: This is in the section where Heidegger uses the phrase “a peculiar kind of calm”.) What is it like to experience dread/anxiety? What makes it different from fear? And most importantly, what does dread/anxiety reveal to us?
Throughout the lecture, Heidegger repeatedly asks, “How is it with The Nothing?” He gives some examples of what The Nothing is not. He emphatically insists that The Nothing is not negation. What are his reasons for saying this?
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