Plato and Al-Farabi both thought that a just city should be ruled by a philosopher. What factors determine whether a government will make good decisions? Do you agree with Plato and Al-Farabi that these factors are the virtue and abilities of its leader or leadership? What role does the structure of the government play in […]

Question: In Meditation V, Descartes proffers an ontological argument for God's existence. Assess that argument and determine if you find it convincing. Then discuss if this argument is enough for him to claim in the last paragraph of Meditation VI, "For from the fact that God is not a deceiver it follows that in cases like these […]

 Question:   Why doesn't Descartes simply determine what's real by looking around him and using his sense experience?  What is the reason he felt he needed to adopt radical skepticism, and do you feel he is successful? Be sure to use passages from the Meditations or his Discourse on Method to support your assertions. Answer: In […]

  In Meditation V, Descartes proffers an ontological argument for God's existence. Assess that argument and determine if you find it convincing. Then discuss if this argument is enough for him to claim in the last paragraph of Meditation VI, "For from the fact that God is not a deceiver it follows that in cases like these […]

Discussion 4:  Why does Socrates claim ( on pages 42 and on pages 46-47) that what he is doing is highly beneficial to the citizens of Athens? What is his argument (or what are his arguments) for this? What does he assume would be appropriate in exchange for his services? Think back to the material […]

 Question: a)Based on Plato's "Apology," it is difficult to determine whether Socrates corrupted the youth of Athens or not. Some might argue that Socrates was corrupting the youth by teaching them to question traditional beliefs and values, while others might argue that Socrates was actually helping the youth by encouraging them to think critically and […]

 Infographics are used to communicate complex ideas in a visually pleasing, yet simple to understand manner. Evaluation, create an Infographic that communicates the information you want to convey about either Thales, any Pre-Socratic philosopher, or Socrates. Imagine you are a recruiter for his school or his philosophy. Present some historical information about your philosopher, but also […]

Please answer the questions below.  Your answers should only use the primary reading as a source; no secondary sources are alllowed.  Also, make sure you provide evidence for your claims through specific examples.  Does Tucker agree or disagree with Crouch's thesis?  If you think she agrees, construct an argument to that effect.  If you think […]

  Question: Based on Plato's dialogue, Apology, assess the charge leveled against Socrates of corrupting the youth of Athens. (a) Do you think Socrates corrupted the youth of Athens? If so, why? If not, why not? (b) Summarize and critically evaluate Socrates' defense on this particular accusation – was his defense convincing to you or not? Why or why not? […]

  Based on Plato's dialogue, Apology, (a) in what sense does Socrates claim to be wise? (b) Summarize and evaluate the value of the Socratic Method and Socratic wisdom and whether this method and attitude are valuable for a democratic society such as ours.