Philosophy
1. Be able to describe and explain the three positions in answer to the question, “Does God exist?”
Theism- it is the belief that God exist proposed by four arguments: ontological, theological, moral, and cosmological. It is based on human reasoning and the physical evidence that necessity is there for God’s existence.
Atheism- it is the lack of belief in God’s existence based on the empiricism and rationalism. It argues that it is not rational to believe in the existence of being that cannot be proved by scientific evidence.
Agnosticism- it is the denial of the knowledge of the God’s existence, and therefore, they cannot affirm or deny His existence based on lack of substantial evidence.
2. Be Able to Name and Explain St. Anselm’s Argument for the Existence of God.
In his ontological argument, St. Anselm argues that God’s existence is a conceptual truth, and he is greater than we can imagine. He notes that we can only imagine something greater in our minds above God, which does not exist, and therefore, God exists.
3. Thomas Aquinas Has Five Ways To Prove The Existence Of God, Be Able To Name And Explain Three Of Them.
Aquinas described the following ways: An argument from motion- that our minds show us what is in movement and when things shift, the prospective of action becomes the definite movement and that definite action can change a potential action into movement.
In his second argument efficient causes-, Aquinas argues that we identify proficient causes of things in the planet that nothing is real by itself, and it is not an efficient basis by itself. If the preceding source does not exist, thus nothing could result after that. If the primary thing in the series is not subsist, nothing in the series exists (Peter par 1). He concludes that the initial in the efficient series should, thus be God.
In his third argument from possibility and necessity, he points out that it is possible for a thing to subsist and not to exist if every being is contingent; and it is further unfeasible for it to always to exist.
4. Be Able To List The Known Two Of The Arguments Craig Uses To Show That The Universe Is Finite.
Causality and Quantum Mechanics- Craig argues that from the first scientific principle, something cannot exist from nothing and it is affirmed by the physical world where there is an interaction between objects (Peter par 1). He concludes that there must have been a cause for the existence of objects.
Cosmology and actual infinities- he argues that no one can give a description of the early universe and that the “multiverse” that our universe is part of must have had a beginning. He points out that is impossible to have infinite in the real world.
5. From Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, know the main objection that Philo has to Cleanthes argument for the existence of God and what, besides God’s existence, does Philo believe the argument cannot show.
The main objection put across by Hume is that what we believe exist might also not be in existence and that we cannot prove anything by arguments (Peter par 1). He also suggests that we lack an idea of what existence means and; therefore, we cannot claim the idea that God exists.
6. Be able to describe the problem of evil and explain why some belief it is a contradiction. Know the definition of a contradiction.
Evil is portrayed by our action, and it makes us have a feeling of guilt towards others. Evil is punishable by death according to God. Evil can be forgiven but not forgotten. It ties people to their actions hence make them loose mutual respect.
7. B. C. Johnson replies to several excuses believers give for God not intervening to prevent evil. Be able to name three of them and give Johnson’s replies.
In a case that a baby might go to heaven, Johnson replies that it is irrelevant to the baby’s suffering and that it is not a necessity to go to heaven. In another argument, is that God allows suffering for the more good, he points that that scenario has forced men to believe that suffering is for the best if God allows it. Another case is that God granted man free will and his actions are of his/her choosing.
8. Be able to state the rule that Clifford puts forward concerning the conditions under which we morally may believe a claim. Be able to give examples of someone following and of someone not following that rule.
Clifford argues that is wrong for anyone to believe something without putting forward sufficient evidence. Judges and other bodies charged with delivering justice to the peoples go by the same rule, but dictators do not accord with the same rule because they rule by self-interest.
9. Be Able To Explain The Three Major Positions That Can Be Taken To The Mind-Body Problem.
Dualism- it is the position that is perceived that the mind is not physical and that it exists independently of the body. It is divided into substance dualism and property dualism.
Monism- the position in which the body and mind are not fundamentally separate from the body but works hand in hand (Peter par 1). It is divided into idealism, physicalism and neutral monism.
10. Be Able To List And Explain The Three Of The Five Reasons Why Moreland Believes Physicalism, As A Worldview Is Wrong.
Intuitive reservations- it is impossible for people to have knowledge that they have minds, and, thus, arguments become unnecessary. Self-refutation- the theory is self-refuting because it presupposes the existence of the mental phenomena. Qualia- it is believed that human undergo tough experiences resulting to conscious mental states known as qualia.
Know Three Reasons He Gives Why Dualism Is Correct.
Mental entities are perceived to be real; sensations have the felt quality that makes them what they are; proportional attitudes exist and explain attitude involving a certain proposition and also there are acts of free will performed by conscious selves.
11. Be able to explain the identity theory as laid out by Church land. Know the four reasons he thinks there can be a reduction.
In the identity theory, he explains both functional and eliminative materialism as forces that influence the functionality of the mind. Eliminative materialism doubts physiological concepts that influence the underlying physiological mechanisms (Kaushal 7). The four reasons for reduction include; there is a difference between modern and also science full of superstitions, the old theory has been proven false by the new one, and there is no need for the relationship between the two theories and contradictions surrounding the old theories.
12. Name the theory of the mind that Jerry Fodor supports. What does he say are the two main problems with his theory and which problem does he think his theory deals with better.
He claims that central systems are not modular because the process cannot be recognized in an encapsulated system and, thus the central system cannot be modular. He defends it by claiming that modality can be excluded from the central system and global systems are less likely to be included in the local brain architecture (Kaushal 7).
13. Be able to name and explain three positions in answer to the question, “Do we have free will?”
The tree positions include: the feeling of freedom as free will is straightforward, free will is a moral responsibility because it requires we choose our actions freely, and free will is part of human dignity because one can make free choices.
Works Cited
Kaushal, Radhey Shyam. The Science Of Philosophy. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld, 2011. Print.
"Peter Williams : Why Naturalists Should Mind About Physicalism, And Vice Versa - Quodlibet Journal". Quodlibet.net. N.p., 2016. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.
