Exam #1 (Metaphysics)

Question 1

Systematic use of critical reasoning to try to find answers to fundamental questions about reality, morality, and knowledge.

Answer 1

Philosophical Method

Question 2

Ideas upon which other ideas and beliefs depend.

Answer 2

Fundamental Ideas

Question 3

Intellectual foundation to improve our lives by improving our philosophy

Answer 3

Practical benefit

Question 4

Understanding for its own sake

Answer 4

Theoretical benefit

Question 5

Philosophical inquiry gives us

Answer 5

Freedom

Question 6

Regarding the nature of ultimate reality, God’s existence, the meaning of life

Answer 6

Metaphysics

Question 7

Regarding the nature of knowledge, justification and truth

Answer 7

Epistemology

Question 8

The study of individual and social morality

Answer 8

Ethics

Question 9

The study of arguments

Answer 9

Logic

Question 10

Major Areas of Philosophy:

Answer 10

Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, and Logic

Question 11

Intended to give logically conclusive support to their conclusions so that if the premises are true, the conclusion absolutely must be true. (a.k.a. a priori knowledge)

Answer 11

Deductive Arguments

Question 12

Give probable support to their conclusions but are not designed to support their conclusions decisively; if their premises are true, their conclusions are probably true. (a.k.a. a posteriori knowledge)

Answer 12

Inductive Arguments

Question 13

These arguments reason from the existence of the universe to the conclusion that God exists as its necessary creator (a posteriori).

Answer 13

Cosmological

Question 14

These arguments reason from apparent signs of design or purpose in the natural world to the existence of a supreme designer as its creator (a posteriori).

Answer 14

Teleological

Question 15

These arguments present deductive logical appeals for God’s existence from the
concept of God itself (a priori).

Answer 15

Ontological

Question 16

These arguments arise from people who claim to have had personal experiences or encounters with God.

Answer 16

Religious Experience

Question 17

These arguments assert that an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God would not allow evil to exist; because evil does exist, then God does not therefore exist.

Answer 17

Argument from Evil

Question 18

These are theistic counterarguments against the argument from evil; the most
popular and effective of these is the free-will defense, which says evil exists because God gave humans free will.

Answer 18

Theodicies

Question 19

One who believes in God.

Answer 19

Thiest

Question 20

Belief in a creator God who is uninvolved (and possibly unconcerned) with the events of
the physical universe.

Answer 20

Deism

Question 21

God and the universe are indentical; the universe is a part of God

Answer 21

Pantheism, Panthenism

Question 22

Which appeal to the evidence of
experience about the world

Answer 22

A posteriori

Question 23

Which are based on logic and reason derived from the concept of God.

Answer 23

A priori

Question 24

Reasons to Believe

Answer 24

Epistemic justification

Question 25

Faith has practical benefits

Answer 25

Pragmatic justification

Question 26

A decision between two hypotheses.

Answer 26

Option

Question 27

One in which both hypotheses are real and possible.

Answer 27

Living Option

Question 28

An option in which there is no possibility of not choosing.

Answer 28

Forced Option

Question 29

“It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient
evidence.”

Answer 29

W.K. Clifford’s Evidentialism

Question 30

Comes from human choices and actions, and the bad things that arise from them.

Answer 30

Mortal Evil

Question 31

Results from the workings of nature.

Answer 31

Natural Evil

Question 32

It is a great good that humans have a certain sort of free and responsible choices that also creates the neutral possibility of moral evil.

Answer 32

The Free Will Defense

Question 33

“Antitheistic writers…assume that the purpose of a loving God must be to create a hedonistic paradise…the model of a
human being building a cage for a pet animal to dwell in.” - John Hick

Answer 33

The Soul-Making Defense