Midterm

Question 1

What 3 statements did we first discuss about Free Will? (Ayer)

Answer 1

1. We are morally responsible for at least some of our actions. 2. One is morally responsible for an action only if one could have acted otherwise. 3. Human behavior is entriely caused by previous events according to natural laws.

Question 2

What is the problem with rejecting statement number 2?

Answer 2

Just because you feel free, doesn’t mean you are free.

Question 3

What is the problem with rejecting statement number 3?

Answer 3

Human behavior is random, not free. It would be uncaused. Randomness is a threat to freedom.

Question 4

What is the difference between Ayer, Chisholm, and Frankfurt on Free Will?

Answer 4

Chisholm believes agent cause agent; breaks the chain of causation. Ayer believer agent is caused by previous event. Frankfurt believes there is a difference in agents and causation between humans and animals.

Question 5

What does Ayer say the relationship is between being free and caused?

Answer 5

Free can be cause just not constrained.

Question 6

What does Ayer say are the certain conditions your not responsible for action?

Answer 6

You are not responsible for actions in which you are constrained. (compelled, brainwashed, crazy)

Question 7

What is Ayer’s analysis about if one could have done otherwise?

Answer 7

I would have acted otherwise, if I had so chosen to do so.

Question 8

What is Chisholm’s criticism of Ayer?

Answer 8

Ayer is wrong because if I could have chosen to do otherwise I would have, but I couldn’t.

Question 9

What did Chisholm say the 2 kinds of causation are?

Answer 9

Transeunt causation and Imminent causation

Question 10

What is transeunt causation?

Answer 10

events causing events

Question 11

What is imminent causation?

Answer 11

person causing an event

Question 12

What is Frankfurt’s criticism to Chisholm?

Answer 12

Frankfurt says Chisholm can’t explain why only human beings have power to cause a miracle everytime they act. (why humans have free will and animals don’t) Chisholm can’t explain why anyone would want free will.

Question 13

What does Frankfurt say the difference is between people and nonpeople?

Answer 13

Human being have an intellectual capacity that animals do not. Human beings have the capacity to reflect on the guilt of the situation or on the feeling while animals cannot do this. (self evaluation and 2nd order desire)

Question 14

What does Frankfurt say 1st order desires are?

Answer 14

a desire to perform an action

Question 15

What does Frankfurt say 2nd order desires are?

Answer 15

a desire to act on 1st order desire

Question 16

What does Frankfurt say a wanton is?

Answer 16

Someone who lacks 2nd order desires. He doesn’t have an opinion (or care) on which desire to act on. He has no free will.

Question 17

What does Frankfurt say an unwilling addict is?

Answer 17

Someone who wants to take drugs but doesn’t want to want too. He doesn’t want to act on taking the drugs, but he doesn’t have the will to stop. He can’t follow through on 2nd order desire so no free will.

Question 18

What is William’s first thought experiment?

Answer 18

You take the information from someone’s brain and put it into someone else’s brain. One of the body’s is going to be tortured after and the other is going to go on cavation. Before the surgery Person 1 says Body 2 needs to be tortured, but because of the mind switch Person 1 in Body 2 suffers.

Question 19

What does William’s first thought experiment show?

Answer 19

There is psychological continuity, looks like same memory, personality, etc.

Question 20

What is William’s second thought experiment?

Answer 20

You are told you are going to be tortured tomorrow, so I think about tomorrow in fear. When the time comes, I won’t remember being told. Are you still afraid?

Question 21

What does Williams’s second thought experiment show?

Answer 21

I am still apprehensive of the pain no matter if I remember who I am, no matter if I know I am getting what I deserve from false thoughts or not. When it becomes another person’s memory. Bodily continuity correct.

Question 22

What does Parifit say is the problem with the statement, “You are neither X nor Y”?

Answer 22

Not right because if you are X, and Y suddenly surives, that doesn’t make you any less you. It doesn’t “kill you”. Therefore disproving this statement.

Question 23

What does Parifit say is the problem with the statement, “You are X or Y, but not both”?

Answer 23

Each 1/2 of the brain is exactly the same so it results in 2 of the same person. So how can you only be 1 of the 2 people. Nothing would make X a better candidate of being you campared to Y.

Question 24

What does Parifit say is the problem with the statement, “You are both X any Y”?

Answer 24

Identity means that there is one. X and Y have to be identical, but they are not. If there is one and another, there isn’t one. You cannot be identical to both.

Question 25

What does Parifit say distinguishes between survival and identity?

Answer 25

You survice if X or Y because both are psychological continuous, but because both survive you are not identical to both. Survival is one to many. Identity is one to one.

Question 26

What does Descartes say is the difference between Knowledge and Mere True Belief?

Answer 26

Knowledge is gathered from Sense Perception, memories, tesitmony, and reasoning. Mere true belief can be true beliefs or false beliefs.

Question 27

What does Descartes say dreaming shows about skepticism?

Answer 27

“there exists no certain marks by which the state of waking can ever be distinguised from sleep” This rules out the knowledge of specific facts.

Question 28

What does Descartes say the demon argument shows about skepticism?

Answer 28

This does not prove you know if you exist because it could be an Illusion put on you by powerful entity. One can doubt if sense is knowledge of world because you can’t rule out experiences.

Question 29

What piece of knowledge survives those arguments? What is Descartes certain of?

Answer 29

He is certain that he himself exists. He can’t be certain body exists, but he as a thinking being exists.

Question 30

What does Moore mean by external object?

Answer 30

Things outside us= Things to be met with in space= Independent of Perception

Question 31

What is Moore’s proof (premise) of the external world?

Answer 31

While showing hands . . . There is one hand, here is another.

Question 32

What does Moore say are the 3 requirements for a good proof?

Answer 32

1. Premise must be different from the conclusion. 2. Premise must be known. 3.Conclusion must follow from premises.

Question 33

What are reasonable objections to Moore’s proof?

Answer 33

It doesn’t accept that you have to rule out all other semi-compatible hypotheses.

Question 34

What is the doctrine of cultural relavatism?

Answer 34

Premise: Different cultures have different moral codes.
Conclusion: Therefore, there is no objective truth in morality. Right and wrong are only matters of opinion and opinions vary from culture to culture.

Question 35

According to Rachel’s, why doesn’t the premise for the argument of cultural relavatism prove the conclusion?

Answer 35

the bare fact of cultural differences is only part of an argument for cultural relativism, not proof all by itself.
It does not follow that there is no truth about the matter.

Question 36

What are the three things you can’t say if you are a cultural relavatist?

Answer 36

What are the three things you can’t say if you are a cultural relavatist?

1. You can’t criticize any other culture
2. You can’t criticize your own culture
3. The whole idea of progress is called into doubt

Question 37

Socrates is asking Euthropro what the form of piety is, what does Socrates mean by that?

Answer 37

What is the form of the piety? = What is the form of the good? = What makes good things good? = What explains why good things are good?

Question 38

When E figures out what Socrates means, and he wants to tell Socrates, Socrates objects that answer. What was that objection?

Answer 38

E answers with: What is beloved by God is good, what is not loved by God is not good.
Socrates: Is the good loved by God because it is good, or is it good because it is loved?