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Philosophy 1101 > Philosophy Exam 2 > Flashcards

Philosophy Exam 2 Flashcards

0
Q
  1. Descartes’ Conceivability Argument
A

The fact that I can conceive of two things as separation is enough to be certain they are distinct.

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1
Q

Essay 1: Is the mind separate from the body? In answering this question, carefully explain Descartes’ Dualism and at least one argument for that position.

A

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2
Q

Cartesian argument and objection

A

I can conceive of myself without a body, I can’t conceive of myself without a mind, so my body has a different property than my mind, therefore my mind is not identical with my body. the brain damage objection.

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3
Q

The brain damage objection

A

if dualism were true, then damaging the brain should not damage the mind. But damaging the brain does damage the mind, therefore dualism is false.

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4
Q

response to brain damage objection

A

the relationship between the mind and the body is not that they are one, but that they are intermingled.

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5
Q

objection using causality

A

how does a particular non-physical thing or event cause a particular physical thing or event.

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6
Q

Essay 2: Carefully explain Susan Wolf’s version of the “deep self” view of free will. Is her position persuasive?

A

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7
Q
  1. Who is Susan Wolf and what is her argument
A

She is a compatibilist. Her argument for the “deep self” states that you have to have a deep self but your deep self has to be sane.

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8
Q

what does she mean by sane?

A

sanity is the ability to discern between right and wrong actions. For example, JoJo is insane so he cant have free will. therefore he is not responsible.

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9
Q

what is an objection to Wolf’s argument

A

makes it seem exclusive. these people are sane, these people are insane.

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10
Q

response to exclusive objection

A

they have worked before so it is more reliable than the objection is making it out to be.

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11
Q

objection

A

seems like there is an implication that all immoral people are insance

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12
Q

response

A

you might have the ability to recognize right and wrong, and then there is the exercise of that ability. there might be a gap where these two things intersect. the people who are immoral but not insane might have the ability to recognize right and wrong, they can’t exercise that ability.

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13
Q

Essay 3: Could a computer think? Discuss in relation to Searle’s Chinese Room thought experiment, making sure to explain the experiment carefully.

A

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14
Q
  1. What is Searle’s chinese room thought experiment.
A

it states that no computer could ever understand a language so no computer will ever think like a human being. His thought experiment is an argument by analogy. as the man in the room seems to understand Chinese, he doesn’t really understand it. He is just taking the input given to him and giving out the output he was told to. This is just like how a computer can seem to understand a language without really understanding.

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15
Q

objection to Searle’s thought experiment

A

individual parts of the computer don’t understand but the whole system does.

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16
Q

response to whole system objection

A

a modified analogy still holds. imagine the guy in the room memorizes the rule book. it still doesnt show that he understands the language.

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17
Q

the robot reply objection

A

a thinking computer would need to interact with its environment.

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18
Q

response

A

another modified analogy still holds. imagine this whole room is inside a robot. it still doesn’t understand. it needs to do more than pass the turing test. not capable of creativity.

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19
Q

Essay 4: What is the identity theory of mind? What arguments can be used to support the Identity Theory? What objections can be made against the Identity Theory?

A

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20
Q
  1. what is the identity theory
A

states that every mental state or event is identical to a brain state or event. it reduces all facts of one type to another.

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21
Q

argument for ID

A

thinking sometimes causes physical behavior. every physical event has a physical cause. no event can have multiple independent causes. therefore, some mental states are physical states.

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22
Q

objection: introspection argument

A

i can know my mental states by introspection, i can’t know my brain states by introspection. therefore, my mental states are not my brain states.

23
Q

response

A

The argument points to a limitation of our knowledge. Introspection isn’t a very powerful tool for knowing about the mind

24
Q

response: zombie argument

A

if conscious states are physical states then conscious states are physical states in every possible world. There is a possible world where there is a creature physically identical to me which isn’t conscious. Therefore conscious states are not identical to physical states

25
Q

Essay 5: Some philosophers believe that you could be taking this exam of your own free will even if determinism is true. Do you agree? Defend your answer against objections, making sure to explain compatibilism carefully.

A

.

26
Q
  1. what is determinism
A

given the past and the laws of nature, there is only one possible future.

27
Q

compatibilism

A

free will is consistent with determinism. the incompatibilist misunderstands the ordinary concept of free will.

28
Q

incompatibilism

A

determinism is the thesis that given the past and laws of nature there is only one possible future. so if my actions now are determined then given the past and laws of nature this is the only thing i could have done. if this is the only thing i could have done then there is no free will.

29
Q

Stace’s definition of freedom

A

free acts are those whose immediate causes are the psychological states of the agent.

30
Q

objection

A

what is the immediate cause? we might want to do actions that aren’t free (kleptomaniac, torture)

31
Q

response: Ayer

A

a free action must be caused by a conscious desire to do that action. this even handles the kleptomaniac case because his conscious decision is irrelevant to whether he steals.

32
Q

objection

A

do we really have control of our desires?

33
Q

response: Frankfurt

A

you have free will when you have control of your desires. there are 1st order and 2nd order desires

34
Q

1st order desires

A

desires to perform some action or actions

35
Q

2nd order desires

A

desires to have some desires rather than others (i.e. i want to not want to study)

36
Q

objection to frankfurt

A

what about people brought up to desire certain desires.

37
Q

response: Wolf

A

need sanity…

38
Q

Essay 6: What is Jackson’s Knowledge Argument against materialism? What objections might be raised against this argument? Are those objections persuasive?

A

.

39
Q
  1. what is Jackson’s knowledge argument
A

Mary knows all the physical facts about color experience except what it is like experiencing it. so there is one fact about color experience that is not a physical fact. therefore not all mental facts are physical facts. also the argument about Fred and the color red.. bring this up.

40
Q

objection

A

mary doesnt learn anything.

41
Q

response

A

this is not a very intuitive response.

42
Q

Essay 7: What is determinism? Is it plausible? Present at least two arguments for your view and defend them against objections.

A

.

43
Q
  1. what is determinism
A

given the past and the laws of naturem there is only one possible future.

44
Q

for determinism

A

seems assumed by the scientific method. science works by discovering facts about the past and present and discovering the laws of nature and then predicting what will happen on that basis. common sense seems to assume events are caused even if we don’t know why

45
Q

objection

A

if determinism was true, i wouldn’t deliberate. i do deliberate. therefore, determinism is not true.

46
Q

response

A

you can deliberate and have determinism be true. you were just determined to think about what you are currently thinking about.

47
Q

master argument for determinism

A

if an event is caused, then it is determined. all human actions are caused. therefore, all human actions are determined.

48
Q

objection:

A

deny premise 1, that if an event is caused it is determined.

49
Q

response:

A

for event x to really cause event y, y wouldnt have happened unless x happened. in the same conditions, x always results in y. so causation appears to imply determination.

50
Q

objection: moral responsibility

A

if everything is determined, how can someone be held responsible for their actions when they didnt have a choice.

51
Q

Chisholm’s argument

A

denies premise 1 of the master argument. there are two types of causation, event causation and agent causation. S is responsible for doing something just when S caused the action and S wasn’t caused to do so.

52
Q

Essay 8: Carefully discuss reasons for believing the first two premises of this argument. Then discuss at least one objection to the argument, making sure to explain whether you think the argument is sound.

A

.

53
Q
  1. what is the dilemma
A

if determinism is true, we have no free will. if determinism is false, we have no free will. determinism is either true or false, so we have no free will.

54
Q

reasons to believe the first premise

A

incompatibilism. if my actions are determined, then given the past and the laws of nature this is the only thing i could have done. if this is the only thing i could have done, then there is no free will

55
Q

reasons to believe the second premise

A

the problem with indeterminism. if something is not determined, then it is completely random. if it is completely random, then no one has control of it. this means i have no control of it, therefore it is not free.

56
Q

objection

A

deny the first premise - compatibilism. this says that free will is consistent with determinism. the incompatibilist misunderstands the ordinary concept of free will. therefore the argument is not sound.

Philosophy 1101 (2 decks)

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