Directions: Answer any five of the following seven short essay questions. All answers must be in sentence and paragraph form and in standard English to receive full credit. All work must be in your own words and your own interpretation. ``Explain'' does not mean merely ``state.'' An explanation gives a complete account of the meaning of something.
- Explain Aquinas' Argument from Motion. How does that argument differ from his Argument From Efficient Cause?
- State Pascal's Wager in detail (be sure to state the summary conclusion), and explain two major objections to the Wager.
- Explain clearly the distinction between natural and deductive theology, and cite examples of the difference.
- What does Pascal mean when he writes, ``The heart has its reasons which reason does not know''?
- Using the terms a priori and a posteriori, explain what it would mean to say that the concept of God is a priori and the concept of a perfect island is a posteriori. Is it possible that either the concept of God or the concept of a perfect island could be an empirical concept?
- Why does Pascal believe that God is incomprehensible? State specific examples illustrating this belief.
- Explain briefly two possible philosophical explanations which are sometimes given to account for the death of an innocent child in a universe created by an all-good God. From a philosophical point of view, give brief reasons as to whether these accounts would be entirely satisfactory to most persons.
Lee Archie
2009-10-28
