Test Review Sheets

Test 1: Philosophy of Life

Important Concepts: be able to characterize and give examples.

philosophy		sophist
ad ignorantiam		principle of charity
ontology		metaphysics
epistemology		axiology
æsthetics		ethics
practical mind		philosophic mind
synoptic		not-Self
enlargement of self		``arrest of life"
decoy of life		irrational knowledge
existentialism		undermine
the absurd		eluding

Important Essays : be able to explain in depth

1. What is philosophy? Discuss the main divisions of philosophy and an example problem from each division.
2. What does it mean to say that facts are theory-dependent?
3. What is the point of Calandra's barometer story? How can this story be related to Scudder's experience with Agassiz?
4. What is the Socratic Paradox and what is paradoxical about it?
5. What is Socrates' argument that death is a good? Why doesn't Socrates believe in hell?
6. According to Russell, what are the main goals of philosophy?
7. How does Russell distinguish philosophy from science? What are the aims of philosophy?
8. Characterize Tolstoy's use of faith and the characteristics he ascribes to faith. Why, according to Tolstoy, cannot philosophy and science provide a meaningful life?
9. Explain how the meaning of ``truth'' changes throughout Tolstoy's essay.
10. According to Camus, how can one find the meaning of life? What does Camus mean by the absurd?

Important Distinctions: Be able to list differences and give examples.

1. ethics, morals
2. fact, theory
3. faith and reason
4. practical and philosophic mind
5. science and philosophy
6. philosophy and religion
7. rational and irrational knowledge

Test 2: The Philosophy of Religion

Important Concepts: be able to characterize and give examples.

a priori		a posteriori
ontological		cosmological
existential import		BTWNGCBC
philosophy of religion		natural theology
efficient cause		Occam's Razor
Great Chain of Being		polar concepts
teleology		rational decision theory
prescriptive law		descriptive law
problem of evil		personalists
theodicy		nonmoral evil

Important Essays: be able to explain in detail and give possible objections.

1. Anselm's Ontological Argument with objections
2. Aquinas' Argument From Motion (Change) with objections
3. Aquinas' Argument From (Efficient) Cause with objections
4. Aquinas' Argument From Necessity with objections
5. Aquinas' Argument From Gradation (Great Chain of Being) with objections
6. Aquinas' Argument From Governance (Teleological Argument) with objections
7. Paley's Watch Argument with objections
8. Pascal's Wager with objections
9. The Problem of Evil (See Hick notes and Dostoevsky section ``Topics Worth Investigating #1.)''

Important Distinctions: be able to list differences and give examples.

1. a priori and a posteriori statements
2. material, efficient, formal, and final causes
3. potentiality and actuality
4. prescriptive and descriptive law
5. design and chance
6. moral evil and nonmoral evil

Test 3: Ethics and Philosophical Ethics

Important Concepts: be able to characterize and give examples.

determinism (hard)		determinism (soft)
predeterminism		fatalism
predestination		indeterminism
chance		free will
egoism		egotism
selfishness		self-interest
Ring of Gyges		other-regarding motives
altruism		existence
essence		existentialism
psychological egoism		ethical egoism

Important Essays: be able to explicate the following questions.

1. What is the mental health objection to ethical relativism?
2. What is the argument from moral progress (against ethical relativism)?
3. What are the main points of Nietzsche's ethics?
4. What is the linguistic refutation of psychological egoism? How does it refute the Myth of the Ring of Gyges.
5. Why can't ethical egoism be universalized?
6. How are we ``condemned to be free''?

Important Distinctions: be able to list differences and give examples.

1. selfishness and self-interest
2. master and slave morality
3. ethical nihilism and ethical skepticism
4. essence and existence
5. anguish, forlornness, and despair