Study Midterm Guide
The following is a list of topics that you should be familiar with for the upcoming Midterm. NOTE: The exam questions will be drawn from the topics on this study guide. However, just because a topic is on the study guide does not necessarily mean that it will be on the exam, but there will be NO question on the exam that was not drawn from the topics on the study guide. What is the definition of philosophy that is being employed for this course? What are the two Greek words from which philosophy is derived and what are their meanings? Which philosopher wrote which works? o Examples: The Value of Philosophy (Bertrand Russell) The Allegory of the Cave (Plato), the Categories (Aristotle). What are the four primary branches of philosophy and what are they concerned with? What does it mean to say that truth is objective? How do necessary, impossible, and contingent statements differ? What is the difference between a posteriori and a priori knowledge? What is meant by rationalism/empiricism? How would you characterize the primary philosophers that we have examined thus far (Plato, Aristotle, Descartes)? What is the definition of validity? Make sure that you can distinguish valid and invalid arguments. What is an inductive argument? What is cogency? Be familiar with various types of logical fallacies, and be able to recognize examples of them. What is Platos theory of Forms and why did he consider it important for the possibility of knowledge? What are the primary characteristics of Platos Forms (as discussed in class)? What did Heraclitus, Parmenides, and the Sophists believe and how did the problems that they tried to address motivate Plato to develop his theory of the Forms? What is the doctrine of metempsychosis and how did Plato think that this was important for his theory of knowledge? What are the various symbols in the The Allegory of the Cave and what do they mean (as discussed in class)? o Example: The Cave represents the material world and the darkness of mans ignorance about the true nature of reality. What are the four divisions of the Divided Line and how do they relate to knowledge? According to Platos analysis of knowledge, what are the necessary and sufficient conditions for knowledge (the JTB theory)? Who is Edmund Gettier and what is he famous for? Be familiar with the Gettier-style counterexamples for the JTB theory of knowledge. What is skepticism and what are the various ways to classify it? What is the problem of the external world?
Was Descartes a skeptic? What was Descartes criterion for knowledge? What is the theory of justification known as foundationalism? What is the form of argument known as reductio ad absurdum? Which of Descartes three skeptical arguments are of this form (as discussed in class)? Be familiar with Descartes skeptical arguments (Insanity, Dream, Evil Demon). What is Descartes Cogito? How did he think that it provided a foundation for knowledge? What are the two questions that the Problem of the Criterion asks? How does Methodism try to answer these questions? How does Particularism? Why is Particularism superior to Methodism in responding to the skeptic? What were the Presocratics primarily concerned with? Be sure to understand the concepts listed on the Metaphysics: Basic Concepts) handout, especially the differences between equivocity/univocity, essential/accidental properties, realism/nominalism/moderate realism/conceptualism, and qualitative/numerical identity. What is a substance? How did Aristotle define it? According Aristotle, to what separates man from animals with regards to knowledge? What does he think is the ultimate test for whether or not a person knows/understands something? What are the Four Causes and how does each one explain the existence of something? What were some of Aristotles critical concerns about Platos theory? What is the Third Man Argument and how is it a problem for Plato? How did Aristotle think of the Forms as opposed to Plato? According to Aristotle, what is the difference between predicable of and present in? Be prepared to offer examples of each. What are the four ways of describing things using predicable of and present in? Be able to name at least five of the Ten Categories (besides Substance) with examples of each. What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Substance? What is unique about the former? What does Aristotle mean when he says that being is equivocal?
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Essay Questions
Of the ten essay question listed below, five will appear on the exam. You will be required to choose three of these to answer.
1. Describe Platos Allegory of the Cave as clearly as possible. In your description, list the most important symbols in the allegory and what they represent (as discussed in class). How does the allegory relate to Platos theory of knowledge? 2. Explain the JTB theory of knowledge as clearly as possible (include in your explanation why a belief must be both true and justified to count as knowledge). Next, give an example of a Gettier-style counterexample and why it poses a problem for the JTB theory. 3. State Descartes Evil Demon Argument as clearly as possible (stated with numbered premises and a conclusion). Name two possible responses to the argument that Descartes considers and why he thinks that they are unsuccessful. 4. Explain the Problem of the Criterion as clearly as possible. How does Epistemological Methodism try to solve the problem? How does Epistemological Particularism attempt to solve it? Why does it appear that Particularism is superior to Methodism in responding to the skeptic? 5. State Aristotles characteristics of a wise person (as discussed in class). Explain each of these characteristics as clearly as possible and use examples when necessary. 6. State the four causes given by Aristotle. Explain the nature of each cause and how it accounts for the existence of a thing. Provide an example of how each cause relates to a single object (feel free to use the statue illustration from class or make up your own). 7. Besides the category of Substance, list five other categories. Explain how each of these categories would relate to a particular substance (Socrates). That is, give examples of how each category would be predicated of Socrates. 8. Give the meanings of both Primary and Secondary substance. Explain how Primary substances differ from Secondary substances. According to Aristotle, what is so special about Primary substances with regards to his theory? 9. Explain why Aristotles notion of the equivocity of Being appears to be a serious problem with his metaphysical theory. What is the dilemma that Aristotle seems to face? Why are both horns of the dilemma undesirable for Aristotles theory?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Extra Credit Questions: there will be a few EC questions at the end of the exam. The content of these questions will either come for more difficult material or from topics not listed on the study guide.