Heusser Philosophy 100 SG 8

Study Topics and Directions for Exam 1

• Exams will cover material from the readings, lecture, and discussion. There will be no material on student presentations, although brief points I bring up about particular philosophers that are in lecture, but not the text, may be included in a few minor non-essay questions.
• There will be about 25 to 30 multiple-choice and true-false questions.
• Anything said in announcements supersedes this guide.

There may be some direct quotations or paraphrases taken from our texts or required internet readings. You may be asked which philosopher has that particular view (i.e., Who wrote what?). In no case will a passage be chosen that does not represent a significant issue for that philosopher covered in class.

Unit 2 Important Concepts: (Most are listed in the Magee Glossary and/or the Rauhut Index) Aesthetics, Analytic Philosophy, Axiology, Epistemology, Ethics, Logic, Metaphysics/Ontology, Philosophy

Unit 3 Important Concepts: Conditions (Necessary vs. Sufficient), Counterexample, Dialectical- Socratic-Philosophical Method, Hypothesis, Identifying Argument Premises and Conclusion, Laws of Logic (Describe the excluded middle and non-contradiction laws), Ockham’s Razor, Possibility (Logical vs. Causal), Sophist, Statement, Tautology, Argument Types: Abductive, Analogical, Deductive, Disjunctive and Hypothetical Syllogism, Enumerative, Inductive, Invalid, Modus Ponens, Modus Tollens, Soundness, Standard Form, Strong, Weak, Validity

Unit 4 Important Concepts: Knowledge-By Acquaintance, Knowledge-How, Knowledge-Propositional, A posteriori, A priori, Cogito (or Cogito Ergo Sum), “Inner Sense” Propositions, Empiricism, Essence, Evil Demon, Logical Positivism, Rationalism, Skepticism, Solipsism, Truth (analytic, contingent, necessary, synthetic)

Unit 5 Important Concepts: Beliefs (Basic Empirical vs. Inferential), Idealism, Problem of Induction, Qualities: Primary and Secondary, Realism (Perceptual, Naïve, Indirect), Uniformity of Nature

Possible Essay Questions: I will announce more details.

i) Why might Descartes have come up with both the dreaming and evil demon stories?

What does one do that the other doesn’t?

ii) What does Descartes’ wax example illustrate?

iii) Locke distinguishes between “primary” and “secondary” qualities. In what way(s) does he attempt to draw the distinction? Give an example of each quality. Discuss a criticism of his distinction.

iv) Explain Locke’s representational theory of perception (about objects and their qualities). What is the view of ordinary people (naïve realism) in regard to substances? Discuss Berkeley’s criticism of these views.