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The existence of God, reason and faith, personal identity and immortality,
freewill, moral responsibility, and standards for moral conduct.
Feinberg, Joel, and Russ Shafer-Landau, eds. Reason and Responsibility. 12th
ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: 0534543510.
Woodhouse, Mark B. A Preface to Philosophy. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2003.
ISBN: 0534595448.
Reason To Believe: Does God Exist?
Existence of God: Ontological Argument
Problem of Evil I
Pascal's Wager
Ethics of Belief: Evidentialism v. Pragmatism
Stereotypes and Belief
Racism and Belief
Scientific Reason or Scientific Faith?
More on Science and Faith Kitcher, Philip. "Believing Where We Cannot
Prove."
The Mind-Body Problem
Consciousness and Felt Experience
Materialist Options
Robots and Functionalism
Freewill, Determinism, and Responsibility
Hard Determinism
Compatibilism
Libertarianism
Morality and right conduct
Moral Variation across Cultures
Utilitarianism
Ethical Egoism
Famine
Kantianism
Famine, Virtue and Duty
Moral Luck
Just War Theory
1. Consider the argument (borrowing from Anselm, RR 7):
i) That which can be conceived not to exist is not God.
ii) Therefore, God exists.
Elaborate this argument (the one just stated in (i) and (ii)) in a way that
shows what is plausible about it. Does it succeed in proving God’s
existence? Why or why not?
2. Through his dialogue between the brothers Ivan and Alyosha, Dostoevsky
asks: But there are the children, and what am I to do about them? That’s a
question I can’t answer. For the hundredth time I repeat, there are numbers
of questions, but I’ve only taken the children, because in their case what I
mean is so unanswerably clear. Listen! If all must suffer to pay for the
eternal harmony, what have children to do with it, tell me, please! It’s
beyond all comprehension why they should suffer, and why they should pay for
the harmony. Why should they, too, furnish material to enrich the soil for
the harmony of the future? (Dostoevsky, RR 84)
What is Ivan’s point? Do you think there is an argument in this passage for
atheism? Why or why not?
2. Pascal believes that atheism is irrational. What is his argument for this
claim? Do you agree?
Why or why not?
3. Evidentialism is the view that:
…it is wrong, always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon
insufficient
evidence. (Clifford, RR 101) Critically evaluate this claim. Do you agree?
Why or why not?
4. It is sometimes suggested that all stereotypes contain a “kernel of
truth,” otherwise they would be long ago rejected. Do you agree? Why or why
not? Is one ever justified in believing a stereotype?
Second Assignment on Problems of Philosophy
1. According to Paul Churchland, the identity theory is the view that
"mental states are physical states of the brain. That is, each type of
mental state or process is numerically identical with (is one and the very
same thing as) some type of physical state or process within the brain or
central nervous system." (286) Critically evaluate the identity theory,
explaining its strengths and weaknesses. Do you find this a compelling
approach to the mind? Why or why not?
2. In the selection from "Minds, Brains, and Programs," Searle argues
against a position that he calls `strong AI'. What does Searle mean by
`strong AI'? Carefully reconstruct Searle's Chinese room argument and
explain why he thinks it refutes strong AI. Summarize and evaluate what you
take to be the strongest objection to Searle's argument. Do you agree with
Searle? Why or why not?
3. Paul Holbach vividly raises the problem of freewill as follows:
There is, in point of fact, no difference between the man that is cast out
of the window by another, and the man who throws himself out of it, except
that the impulse in the first instance comes immediately from without whilst
that which determines the fall in the second case, springs from within his
own peculiar machine, having its more remote cause also exterior. (395)
Carefully explain Holbach's view and the reasons he offers to support it.
What exactly does he require for free agency? How does he understand
determinism? How compelling is his position? Present what you take to be the
strongest objection to his view and consider what he might say in reply. Do
you agree with Holbach? Why or why not?
4. In "Freedom and Necessity," Ayer develops a compatibilist account of free
will. Explain and evaluate Ayer's account. In doing so, give a clear
definition of `determinism' and show how, given Ayer's account of freedom,
our possession of free will is consistent with determinism.
What is the most compelling objection to Ayer's account? Does he have an
adequate reply? Do you endorse Ayer's compatibilism (or perhaps something
similar)? Why or why not?
Problems of Philosophy Research Custom Term Papers, Essays,
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