PHILOSOPHY 101
MIDTERM #1 EXAM
INSTRUCTOR: WILBURN
SPRING 2008
101 EXAM #1
Note: Implicitly take each of the following questions to be prefaced by the phrase
"According to Schick and Vaughn in "Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through
Thought Experiments." That is, to allow for unique answers, the following questions are
about what the authors say and conclude in the textbook we are using for the class.
Chapter 1 - The Philosophical Enterprise
True/False
1. It is logically possible for an triangle to not have three interior angles. (F)
2. Is it logically possible to live to be 900 years old. (T)
3. Positive instances cannot conclusively confirm a theory. (T)
4. Philosophical problems are unsolvable because there are no better and worse answers in
philosophy. (F)
5. A thought experiment can be criticized if a variable other than the one under investigation
could have produced the result. (T)
6. A sound argument is a strong inductive argument that contains only true premises. (F)
7. Thought experiments test claims about the logical relations between concepts by helping us
determine whether the claims hold universally. (T)
8. The principle that nothing can both have and lack a property at the same time and in the same
respect is known as causal impossibility. (F)
9. Denying the antecedent has the following form: If p, then q; q; therefore, p. (F)
10. Analogical induction is the sort of reasoning we use when we arrive at a generalization about
a group of things after observing only some members of that group. (F)
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Multiple Choice (Correct answers are marked with an asterisk.)
11. Philosophical problems arise from the realization that some our most fundamental beliefs __
each other.
a. reinforce
b. are disconnected from
*c. are inconsistent with
d. provide explanations for
e. are derivable from
12. Thought experiments transform our intuitive understanding into a theoretical one by
a. produce results that yield wide-spread agreement
*b. identifying the conditions for applying a concept
c. always contradicting common sense
d. none of these
13. Warren's Moral Space Travler thought experiment shows that
*a. it's possible for a nonhuman to be a person.
b. humans have a higher moral status than persons.
c. you need a soul in order to be a human.
d. humans cannot be agents.
14. Which of the following is not one of the criteria of adequacy for an Inference to the Best
Explanation?
a. Consistency
*b. Complexity
c. Scope
d. Conservatism
e. Fruitfulness
15. Not all seemingly conceivable situations (e.g., time travel) are logically possible because
they may
*a. contain hidden contradictions.
b. violate the laws of nature.
c. contradict the teachings of the world's great religions.
d. violate human rights.
e. none of these
16. Causal possiblity is a __ for logical possibility.
a. necessary condition
*b. sufficient condition
17. Being a reptile is a __ for being a lizard.
*a. necessary condition
b. sufficient condition
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18. “If you have SARS, then you will experience shortness of breath. You are experiencing
shortness of breath. Therefore, you must have SARS.” This argument form is
*a. invalid.
b. modus ponens (affirming the antecedent)
c. modus tollens. (denying the consequent)
d. hypothetical syllogism.
e. disjunctive syllogism.
19. “Either John is lost or his girlfriend is wrong. John is not lost. Therefore, his girlfriend is
wrong.” This argument form is
a. invalid.
b. modus ponens. (affirming the antecedent)
c. modus tollens. (denying the consequent)
d. hypothetical syllogism.
*e. disjunctive syllogism.
20. In a conditional statement of the form ("If p, then q"), the p is called the
a. consequent.
*b. antecedent.
c. primary clause.
d. pre-clause.
e. none of these
21. A valid deductive argument that contains only true premises.
a. cogent
b. uncogent
*c. sound
d. unsound
e. none of these
22. A deductive argument in which the conclusion logically follows from its premises.
a. strong
b. weak
*c. valid
d. invalid
e. none of these
23. An inductive argument that would establish its conclusion with a high degree of probability if
its premises were true is
*a. strong argument
b.valid argument.
c. sound argument.
d. cogent argument.
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24. Which step is not part of testing a philosophical theory?
a. deriving a test implication
*b. deciding on the most conspicuous theory
c. describing the hypothetical situation in sufficient detail
d. performing the experiment
Chapter 2 - The Mind/Body Problem
True/False
25. A Cartesian dualist believes that the mind is dependent for its existence on the body. (F)
26. The identity theory is the doctrine that mental states are brain states. (T)
27. Empiricism is the view that the only source of knowledge about the world is sense
experience. (T)
28. Idealism maintains that all that exists are minds and their contents. (T)
29. According to Gilbert Ryle, it is a mistake to think that minds exist in the same sense that
bodies exist. (T)
30. Intentionality is the property of mental states that makes them of or about something. (T)
31. According to eliminative materialism, all reference to mental states should be eliminated
from our scientific theories. (T)
32. The identity theory is materialist theory. (T)
33. The behaviorist and identity theorist both accept the premise that human being is an entirely
physical organism. (T)
34.Qualitative content is the felt experiential quality of certain mental states.(T)
35. Lewis's thought experiment on the pained Martian claims to show that functionalism must be
correct. (F)
36. Churchland maintains that folk psychology can't explain many psychological phenomena. (T)
37. According to Rorty, someday all references to mental states will be eliminated from
psychology textbooks. (T)
38. Eliminative materialism is a reductive theory. (F)
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Multiple Choice (Correct answers are marked with an asterisk.)
39. Which of the following do Cartesian dualists reject?
a.
that minds and bodies exist.
b.
that minds and bodies can exist independently of each other.
c.
that minds exist in time.
*
d.
that minds exist in space.
40. Descartes cannot conceive of
a.
existing without a body.
*
b.
existing without a mind.
c.
existing without a brain.
d.
existing without a heart.
41. One of the problems with Cartesian dualism is that
a.
it cannot explain perception.
b.
it cannot explain emotions.
c.
it cannot explain reason.
*
d.
it cannot explain mind/body interaction.
42. The theory that claims that the body affects the mind, but the mind does not affect the body is
known as
a.
Occasionalism
b.
Interactionism
*
c.
Epiphenomenalism
d.
Dualism
43. According to empiricism, our only source of knowledge about the world is
a.
reason.
*
b.
sense experience.
c.
God.
d.
the Bible.
44. According to logical positivism, a sentence is meaningful only is
a.
it is logical.
b.
it is not negative.
*
c.
it is verifiable.
d.
it is believable.
45. According to Ryle, the mind cannot affect the body because
a.
the mind is an immaterial thing and the body is a material thing.
b.
it’s impossible to detect the mind.
c.
minds are theoretical entities.
*
d.
minds, unlike bodies, are not things.
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46. Logical behaviorism claims that mental states are
*
a.
behavioral dispositions.
b.
behavioral propositions.
c.
behavioral acquisitions.
d.
behavioral subdivisions.
47. If two things do not have the same properties, they are not
a.
different.
*
b.
identical.
c.
ideal.
d.
real.
48. Which of the following is not consistent with the identity theory:
a.
mental states are physical states.
b.
minds are material objects.
c.
to have a mind is to have a certain composition.
*
d.
to have a mind is to behave in a certain way.
49. According to strong AI, minds are to brains as
a.
blood is to the heart.
b.
bile is to the liver.
c.
modems are to the Internet.
*
d.
software is to hardware.
50. Functionalists believe that in order to determine whether a computer has a mind, we must
determine:
a.
whether it behaves like it has a mind.
b.
whether it has a brain.
c.
whether it has a soul.
*
d.
whether it’s inputs and outputs are similar to ours.
51. The inverted spectrum problem tries to show that being in a functional state
*
a.
is not sufficient for being in a mental state.
b.
is not necessary for being in a mental state.
c.
is not a relevant condition for being in a mental state.
d.
is not a significant condition for being in a mental state.
52. Searle's Chinese Room thought experiment is designed to indicate whether passing the
Turing test
a.
requires intelligence.
b.
requires understanding.
c.
requires a knowledge of semantics.
*
d.
all of the above.
e.
none of the above.
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53. The intentional content of a mental state is
a.
what it is trying to accomplish.
b.
what it contains.
*
c.
what it is about.
d.
what it is made of.
54. Eliminative materialists maintain that
a.
there are no material objects.
b.
there are no abstract objects.
c.
there are no physical states.
*
d.
there are no mental states.
55. For which theory of mind is an inverted spectrum a problem?
a.
Cartesian dualism.
b.
Identity theory.
c.
Behaviorism.
*
d.
Functionalism.
56. Folk psychology is the view that
a.
most folks need psychological help.
b.
most psychological problems are caused by other folks.
*
c.
actions can be explained in terms of beliefs and desires.
d.
actions can be explained in terms of reward and punishment.
57. Logical behaviorism seems an inadequate theory of mind because
a. there are no behavioral dispositions.
*b. having the right behavioral dispositions isn't sufficient for being in a mental state.
c. mental states have no qualitative content.
d. behavioral dispositions are dependent on the brain.
58. Nagel's thought experiment about bats supposedly shows that
a. the identity theory does not account for brain waves.
b. the identity theory does not account for behavioral dispositions.
*c. the identity theory does not account for the subjective character of conscious
experience.
d. the identity theory does not account for bat behavior.
59. The point of Lewis's (pained Martian) and Putnam's (conscious computer) thought
experiments is to show that
a. minds are brains.
b. minds can function independently of brains.
*c. minds can be caused by and realized in things other than brains.
d. minds are computers.
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60. Jackson's thought experiment about the color-challenged scientist shows that
a. there's more to the world than physical objects and physical properties.
b. there are only physical objects and physical properties.
c. it's possible to provide a complete account of the world in purely physical terms.
D. physical terms can be reduced to mental terms.
Short Essays
1. (a) How do philosophical problems arise? (b) How can they be solved?
Answer: Philosophical problems arise when we have two or more contradictory beliefs.
They can be solved by eliminating or amending one or more of these beliefs so as to
remove the contradiction.
2. What is the nature and function of thought experiments?
Answer: A thought experiment is an imagined scenario with which we aim to determine if
a putative definition (i.e., philosophical theory), in fact, states a necessary truth. If we can
imagine a situation is which the concept being defined applies, but the conditions used to
define it do not all apply, then we know that these conditions are not jointly necessary to
define the concept. If, on the other hand, we imagine a situation in which the concept
being defined does not apply, but the conditions used to define it all apply, then we know
that these conditions are not jointly sufficient to define the concept.
3. What is the difference between deductive and inductive arguments?
Answer: In the case of deductive arguments, the truth of the premises would be sufficient
to guarantee the truth of the conclusion. In the case of inductive arguments, the truth of the
premises would be enough to make the conclusion probable or more likely than not.
Deductive inferences are thus ironclad in a way that inductive inferences are not.
4. Is Cartesian Dualism consistent with modern science? Why or why not?
Answer: It isn’t consistent with modern science. This is because it demands that the mind
effect the body, thus requiring that the physical world not be a causally closed system.
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5. (a) What is the inverted spectrum problem. (b)What does it purport to show?
Answer: This is a graphic demonstration of the absent qualia objection. We are asked to
imagine a being which is just like us except that its visible spectrum is inverted 180
degrees. Since it will acquire color language and beliefs exactly as we do (i.e., calling the
same things “red” that we call “red”), it will be in a state of seeing a certain shade of blue
when and only when we see a certain shade of red. Functionalism tells us that these two
states are identical because they play the same causal roles relative to inputs and outputs
(including other mental states). But, intuitively we want to say that seeing blue just feels
vastly different from seeing red.
6. (a) What is Searle's Chinese room thought experiment? (b) What does it purport to
show?
Answer: The Chinese room allegedly does for intentional states what the inverted
spectrum thought experiment shows for phenomenal states. It has us envision a situation in
which a human being serves essentially the same function as the CPU of a digital
computer which is running a simulation program for understanding Chinese. And yet, we
intuitively want to say that neither this person nor the system of which she is a part
actually understands Chinese.
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