History of Philosophy KL108F
Essay questions
Essay 1: due by 19th April 2013. Email to Kenneth Sadler k.sadler@abdn.ac.uk
Write 2000 words on ONE of the following topics:
1. Compare and contrast Plato and Aristotle’s theories of knowledge
2. Is knowledge innate? Illustrate your answer with at least two theories of
knowledge from the epistemology part of this course.
3. What are the differences between Descartes’ and Hume’s scepticism? Is either
theory plausible?
4. How do Plato and Aristotle’s theories of reality differ? Which is more plausible?
5. Critically analyse Berkeley’s theory that “esse est percipi”. Is God necessary to
this conception of reality?
6. Why does Hume argue that metaphysics is just “sophistry and illusion”? Do you
agree?
Essay 2: due by 10th May 2013. Email to Kenneth Sadler k.sadler@abdn.ac.uk
Write 2000 words on ONE of the following topics:
1. Critically analyse Plato’s theory of the immortal soul. Is his theory convincing?
2. How does Descartes try to prove that mind and body are separate? What
problems does his theory of mind present?
3. Compare and contrast Descartes’ and Schopenhauer’s theories of mind.
4. What does Brentano think the “hallmarks of the mental” are? Do you agree?