HU2700: Study Questions for Second Exam—Fall 2008
I. Define, Explain, Describe, Identify
a posteriori knowledge
a priori knowledge
act utilitarianism
Bentham, Jeremy
bundle of perceptions
categorical imperative
category
compatibilism
consequentialist theory
of obligation
content of knowledge
continuity of memory
Copernican revolution in
knowledge
cultural relativism
Descartes, René
determinism
empiricism
epistemology
ethical absolutism
ethical relativism
ethical subjectivism
ethics
Eudaemonism
form of knowledge
good will
hedonism
Hume, David
hypothetical imperative
impressions
innate ideas
instrumental value
intrinsic value
Kant, Immanuel
knowledge
libertarianism
Locke, John
maxim
Mill, John Stuart
nonconsequentialist
theory of obligation
no-self view
noumena
perceptions
personal identity
phenomena
pluralism
primary quality
rationalism
reason
rule utilitarianism
secondary quality
self
sense-data
skepticism
tabula rasa
theory of intrinsic value
theory of moral
obligation
transcendental idealism
universal law
II. Concepts, Principles, Theories
1. Compare and contrast determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. What
arguments do determinists, libertarians, and compatibilists give in support of their
respective positions? What are the main arguments against the three views?
2. What is the problem of personal identity? What are the main views about the self?
What are the main arguments for and against each of those views?
3. Summarize Descartes’s views about the sources of our knowledge of the world.
What are Descartes’s views about innate ideas? Why is Descartes classified as a
rationalist?
4. Summarize Kant’s views about the sources of our knowledge of the world.
According to Kant, what are the respective roles of reason and sense-experience
in knowledge? Which aspects of our knowledge are a priori? Which aspects are a
posteriori? Explain Kant’s distinction between the content and the form of
knowledge. Illustrate with an example.
5. Why is Hume referred to as "the great skeptic"? What exactly was he skeptical
about? How did Kant attempt to avoid Hume's skepticism? What sorts of
knowledge that Hume denied to be possible did Kant say are possible? What
elements of Kant's epistemology allowed him to say this?
6. Compare and contrast Hume's and Kant's views on causality. What did each say
about the possibility of our knowing about cause-effect relationships-e.g., that
lightning causes thunder? According to Hume, what is the source of our beliefs in
causality? What does Kant say is the source of those beliefs? Do we really know
that some events cause other events, according to Hume? According to Kant?
Explain.
7. Summarize Locke’s views about the sources of our knowledge of the world. What
are Locke’s views about innate ideas? What are Locke’s views about our
knowledge of ordinary physical objects? Why is Locke classified as an
empiricist?
8. Summarize Berkeley’s views about the sources of our knowledge of the world.
How are his views different from Locke’s? What are his views about our
knowledge of ordinary physical objects? Why is Berkeley classified as an
empiricist?
9. Summarize Hume’s views about the sources of our knowledge of the world. How
are his views different from Locke’s? How are his views different from
Berkeley’s? What are his views about our knowledge of ordinary physical
objects? Why is Hume classified as an empiricist?
10. Compare and contrast cultural relativism and ethical relativism. Could one
consistently believe both cultural relativism and ethical absolutism? Explain.
11. What are the main arguments for and against ethical absolutism? What are the
main arguments for and against ethical relativism? What are the main arguments
for and against ethical subjectivism?
12. Explain the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Under
what circumstances would an action be morally right according to an act
utilitarian theory but morally wrong according to a rule utilitarian theory, and vice
versa? What are the main arguments for and against each kind of theory?
13. What does the term “intrinsic value” mean? What is the difference between
intrinsic value and instrumental value? Name and describe three theories of
intrinsic value.
14. What exactly is Kant’s categorical imperative? What does Kant mean by
“maxim,” and “universal law”? What two conditions are involved in acting
according to a maxim that one can will to be a universal law?