Study Questions for Second Exam
- In Part I of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Philo and Cleanthes take very different stances on the question of whether human reason is capable of coming to evident knowledge of "hidden" truths concerning the world of nature studied by science and and of "hidden" truths concerning God. Explain the position each of them takes and indicate the line of argument by which he defends his position.
- In Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Cleanthes presents an argument from design for the existence of God, and Philo objects by listing a number of reasons for thinking that there is no relevant similarity or analogy between the universe and a work of human intelligence. First lay out the argument from design, and then show how Cleanthes's examples of the voice in the cloud and the vegetating library are meant to counter Philo's objection.
- In Part IX of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Demea presents a "metaphysical" or "a priori" argument for the existence of a necessary being. Lay out this argument, making sure to explain the meaning of the terms `necessary being' and `contingent being'.
- Lay out the first argument for freedom of discussion that Mill presents in chapter 2 of On Liberty. Then explain briefly two objections that might be raised against this argument.
- On the basis of your reading of chapters 2 and 3 of Mill's On Liberty, discuss intelligently the following criticism of Mill's theory: In extolling individuality Mill is in effect promoting a dangerous individualism which threatens the good of every form of community--e.g., the family, the neighboorhood, the village, the nation, etc.-- by exalting the selfish good of the individual over the common good.
- Ponder the following passage from Book 6 of Augustine's Confessions and explain both (a) its significance in Augustine's ongoing personal search for wisdom and (b) its general implications for the question of how faith and authority are related to reason:
"From this time on I found myself preferring the Catholic doctrine, realising that it acted more modestly and honestly in requiring things to be believed which could not be proved, than the Manichees, who derided credulity and made impossible promises of certain knowledge and then called upon men to believe so many utterly fabulous and absurd things because they could not be demonstrated. Next, Lord, with gentle and most merciful hand You worked upon my heart and rectified it. I began to consider the countless things I believed which I had not seen, or which had happened with me not there .... [Now during this time] I always believed that You exist and that You have care for us .... Thus, since men had not the strength to discover the truth by pure reason and therefore we needed the authority of Holy Writ, I was coming to believe that You would certainly not have bestowed such eminent authority upon those Scriptures, unless it had been Your will that by them men should believe in You and in them seek You."
- Secular philosophy, as represented by (a) Cicero's Hortensius, (b) the Academic sceptics, and (c) the writings of the "Platonist philosophers" (i.e., the neo-Platonists), played a major role in Augustine's spiritual journey toward the Catholic faith. In each of these three cases, show what new horizons the philosophers in question opened up for Augustine and also explain why in the end he found their doctrines too limited to provide a satisfying worldview in their own right.
- At the beginning of Book 8 of the Confessions Augustine describes a situation in which the intellectual obstacles to his conversion to the Catholic faith had been cleared away but in which he still found himself unwilling to accept that faith. First explain in general terms what these intellectual obstacles were. Then explain how Augustine diagnoses his own unwillingness to accept the faith at the time in question.