Phil 340 Exam 2 Arguments

Unity arg

1. Atoms are perfectly unified

2. If so, then atoms have no void

3. If so, there’s no place an atom can be split

4. Atoms are unsplittable

Death should not be feared

1. Death is either a) the end of all sensatin or b) it is an afterlife

2. If a), it can’t involve bad sensations

3. If b), then it can’t involve bad sensations either

4. Bad sensations are the only things worth fearing

5. Death isn’t worth fearing

Arg for recollection

1. One either knows something, or not

2. If one knows it, searching for/learning is impossible

3. If one doesn’t know it, searching for/learning is impossible

4. SUB Learning is impossible

5. We have knowledge

6. If 4 and 5, we must have innate knowledge

7. If 6, then we must have know things before birth

8. We know things before birth

Sensory skepticism

1. Senses are deceptive

2. We have knowledge

3. If 1+2, we must gain knowledge from another source

4. If so, forms must exist

5. Forms exist

Ideal concepts arg

1. We know objects in this world are imperfect

2. If so, we know what perfection is

3. Knowledge → the truth of the thing known

4. There are perfect things, namely forms