Phil 343 Exam 2 - All Arguments

Human Form Argument - “The gods have human form”

1. the gods are blessed

2. if you are blessed, then you are virtuous

3. if you are virtuous, then you have reason

4. if you have reason, then you have human form

The Gods Don’t Care - “One should not fear the gods”

1. The gods are blessed and immortal

2. if so, they are happy

3. if so, they’re tranquil

4. if so, they don’t care about us

5. if so, they shouldn’t be feared

Sensations Argument - “Death is not worth fearing”

1. we’re either alive or dead

2. if we’re dead, then we have no sensations

3. if so, we have no bad sensations

4. if so, then death is not worth fearing

5. if we’re alive, then it is irrational to fear something that doesn’t cause bad pains

Symmetry Argument - “Death should not be feared”

1. Not having been born isn’t bad for us

2. Being dead is the same as not being born

3. Being dead isn’t bad for us

4. If so, then death should not be feared

The Love Argument - “You should not have sex with your beloved”

1. If you have sex with your beloved, you’ll want more, and you’ll worry about their fidelity

2. If so, you won’t be tranquil

3. If so, you won’t be happy

4. But you want to be happy

Having Friends Argument - “We should have friends”

1. If one has no friends, one is solitary

2. If so, one will fear others

3. But we should avoid fear

Valuing Friends Argument - “You should truly value your friends”

1. One needs safety

2. Safety implies maintaining a friendship

3. Maintaining a friendship implies that your friends knows you value them

4. But they can’t know you value them unless you truly value them

Plenum Argument - “The cosmos is a plenum”

1. Heavenly and earthly things are in harmony and “common tension”

2. If so, they must have a physical connection

3. If so, there can’t be any void between heavenly and earthly things

4. If so, then the cosmos is a plenum

Innateness Argument - “God exists”

1. The idea of god is innate in all humans

2. If so, god exists

*The Perfection Argument - “God is perfect”

1. Only something eternal can prevent something else from reaching perfection

2. Nothing is external to god

3. Nothing can prevent god from reaching perfection

The Argument from Design - “Something greater than human exists, namely, god”

1. The cosmos is created and ordered

2. If so, it must have a creator

3. If so, the creator is either human or something greater than human

4. The creator is definitely not human

Best Quality Argument - “God is/has reason”

1. Reason is better to have than not

2. God is perfect

Parts and Wholes Argument - “The cosmos as a whole perceives”

1. If something as a whole doesn’t perceive, then its parts can’t perceive

2. Some parts of the cosmos perceive (ex. humans)

Death Argument - “The soul is corporeal”

1. Death is the separation of soul and body

2. Incorporeal things cannot be separated from corporeal things

The Destructible Cosmos Argument - “The cosmos as a whole is destructible”

1. If some thing’s parts are destructible, then it’s destructible as a whole

2. The parts of the cosmos are destructible

The Skeptics Regress/ Circularity Argument - “A criterion does not exist”

1. If a criterion exists, there must be proof of its veridical status

2. If so, it must be proven to appeal either
   a. to another criterion
   b. to itself

3. If a, then this will require appeal to another criterion, ad infinitum

4. But justification cannot go into infinity

5. Not a

6. If b, then the justification is circular

7. But justification cannot be circular

8. Not b

9. 
   

Stoic Argument vs. Skeptic Criterion Trope - “There is no basis for the claim that there is no criterion”

1. If one claims that no criterion exists, one does so either
   a. on the basis of a criterion
   b. or not

2. If a is the case, then there is a criterion after all

3. If so, there is no basis for the claim that there is no criterion

4. If b is the case, then there is no basis for the claim that there is no criterion.