BIG Q _ 3-2-2025 REVIEW DAY

Exam Format

• Questions will have a mix of evaluation and explanation prompts.

• Short Answer: Pick 3 out of 5 provided options.

• Short Essay: Pick 1 out of 2 provided options.

• Some questions require expression of personal evaluation while others focus on material explanation.

Grading Rubric Overview

• Grading criteria for midterm will be posted on Canvas.

• Evaluated on:

  • Understanding of Course Material: Highest weight.

  • Completeness of Answer: Ensure all parts of the question are addressed.

  • Coherent Expression: Express opinions logically and consistently.

Evaluation Criteria

• You will not be graded on agreement/disagreement, but on how you express your viewpoint.

  • Example: Supporting Descartes’ standpoint requires coherent reasoning that aligns with his philosophy.

• Clarity and logical structure in your writing are essential.

Examples and Expectations

• Short answer questions should be 3-4 sentences.

• Short essay answers should consist of 6-8 sentences.

• Quality of response matters more than quantity, but ensure completeness.

Review of Key Concepts: Hume

• Focused on the Origin of Ideas in the "Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding."

  • Hume asserts knowledge begins with impressions (immediate sensations).

  • Ideas stem from impressions through a process he calls reflection.

  • We can form complex ideas by combining simpler impressions.

Skepticism in Hume's Philosophy

• Hume expresses skepticism about how we acquire knowledge, emphasizing sensory experiences.

• Unique perspective on complex ideas: Concepts can exist from combinations of previous impressions, e.g., unicorns or missing shades of blue.

The Missing Shade of Blue Example

• Hume debates whether individuals can identify a missing shade of blue in a gradient.

  • He posits that without prior experience of that specific shade, individuals cannot conjure it.

  • This shows his philosophical stance on primary qualities and his skepticism towards innate imagination.

Association of Ideas

• Hume's principles that connect ideas:

  1. Resemblance: Ideas related through visual similarities.

  2. Continuity: Ideas associated through shared space or time (e.g., days of the week).

  3. Cause and Effect: Central to empirical knowledge and induction.

Problem of Induction

• The core of Hume's skepticism is rooted in the problem of induction:

  • Inductive reasoning leads from specific observations to broad generalizations (e.g., all swans are white).

  • Such reasoning relies on the assumption the future resembles the past, which cannot be proven.

• Hume argues that our belief in cause and effect is rooted in habit rather than rational certainty.

Final Reminder

• Ensure to arrive early for the exam for better preparation.

• Test format available on Canvas. The option for handwritten tests is not favored by the class.