Meaning of life
Questions from earlier units
What is the difference between empiricism and rationalism?
Imperialism relies on sensory experience for knowledge while rationalism relies on reason and innate ideas
What are the main arguments for the existence of God?
Cosmological argument - Everything that exists has a cause in that cause is God
The design argument - The complexity in order in the universe imply a designer
The Ontological -if you could think of the greatest being that it has to exist, To believe in God makes God, the greatest conceivable being.
What is the difference between materialism and dualism
Materialism claims everything is physical while dualism search that there are both physical or non-physical substances
Stace, “Free Will and Determinism”
How does Stace define free action? Is he a libertarian, hard determinist, or soft determinist?
The soft determinist Stace, defines free action as an action performed voluntarily without external force.
How does he use the case of the recanted confession to support his view?
Stace uses cases of individuals recanting coerced confessions to illustrate that true free action requires the absence of external pressure.
Frankfurt
What is the “principle of alternative possibilities” and how does Frankfurt try to refute it?
It is the thesis that a person is morally responsible for what they have done only if they could have done otherwise.
Frankfurt argues moral responsibility isn't just about the ability to choose otherwise. He presents cases where external constraints don't negate internal desires, emphasizing true accountability from alignment of actions with values.
Hume, Enquiry
What is Hume’s analysis of cause and effect, and how does he apply it to the problem of free will?
He argues that free will is not based on cause and effect; instead, it is about the consistency of behavior even under deterministic circumstances.
Smart, “A Case of Identity”
What happens in the shipyard, and how do Morion and Bombos each argue that ship Y should be his?
Morion and Bombos each claim ownership of ship Y by arguing their respective 'original' parts have been preserved. Morion claims ownership based on having the original hull, while Bombos argues for his claim based on original rigging.
Locke on personal identity
What’s Locke’s theory of personal identity?
Locke's theory asserts personal identity is based on continuity of consciousness rather than the substance of the body.
Hume on personal identity
What is Hume’s theory of personal identity and how does he argue for it?
Locke's theory asserts personal identity is based on continuity of consciousness rather than the substance of the body. He posits that identity is like a bundle of perceptions linked by memory, not a singular unchanging self.
Perry, “The Problem of Personal Identity”
What are the two possible interpretations of the case discussed by Perry?
Perry discusses the interpretation of personal identity through psychological continuity or bodily continuity.
Parfit, “The Unimportance of Identity”
How does Parfit argue against the bodily criterion that identity is unimportant?
As long as our memories, personality, and consciousness continue, our identity remains intact, making the physical body less important.
How does Parfit argue against the brain-based psychological criterion that identity is unimportant?
He suggests that identity is not central to our concerns about survival and moral responsibility.
Jantzen, “Do We Need Immortality”
How does Jantzen argue that it’s not easy to visualize heaven as a desirable place to spend eternity and that religion isn’t pointless without an afterlife?
imagining heaven as desirable is challenging, and argues that religion serves purposes beyond an afterlife
“Hoops of Steel,” Levin
What experiment are Renee and David going to run, and what question are they seeking to answer?
Conducted an experiment to confirm or Refute the claims that The soul leaves the body after death and there is a measurable loss of mass.
Thompson on the trolley problem
What is the trolley problem?
A thought experiment in ethics that poses a scenario where a person must decide whether to divert a trolley onto a track to save five people at the expense of one.
What is the argument in “Turning the Trolley” that the bystander may not kill the one person to save the five?
The argument states that the bystander may not permissibly kill one person to save five, raising questions about moral agency and direct harm.
Nagel, “Death”
What is bad about death according to Nagel?
Nagel argues that death is bad because it deprives us of goods and experiences that life offers.
What are the objections to Nagel’s position?
Objections include the notion that death might not be bad for the person who has died, particularly if they are not conscious.
How does he argue the subjects of goods and evils should be identified?
argues that we should focus on the subjective experiences and value of goods as they relate to individual lives.
Thr Doomsday Scenario
How does Scheffler argue people would alter their behavior in the doomsday scenario?
suggests that knowledge of an impending doom would lead individuals to focus on legacy and impact rather than self-interest.
What is Wolf’s argument concerning the doomsday scenario?
argues that the meaning of life persists despite doomsday, through connections and contributions to others.
The Meaning of Life
What is Wolf’s view on the meaning of life?
believes that the meaning of life derives from engagement and active contributions to the wellbeing of others.
How does Vitrano criticize Wolf’s and Taylor’s views?
challenges their assertions by questioning the sufficiency of personal fulfillment in defining life's meaning.
What joke does Nozick tell, and how does he use it to illustrate the problem of learning the meaning of life?
a man climbs a mountain to ask a wise guru the meaning of life. The guru responds, "Life is a fountain." The man is puzzled and asks, "What do you mean, life is a fountain?" The guru replies, "You mean it isn't?". This joke illustrates the idea that the meaning of life might be subjective and dependent on individual interpretation.
Essay Questions: two of these will be on the exam
Explain the myth of Sisyphus, how Taylor says it illustrates the two forms of meaning a life might have, which form he says is preferable, and why.
The myth of Sisyphus involves a king punished by the gods to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he nears the top.
Taylor argues that Sisyphus's plight illustrates two forms of meaning a life might have: subjective and objective. The objective meaning is there no purpose or goal, which in Sisyphus's case is lacking because his task is endless and futile. The subjective meaning, however, is the internal satisfaction or fulfillment one derives from their actions.
Taylor suggests that subjective meaning is preferable because it focuses on the individual's personal experience and satisfaction. He argues that even if Sisyphus finds joy or fulfillment in the act of rolling the boulder, his life can be considered meaningful from his perspective. This emphasizes the importance of personal fulfillment over external validation in determining the meaning of life.;
Explain the two difficulties that Penelhum argues the doctrine of the disembodied soul (DDS) faces
How could non-physical beings have personal characteristics?
How could they perceive, act, or interrelate with others?
Explaining how the same body can be reconstituted, especially if it’s original matter, has been reused or transform in various ways.
Explain the positions of hard determinism, soft determinism, and libertarianism.
Hard determinism asserts that free will is an illusion; soft determinism accepts some form of determinism with compatible free will. Free will with constraints ; libertarianism believes in genuine free choice.
Penelhum argues that the doctrine of the disembodied soul (DDS) faces two main difficulties:
Personal Characteristics: Penelhum questions how non-physical beings can possess personal characteristics. This poses challenges regarding identity since non-physical entities may have difficulty maintaining individuality and personal traits without a physical form.
Perception and Interaction: He raises concerns about how disembodied souls could perceive, act, or interact with others. The lack of a physical body complicates the notion of personal attributes and interpersonal relationships.