Descartes argues that our belief in the reliability of our sense perceptions is an undoubtable belie

Philosophy by Geoffrey

Type up your answers into a WORD document and email the instructor with your answers by December 14

  1. True/False. One point each.
  2. Short Answer Section. Provide clear, complete, and accurate answers to each part of the following. Fifteen points each.
  3. Main Essay. Provide clear, accurate and clear answers to each part of the following. 50 points.
  1. Descartes argues that our belief in the reliability of our sense perceptions is an undoubtable belief.
  2. The cosmological argument for the existence of God is that everything has a cause, and the cause of the universe must be greater than the universe. This cause is God.
  3. Plato thinks the higher forms of love involve directing desire (eros) to the higher truths, the forms.
  4. Plato thinks the most important job of the rulers of the city is to oversee the education of the citizens into virtuous living.
  5. Plato is a dualist and believes in the soul as nonphysical and the body as physical. To Plato, only the soul is important to human identity.
  1. Explain one of Descartes’ arguments that attempts to prove the existence of the infinitely perfect god. What are the steps of this argument? Why can this argument be made just from what is in one’s mind? Contrast this argument to design arguments for the existence of God. Identify one major objection to either the Descartes argument or the design argument.
  2. What is Descartes’ version of dualism? What is the view of interactionism? Why does Descartes have a problem defending interactionism? What is the deterministic view of the universe that threatens the view of free will implicit in interactionism? Why does determinism threaten our conception of being a human being? Explain.
  3. What is Kant’s view of our subjectivity as a rational will? How does he define the concept of the “good will”? Explain the first version of the categorical imperative and give an example of an action that would be judged unethical on the basis of this concept of Kant.

Why does Descartes set out to doubt all his beliefs in the first Meditation of his book? Explain his view of the traditional beliefs of his culture. What is epistemology and why does Descartes focus on this part of philosophy? Explain his foundationalist approach to epistemology and why it is essential for him to have an undoubtable foundation for his belief system. Explain his dream argument in the first meditation. Does it “disprove” our physical senses? Explain. Present his argument in meditation two for the  of the existence of his own self-consciousness. What criticisms could be made of his argument? Explain the problem of the continuity of personal identity. What is one way this problem might be resolved? What is Sartre’s view of human nature? What does he mean by saying that for us humans, existence comes before essence? What does Sartre mean by saying that one must choose their essence authentically? What is everydayness and why do we typically want to live in this state and not authentically? Explain the dilemma of the young man in the Sartre essay and what it would mean for him to resolve it authentically. Explain your answers.