Logic
Premises.
What is the Socratic method?
Teaching by asking questions.
Also: Inquiring by asking questions.
How does Aristotle distinguish between voluntary and involuntary actions?
With voluntary actions, motion comes from within the agent/animal; with involuntary actions, motion comes from outside.
Describe the meaning of the following things in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (from Republic Book 8): The shadows on the wall, the prisoners, the sun, the person who goes back into the cave.
Shadows on the wall = the changing material world.
Prisoners = us (ordinary people)
Sun = the form of the good.
Person who goes back into the cave: Socrates or any enlightened teacher.
This Hellenistic philosopher thought that pleasure was the only good in human life.
Epicurus
What must be true of an argument in order for it to be logically valid?
What made Socrates the wisest person in the world (according to him)?
He knew the limits of his own knowledge. Others thought were ignorant but wrongly believed that they had knowledge.
What is an akratic action?
An wrong action done despite the knowledge that it is wrong, out of weakness of the will.
Can virtue be taught?
Why shouldn't we fear death, according to Epicurus?
Because only pain is harmful and there's no pain after death.
Also: Because death and you won't be in the same place at the same time. When death comes, you won't be around.
Is the following argument sound?
We are in Boulder, Colorado.
If we are in the United States, then we are in Boulder.
Therefore, We are in the United States.
No, that argument is invalid, an example of "assuming the consequent."
In Plato's Gorgias, Socrates says that philosophy is like medicine, whereas rhetoric is more like what?
Cookery or pastry-making.
Also: flattery.
Be able to describe Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean. give an example.
The doctrine of the mean is that all virtues are means between two vices, a vice of excess and a vice of deficiency.
Example: Courage: The cowardly person is too fearful. The rash person doesn't fear when fear is reasonable. The courageous person has the optimal amount of fear for a given situation.
What is the Euthyphro dilemma?
Is the pious pious because the Gods love it? Or do the Gods love the pious because it is pious?
Suppose somebody was really anxious about getting a promotion, and this was making him irritable. What sort of advice do you think Epictetus would give?
Concentrate on what's in your control. Don't worry about things that are out of your hands. And material wealth isn't very important, anyway. Your virtue is what matters.
Is the following argument valid?
1. If we are on earth, then we are not on Mars.
2. We are on Mars.
Therefore, we are not on earth.
Yes, this is valid, in the form of Modus Tollens.
Socrates was convicted of what two crimes?
Corrupting the youth and impiety.
What is the difference between substantial and accidental change?
DAILY DOUBLE!
With a substantial change, something goes into existence or goes out of existence (e.g., birth, death). With accidental change, the qualities, features or accidents of something change.
What is the Meno Problem (a.k.a., the "Paradox of Inquiry")?
It's an argument that purports to show that productive inquiry is impossible:
Either we know something or we don't know it.
If we know something, then we can't come to know it (anymore than we can come to Boulder if we're already in Boulder)
If we don't know something, then we can't come to know it because we wouldn't recognize it even if we found it. (e.g., you couldn't find Socrates in the market if you knew nothing about Socrates to begin with).
Hence, substantive inquiry is impossible.
What would a skeptic say to the following challenge:
You skeptics are contradicting yourself. You claim that no beliefs are justified. But you must think that you are justified in believing this!
We don't claim that no beliefs are justified. This would indeed be an unacceptable form of dogmatism. Instead we use the modes to set appearances against appearances, leading to suspension of judgment. This gives us peace of mind.
How would you do a G.E. Moore shift on the following argument:
1. If we should go the movies, then we should leave at 9:00 p.m.
2. We should go to the movies.
Therefore, we should leave at 9:00 p.m.
Most likely:
1. If we should go to the movies, we should leave at 9:00 p.m.
2. We should not leave at 9:00 p.m.
Therefore, we should not go to the movies.
But this is also correct:
1. We should go to the movies.
2. We should not leave at 9:00 p.m.
Therefore, it's not the case that if we should go to the movies that we should leave at 9:00 p.m.
What is one reason Socrates gives Crito for not leaving Sparta?
Trick Question! It was Athens, not Sparta.
What is a non-voluntary action for Aristotle? Give an example
An action done in ignorance of the fact (e.g., throwing rocks in a pit not knowing that someone is down there, and having no reason to, killing that person).
The action counts as involuntary if the agent shows the appropriate emotional reaction, remorse, upon learning the truth and involuntary if they fail to show this response.
How does Polemarchus understand justice in Plato’s Republic book 1? What is one of the objection Socrates raises?
Polemarchus defines justice in terms of loyalty, i.e., it's good to help your friends and harm your enemies.
Socrates asks: What if your friends are bad and your enemies are good?
Also: Maybe a just person shouldn't want to harm anyone.
List three skeptical modes.
The mode of relativity: things look different from different perspectives.
The infinite regress mode: Just keep asking 'why' and eventually explanations run out.
The mode of disagreement. You might think X is true (e.g., abortion is wrong), but lots of equally smart and decent people disagree with you. Why think your opinion is any more likely to be true then theirs?
There are several others.