Question 1

According to Gilmore, Activists and Capacitists disagree about
A) which vital processes (metabolism? growth? reproduction?) are relevant to whether a thing is alive.
B) the biochemistry of metabolism and what is occurring at the biochemical level in cryptobiotic organisms. Activists say that all chemical reactions have ceased in these organisms; Capacitists say that these reactions continue but at a much reduced rate.
C) whether organisms that are not undergoing the relevant vital processes, but that are capable of doing so, count as alive. Capacitists say 'Yes'; Activists say 'No'.
D) whether rocks are examples of things that neither alive nor dead.
E) whether cryptobiotic tardigrades have the capacity to return to an active state in response to suitable changes in environmental conditions.

Accepted Answer

Activists and Capacitists disagree on whether organisms that are not currently undergoing vital processes, but have the potential to do so, should be considered alive. Capacitists believe they should be considered alive, while Activists do not.

Question 2

Recall that Grady is Gilmore's example of a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. According to Gilmore, the Capacitist solution to the Paradox of Cryptobiosis says that
A) propositions (1) - (3) are not inconsistent.
B) proposition (1), that Grady is not alive, is false. Grady is alive.
C) proposition (2), that Grady is not dead, is false. Grady is dead.
D) proposition (3), that everything is either alive or dead, is false. Grady is neither alive nor dead.
E) there are at least two different senses of the words 'dead'. In one sense, proposition (2) is true and (1) is false. In the other sense, proposition (2) is false and (1) is true.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 3

According to Gilmore, the correct solution to the Paradox of Cryptobiosis says that
A) propositions (1) - (3) are not inconsistent.
B) proposition (1), that Grady is not alive, is false. Grady is alive.
C) proposition (2), that Grady is not dead, is false. Grady is dead.
D) proposition (3), that everything is either alive or dead, is false. Grady is neither alive nor dead.
E) there are at least two different senses of the words 'dead'. In one sense, proposition (2) is true and (1) is false. In the other sense, proposition (2) is false and (1) is true.

Accepted Answer

According to the correct solution to the Paradox of Cryptobiosis, proposition (3) is false because Grady is in a state of neither being alive nor dead. Therefore, propositions (1) and (2) do not need to be either true or false, and are not necessarily inconsistent with each other. Proposition (1) does not need to be false because Grady being in a state of neither being alive nor dead does not necessarily mean that he is not alive. Similarly, proposition (2) does not need to be false because Grady being in a state of neither being alive nor dead does not necessarily mean that he is not dead. Therefore, the correct solution is that Grady is neither alive nor dead.

Question 4

According to Gilmore, which of the following are all internal properties?
A) being capable of undergoing the relevant vital processes, being alive, having a temperature of 98.6 degrees F.
B) being dead, being 2 kg in mass.
C) being 2 kg in mass, having a temperature of 98.6 degrees F, having existed for more than two days.
D) being in the path of a falling boulder, having existed for more than two days, being dead
E) being alive, being capable of undergoing the relevant vital processes, being cryptobiotic, being dead.

Accepted Answer

According to Gilmore, internal properties are those that arise from an object's internal constitution and are necessary for it to belong to a particular natural kind. Being capable of undergoing the relevant vital processes and being alive are both necessary for an object to belong to the natural kind of living things, while having a temperature of 98.6 degrees F is not necessarily a defining characteristic of living things.

Question 5

According to Gilmore, which of the following are all non-internal properties?
A) being capable of undergoing the relevant vital processes, being alive, having a temperature of 98.6 degrees F.
B) being dead, being 2 kg in mass.
C) being 2 kg in mass, having a temperature of 98.6 degrees F, having existed for more than two days.
D) being in the path of a falling boulder, having existed for more than two days, being dead
E) being alive, being capable of undergoing the relevant vital processes, being cryptobiotic, being dead.

Accepted Answer

Non-internal properties are those that do not depend solely on the intrinsic nature of the object but also on its relation to other things or its environment. Being in the path of a falling boulder, having existed for more than two days, and being dead are examples of such properties because they involve the object's interaction with its environment or temporal aspects external to its intrinsic nature.

Question 6

Cessation is the view that to die is to cease to be alive. According to Gilmore, Cessation
A) is true and informative.
B) is true but uninformative.
C) is false because things can die without then ceasing to be alive. When a tardigrade becomes cryptobiotic, it does die, but retains the capacity to undergo the relevant processes, so it doesn't cease to be alive.
D) is false because things can cease to be alive without then dying. When a tardigrade becomes cryptobiotic, it does cease to be alive, but it doesn't then die.
E) is false because there is more than one sense of 'die' and of 'alive'.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cessation is the view that to die...

Question 7

What is Capacitism? In your own words, explain and critically evaluate Gilmore's argument against Capacitism. What, in your view, is the Capacitist's best strategy for replying to that argument? Is that reply successful? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is Capacitism? In your own words,...

Question 8

Gilmore claims that so-called 'brain dead' patients are either alive or dead: unlike cryptobiotic organisms, they are not 'somewhere in between'. In your own words, explain and critically evaluate his argument for this claim. Optional: Present what you take to be the best reasons in support of the opposing claim that these patients are neither alive nor dead.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gilmore claims that so-called 'brain dead' patients...

Quiz 4: What It Is to Die

According to Gilmore, Activists and Capacitists disagree about

Recall that Grady is Gilmore's example of a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. According to Gilmore, the Capacitist solution to the Paradox of Cryptobiosis says that

According to Gilmore, the correct solution to the Paradox of Cryptobiosis says that

According to Gilmore, which of the following are all internal properties?

According to Gilmore, which of the following are all non-internal properties?

Cessation is the view that to die is to cease to be alive. According to Gilmore, Cessation

What is Capacitism? In your own words, explain and critically evaluate Gilmore's argument against Capacitism. What, in your view, is the Capacitist's best strategy for replying to that argument? Is that reply successful? Why or why not?