Question 1

__________ argues that the necessity of allowing for falsehood makes it impossible to regard belief as a relation of the mind to a single object.
A) Kant
B) Russell
C) Berkeley
D) Hume

Accepted Answer

Russell's theory of descriptions argues that in order for propositions to be meaningful, they must have a truth value. However, the existence of false propositions means that belief cannot be understood as a relation of the mind to a single object, as there may be multiple objects (true and false) that correspond to the same belief.

Question 2

__________ concluded that the idea of cause and effect must be derived from our experience of the constant conjunction of two events.
A) Russell
B) Gettier
C) Berkeley
D) Hume

Accepted Answer

This statement is directly referring to the philosophy of David Hume, who argues that the idea of causation cannot be logically derived but rather comes from our experience of observing two events constantly conjoined.

Question 3

__________ central thesis is that "to be is to be perceived."
A) Russell's
B) Gettier's
C) Berkeley's
D) Hume's

Accepted Answer

The central thesis "to be is to be perceived" is associated with the philosopher George Berkeley, who argued that physical objects do not exist independently of the mind that perceives them. This is known as subjective idealism or immaterialism. Russell is known for his work in logic and philosophy of language, Gettier for his famous challenge to the traditional definition of knowledge, and Hume for his empiricist philosophy and skepticism.

Question 4

Kant was awakened from his dogmatic slumber by__________.
A) Russell
B) Aristotle
C) Berkeley
D) Hume

Accepted Answer

Kant was famously awakened from his dogmatic slumber by the skeptic philosopher David Hume's arguments about the limits of human knowledge and the problem of causation. Kant sought to reconcile Hume's skeptical findings with the claims of traditional metaphysics, leading him to develop his own system of critical philosophy.

Question 5

The tabula rasa or "blank tablet" view of the mind is __________ epistemological concept.
A) Locke's
B) Berkeley's
C) Hume's
D) Kant's

Accepted Answer

The tabula rasa or "blank tablet" view of the mind is associated with the epistemological concept developed by John Locke.

Question 6

__________ is the study of knowledge.
A) Metaphysics
B) Epistemology
C) Logic
D) Ethics

Accepted Answer

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge and belief. It examines the nature of knowledge, the rationality of belief, and justification. Metaphysics deals with the fundamental nature of reality, logic deals with reasoning and argumentation, and ethics deals with moral values and principles.

Question 7

Uma Narayan extends the focus of feminist epistemology by pointing to the importance of recognizing __________.
A) cultural diversity
B) women as free agents
C) gender roles
D) the intentions of women

Accepted Answer

Uma Narayan emphasizes the importance of recognizing cultural diversity in feminist epistemology. She argues that this is necessary to avoid imposing Western perspectives on non-Western contexts and to acknowledge the diverse ways in which women experience and understand the world. While recognizing the agency and intentions of women is also important, Narayan's work specifically highlights the need to attend to cultural context. Gender roles, while related, are not the central focus of Narayan's work.

Question 8

__________ is an example of a conceptual truth.
A) There is a grapefruit in the refrigerator.
B) Blue is a color.
C) It is raining outside.
D) I own two dogs.

Accepted Answer

A conceptual truth is a statement that is true by definition or by the meanings of the terms used in the statement. "Blue is a color" is a conceptual truth because the definition of "color" includes shades such as blue, red, green, etc. The other options are not conceptual truths because they are based on empirical evidence and can be verified or falsified through observation.

Question 9

__________ is a type of knowledge, sense experience.
A) A priori knowledge
B) Perception
C) Intuition
D) Primary qualities

Accepted Answer

Perception is a type of knowledge that involves using our senses to take in and interpret information from the world around us. It is a form of sense experience that helps us to understand and interact with our environment. A priori knowledge refers to knowledge that is known independently of experience, intuition is a type of non-rational knowledge that is not based on sensory experience, and primary qualities are objective properties of objects that are independent of our perceptual experiences of them.

Question 10

__________ theory of truth says that a statement or a belief is true if and only if "it works," if it allows us to predict certain result, if it allows us to function effectively in everyday life, and if it encourages further inquiry or helps us lead a better life.
A) coherence
B) pragmatic
C) correspondence
D) semantic

Accepted Answer

The description given matches the Pragmatic theory of truth, which emphasizes the practical consequences or usefulness of a belief or statement rather than its correspondence with reality or coherence with other beliefs.

Question 11

In your own words, what does it mean to be a relativist and what does it mean to be an absolutist? Furthermore, discuss how these two positions have shaped great debates in modern western philosophy. In your explanation be sure to cite specific philosophers on opposing sides.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In your own words, what does it...

Question 12

Can you think of any way for Locke to defend his claim that substances exist but we do not know what they are? How would Locke respond to Berkeley's conclusion that we can know only ideas?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Can you think of any way for...

Question 13

Descartes reestablished his system of beliefs because of his famous statement "I am a thing that thinks." What is the function for the thing that thinks in Locke's system? Explain the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning and how it applies to the systems of Descartes and Locke.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Descartes reestablished his system of beliefs because...

Question 14

Explain why Berkeley thinks his arguments are a response to the skepticism threatened by Locke's epistemology. Then argue that Berkeley's position creates a further skeptical problem. How might Berkeley respond?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why Berkeley thinks his arguments are...

Question 15

Kant claims that after reading Hume, he "awakened from his dogmatic slumbers." Explain what Kant means in this famous philosophical statement. How does Kant believe he has solved the epistemic problems of Hume's skepticism? Is Hume's skepticism actually capable of being solved.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Kant claims that after reading Hume, he...

Question 16

Why is it necessary for a feminist anaylsis of epistomplgy? Consider the work of Grosz and Narayan, what makes epistemology particularly suited to being sensitive to sexual orientation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it necessary for a feminist...

Question 17

When Chuang-tzu wrote about his dream of being a butterfly almost 2,400 years ago, he penned one of the most profound epistemological conundrums ever written. He said that when he woke up, he did not know whether he was a man dreaming that he was a butterfly or whether he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man. How could he know? Discuss Chuang-tzu's dream and the issues it raised.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Chuang-tzu wrote about his dream of...

Question 18

Discuss Russell's appearance/reality distinction. What things seem to be and what they really are may be radically different because our senses can reveal the truth only about the appearance of an object, not what its properties actually are. How does Russell argue that sensations are mere signs of properties? How accurate are the signs at revealing the world the way it really is? Is there any way to check?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss Russell's appearance/reality distinction. What things seem...

Question 19

Debate the issue of whether we all begin life as a blank slate, knowing nothing until we have experiences, or whether we come "hardwired" with some principles, rules, doctrines, expectations, and so forth, independent of learning (this is the philosophical version of psychology's nurture/nature debate). If all our learning comes from a combination of some percentage of these two sources, then where does creativity fit in? Is it possible to learn something that was never perceived by the senses or captured by our innate cognitive faculties?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Debate the issue of whether we all...

Question 20

Bertrand Russell is concerned about what we actually mean by truth and falsehood. Briefly explain his concern and what inspired this approach to epistemology. What are the roles of coherence and correspondence in this argument?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bertrand Russell is concerned about what we...

Quiz 3: Truth Knowledge

__________ argues that the necessity of allowing for falsehood makes it impossible to regard belief as a relation of the mind to a single object.

__________ concluded that the idea of cause and effect must be derived from our experience of the constant conjunction of two events.

__________ central thesis is that "to be is to be perceived."

Kant was awakened from his dogmatic slumber by__________.

The tabula rasa or "blank tablet" view of the mind is __________ epistemological concept.

__________ is the study of knowledge.

Uma Narayan extends the focus of feminist epistemology by pointing to the importance of recognizing __________.

__________ is an example of a conceptual truth.

__________ is a type of knowledge, sense experience.

__________ theory of truth says that a statement or a belief is true if and only if "it works," if it allows us to predict certain result, if it allows us to function effectively in everyday life, and if it encourages further inquiry or helps us lead a better life.