Examination — First Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy

1.Four questions are asked below. Which one is philosophical rather than empirical or historical — that is, which cannot be settled by a measurement or a look at the record?

2.'Capital punishment should be abolished. It has never been shown to deter crime more than long imprisonment does, and an execution can never be undone if the court was mistaken.' Which sentence is the conclusion of this argument?

3.'All birds can fly. A penguin is a bird. So a penguin can fly.' Which verdict on this argument is correct?

4.'Every crow anyone has recorded has been black, so the next crow will be black too.' What kind of reasoning is this?

5.In one sentence, state the principle of charity and say why an honest thinker follows it even when arguing against a view.

6.The classical analysis says knowledge is justified true belief. Match each of its three conditions to the kind of case it is meant to rule out.

7.You glance at a wall clock reading 3:00 and form the belief that it is 3:00. It really is 3:00 — but the clock stopped exactly twelve hours ago. Your belief is true and you had a reason for it. What does the case suggest?

8.Put the skeptic's argument into standard form: the two premises first, then the conclusion they force.

1. ⋮⋮Therefore, I do not know that I have hands. ↑ ↓
2. ⋮⋮If I know I have hands, then I can rule out that I am only dreaming I have them. ↑ ↓
3. ⋮⋮But I cannot rule out that I am only dreaming I have hands. ↑ ↓

9.Which belief is best justified — that is, best supported by the reasons available to the person who holds it?

10.A dualist and a physicalist disagree about the mind. Which statement fairly captures the physicalist's core claim?

11.A wooden ship has every plank replaced, one at a time, until none of the original wood remains. Someone insists it is still the same ship. Which criterion of identity are they relying on?

12.A compatibilist stakes out a position between hard determinism and libertarianism. Which claim is distinctively the compatibilist's?

13.A consequentialist must choose between two policies. On what basis does the theory tell them to decide?

14.On Kant's test, why is a lying promise — promising to repay a loan you never intend to repay — forbidden?

15.Aristotle treats courage as a mean between two extremes. Which pair names the extremes courage lies between?

16.Without looking back: state the greatest-happiness principle in your own words, then give one common objection to judging actions only by their consequences.

17.Two people argue about 'the meaning of life' and keep talking past each other. Which distinction most likely explains their deadlock?

18.Consider the design argument: 'The universe shows intricate order; intricate order is best explained by a designer; therefore the universe has a designer.' What is the logical role of the middle sentence?

19.The problem of evil is offered as an argument against the existence of an all-powerful, all-good God. Which sentence states its central tension most fairly?

20.Rawls asks you to choose the rules of society from behind a 'veil of ignorance', not knowing which position you will end up occupying. What is the device meant to secure?

21.State Mill's harm principle in one sentence, and name one action it would protect from interference even when others strongly disapprove.