- Does science show that free will does not exist? Examine both pro and con arguments and back your verdict with reasons.
- Explain why chance does (or does not) make room for free will
- Is Sartre’s view of radical freedom plausible? Are there limitations to what this freedom means?
Epistemology
- What role does ‘doubt’ play in philosophy? Is this role positive or negative? (You could also consider the role of ‘skepticism’ in philosophy)
- What is the value of ‘doubt’ to Descartes’ philosophy?
- Do we have innate ideas? Are we born with knowledge, or does all knowledge come from our experience in the world?
3.5 Locke believes that our mind is a tabula rasa, but rationalists argue that there must be types of knowledge or truth that do not come from experience. Analyze this debate. - What are the limitations of an epistemology that says all knowledge must come from experience?
- Why does Hume think that causality (the necessity in the relationship between cause and effect) is really just a product of habit or custom? What is Kant’s answer to Hume?
- Describe and analyze the fundamental differences between empiricism and rationalism. What are the difficulties with each? Which theory is ‘better’, and by which standards? Is there a philosopher we have read who comes closest to an acceptable theory of knowledge?
- What is ‘Kant’s Revolution’? What implications of this revolution do we still see today (for better or for worse)?