Free Choice Question Sets You will be choosing three of the following question sets from below, and answering all the questions in those sets. The options are: Free Choice Question Set One – Gettier and the JTB In his short paper, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge,” Edmund Gettier gives an incredibly famous counterexample to the JTB analysis of knowledge. In your own words: Briefly describe the JTB analysis of knowledge (this will include explaining what an ‘analysis’ is) Give your own Gettier-style counterexample to the JTB analysis of knowledge. Do not just reword one of Gettier’s examples! Explain as precisely as possible what this counterexample shows about the JTB analysis (and why). Do you find this argument convincing? Why or why not? Free Choice Question Set Two – The Puzzle of Actions that Don’t Make a Difference In your own words: Describe and explain the puzzle I presented about the morality of actions that don’t make a difference. Give an example of one of these actions. Describe and explain one of the solutions to this puzzle that we read about. Do you think that solution is successful? Why or why not? Defend your stance with reasons. Free Choice Question Set Three – Views on Free Will Pick one of the views on Free Will from the list below: A. Hard Incompatibilism, as discussed by Galen Stawson in “Free Will” B. Libertarianism, as defended by Roderick Chisholm in “Human Freedom and the Self” C. Compatibilism, as defended by A.J. Ayer in “Freedom and Necessity” In you own words: Explain what that view says by describing its stance on the truth of, and relation between, the Thesis of Determinism and the Thesis of Free Will. (NOTE: This absolutely requires you to explain / define what those two theses say). Explain what reasons a supporter of this view would give to convince someone it is the correct view of free will. For instance, what kind of examples or arguments would they give in favor of their view? Explain what reasons an opponent of this view would give to convince someone it is the incorrect view of free will. For instance, what kind of counterexamples or objections would they give in response to the view? Be specific. Which person’s argument do you find more convincing: the supporter or the opponent? Why? Free Choice Question Set Four – Views on Free Will – Second Go Around You may only answer this question if you have already answered Free Choice Question Set Three. Pick a different view on Free Will than the one you wrote about in Free Choice Question Set Three. In you own words: Explain what that view says by comparing and contrasting it with the view you described in your answer to Free Choice Question Set Two. Focus on in what ways those views agree about, and disagree about, the truth of, and relation between, the Thesis of Determinism and the Thesis of Free Will. (NOTE: If you explained / defined those two theses above (as you were instructed to do), you do not need to do it again here. If you skipped that above–go back and add it now!). Explain what reasons a supporter of this view would give to convince someone it is the correct view of free will. For instance, what kind of examples or arguments would they give in favor of their view? Explain what reasons an opponent of this view would give to convince someone it is the incorrect view of free will. For instance, what kind of counterexamples or objections would they give in response to the view? Which view on free will do you find more plausible, this one, or the one you wrote about in your answer to Free Choice Question Set Two? Support your answer with reasons. Free Choice Question Set Five – Arguments for/against God’s existence Pick one of the arguments listed below: A. The Cosmological Argument, as explained by Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologia B. The Teleological Argument, as explained by William Paley in “Natural Theology” C. The Ontological Argument, as explained by Saint Anselm D. The Argument from Morality, as discussed by Socrates in Plato’s, “Euthyphro” E. The Problem of Evil / Argument from Evil, as explained by J.L. Mackie In your own words: Describe and explain the argument fully in a way that someone not taking this course could understand. Be sure to explain any technical terms along the way. Explain just one strong objection to the argument. Be clear about why this objection poses a threat to the success of the argument. Do you think the objection is successful? Why or why not? Defend your stance with reasons. Free Choice Question Set Six – Arguments for/against God’s existence – Second Go Around You may only answer this question if you have already answered Free Choice Question Set Five. Pick a different argument about God’s existence from the one you wrote about in your answer to Free Choice Question Set Five. In your own words: Describe and explain the argument fully in a way that someone not taking this course could understand. Be sure to explain any technical terms along the way. Explain just one strong objection to the argument. Be clear about why this objection poses a threat to the success of the argument. Which argument do you find more plausible, this one, or the one you wrote about in your answer to Free Choice Question Set Four? Defend your stance with reasons. Free Choice Question Set Seven – Meaning in Life Pick either Richard Taylor’s or Susan Wolf’s theory of the meaning of life. In your own words: Explain the theory fully in a way that someone not taking this course could understand. Be sure to define any technical terms along the way. Explain what reasons a supporter of this view would give to convince someone it is the correct view of the meaning of life. For instance, what kind of examples or arguments would they give in favor of their view? Explain what reasons an opponent of the view would give to convince someone this is the incorrect view of the meaning of life. Be sure to clearly explain why what you say would be a problem for the view Which person’s argument do you find more convincing: the supporter or the opponent? Why? Free Choice Question Set Eight – San Junipero In the Black Mirror episode titled “San Junipero,” the city of San Junipero is more than it seems. At first glance, it is a beachside party town where young people drink, dance, play video games, hook up, etc. to their hearts’ content. But eventually we learn that it is actually something like a virtual reality playground–and that most of the ‘young people’ populating the city are either elderly folks in retirement communities who get to visit recreationally, or people who died and had their consciousness ‘uploaded’ into the city permanently. Many people regard “San Junipero” as ‘the happy episode’ of a series that typically explores the dark side of futuristic technologies. But I think there is a case to be made that although Yorkie and Kelly end the episode happily together there in San Junipero–that their ending might not really be all that happy… Drawing on any of the readings from the course (that you will not write about elsewhere in your exam), in your own words: Make a philosophical argument that Yorkie and Kelly’s life in San Junipero might not be as happy as it seems. Be sure to explain the philosopher’s view/arguments for that view when you give your argument. Give an objection to that argument from the point of view of a person who thinks Yorkie and Kelly will live happily ever after there in San Junipero. Be sure that you are clear about what flaw they would be attributing to the argument. Take a stance on whether the imagined objector successfully found a flaw in the argument? Why or why not?
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