PHIL 120 Exam 3 (PHIL 120) | 2025/2026 | 60+ Verified Q&A on Personal Identity, Free Will, Determinism, Existentialism

This document contains 60+ concise and fully answered exam questions from PHIL 120: Introduction to Philosophy, focused on Exam 3 at the University of Illinois for the 2025/2026 academic year. It explores enduring philosophical problems such as the nature of the self, consciousness, freedom, determinism, and existential authenticity—delivered in a structured, student-friendly format designed to support test prep and essay revision. Topics covered include: Personal identity theories: – Ship of Theseus thought experiment (Same Parts vs. Continuous History criteria) – Soul Theory (Descartes) and its epistemological challenges – Memory Theory (Locke), including concerns about forgotten and false memories – Hume’s Bundle Theory and Kant’s concept of the transcendental self – Body and Brain theories of identity and their relevance to modern neuroscience Existentialist perspectives: – Sartre’s belief in radical freedom and the rejection of “human nature” – The concept of “bad faith” and critiques of identity shaped by society – Tension between Western individualism and Eastern non-self doctrines Freedom vs. Determinism: – Fatalism, predestination, and their impact on moral responsibility – Scientific determinism and Laplace’s thought experiment – Indeterminism, subatomic unpredictability, and the limits of randomness – Humean Compatibilism (Soft Determinism) and the internal vs. external source of actions Ideal for: Undergraduate students studying philosophy, political theory, or cognitive science Students preparing for exams on metaphysics, consciousness, or ethics Debaters and essay writers exploring freedom, identity, and agency Instructors or tutors seeking structured discussion prompts or review content Each answer simplifies dense theory while maintaining philosophical precision—perfect for review under exam conditions or classroom reinforcement. Keywords: personal identity, Ship of Theseus, soul theory, memory theory, Hume bundle theory, Kant transcendental self, existentialism, bad faith, Sartre, determinism, compatibilism, free will, indeterminism, Laplace, metaphysics of self, PHIL 120 exam, University of Illinois philosophy