Philosophy Final UPDATED Questions and
CORRECT Answers
How does al-Ghazali define knowledge? - CORRECT ANSWER - Knowledge in which
the object is disclosed in such a fashion that no doubt remains along with it, that no possibility of
error or illusion accompanies it, and that the mind cannot even entertain such a supposition.
What leads him to doubt beliefs based on scene perception and on intellect? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sight and judgements
What is distinctive about mysticism? - CORRECT ANSWER - Something which cannot
be apprehended by study, but only by immediate experience, by ecstasy and by a moral change.
What credal principles were firmly rooted in al-Ghazali after his study of theology and
philosophy? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) faith in God 2) prophethood and revelation 3) the
last days
What is the mystic way, and what did al-Ghazali learn from following it? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It is the purity which is the first condition of it is the purification of the heart
completely from what is other than God most high; the key to it, which corresponds to the
opening act of adoration in prayer, is the sinking of the heart completely in the recollection of
God; and the end of it is complete adsorption in God. From following it, al-Ghazali learned
purity of the heart equals the mystical way focusing on God only, nothing else. Revelations and
visions he learned ultimately are the nearness of God.
How does the author distinguish among knowledge, immediate experience, and faith? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Knowledge is certainty reached by demonstration, immediate
experience is the actual acquaintance with that "state", and faith is the acceptance of it as
probably from hearsay or by trial or observation.
What method does she suggest we use to arrive at the knowledge that someone is a prophet?
Why is this method better than relying on miracles as proof? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The method of becoming an acquaintance with the prophets conduct. It's better than relying on
, miracles of proof because your faith would be destroyed by an ordered argument showing the
difficulty and ambiguity of the miracle.
What was Descartes's goal, and what method did he employ to get there? - CORRECT
ANSWER - His goal was to overthrow all his beliefs. To get there he would go straight to
the principles on which all his former beliefs rested.
Descartes concluded that the statement "I am, I exist" must be true whenever he thought it. Why?
What reasons support his conclusion? - CORRECT ANSWER - To be conceived or
deceived of something, you have to exist.
The next step in Descartes's argument is to reach the conclusion that he is a thinking thing. How
does he reach that conclusion? Why did he not conclude instead that he was a physical thing? -
CORRECT ANSWER - He comes to this conclusion by saying thought can't be taken
from him. He doesn't conclude that he's a physical thing because he's not just a collection of
organs called a human body.
In the final paragraph of Meditation II, Descartes listed several things he had learned from his
consideration of a piece of wax. What are they, and how did he arrive at these conclusions? -
CORRECT ANSWER - I now know that physical objects are grasped, not by the senses or
the power of having mental images, but by understanding alone. And, since I grasp physical
objects in virtue of their being understandable rather than in virtue of their being tangible or
visible, I know that I can't grasp anything more easily or plainly than my mind. He comes to this
conclusion by saying the way you grasp a piece of wax or any other physical object serves better
to reveal the nature of my mind.
What does it mean to say that the Dao is nameless, and why do you think it is "named" that? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The Dao that can be told of, is not the eternal Dao.
What is the main idea that Chapter 2 of the Dao De Jing conveys about the nature of opposites? -
CORRECT ANSWER - When people of the world acknowledge beauty as beauty, there
exists the definition of ugliness.
CORRECT Answers
How does al-Ghazali define knowledge? - CORRECT ANSWER - Knowledge in which
the object is disclosed in such a fashion that no doubt remains along with it, that no possibility of
error or illusion accompanies it, and that the mind cannot even entertain such a supposition.
What leads him to doubt beliefs based on scene perception and on intellect? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sight and judgements
What is distinctive about mysticism? - CORRECT ANSWER - Something which cannot
be apprehended by study, but only by immediate experience, by ecstasy and by a moral change.
What credal principles were firmly rooted in al-Ghazali after his study of theology and
philosophy? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) faith in God 2) prophethood and revelation 3) the
last days
What is the mystic way, and what did al-Ghazali learn from following it? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It is the purity which is the first condition of it is the purification of the heart
completely from what is other than God most high; the key to it, which corresponds to the
opening act of adoration in prayer, is the sinking of the heart completely in the recollection of
God; and the end of it is complete adsorption in God. From following it, al-Ghazali learned
purity of the heart equals the mystical way focusing on God only, nothing else. Revelations and
visions he learned ultimately are the nearness of God.
How does the author distinguish among knowledge, immediate experience, and faith? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Knowledge is certainty reached by demonstration, immediate
experience is the actual acquaintance with that "state", and faith is the acceptance of it as
probably from hearsay or by trial or observation.
What method does she suggest we use to arrive at the knowledge that someone is a prophet?
Why is this method better than relying on miracles as proof? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The method of becoming an acquaintance with the prophets conduct. It's better than relying on
, miracles of proof because your faith would be destroyed by an ordered argument showing the
difficulty and ambiguity of the miracle.
What was Descartes's goal, and what method did he employ to get there? - CORRECT
ANSWER - His goal was to overthrow all his beliefs. To get there he would go straight to
the principles on which all his former beliefs rested.
Descartes concluded that the statement "I am, I exist" must be true whenever he thought it. Why?
What reasons support his conclusion? - CORRECT ANSWER - To be conceived or
deceived of something, you have to exist.
The next step in Descartes's argument is to reach the conclusion that he is a thinking thing. How
does he reach that conclusion? Why did he not conclude instead that he was a physical thing? -
CORRECT ANSWER - He comes to this conclusion by saying thought can't be taken
from him. He doesn't conclude that he's a physical thing because he's not just a collection of
organs called a human body.
In the final paragraph of Meditation II, Descartes listed several things he had learned from his
consideration of a piece of wax. What are they, and how did he arrive at these conclusions? -
CORRECT ANSWER - I now know that physical objects are grasped, not by the senses or
the power of having mental images, but by understanding alone. And, since I grasp physical
objects in virtue of their being understandable rather than in virtue of their being tangible or
visible, I know that I can't grasp anything more easily or plainly than my mind. He comes to this
conclusion by saying the way you grasp a piece of wax or any other physical object serves better
to reveal the nature of my mind.
What does it mean to say that the Dao is nameless, and why do you think it is "named" that? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The Dao that can be told of, is not the eternal Dao.
What is the main idea that Chapter 2 of the Dao De Jing conveys about the nature of opposites? -
CORRECT ANSWER - When people of the world acknowledge beauty as beauty, there
exists the definition of ugliness.
