PHL 100 Final Exam Stephen Daly
University of Alabama ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
How did Descartes set up the philosophical problem of the first Meditation (which he would then
go on to attempt to solve in the remaining Meditations)? - CORRECT ANSWERS He
considered the possibility that he might be dreaming, or under the deceptive influence of a
melevolent genius, and therefore (almost) all the things that he thinks he knows might be false.
In response to the philosophical problem mentioned in question 1, Descartes' famous "cogito
ergo sum" argument says that... - CORRECT ANSWERS I cannot coherently doubt my
own existence because in attempting to do so, I automatically confirm that I exist. Someone must
be here to do the doubting, after all
Descartes is ultimately a "solipsist." He thinks that all he can know for certain are his own
thoughts, and the fact that he exists. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS False
In class, the instructor characterized Berkeley's idealism as a response to philosophical
skepticism (different from Descartes' response). Which of the following most closely matches
that characterization? - CORRECT ANSWERS Philosophical skepticism only gets its grip
on us if we think that (1) there are minds, (2) there is a world of physical objects outside of our
minds, and (3) our thoughts are supposed to accurately represent that world. In that case, we
might be wrong about the outside world when and because our thoughts say that the world is one
way, but the world is actually some other way. But if there is no world of physical objects outside
of our minds, then there is nothing for our thoughts to "get wrong".
According to Berkeley, the notion of a "material substratum" that supports all the sensible
qualities of things is incoherent. Once we have abstracted away all of the sensible qualities of
things, there is nothing left over for this phrase to refer to. True or False - CORRECT
ANSWERS True
Berkeley's "idealism" is at odds with the view of most other philosophers (like Locke and
Descartes) because they believe, while Berkeley denies, that the world contains mind-
independent physical objects. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
, In the first dialogue between Hylas and Philonus, why does Philonus ask Hylas a series of
questions about the heat from the fire and the pain of being burned? - CORRECT
ANSWERS He wants Hylas to realize that they are two separate things
Bertrand Russell and G. E. Moore were both interested in returning common sense to
philosophy. They thought the fact that a belief - like the belief in the the existence of an external
world - comes from common sense, rather than abstruse philosophical argument, shouldn't count
against it. Indeed, that should give us a reason to resist abandoning it. We shouldn't abandon a
common sense belief unless we have to in order to maintain the rest of our common sense world-
view. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
Which of the following does G.E. Moore (notoriously) offer as a "proof of the external world"? -
CORRECT ANSWERS Here is a hand (raising his left hand)
Here is another hand (raising his right hand)
Therefore, there exist mind-independent external things
Which of the following is not a rationale for either one-boxing or two-boxing in Newcomb's
problem? - CORRECT ANSWERS It is very likely that if I choose both boxes, I will walk
away with $1,001,000 (the "jackpot"). That is because the predictor would very probably have
anticipated this choice, and in that case he was instructed to put $1,000,000 in the mystery box.
So I should take both boxes
Which of the following best captures what is puzzling about the Prisoner's dilemma? -
CORRECT ANSWERS It seems as though it is in each prisoner's individual interest to
snitch, no matter what their accomplice chooses to do. But this makes it very likely that the result
will be bad for both prisoners (they will both go to jail for a long time).
The trick involved in the Toxin puzzle is that even though it is easy to form the intention to drink
the toxin now, this is no guarantee that you will be able to drink it later. And the circumstances
can be set up to make it likely that you will intend to drink it, but you will not drink it, and
therefore you will not win the prize money. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
University of Alabama ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
How did Descartes set up the philosophical problem of the first Meditation (which he would then
go on to attempt to solve in the remaining Meditations)? - CORRECT ANSWERS He
considered the possibility that he might be dreaming, or under the deceptive influence of a
melevolent genius, and therefore (almost) all the things that he thinks he knows might be false.
In response to the philosophical problem mentioned in question 1, Descartes' famous "cogito
ergo sum" argument says that... - CORRECT ANSWERS I cannot coherently doubt my
own existence because in attempting to do so, I automatically confirm that I exist. Someone must
be here to do the doubting, after all
Descartes is ultimately a "solipsist." He thinks that all he can know for certain are his own
thoughts, and the fact that he exists. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS False
In class, the instructor characterized Berkeley's idealism as a response to philosophical
skepticism (different from Descartes' response). Which of the following most closely matches
that characterization? - CORRECT ANSWERS Philosophical skepticism only gets its grip
on us if we think that (1) there are minds, (2) there is a world of physical objects outside of our
minds, and (3) our thoughts are supposed to accurately represent that world. In that case, we
might be wrong about the outside world when and because our thoughts say that the world is one
way, but the world is actually some other way. But if there is no world of physical objects outside
of our minds, then there is nothing for our thoughts to "get wrong".
According to Berkeley, the notion of a "material substratum" that supports all the sensible
qualities of things is incoherent. Once we have abstracted away all of the sensible qualities of
things, there is nothing left over for this phrase to refer to. True or False - CORRECT
ANSWERS True
Berkeley's "idealism" is at odds with the view of most other philosophers (like Locke and
Descartes) because they believe, while Berkeley denies, that the world contains mind-
independent physical objects. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
, In the first dialogue between Hylas and Philonus, why does Philonus ask Hylas a series of
questions about the heat from the fire and the pain of being burned? - CORRECT
ANSWERS He wants Hylas to realize that they are two separate things
Bertrand Russell and G. E. Moore were both interested in returning common sense to
philosophy. They thought the fact that a belief - like the belief in the the existence of an external
world - comes from common sense, rather than abstruse philosophical argument, shouldn't count
against it. Indeed, that should give us a reason to resist abandoning it. We shouldn't abandon a
common sense belief unless we have to in order to maintain the rest of our common sense world-
view. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
Which of the following does G.E. Moore (notoriously) offer as a "proof of the external world"? -
CORRECT ANSWERS Here is a hand (raising his left hand)
Here is another hand (raising his right hand)
Therefore, there exist mind-independent external things
Which of the following is not a rationale for either one-boxing or two-boxing in Newcomb's
problem? - CORRECT ANSWERS It is very likely that if I choose both boxes, I will walk
away with $1,001,000 (the "jackpot"). That is because the predictor would very probably have
anticipated this choice, and in that case he was instructed to put $1,000,000 in the mystery box.
So I should take both boxes
Which of the following best captures what is puzzling about the Prisoner's dilemma? -
CORRECT ANSWERS It seems as though it is in each prisoner's individual interest to
snitch, no matter what their accomplice chooses to do. But this makes it very likely that the result
will be bad for both prisoners (they will both go to jail for a long time).
The trick involved in the Toxin puzzle is that even though it is easy to form the intention to drink
the toxin now, this is no guarantee that you will be able to drink it later. And the circumstances
can be set up to make it likely that you will intend to drink it, but you will not drink it, and
therefore you will not win the prize money. True or False - CORRECT ANSWERS True
