Terms and Topics to Review
for Philosophy 120 Final Exam (Spring 2005)

Last revised April 26, 2005

There may be changes to this page before the end of the semester.

I. Terms new since Second Test

I may include some terms on which you were tested earlier in the semester. (See earlier Test Reviews.)

epistemology
metaphysics
ethics

belief (contrasted with hunch and knowledge)
knowledge (the "useful and traditional definition")
warrantable
logical warrantability
semantic warrantability
systemic warrantability
empirical warrantability

theories of truth

Be able to define and give a concrete example that seems to illustrate the usefulness of each

1. correspondence theory of truth
  a. intellectualist (traditional version)
  b. linguistic (propositional) version)
2. coherence theory of truthy
3. pragmatic theory of truth

metaphors associated with theories of truth--which? (mirror, copy, "it works," cash value, digest, etc.)
conception of human nature, mind, meaning, and time associated with theories 1a and 3

social contract theories, purposes of
Hobbes' view of "natural condition" of humankind
Hobbes on how reason leads us into a social contract
prepolitical rights in Locke
why, for Locke, individuals enter a social contract
Locke's legitimate state compared with Hobbes' viable state
Hume's criticism of Hobbes and Locke

Rawls' (20th c.) conception of the social contract
    Besides Ch. 8, there is a web page on Rawls under "Materials Related to Social Philosophy" on the course web site

Original Position
Veil of Ignorance
Self-Interested Rational Persons
Basic Social Order (BSO)
Just Social Order (for Rawls) = BSO that embodies the two principles of justice
Rawls' Equal Liberties Principle
Rawls' Difference Principle -- stem and two subordinate clauses

justice (in general)
retributive justice
distributive justice (DJ)
    Besides Ch. 8, there is a web page under "Materials Related to Social Philosophy"
retributive justice
formal or general principle of DJ contrasted with specific principles of DJ
merit principle of DJ - some of its versions (effort, productivity, etc.)
strict egalitarian principle of DJ
"socialist" principle of DJ
Rawls' two principles as general principles of distributive for the basic social order

II. Essays

A. Mandatory Essay Also to be Used for General Education Assessment

As part of preparation to write the mandatory essay, it may be useful review terms on which you were tested earlier and which were not listed above.

B. Possible Essay Questions (Depending on the Gen Ed Assessment Topics that I select, one or more of these options will disappear. I will divide the remaining essays into two groups and you will be expected to write one essay from each.)

1. Discuss Plato's theory of soul, giving details about its divisions, how they relate to desires and mental activities of various sorts. How does Plato use this theory to explain various character types? What will the best type of person know? What are these things like and how do they relate to material things? Does Plato think that the soul is immortal? On what basis (how does he justify his position on this)?

2. How does Descartes' view of human nature differ from Sartre's? Are there any important respects in which Descartes and Sartre seem to agree about reality or human nature, but with which, say, a Theravada Buddhist would disagree.

3. In what respect does Kant's epistemology agree with Hume? What is Kant's major innovation in epistemology? What is common to Kant's views about cause effect relations, space and time? How does Kant distinguish objects of experience and knowledge from the Ding an sich (the noumenal Thing in itself)? Provide sufficient details to make your answers clear and give a coherent basic account of Kant's epistemology.

4. Discuss and compare the correspondence theory of truth with the pragmatist theory of truth. Relate the two theories to philosopher's notion of human nature and to the question of who has authority to guide society. How are the metaphors "mirror," "digest," "agree," and "cash value" used in explaining the theories.

5. Briefly explain Hobbes' account of the "natural condition" of mankind, including human motives, and what relevance it has to the existence and legitimacy of a political state. What form of government does Hobbes favor and why?

6. Briefly explain Locke's notion of morality in the "state of nature" and why human beings enter into a social contract? What in Locke's view is the purpose of politically organized society?

7. How does Rawls' view of justice combine features of several principles of distributive justice discussed in Velasquez chapter 8?

8. Explain how Rawls would justify making a principle of equal opportunity (nondiscrimination) a basic principle for justice in a society. (Hint: he would use his notions of the Original Position and the Veil of Ignorance.)