Choose three of the questions, which or located below in the attached document, and write essay responses to each question.

PHIL3015 Exam 1

Choose three of the following questions and write essay responses to each that use the

appropriate primary texts (those by the authors) to support your arguments. Do not write about

the same piece/philosophy text more than once on this exam. Be sure to review the rubrics for

exams before completing.

1. Plato: The Allegory of the Cave How is the Allegory of the Cave a metaphor for the search for the true and the good

through philosophy?

2. Bertrand Russell: The Value of Philosophy In Russell’s view, how can the uncertainty that philosophy breeds be beneficial?

3. William Paley: The Watch and the Watchmaker What are the premises and conclusion of Paley’s argument?

4. B. C. Johnson: Why Doesn’t God Intervene to Prevent Evil?

Johnson addresses various excuses that the theist might make for God. What are they?

How does Johnson reply to them?

5. Blaise Pascal: Yes, Faith Is a Logical Bet

What is Pascal’s wager? Do you find his argument convincing? Why or why not?

6. Bertrand Russell: Can Religion Cure Our Troubles?

What are the premises in Russell’s argument that religion cannot cure our troubles?

7. Baron d’Holbach: We Are Completely Determined

What is d’Holbach’s argument that we do not have free will? Do you think the

argument is sound? Explain.

8. Harry Frankfurt: Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person

How does Frankfurt’s compatibilism differ from traditional compatibilism? Is it more

plausible than the traditional view? Why or why not?

9.David Hume: Liberty and Necessity

According to Hume, under what conditions does a person act freely? Is his view

plausible? Can you think of a situation in which a person meets Hume’s requirement

for free action but still is not free?