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In Part I of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Philo
and Cleanthes take very different stances on the question of whether
human
reason is capable of coming to evident knowledge of "hidden" truths
concerning
the world of nature studied by science and and of "hidden" truths
concerning
God. Explain the position each of them takes and indicate the line of
argument
by which he defends his position.
- In Hume's Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion Cleanthes presents
an argument from design for the existence of God, and Philo objects by
listing a number of reasons for thinking that there is no relevant
similarity
or analogy between the universe and a work of human intelligence. First
lay out the argument from design, and then show how Cleanthes's
examples
of the voice in the cloud and the vegetating library are meant to
counter
Philo's objection.
- In Part IX of Hume's Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion Demea
presents a "metaphysical" or "a priori" argument for the existence of a
necessary being. Lay out this argument, making sure to explain the
meaning
of the terms 'necessary being' and 'contingent being'.
- Lay out the first argument for
freedom of discussion that Mill presents
in chapter 2 of On Liberty. Then explain briefly
two objections
that might be raised against this argument.
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On the basis of your reading of chapters 2 and 3 of Mill's On
Liberty,
discuss intelligently the following criticism of Mill's theory: In
extolling
individuality Mill is in effect promoting a dangerous individualism
which
threatens the good of every form of community--e.g., the family, the
neighboorhood,
the village, the nation, etc.-- by exalting the self-interest of the
individual
over the common good and making the individual (at least potentially) a
higher moral authority than the community.
- Explain the main features of Nietzsche's
"free spirit," and compare his
free spirit to the Christian saint. In your answer, explain the free spirit's attitude toward the saint.
- Explain Nietzsche's claim that Platonic
(and Judaeo-Christian) morality
is a "slave morality."
- Non-Christian worldviews, as represented by (a)
Cicero's Hortensius, (b)
the Manicheans, (c) the Academic skeptics, and (d) the writings of the "Platonist
philosophers"
(i.e., the neo-Platonists), played a major role in Augustine's
spiritual
journey toward the Catholic faith. In each of these four cases, show
what
new horizons the worldviews in question opened up for Augustine and
also
explain why in the end he found their doctrines too limited to provide
a satisfying worldview in their own right.
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