Introduction to Philosophy

The final exam is a series of short essay questions arranged by author or theme.  Students may omit any one question of their own choosing.  (There is no extra credit for answering a 9th question and I will grade the first eight questions I see.) Students will ultimately answer eight short essay questions worth twelve points each. 

Answer Range is 1-2 paragraphs

1.)    Present Aristotles Doctrine of Mean.  Students must develop at minimum two virtues to present the point and adequately develop the necessary condition for virtue. 

2.)    Recount the three kinds of friendships discussed by Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics.  Students should list two characteristics or qualities of each and then state the key difference between good (virtuous) friendship and the other two. 

3.)    According to Aristotle, what is the aim of political science and how does it try to achieve this end? (Students may include an image as part of the answer but must explain and develop it in prose.)

4.)    Present Anselms argument for the existence of God found in the Proslogion.   

5.)    Present two of the five ways that Aquinas argues Gods existence can be proven in the Summa Theologica. 

6.)    Present Descartes proof for the existence of God found in Meditation III. (Students may present the argument in disjunctive form as part of the answer but must also explain and develop the argument in prose.)

7.)    Explain Pascals Wager in prose and then defend the conclusion using the utility matrix method.

8.)    According to Descartes Meditation I, can you be sure that you are right now taking your final exam?  Why or why not? (2 reasons)  And, with respect to Meditation II, can a person be absolutely certain about anything?  Why or why not? 

9.)    According to Descartes Meditation IV, how is human error possible and what must be done to avoid making mistakes? (Students may include an image as part of this answer, but must explain and develop that image in prose.)