Information for the Midterm Exam

The Midterm exam will take place on Wednesday 16 October.

Neither notes nor texts will be allowed to be used during the exam.

There will be two parts to the exam.

In the first part, there will be 12 questions from the first Reading Guide, on Descartes; you are to answer 10 of them. Depending on the question, good answers may vary from a few words, to two or three longer paragraphs. This first part will count for 70% of your exam grade (7 points each).

In the second part, you will be asked to answer one of the following essay questions with an extended, organized essay. You may choose which question to answer, in advance. Again, no notes will be allowed. You must write your essay in class. Introduce and conclude your essay. Support general claims with specific examples. This second part will count for 30% of your exam grade.

Essay Questions:

1. What is the ontological argument for God's existence? Distinguish Anselm's version from Descartes'. Describe the argument in detail, making it as plausible as possible. What do you think is its greatest weakness?

2. True knowledge of the physical world, for Descartes, comes from the understanding, not through the senses. How does his example of the wax show this? What good are the senses, then? Be specific. Do you agree with his argument? Why, or why not?

3. Descartes argues that he can not doubt what he understands clearly and distinctly. What does this mean? What knowledge, for Descartes, is clear and distinct? Be specific. How is this a criterion? Can there be such a criterion? Why, or why not?

 

A general guideline I use for grading, which is not applicable in all cases, is as follows:

C's) Representing accurately what a philosopher says;

B's) Describing in detail why (s)he says it, i.e. the arguments for the position;

A's) Arguing either for or against that position.