Introduction to Philosophy

Midterm Study Guide.

Date: March 11, 2020

Format: 10 questions (answers should be 1-2 sentences in length), 5 questions (answers should

be 3 and 6 sentences in length).

Topics:

1. The Nature of Philosophy

a. What does the word “philosophia” literally mean?

b. How do philosophers claim to build upon the kinds of judgments that we make in everyday

life?

c. Know how Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle are related.

d. Know how Western Philosophy emerged in Greece in contrast to the myths about the gods.

(e.g. what kind of notion of divinity replaced the traditional Greek gods.)

e. Know about Thales. What is he famous for? How do his priorities illustrate how early western

philosopher’s understood their activity?

f. Know the paradox of identity and the paradox of the heap.

g. Be able to discuss how the paradox of identity is applied to human beings.

h. Know Thomas Aquinas’ Fifth way for showing the existence of God.

i. Know Paley’s argument for the existence of God.

j. Know Hume’s criticism of the kind of argument which Aquinas and Paley present.

k. Be able to define metaphysics and state how questions concerning the existence of God and

concerning identity are metaphysical questions.

2. Euthyphro

a. Be familiar with the characters and the plot.

b. How do Euthyphro and Socrates differ with respect to their attitudes to the myths about them?

c. How does Euthyphro justify himself at first?

d. What kinds of issues does Socrates raise concerning Euthyphro's claim to know what is pious?

e. What kind of definition of piety does Socrates want from Euthyphro? What does it mean to

look for the “form” of something? How is this activity public as opposed to private?