Introduction to 
Philosophy 
Descartes and Hume
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Hume Questions

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        Hume's Dream

Rene Descartes- "I get my best ideas laying in bed."  

p. 85-99
1.  What is Descartes’ view on the value of rationalism and skepticism?  What are the positive and negative aspects of skepticism as a method of evaluating knowledge? 

2.  What is the meaning and value of Descartes’ Cogito proof?  What is your reaction? 

p.100-109
3.  Why does Descartes need to prove that God exists?  What is the relationship of God to Cogito ergo sum?  How provable is God's existence?
4.  In your own words, describe Descartes’ first proof of God.  What is wrong with each of his proofs?  

p.110-120
5. How does a piece of wax help explain Descartes’ view on the properties of physical substances? 

6. According to Descartes how does the Universe work? Be specific. 

p.121-130
7. Explain your thinking on the concept of metaphysical dualism.  How much validity does it have? 

8. What does Descartes believe is the relationship between your body and your soul?  What is his purpose behind the direction his mind/body theory takes?  Where do you find the essence of YOU?

      DAVID HUME  "MR. WRECKING BALL"



P. 134-145
1.  Explain what the Age of Enlightenment was and the outlook of the world it encouraged?  Explain the main empiricist positions of Locke and Berkeley. 

2.  What are the two parts of the “Empiricist wrecking ball”?  Give examples of how it was applied.  What is its value?   Is this approach to understanding what is true a good idea or seriously flawed? 

P. 147-158
3.  Explain Hume’s attack on the Doctrine of two kinds of knowledge.  How does the concept of impressions and ideas limit what we can know? 

4. Explain the laws of the association of ideas and describe how they affect our everyday life?  What does this mean for scientific ideas?
David Hume




P.159-173
5.    Explain Hume’s attack on causality.  How does he explain that aspects of human psychology trip us up?  What are the limits to our knowledge?  What is your response? 

6. Describe Hume's view of how we understand the self.  What is your response?

 
Bishop Berkeley

P.173-183
7.  Which of Hume's three main attacks on religion has the most validity?  the least? What is your response?

8.  According to Hume, what is the basis of our ethics?  What is your opinion?  Considering the outcome of Hume’s philosophy, what is left for us as a guide in life?
 

 John Locke

                                                                 Hume's Dream!
 



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