***MY MIDTERM IS ATTACHED TO THIS BLOG AS A COMMENT***
MIDTERM EXAMINATION: summer 2006, Introduction to Philosophy
Professor David C. Lane, Ph.D.
Instructions
1. Be sure to place your entire midterm on your website and when you are finished send a link of your test to your teacher directly at neuralsurfer@… (don’t send
it to any other email address, except that).
2. Make sure that it is YOUR OWN work and that if you use other authors please be sure to quote and/or cite the material appropriately. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and you will receive an “F” automatically for the examination.
3. The test is due NO LATER than June 12th at midnite.
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4. What is your real name?
5. What is your “user” name?
6. What is your email address that you use for this class?
7. Name and address for your website.
8. Have you done all the reading for the first three weeks?
9. Have you watched each of the films that were required?
10. Please place here all of the postings you have done for this class (you can copy and paste them).
11. Why do some of the philosphers interviewed in the Socratic Universe not believe in free will? Do you agree or disagree with them. Explain your reasoning.
12. What are Paul Churchland’s view on artificial intelligence? Do you agree or disagree with him? Explain your reasoning.
13. Do you think science and religion are compatible? Be sure to explain your answer by GIVING THE EXPLANATIONS given by philosophers who side with your position from the Socratic Universe (cite and quote when appropriate).
14. Why was Socrates put on trial? How did Socrates defend his position?
15. Give a brief history of philosophy using just 200 words (no more). You may use an outline format, but be sure to cram as many “factoids” (facts) as possible (key names, ideas, dates, etc.). Remember, it must be your own words and not merely a series of quotes.
16. Explain the big bang and the inflationary universe. Why is it important to know astronomy in order to do philosophy?
17. How do Heisenberg’s views on philosophy and science DIFFER from Einstein’s? How are they similar?
18. What is meme theory and do you find it plausible? Explain your reasoning.
19. Why is understanding biological evolution so important in understanding human thought and behavior. Be sure to cite Wilson and Dawkins and Darwin when appropriate.
20. In one of the films you were required to see, the narrator argued that fundamentalism was a mental disease. Why? Do you agree or disagree and please detail your rejoinder.
21. Where do you think Owen Gingerich “parts company” (fundamentally disagrees with) Edward O. Wilson? Who do you think is more persuasive in their reasoning about religion, Owen or Edward? Explain.
22. What does Francis Fukuyama mean by the “end of history.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
23. Explain Nicholas of Cusa’s philosophy of “unknowingness.”
24. According to Nietzsche, how did we actually “kill” God? Think before you leap on this one.
25. In the movie, Little Things that Jiggle, physics is explained by a series of slogans. Why, then, is physics important in the study of philosophy? Substantiate your answer.
EXTRA CREDIT: make your own 3 minute movie on meme theory and post it on google.com VIDEO. Be sure to provide me with a link.
DOUBLE EXTRA CREDIT: Take your favorite movie that you saw listed on the syllabus and give your own interpretation of its meaning (200 words minimum).
Maureen's Blog 
June 13, 2006 at 5:31 am
MIDTERM EXAMINATION: Summer 2006
Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL5)
Professor David C. Lane, Ph.D.
Instructions
1. Be sure to place your entire midterm on your website and when you are finished send a link of your test to your teacher directly at neuralsurfer@… (Don’t send it to any other email address, except that.)
2. Make sure that it is YOUR OWN work and that if you use other authors please be sure to quote and/or cite the material appropriately. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and you will receive an “F” automatically for the examination.
3. The test is due NO LATER than June 12th at midnight.
———————————-
4. What is your real name?
Maureen McVeigh Darney
5. What is your “user” name?
meowreen72
6. What is your email address that you use for this class?
maureen@maureenland.com
7. Name and address for your website.
http://maureenland.blogspot.com/
8. Have you done all the reading for the first three weeks?
Yes.
9. Have you watched each of the films that were required?
Yes.
10. Please place here all of the postings you have done for this class (you can copy and paste them).
All of my postings are listed on http://maureenland.blogspot.com/
11. Why do some of the philosophers interviewed in the Socratic Universe not believe in free will? Do you agree or disagree with them. Explain your reasoning.
I think most philosophers believe in science and not religion, because they don’t see the two magically coming together. Prior to the last three weeks of assignments I was sure that I believed in an all-powerful God that created the world and all it’s living things – period; nothing else. Now, however, I must say that I still believe that but I do believe that we have evolved over time as well. I believe that science does play in a role in religion and vice versa. I don’t believe that some “Big Bang” started the earth and all the “intelligent design” that we are studying learning through science everyday. It’s like traffic: there isn’t one row of cars in the front of the free way causing the rest of us to be backed up, instead the cars just keeping rushing forward until they become compacted and clustered. That’s the best analogy of beliefs as I can come up with. I still say “someone” had to create everything and over time the world has evolved into what we know today.
12. What are Paul Churchland’s views on artificial intelligence? Do you agree or disagree with him? Explain your reasoning.
Paul Churchland believes that artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence. As a matter of fact, he thinks it already did. I definitely disagree with him. I believe that computers can only process the data that you put into them. You can input data, but I don’t think it is possible to have a computer feel or have emotions. I believe that human intelligence is not just calculations or data but it includes emotions, creativity and diversity and I don’t believe that can be put into a computer.
13. Do you think science and religion are compatible? Be sure to explain your answer by GIVING THE EXPLANATIONS given by philosophers who side with your position from the Socratic Universe (cite and quote when appropriate).
Yes, I do believe science and religion are compatible. I agree with Paul Churchland in that “First of all, all of the world’s religions attempt to give a cosmological theory of the origins of the universe and the human race’s place in it and the significance we have. Christianity does it. Buddhism does it. Islam does it. Hinduism does it. Judaism does it. All of the religions do it. And I think that 2,000 years ago, when we were very ignorant, it was entirely permissible. Indeed, I would have done this thing, to try and come up with theories that could explain these things. So, in some respect religion attempts to function as science.” After all, so many religions share the same belief. I also see how science ties into religion. I believe that “someone” had to create the earth and scientists have been learning all about His “Intelligent Design” all these years. I also believe that we have continued to evolve over the last 2,000 years. So, they definitely are compatible.
14. Why was Socrates put on trial? How did Socrates defend his position?
Socrates is put on trial for his non-traditional beliefs and philosophy that shares. Socrates chose not to speak in his defense. Ironically he was on trial for speaking untraditionally, yet he will die without saying a word.
15. Give a brief history of philosophy using just 200 words (no more). You may use an outline format, but be sure to cram as many “factoids” (facts) as possible (key names, ideas, dates, etc.). Remember, it must be your own words and not merely a series of quotes.
The dictionary defines philosophy as “the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, specially when considered as an academic discipline.” So, the history of philosophy is the chronological events in the study of science, including the scientific method processes.
Philosophy can actually be divided into four major categories: Ancient Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Modern Philosophy and Contemporary Philosophy. Ancient philosophy was a period when Greek philosophers were prominent. This period occurred during the fall of Rome and includes notable philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. These famous Greek philosophers are still being studied today.
Medieval Philosophy dealt with the nature of God and the systematic philosophies of Aristotle. Modern Philosophy was famous for philosophers such as Galileo Galilei who tried to integrate religion and philosophy but was a time that empiricism developed; primarily in the 18th century. In the 19th century tension between systematization and organic philosophy grew. But, important developments in science led to the infamous theory of evolution as explained by Charles Darwin.
Finally, Contemporary philosophy took place in the 20th century and dealt with the conflicts from traditional knowledge systems. During this time, philosophers tried to sway traditional philosophical beliefs completely.
16. Explain the big bang and the inflationary universe. Why is it important to know astronomy in order to do philosophy?
Wikipedia describes the inflationary universe as being “the idea, first proposed by Alan Guth in 1981, that the nascent universe passed through a phase of exponential expansion (the inflationary epoch) that was driven by a negative pressure vacuum energy density.” Many philosophers believe that this pressure vacuum was so strong that it caused the so-called “Big Bang” which they believe is how the universe was created. It is important to know astronomy because if you don’t, it would be impossible to try and figure out how the earth was created.
17. How do Heisenberg’s views on philosophy and science DIFFER from Einstein’s? How are they similar?
The Heisenberg model is a statistical mechanical model used in the study of critical points and phase transitions of magnetic systems. Einstein’s theory of relativity described the force of gravity as an expression of the geometry of space and time. But they both believed they were explained in a mathematical expression.
18. What is meme theory and do you find it plausible? Explain your reasoning.
The meme theory is Richard Dawins’ theory of the replication of a unit of cultural transmission from one mind to another mind. I definitely think it’s plausible! The best example I can think of is seeing a commercial with a catch jingle that you just can’t get out of your head and you end up humming it all day long. Another example that comes to mind is when you see someone yawn and you just can’t stop yourself from yawning too!
19. Why is understanding biological evolution so important in understanding human thought and behavior. Be sure to cite Wilson and Dawkins and Darwin when appropriate.
It is important to understand biological evolution because it is the scientific “tree of life.” Biological evolution is the result of years and years of small-scale evolution that has been documented by scientists showing the changes in species over time. Charles Darwin believed that species adapted to their environment over time in order to survive. The scientific tree shows the branches of species as they developed over time. It is the essential proof that evolution exists.
20. In one of the films you were required to see, the narrator argued that fundamentalism was a mental disease. Why? Do you agree or disagree and please detail your rejoinder.
The narrator agues that fundamentalism is a mental disease because he does not believe that on single all-mighty God could be responsible for the “intelligent design” that we see in every living cell, creature or human being. He believes that science, specifically evolution is responsible and that it just makes sense. He believes that people believe in god because they need to have a belief to cling to in order to survive. I definitely disagree with the narrator, as I mentioned in one of the questions above, because we do not know how the world was created. The “big bang” theory may be enough for some, but not for me. I still believe that God created the world and that evolution is responsible for it’s continued existence.
21. Where do you think Owen Gingerich “parts company” (fundamentally disagrees with) Edward O. Wilson? Who do you think is more persuasive in their reasoning about religion, Owen or Edward? Explain.
I think they disagree because Wilson does not believe that science and religion will ever align and make a complete story. He believes in God and he believes in science, but he admits there are many missing pieces in the puzzle that connects the two. He believes we need to at least form an alliance on the major issues to save “life.” He believes that because religion is adaptive, that this is possible. Wilson also believes that the worlds most powerful forces are science and religion and that if we can agree on major issues we will live in a more peaceful world. Gingerich believes that science confirms his religious beliefs. He is the one that claimed “God’s Goof” in the period table of elements. He also believes the “big bang” is outside the scope of science. Unlike Wilson, Gingerich sees religions and science as one complete unit, two things that go hand-in-hand.
22. What does Francis Fukuyama mean by the “end of history.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
Fukuyama believes that history will end when we stop learning and developing science. He believes that we will actually come to a point when there is no more to learn. He makes a good point about history in saying that we can never go backwards; I definitely believe that. I believe that modern science will continue to develop technology and will help develop society. I also believe it will affect how human beings live their lives. But despite Fukuyama’s beliefs, I do not believe either will cease to exist; rather, I believe they will continue to evolve and thereby continuing to create history.
23. Explain Nicholas of Cusa’s philosophy of “unknowingness.”
I watched this video several times. My interpretation is basically the same as Professor Lane’s lecture during our one and only class meeting, that you don’t really know where you are, who you are, or anything. That everything is based on philosophy and that there are no real answers, just ideas – some tested and some not.
24. According to Nietzsche, how did we actually “kill” God? Think before you leap on this one.
I interpret this film as meaning that God “died” because people stopped believing in him. I think “we killed” Him by not believing in him and that he slowly withered away and eventually decomposed, as if forgotten.
25. In the movie, Little Things that Jiggle, physics is explained by a series of slogans. Why, then, is physics important in the study of philosophy? Substantiate your answer.
Physics is the study of energy and matter; it is what makes the world exist. For example, the earth would not rotate without energy. If the earth did not spin, there would be no gravity. If there were no gravity we would not exist on earth. Everything in the world requires physics to function. Physics exists in everything related to science.
EXTRA CREDIT:
Make your own three-minute movie on meme theory and postit on google.com VIDEO. Be sure to provide me with a link.
DOUBLE EXTRA CREDIT:
Take your favorite movie that you saw listed on the syllabus and give your own interpretation of its meaning (200 words minimum