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Your name:Your section (circle):Mon. Tues. Wed. (am) Wed. (pm)Metaphysics Exercise 7Phil. 93, Winter 2006. Due Thurs., Feb. 9.1. In the first full paragraph on p. 84, Des cartes considers a view according to whichwe know bodies distinctly (or clearly and distinctly) with our senses. Based on ourreading, which of the following is correct?a. Porphyry would disagree with this view, because he thinks only substantial qual-ities, not ordinary sensible qualities, can be essential.b. Porphyry would agree with this view, because he thinks we can sense not onlysensible qualities like heat, but also supersensible substantial qualities.c. Avicenna would disagree with this view, because he thinks we never sense theessential characteristics of bodies.d. Descartes himself would disagree with this view, because he thinks we can neverknow whether there are any bodies at all, le t alone what their essential character-istics are.e. (b) and (c).f. (b), (c) and (d).2. On pp. 84–5, Descartes presents an argument for a different view about the aboveissue. Which of the following correctly describes the conclusion of that argument?a. We cannot really know what the wax really is; we c an only use sensible charac-teristics to stand in for its true essential characteristics.b. We cannot know what the wax is, because of our imperfection. Only an infinitelyperfect knower (i.e., God) can know what things really are.c. We can know what the wax is, because we perceive (with our intellect) that it isa body (a three-dimensional extended substance), and we perceive (with our senses)that it is particular kind (species) of body. (Thus we perceive its true genus withthe intellect and its true differentia with our senses.)d. We can know what the wax is, because we perceive (with our intellect) that itis a body (a substance determined by extension and the m odes of extension) andthat is all there is to know about what it is (its only essential characteristic).e. None of the above.3. According to the new view, what mistake was the Meditator making when heheld the old view?a. He falsely thought that the wax existed, when in fact only he exists.b. He failed to realize that, by knowing what he himself is (a thinking thing), he1also knows what the wax is (a body). After all, a thinking thing is a kind of body(since thinking is done by the brain).c. He knew what the wax is (because he perceived it with his intellect), but heconfused that correct knowledge with other, irrelevant things.d. He did not know what the wax is; he falsely thought it was composed of sensiblequalities.e. He did not know what the wax is; he falsely thought it was essentially three-dimensional extended quantity.4. From Principles of Philosophy II.4 (p. 190), and from the third paragraph of theFifth Meditation (p. 105), we can tell that:a. Descartes ultimately rejects the new view about the wax which emerges at theend of the Second Meditation. He holds (like Thomas Aquinas) that we can onlyknow there are bodies at all by having faith in God.b. Descartes ultimately rejects the new view about the wax which emerges at theend of the Second Meditation. He holds that we know bodies with our senses, be-cause they “extend” (that is, move away continuously) when we push them.c. Descartes ultimately accepts the new view about the wax which emerges at theend of the Second Meditation. He holds that we do not know whether bodies existexcept when we push them and feel them “extend” (that is, move away continu-ously).d. Descartes ultimately accepts the new view about the wax which emerge s at theend of the Second Meditation. He holds (like Avicenna) that the quantity of bodiesis not essential to them, only their substance.e. Descartes ultimately accepts the new view about the wax which emerges at theend of the Second Meditation. He holds (like John Philoponus) that a certain kindof quantity is essential to bodies.5. In the Third Meditation, the Meditator wants to prove the existence of Godbecause:a. He is afraid that otherwise he might be condemned by the Church.b. He believes through faith that the supreme happiness of the next life consistssolely in the contemplation of the divine majesty.c. Since the senses have now proved untrustworthy, he must find out about theworld from books. But, as long as he hasn’t proved that God exists (and is not adeceiver), he still has a slight doubt about the truth of Scripture, and therefore stillcan’t use bo oks to find the truth about the world.d. Since the se nses have now proved untrustworthy, he must find out ab out theworld using his reason. But, as long as he hasn’t proved that God exists (and is nota deceiver), he still has a slight doubt about the reliability of reason.e. None of the above.26. Which of the following is a good summary of the proof(s) of the existence of Godwhich Descartes presents in the Third Meditation?a. I am a thinking thing—that is, a human being. But human beings (I assume)did not evolve from lower animals; therefore, I must have been created by God.Therefore God exists.b. I am a thinking thing—that is, I create my own objective being by thinking. ButI have an idea of God. Therefore, God has objective being—that is, exists.c. I have an idea of God. But (I assume) my ideas must have come from trueobjective beings. Therefore God must be a true objective being—that is, God mustexist.d. I find that certain imperfect, finite things exist. These things can’t have comefrom nothing (because they have being), but also can’t have caused themselvesto exist (because they are imperfect and finite). Therefore their existence can beexplained only if there is also a perfect, infinite being—that is, Go d.e. I find that certain imperfect, finite things exist. But whatever is imperfect alwayshas the potential to become more perfect. Therefore, there must be a series of moreand more perfect beings, leading up to the most perfect being of all—that is, God.7. Which of the following, if correct, would point to a major flaw in the argumentof the Fifth Meditation (the Ontological Proof)?a. Existence is not a perfection.b. Existence is not a substance.c. God was invented to explain natural phenomena which people were once unableto understand. But those phenomena can now be explained by science.d. There are many things we have ideas of which don’t exist (e.g.: the Tooth Fairy;Trogdor, the Burninator). Just because we have an idea of God existing doesn’tmean that God exists.e. (a) and (b).f.


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UCSC PHIL 93 - Metaphysics Exercise 7

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