Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Essay Available:
Pages:
4 pages/≈1100 words
Sources:
10 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Coursework
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 20.74
Topic:

The Free Will and the Best Overall Philosophic Position

Coursework Instructions:

Complete both parts - Part I Philosophy Ping Pong on Free Will, and Part II - "Philosophy Pinball" - Overall view and making connections.
"Open Book” with respect to course materials, but only course materials. Course readings, lecture Powerpoints, and lectures notes all OK to consult but nothing else.
No outside sources!

Part I  (60% of exam grade) The Ping Pong on Free Will (similar to second essay on mind-body - just a little shorter).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

1.  State & clearly explain your position on the Free Will issue? (Choose one for the four main positions we considered as listed below.)                                                                                                                                                   

2.  Support your view of Free Will and give at least one positive argument in favor of it. State the argument in your own words -don’t just cut and paste. (Argument does Not have to be in explicit numbered premise conclusion format - OK if it is, but also OK to explain the steps more informally, just be sure to give a complete explanation.)                                                                                                             

3.  Explain why your positive argument is a good argument and,                  

4. Defend it against at least one possible objection.Your opponent’s Serve <-                     

5. State and explain at least one Challenge/Objection to your position on Free Will (i.e., state a negative argument or reason against your position (your theory) that might be given by someone who disagrees with your position. (For example, if you are a hard determinist, explain how a soft determinist or libertarian would give an argument against your theory.  **Note, this is not the same as just considering an objection to your positive argument as in step 4.)                                                                                                                                                                               

6. Attack that negative argument or reason and explain why it does not work (i.e. ,give at least one objection against that negative argument or reason.)Part II (40% of exam grade) Philosophy Pinball – Making connections between units.Your overall philosophic view.                                                                               

From the options listed below, select the combination of 5 views that you believe is the best overall philosophic position – i.e., what you believe is the best view on each of the major issues: the one you chose in Part I on Free Will + the other four issues: God, Knowledge, Mind-Body,  Personal Identity.  For example, you could select a combination like either of the following (or many others): • (Theism, Foundationalism, Two-Way Interactive Substance Dualism, Same Soul theory of Personal    Identity, Libertarian)  or  (Atheism, Coherence theory of knowledge, Functionalism, Memory theory of Personal Identity, Soft Determinism ). 7.Write a first paragraph in which you state and explain your five choices- i.e., list which theory you think is the best theory for each of the five issues in the order we covered them in the course. (If you like, you can do this paragraph as list of 5 bullets – each a few sentences long.)     For each of the four theories (i.e.,the four other than Free Will) do the following:                  

8. Briefly explain what each of your four theories says (a couple of sentences for each is enough).     

9. Briefly explain why you think each is the best view on its topic (couple of sentences is enough).  *. In explaining your theory on the knowledge issue, include the following:                                                                                            

i. If you choose Foundationalism, then explain what is in your foundation. It could be many things

e.g., your own conscious experience, your everyday sense observations, your common sense beliefs, your scientific beliefs, your beliefs about God, your apriori beliefs. How does that foundation support rest of your beliefs?                                                                                                                                         

ii. If you chose the Coherence Theory, then explain what are the main “strands in your web” or the “most important “planks in your boat” and why? (Sensory evidence, scientific theories, religious beliefs, apriori beliefs about math and logic,…How do they help things fit or hold together?)                                                   iii. If you chose Skepticism, explain some of the things that you cannot know.                                                       

10.  Discuss how the five parts of your overall philosophic theory fit together.

a. Explain why you think your five theories make a good combination of views.                                           

b. Explain at least 3 specific ways in which your view on one issue helps to support your view on another different issue – or how two of your theories mutually support each other. (e.g., how your views on God and Knowledge fit together, how your views about God and Free Will fit together or how your views on mind-body fit together with your views on personal identity or Free Will…..List of possible positions to select from.    To build your overall view, choose your preferred position on each of the five units from the options listed below.    

I. GOD (pick a specific view – number and letter, like 1a. or 2b.)1.Theism a."God Exists.” b."God probably Exists.” or c."It's rational to believe God Exists."                                                                                                                                     

2.Atheism a.'God does Not Exist.” b."God probably does Not Exist.” or c. "It's rational to believe God does not Exist".                                                                                           

3. Agnosticism – a. We do not have adequate reasons to believe that “God Exists” nor that  “God does Not Exist".   b. We do not have adequate reasons to believe that "God probably Exists” nor that “God probably does Not Exist".II. KNOWLEDGE                                          

4. Foundationalism (+ explain what is in your foundation: it could be many things -  e.g., your own conscious experience, your sense observations, your common sense beliefs, your beliefs about God, your apriori beliefs. How do they support the rest of your beliefs? )                                                                                5. Coherence Theory of Knowledge (+ explain what are the main “strands in your web” or the “most important “planks in your boat”? How they help things fit or hold together?)                                                                                

6. Skepticism(a. We do not have knowledge. or b. We have much less knowledge than most people believe, we know very little, e.g. We do not know whether external world exists.)III. MIND-BODY                                                                                                                                                   

7. Mind-Body Substance Dualism,                                                                                         

8. Mind-Body Property Dualism,                        

9. Identity Physicalism,                                                                                                                               

10. Functionalism                                     

11. Eliminative Physicalism  IV. Personal Identity                                    

12. Same Body Theory of Personal Identity                                                                                       

13. Same Soul Theory of Personal Identity                                                                                      

14. Memory Theory of Personal Identity

VI. FREE WILL                                    

15. Hard Determinism            

16. Soft Determinism                                        

17. Libertarianism                                                       

18. Incoherentism

Coursework Sample Content Preview:

Philosophy
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Date
Philosophy
Part 1
My position on the free will issue is based on soft determinism, which argues that human behavior and actions entirely depend on causal events. However, however, free will exists and is determined by one’s nature, which is in turn determined by external factors including heredity, society, and upbringing. Human actions and behavior depend on causal events because the growth and development of any person depends on their surrounding environment and the hereditary factors. The relationship between all living organisms, not only humans, operates on the nature, nurture principle, which means that the specific behavior that we exhibit it shaped by nature. Therefore, as Feinberg and Russ (1995) note, free actions are not uncaused actions. They are actions that we cause. Thus, the soft determinism theory is correct in their assertion that the behavior and actions are all causal events. We either cause those events or the environment causes us to act in response to an events.
Consequently, we are free in our beliefs, desires, deliberations, and behaviors are all caused by our internal processes, which in turn determine our behavior. In most cases, the environment in which we exist serves as a stimulant, and it is upon ourselves to determine how we react to such a stimulant. Even machines are not entirely predictable in their actions because as they react from the external influence, they also have internal processes that may cause them to response in an unexpected manner. The way a robot responds to a directive, which is an external causative factor, depends on its internal state of being i.e., whether it is mechanically sound or not. We have control over most of the things that happen around us. Our current situation in life is partly determined by our state of mind. Therefore, a cause does not automatically lead to our reaction because once we face an external cause, we often react in response to the driving factor by first engaging in an internal process of thinking about the consequences of the resultant action. An example is poverty. Being poor may drive one to steal in order to satisfy their need. If people did not have a free will, they would steal whenever they felt that they needed something. However, our ability to engage in thoughts and determine whether the action is worth the effort or not determines how we respond.
This argument is good because it identifies a causative factor, which in some cases we do not have control over. An objection to my argument would be that ultimately, if one chooses not to steal, then their decision and desires ultimately depend on other factors that are still beyond our control, such as genetics, upbringing, and the environment. Therefore, an individual who believes in hard determinism will argue that even I choose not to steal, I will do so because I have been taught that stealing is bad. However, this is not correct because based on our example on poverty, our only way out of p...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:
Order

👀 Other Visitors are Viewing These APA Coursework Samples:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!
Order Now