Plato
Can you give brief definitions of:
- the Form of the Good
- the Forms
- the Realm of the Forms
- Plato’s view of the knowledge
Can you explain:
- how Plato resolves the problems of constant change raised by Heraclitus
- how Plato uses the idea of proportion and ratios to develop his ideas
- the Simile of the Divided Line
- the Simile of the Cave
Can you give arguments for and against?
- the Realm of the Forms
- the Form of the Good
- the idea that this world is not true reality
- Plato’s treatment of knowledge and belief
- Plato’s belief that only the philosopher has true knowledge
Aristotle
Can you give brief definitions of:
- material cause
- formal cause
- efficient cause
- final cause
- Prime Mover
Can you explain:
- how Aristotle’s theory of formal cause differs from Plato’s theory of the Forms
- how the four causes interrelate
- the connection between final cause and the Prime Mover
- how Aristotle’s concept of god differs from that of Aquinas
Can you give arguments for and against:
- Aristotle’s methodology
- his theory of efficient cause
- final cause
- the Prime Mover
Soul, Body and Mind
Can you give brief definitions of:
- monism
- dualism
- materialism
- substance dualism
- category error
Can you explain:
- the differences between Plato and Aristotle on the nature of the soul
- Descartes’ substance dualism
- Gilbert Ryle’s reasons for rejecting substance dualism
- Richard Dawkins’ theory of Soul One and Soul Two
Can you give arguments for and against:
- Plato’s theory of the soul
- Aquinas’ notion that my soul is not me
- materialist ideas of the soul
- substance dualism
The Existence of God: Observation
Can you give brief definitions of:
- cosmological arguments
- design arguments
- contingency
- necessity
- infinite regress
Can you explain:
- how Paley develops his version of the design argument
- Aquinas’ version of the cosmological argument
- Hume’s objection to causation
- Hume’s reasons for rejecting design arguments
Can you give arguments for and against:
- the argument that the universe must have a first cause
- the argument that because everything in the universe is contingent, there must be a necessary being on which it depends
- the argument that God is the only explanation of the universe
- the argument that there is evident design in the universe
The Existence of God: Reason
Can you give a brief definition of:
- the a priori
- the principle of non-contradiction
- a defining predicate
- a necessary being
- a contingent being
Can you explain:
- Chapter Two of Proslogion
- Chapter Three of Proslogion
- Gaunilo’s onjection
- Kant’s objections to ontological arguments
Can you give arguments for and against:
- God as a necessary being
- Gaunilo’s objection to Anselm
- God’s existence as self-evident
- existence as a defining predicate of the concept of God?
Religious Experiences
Can you give brief definitions of:
- noetic experience
- transience
- the wholly other
- ineffability
- the numinous
Can you explain:
- Hick’s theory of religious experience as ‘experiencing as’
- the nature of conversation experience
- the concept of mystical experience
- transcendence and immanence
Can you give arguments for and against:
- religious experience as evidence for God
- different religions have different religious experiences
- correct interpretation of religious experience
- William James’ categorisation of religious experience
The Problem of Evil
Can you give brief definitions of:
- theodicy
- soul-making theodicy
- soul-deciding theodicy
- moral evil
- non-moral evil
Can you explain:
- instrumentalism
- evil as privation
- the free will defence
- dysteleological evil
Can you give arguments for and against:
- Augustine’s use of Genesis in his theodicy
- Irenaeus’ argument for evil as soul-making
- Hick’s concept of hell
- DZ Phillips’ opposition to soul-making theodicy
Mrs Hicks' Lessons 