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WorksheetsIntuition and deduction quiz
Total questions: 13
Worksheet time: 20mins
Rational intuitions are known a
(a)
When the premises in a valid deductive argument are true...
The conclusion must be true.
God must exist.
The conclusion is probably true.
The conclusion is a rational intuition.
Put the steps of Descartes' method of doubt in the correct order
Mistrust of the senses
The dreaming argument
The evil demon hypothesis
Descartes realises only the (a) is immune from all doubt
David Hume - A Treatise of Human Nature.
For my part, when I enter most intimately into what I call myself, I always stumble on some particular perception or other, of heat or cold, light or shade, love or hatred, pain or pleasure. I never can catch myself at any time without a perception, and never can observe any thing but the perception…. If any one, upon serious and unprejudic'd reflection thinks he has a different notion of himself, I must confess I can reason no longer with him. All I can allow him is, that he may be in the right as well as I, and that we are essentially different in this particular. He may, perhaps, perceive something simple and continu'd, which he calls himself; tho' I am certain there is no such principle in me.
Which answer most precisely expresses Hume's criticism of Descartes here?
Descartes cannot be certain of clear and distinct ideas because the cogito is not true, so other clear and distinct ideas may not be true.
The cogito is not known a priori because it is not analytically true as a relation of ideas, so it is not a rational intuition.
The cogito is not correct because we never experience a thinking thing in our reflections, only thoughts and sensations.
Reflection is the only kind of experience we can gain knowledge from and the Descartes believes the cogito shows we know more than this.
Put the steps of this argument in the right order
The cogito is certainly true
This is because it is clear and distinct
So clear and distinct ideas must all be true
But I previously doubted them as I may be deceived
So, to be certain, I must prove that I am not being deceived
Which characteristics of God are crucial for Descartes' arguments?
(select all that apply)
Omnipotent
Perfect
Infinite
Eternal
Omniscient
Descartes' ontological argument demonstrates that God must exist based on the....
concept of God.
power of God.
goodness of God.
experience of God.
In his (a) argument Descartes argues that I am not the cause of my existence, as I would have (b) and I do not cause my (c) because I would be aware of this; and (d) do not cause my continued existence, as I will live on after them. Thus God must exist as the cause of my existence and sustain my existence. He is the only possible cause of my (e) , as he is perfect and infinite.
Which two principles are crucial for Descartes' trademark argument
Degrees of reality principle
Infinite reality principle
Causal adequacy principle
Causal principle
Degrees of causal reality principle
A circular argument is weak because the argument only works if you assume the conclusion is
true
false
Which is the most precise version of the Cartesian circle objection
Descartes' arguments for God fail because they assume that the cogito is true which justifies the premises of the arguments.
Descartes' argument for the cogito fails because it assumes that God exists which he only proves much later, so it is circular.
Descartes' arguments for God fail because they rely on clear and distinct ideas, which can only be certain if God exists, so they are circular.
Descartes' argument for the cogito is circular because it relies on clear and distinct ideas being certain which is only proven by God.
Put the steps of this argument into the correct order
Through the example of a piece of wax, we can have a clear and distinct idea of physical substance as something extended and changeable.
If I have a clear and distinct idea of a thing, then God could create that thing, so physical substance can possibly exist.
Due to the involuntary nature of my perceptions it is clear that they must be caused by something external to me: the physical world, or God.
I am born with a strong predisposition to believe that my perceptions are caused by physical objects external to me.
If God were the cause of my perceptions then he would be a deceiver, and he is not. So I can be sure my perceptions are caused by physical objects. So physical objects exist.
