Note: The format and rules for the final exam will be the same as for the midterm exam. The exam will be in our regular classroom. For Section 5 (which meets at 9:10) the exam will be at 10:00am on Monday, May 17. For Section 6 (which meets at 11:30) the exam will be at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, May 19.
1 In your own words, explain and evaluate the ontological argument for God's existence.
2 What is the ‘argument from design’? Is it any good?
3 In Hume’s Dialogues, Demea puts forward a version of the ‘cosmological argument’. State the argument in plain English and explain why Blackburn thinks it fails.
4 What is the ‘problem of evil’? How far does this problem go towards showing that belief in God is irrational?
5 What is wrong, according to Blackburn, with the ‘free will defense’ to the problem of evil?
6 Why does Hume think it is never reasonable to believe testimony that a miracle has occurred?
7 Why does Hume think that inductive inferences cannot be justified by any rational argument?
8 What reasons do Burke and Hayek give for thinking that the inheritance of unequal wealth is a good thing?
9 In what sense are people naturally equal, according to Hobbes? Do you agree?
10 Why does Hobbes think that the state of nature would be a ‘war of all against all’?
11 What rights does Locke think we have in ‘the state of nature’? Which of these do we give up and which do we retain when we enter ‘civil society’ and agree to establish government?
12 How does Locke justify the institution of private property (and a very unequal distribution of property)? How good is his justification?
13 How and why does Locke think that the power of governments must be limited?
14 Tawney says that the kind of equality of opportunity that is present in a capitalist society is insufficient. Explain and discuss critically at least one of his reasons for thinking so.
15 Hayek says that the only kind of equality that is compatible with liberty is ‘equality before the law.’ He specifically rejects equality of opportunity, saying it would undermine liberty. How so? What do you think?
16 Why does Rawls think that we should imagine that people are choosing principles of justice behind a ‘veil of ignorance’? Do you think he is right to argue that a decision made ‘behind the veil’ is more fair than one made with full knowledge?
17 How does Nozick use his Wilt Chamberlain example to argue for his entitlement theory of justice? What do you think of his view?
18 In what sense is Michael Walzer’s view of justice a ‘pluralist’ view?
19 Walzer says we should seek not ‘simple equality’ but ‘complex equality’. What does he mean? Is he right?
20 According to Iris Young, the ‘distributive paradigm’ leads us to ignore some important issues of justice and to distort others. Explain briefly, being as concrete as possible. Does she have a good point?