PHIL 2301 INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY COMPLETED EXAM 2026/2027 (23pages)

1. What is the difference between rationalism and empiricism? How do these epistemological views affect the way we acquire knowledge? - Rationalism is the view that reason is the primary source of knowledge, and that we can have innate ideas or principles that are not derived from experience. Empiricism is the view that experience is the primary source of knowledge, and that we can only know what we observe or sense. These views affect the way we acquire knowledge by influencing what we consider as evidence, justification, and certainty. For example, a rationalist may accept a priori arguments or deductive reasoning as valid sources of knowledge, while an empiricist may reject them as insufficient or unreliable. 2. What is the problem of evil? How do different theistic and atheistic responses attempt to solve it? - The problem of evil is the challenge of reconciling the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God with the existence of evil and suffering in the world. Different responses attempt to solve it by either denying or modifying one of the attributes of God, explaining the origin or purpose of evil, or rejecting the existence of God altogether. For example, some theists may argue that evil is a result of human free will, or a necessary condition for moral growth, or a part of God's mysterious plan. Some atheists may argue that evil is evidence against God's existence, or a natural consequence of natural laws, or a subjective human construct. 3. What is the mind-body problem? How do different ontological views attempt to explain the nature and relation of mental and physical phenomena? - The mind-body problem is the question of how mental phenomena, such as thoughts, feelings, and consciousness, relate to physical phenomena, such as brain states, neurons, and behavior. Different ontological views attempt to explain this by either reducing one type of phenomena to another, or positing a separate substance or property for each. For example, some physicalists may argue that mental phenomena are nothing but physical phenomena, or that they are emergent properties of physical systems. Some dualists may argue that mental phenomena are distinct from physical phenomena, and that they interact causally or parallelly. 4. What is the difference between deontology and consequentialism? How do these ethical theories affect the way we evaluate actions and outcomes?