PHIL EXAM 2 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
2024/2025
metaphysics means - ANSWERS"that which comes after physics"
the area of philosophy concerned with fundamental questions about the nature of reality
the two major metaphysical questions about nature of persons concern - ANSWERS1) the mind body
problem
2) freedom and determinism
philosophers divide into two main groups - ANSWERS1) those who claim there is only one kind of reality
2) those who claim there are 2 kinds of reality
those who claim there is only one kind of reality - ANSWERSmetaphysical monism
those who claim there are 2 kinds of reality - ANSWERSmetaphysical dualism
two types of monism - ANSWERSidealism and metaphysical materialism
metaphysical materialism - ANSWERSclaims that reality is totally PHYSICAL in nature
(the materialist would say that the word mind would have to be explained in terms of the body to have
any meaning at all)
idealism - ANSWERSreality is entirely MENTAL or SPIRITUAL in nature (an idealist is someone who's
optimistic and visionary)
, dualist - ANSWERSmaintains that one part of reality is physical and another part is non physical
Ockham's Razor - ANSWERSthe principle that we should eliminate (SHAVE OFF) all unnecessary entities
and explanatory principles in our theories
ontology - ANSWERSthe area of metaphysics that asks what is most fundamentally real
two principles for characterizing what is fundamentally real - ANSWERS1) Fundamental reality is that
upon which everything else depends (for some people this may be a spiritual reality, such as God.)
2) Fundamental reality is that which cannot be created or destroyed
the mind body problem - ANSWERS1) the body is a physical thing
2) the mind is a non physical thing
most significant positions on the mind body problem - ANSWERSmind body dualism and physicalism
mind body dualism - ANSWERSthe claim that the mind (which includes the brain) and body are
SEPARATE entities
physicalism - ANSWERSthe theory that human beings can be explained completely and adequately in
terms of their physical or material components
there is no nonphysical aspect of a person
interactionism - ANSWERSthe most common version of dualism, states that the mind and body, although
different, causally interact with one another
two most common versions of physicalism are - ANSWERSidentity theory and eliminativism
2024/2025
metaphysics means - ANSWERS"that which comes after physics"
the area of philosophy concerned with fundamental questions about the nature of reality
the two major metaphysical questions about nature of persons concern - ANSWERS1) the mind body
problem
2) freedom and determinism
philosophers divide into two main groups - ANSWERS1) those who claim there is only one kind of reality
2) those who claim there are 2 kinds of reality
those who claim there is only one kind of reality - ANSWERSmetaphysical monism
those who claim there are 2 kinds of reality - ANSWERSmetaphysical dualism
two types of monism - ANSWERSidealism and metaphysical materialism
metaphysical materialism - ANSWERSclaims that reality is totally PHYSICAL in nature
(the materialist would say that the word mind would have to be explained in terms of the body to have
any meaning at all)
idealism - ANSWERSreality is entirely MENTAL or SPIRITUAL in nature (an idealist is someone who's
optimistic and visionary)
, dualist - ANSWERSmaintains that one part of reality is physical and another part is non physical
Ockham's Razor - ANSWERSthe principle that we should eliminate (SHAVE OFF) all unnecessary entities
and explanatory principles in our theories
ontology - ANSWERSthe area of metaphysics that asks what is most fundamentally real
two principles for characterizing what is fundamentally real - ANSWERS1) Fundamental reality is that
upon which everything else depends (for some people this may be a spiritual reality, such as God.)
2) Fundamental reality is that which cannot be created or destroyed
the mind body problem - ANSWERS1) the body is a physical thing
2) the mind is a non physical thing
most significant positions on the mind body problem - ANSWERSmind body dualism and physicalism
mind body dualism - ANSWERSthe claim that the mind (which includes the brain) and body are
SEPARATE entities
physicalism - ANSWERSthe theory that human beings can be explained completely and adequately in
terms of their physical or material components
there is no nonphysical aspect of a person
interactionism - ANSWERSthe most common version of dualism, states that the mind and body, although
different, causally interact with one another
two most common versions of physicalism are - ANSWERSidentity theory and eliminativism
