philosophy 100C questions

Order Instructions:

Spinoza #2 & #3

2. Spinoza thinks there is only one substance, namely God. Why does he think this? (Explain both the uniqueness of substance and the identification of substance.) Organize your discussion around the explanation presented in class, which had two main parts, one having to do with 1p7, that substance is a necessary per se being, and the other having to do with the idea that there can be only one necessary per se being (focus here on the argument presented in class).

3. Explain Spinoza’s account of how the universe causally depends on God (focus on 1p16). How does Spinoza’s theory differ from the prevailing views of the time? (Be sure to contrast Spinoza’s picture of intelligibility—i.e., his understanding of the reason things are the way they are—with a more traditional picture of the explanation of why things are the way they are, having to do with God’s plan for the world.) Why does Spinoza think things could not have happened differently from the way they did? Which position do you find more reasonable, Spinoza’s or the more traditional view? Explain fully.

Leibniz #2

2. Discuss Leibniz’s views on freedom, necessity, and contingency. Explain why he thinks Caesar was determined but not necessitated to cross the Rubicon. Is Leibniz able to make room in his system for freedom, or is something more needed? If something more is needed, what and why? Explain fully.
BERKELEY and HUME

Hume #2
2. Outline Hume’s account of causation in I.3 of the Treatise. Points to explain: Why does he think the relation of causation is important? What does he find puzzling about the relation? Why does he think that reason is not responsible for human thinking involving causation? What happens, according to Hume, when we make a causal inference? Explain his account of the idea of the necessity associated with the idea of cause and effect.

philosophy 100C questions

Order Instructions:

Spinoza #2 & #3

2. Spinoza thinks there is only one substance, namely God. Why does he think this? (Explain both the uniqueness of substance and the identification of substance.) Organize your discussion around the explanation presented in class, which had two main parts, one having to do with 1p7, that substance is a necessary per se being, and the other having to do with the idea that there can be only one necessary per se being (focus here on the argument presented in class).

3. Explain Spinoza’s account of how the universe causally depends on God (focus on 1p16). How does Spinoza’s theory differ from the prevailing views of the time? (Be sure to contrast Spinoza’s picture of intelligibility—i.e., his understanding of the reason things are the way they are—with a more traditional picture of the explanation of why things are the way they are, having to do with God’s plan for the world.) Why does Spinoza think things could not have happened differently from the way they did? Which position do you find more reasonable, Spinoza’s or the more traditional view? Explain fully.

Leibniz #2

2. Discuss Leibniz’s views on freedom, necessity, and contingency. Explain why he thinks Caesar was determined but not necessitated to cross the Rubicon. Is Leibniz able to make room in his system for freedom, or is something more needed? If something more is needed, what and why? Explain fully.
BERKELEY and HUME

Hume #2
2. Outline Hume’s account of causation in I.3 of the Treatise. Points to explain: Why does he think the relation of causation is important? What does he find puzzling about the relation? Why does he think that reason is not responsible for human thinking involving causation? What happens, according to Hume, when we make a causal inference? Explain his account of the idea of the necessity associated with the idea of cause and effect.