PHIL 106: Critical Thinking

LARKIN: Fall 2002

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Reading Questions

I. Plato, “Euthyphro”

1. Why is Socrates at the courthouse? Why is Euthyphro?

2. Why does Socrates ask Euthyphro about piety?

3. What are Euthyphro’s first two attempts to say what piety is? What does Socrates think is wrong with them?

II. Descartes, “First Meditation”

1. Why does Descartes apply himself “earnestly and openly to the general discussion” of all his former opinions? What does he hope to accomplish by trying to everything?

2. Why will it not be necessary for Descartes to show one by one that each of his opinions is false?

3. What is the point of Descartes’ discussion of dreaming?

4. Is there any test that you can think of to determine whether you are dreaming or not? Describe such a test or explain why there cannot be one.

III. Rowe, “The Cosmological Argument”

1. What are the two parts of the Cosmological Argument?

2. Explicitly lay out the first part of the cosmological argument in premise/conclusion form and briefly explain why it is valid.

3. What is the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), and how does it support the first premise of the argument laid out above?

4. How does PSR support the second premise of that argument?

5. Do you think that PSR is true?

IV.