INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

PHIL 101, Sec. 010: TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm in CBC-C210
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Fall 2009

 

 

Name__________________________

 

Reading Questions: Nagel, Ch. 2 and Descartes’ Meditations I and II

Answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

  1. Why does Nagel claim that gathering more experiential data will not help answer the skeptic's challenge?

    2.  

     

     

     

  2. As Nagel characterizes them, what is the difference between solipsism and skepticism?

    3.  

     

     

     

  3. What does Descartes discover in "Meditation I" about virtually everything he believes?

    4.  

     

     

  4. In "Meditation II" Descartes claims that even if there is a supremely powerful deceiver who tricks him about everything it can, one thing Descartes cannot be deceived about is his own existence. Why can he be sure that his existence is not a deception?

    5.  

     

     

     

  5. What kind of thing does Descartes determine he is in essence?