Philosophy 405

Spring 2005

Wilburn

Do-at-Home Midterm #2

(Due date: April 15^th, 2005 by 5:00 pm)

405 main page

(1)         Write up a very concise synopsis (in approximately 2-3 pages) of Gilbert Ryle’s “Descartes’ Myth.” (Note: This is an exercise in being able to synoptically cover all the highpoints of the piece without getting bogged down in detail.

and then, in a separate section (in approximately 5-7 pages) in which you refer to the content of your synopsis and the article itself

(2)         Write up concise essays in which you address the following questions:

a.       What sorts of properties, according to the "official theory, do bodies exhibit, and what sorts of properties do minds exhibit?

b.       To what difficulties does Ryle refer when he remarks "even when 'inner' and 'outer' are construed as metaphors, the problem of how a person's mind and body influence one another is notoriously charged with theoretical difficulties."

c.       What is a 'category-mistake'? Illustrate your answer using Ryle’s own university example.

d.       What does Ryle mean when he writes "my destructive purpose is to show that a family of radical category-mistakes is the source of the double-life theory"?

e.               What does Ryle mean when he writes "'existence' is not a generic word like 'colored' or 'sexed'.

f.                What is Ryle's account of the origin of Descartes' dualistic theory? In what way does Descartes make a category-mistake, as Ryle understands that term? In one or two substantive paragraphs, say whether you agree or disagree with Ryle here and explain why you do or do not agree.

Return your completed assignment to me by email at rojobn@unlv.nevada.edu. Write “405 MIDTERM  #1” in the subject line, and your name (LAST, FIRST) as the very first line of the document itself.