Philosophy Assignment
Select just one topic.
i. Present one of the following two interactions: Kant and Anselm, orDescartes and Hobbes. This requires you to present both the argument from Anselm or Descartes and the criticism from Kant or Hobbes.
Evaluate the interaction. Is the critic's objection a good philosophical objection? (You should have a rough idea what that means by now. If you do not, you're in trouble.)
Given your evaluation, should Kant/Descartes have believed in God's existence? Justify your answer. What does your answer mean for the rest of us? May anyone be justified in believing in God's existence?
ii. Suppose someone argues for skepticism like this: People have different beliefs. People disagree about how old the world is; whether there is life on other planets; and even whether Bigfoot exists. So there's really no truth about how old the world is; whether there's life on other planets; or even whether Bigfoot exists.
Use the relevant course readings to evaluate the force of this argument. (You should be able to determine which are relevant.) Is this argument for skepticism a good one? What does your judgment with respect to that last question mean for belief in skepticism based on arguments like the one I just presented? Should we form beliefs based on arguments like this?
iii. Suppose someone tries to show that we should believe God exists like this: Any proposition is either true or false. Thus, there is a 50% chance that any proposition is true. Since "God exists" is a proposition, there is at least a 50% chance that God exists. If there's a 50% chance that God exists, it makes sense to believe that he does. Thus, we should believe that God exists.
Put this argument in your paper. Then, explain whether it lives up to the standards of philosophy. If you say it does, explain why. If you say it does not, explain why.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.