Introduction to Philosophy Takehome
Please answer each of the following questions. Any claims and arguments you make should be as clearly stated and as explicit as possible. You are welcome to consult with secondary sources, from online philosophy sites to books to other people, but be sure that you cite any ideas or language that you take from others so that your appropriations are not plagiarisms.
1. In Plato’s dialogue the Meno, Socrates makes the case that some forms of knowledge are innate, and that retrieving them is a matter of recollection, rather than learning new things. How does Socrates make his case; what does he prove or try to prove? Is Socrates successful, and if so/not, please explain why.
2. Please explain the purpose of the “evil deceiver” in Descartes’ Meditations. What does this image allow Descartes to imagine or argue and why is this important for his case?
3. From the following set of vocabulary terms, please select three words and use each in a complete sentence that is both grammatically meaningful and shows a sense for how philosophers use the word in context. For example, if you had the term “epistemology,” you might write: “Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that studies knowledge claims, or how we know anything with justification.” Feel free to combine or separate your sentence(s); just be sure to select and utilize three terms.
Word bank
Socratic irony; metaphysics; a priori; logos; dialogue/dialogos; maieutic art; Socratic ignorance; radical/skeptical doubt; daimon; Sophist; mind-body dualism; idealism.