PHIL 447N Week 4 Midterm 2026 NEWEST EXAM
COMPLETE 60 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
ALREADY GRADED A+ BRAND NEW!!
How does Robert Nozick undermine the skeptical challenge? - CORRECT ANSWER: Nozick
attacks the closure principle and argues that we can claim to know things, without knowing
whether we are BIV or not.
State whether the following argument is valid and sound, and explain why or why not.
All birds lay eggs.
Dogs are birds.
Therefore, dogs lay eggs. - CORRECT ANSWER: This argument is valid, but it is not sound. It
necessarily follows that "dogs lay eggs" if "All birds lay eggs" (P1) and "Dogs are birds" (P2),
but P2 is not true therefore the argument is not sound.
What are the "Gettier-cases" supposed to demonstrate about the nature of knowledge? -
CORRECT ANSWER: That merely having a justification in favor of true belief is insufficient to
deal with the constraint on knowledge imposed by the no-luck condition.
What does Hilary Putnam mean, when he insists that symbols (lines, images, words etc) do not
have intrinsic powers of reference? - CORRECT ANSWER: Putnam means that reference
requires intentionality or a causal connection between the mind and what is being referred to.
Symbols cannot carry out this on their own.
What exactly is the category mistake in the official (Cartesian) doctrine according to Gilbert
Ryle? - CORRECT ANSWER: Category-mistake is a linguistic error where content belonging to
specific category is incorrectly attributed or applied to a different category. The category mistake
within the Cartesian doctrine is matter of treating mind as though it belongs to the category of
things (like bodies, physical objects, events etc).
, What is the closure principle (with regard to knowledge)? - CORRECT ANSWER: Closure
principle assume that knowledge is closed under implication, that is, if one knows that p AND
that p entails q, they also know that q.
What is the distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning? Explain with an example for
each kind of inference. - CORRECT ANSWER: Deduction moves from a general principle to a
particular instance, whereas induction moves from particulars to the general principle. The
former produces a necessary conclusion, while the latter only a probabilistic one.
Examples-
Deduction:
All racing cars must go over 80MPH
The Dodge Charger is a racing car
Therefore it can go over 80MPH
Induction:
The first quiz occurred during Week 2
The second quiz occurred during Week 4
...
The Quizzes are occurring biweekly.
What is the distinction between ordinary doubt and philosophical skepticism? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Ordinary skepticism the grounds or doubts can, in principle, be removed.
Philosophical skepticism on the other hand attempts to render the whole of our belief system
doubtful.
What is the problem of interaction for mind body dualism? - CORRECT ANSWER: The
problem is to explain how a non-extended (non-spatial) entity like mind can cause a physical
entity like body to move. Such causation seems to require a contact in space, but mind is not
supposed to exist in space.
COMPLETE 60 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
ALREADY GRADED A+ BRAND NEW!!
How does Robert Nozick undermine the skeptical challenge? - CORRECT ANSWER: Nozick
attacks the closure principle and argues that we can claim to know things, without knowing
whether we are BIV or not.
State whether the following argument is valid and sound, and explain why or why not.
All birds lay eggs.
Dogs are birds.
Therefore, dogs lay eggs. - CORRECT ANSWER: This argument is valid, but it is not sound. It
necessarily follows that "dogs lay eggs" if "All birds lay eggs" (P1) and "Dogs are birds" (P2),
but P2 is not true therefore the argument is not sound.
What are the "Gettier-cases" supposed to demonstrate about the nature of knowledge? -
CORRECT ANSWER: That merely having a justification in favor of true belief is insufficient to
deal with the constraint on knowledge imposed by the no-luck condition.
What does Hilary Putnam mean, when he insists that symbols (lines, images, words etc) do not
have intrinsic powers of reference? - CORRECT ANSWER: Putnam means that reference
requires intentionality or a causal connection between the mind and what is being referred to.
Symbols cannot carry out this on their own.
What exactly is the category mistake in the official (Cartesian) doctrine according to Gilbert
Ryle? - CORRECT ANSWER: Category-mistake is a linguistic error where content belonging to
specific category is incorrectly attributed or applied to a different category. The category mistake
within the Cartesian doctrine is matter of treating mind as though it belongs to the category of
things (like bodies, physical objects, events etc).
, What is the closure principle (with regard to knowledge)? - CORRECT ANSWER: Closure
principle assume that knowledge is closed under implication, that is, if one knows that p AND
that p entails q, they also know that q.
What is the distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning? Explain with an example for
each kind of inference. - CORRECT ANSWER: Deduction moves from a general principle to a
particular instance, whereas induction moves from particulars to the general principle. The
former produces a necessary conclusion, while the latter only a probabilistic one.
Examples-
Deduction:
All racing cars must go over 80MPH
The Dodge Charger is a racing car
Therefore it can go over 80MPH
Induction:
The first quiz occurred during Week 2
The second quiz occurred during Week 4
...
The Quizzes are occurring biweekly.
What is the distinction between ordinary doubt and philosophical skepticism? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Ordinary skepticism the grounds or doubts can, in principle, be removed.
Philosophical skepticism on the other hand attempts to render the whole of our belief system
doubtful.
What is the problem of interaction for mind body dualism? - CORRECT ANSWER: The
problem is to explain how a non-extended (non-spatial) entity like mind can cause a physical
entity like body to move. Such causation seems to require a contact in space, but mind is not
supposed to exist in space.
