Senior Seminar, Comprehensive Exam Questions
Critical Thinking
- In Mill's book On Liberty, what are the only justifiable reasons for restricting a person's action? Why?
- What was Francis Bacon's conception of the scientific method and how does it differ from the methods of contemporary science
- What are the differences in methods of reasoning in Socrates, Sextus Empiricus, Hegel, Euclid , and the empirical sciences?
- State and illustrate the Socratic method of questioning, explaining why it is of such importance to Socrates.
- In the Meditations, Descartes uses a systematic doubting process to expose beliefs which are subject to doubt. Explain systematic doubt as used by Descartes
- Philosophers such as Ayer claim that moral language is merely expressive. What is their point? How does this differ from traditional accounts of moral language?
- Is logic equivalent to reason? Is logic equivalent to thinking?
- How does scientific reasoning differ from reasoning in the humanities?
- What is the difference between structuralism and post structuralism and how does the distinction impact our understanding of reasoning?
- What is the difference between descriptive and performative utterances for Austin and what are the implications for philosophy?
- What is the significance of Saussure's principle of the arbitrary nature of the sign.
- How does Barthes' claim of the death of the author affects how we understand the nature of reasoning?
- What are the distinctive features of Rene Descarte's "Modern Project?" What are some alternatives that have been suggested by thinkers such as Blaise Pascal, Thomas Reid, William James, Soren Kierkegaard, and Fredrick Nietzsche?
