Section 1

  1. Present and Explain the Hard Determinism argument for Incompatibilism. Provide a story to help illustrate
    your explanation. Then, Present and Explain the Dilemma of Determinism.
  2. Present and Explain the Hard Determinism argument for Incompatibilism, and then Evaluate that argument
    from the point of view of the Compatibilist. Present and Explain the Compatibilist Parody of the Hard
    Determinism argument.
  3. Present and Explain a Compatibilist Definition of Freedom. Then, Present, Explain, and Evaluate the MiniMartian Objection to Compatibilism.
    Section 2
  4. Re-read Chapter 4 of Think on The Self, especially the section “The Self as Bundle”. Why does David Hume
    believe that there is no such thing as the self? What is the self according to Hume? Call Hume’s theory the
    Bundle Theory of the self, then Present, Explain, and Evaluate what Blackburn calls the “standard problem”
    with the Bundle Theory, namely, that if the Bundle Theory of the self were true, then there would exist a
    perception without a perceiver. But the idea of a perception without a perceiver is incoherent. Therefore, the
    Bundle Theory of the self is not true. It would be a good idea to explain Blackburn’s discussion about dents.
    Section 3
  5. Read the chapter in Blackburn’s Think on God, pp. 149-192. Also Read Bertrand Russell’s essay “Why I am
    not a Christian”. Write down the second of Saint Thomas Aquinas’ First Cause Arguments exactly as it appears
    in the document “First Cause Arguments”, then carefully explain each line of the argument. Elaborate in a way
    that shows you have read Blackburn and Russell and understand the argument. Remember, you’re explaining
    the argument here, not criticizing it. Finally, criticize the argument. In particular, tell what Russell has to say in
    response to the First Cause Argument.
  6. Read the chapter in Blackburn’s Think on God, pp. 149-192. Also Read Bertrand Russell’s essay “Why I am
    not a Christian”. Write down the Argument from Design exactly as it appears in the document “Argument from
    Design”, then carefully explain each line of the argument. Elaborate in a way that shows you have read
    Blackburn and Russell and understand the argument. A “Watchmaker” analogy might help. Remember, you’re
    explaining the argument here, not criticizing it. Finally, criticize the argument. In particular, tell what Russell has
    to say in response to the Argument from Design.
  7. Read Chapter 5 of Blackburn’s Think on God, and then explain Pascal’s Wager. First, describe the Western,
    Judeo-Christian conception of God with which Pascal is working. Then lay out the “cost/benefit” analysis
    Pascal presents. Tell what conclusion Pascal thinks he has reached. Finally, evaluate Pascal’s Wager, showing
    that you have read and understood Blackburn’s objections.

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