Possible Long Essay Questions for Exam #3
You will be required to answer one of the following long essay exam questions on the day of the third exam. The question you will have to answer will be determined by a roll of the dice.
- Explain in detail Paley's Argument from Design, i.e., don't just spit back the two premises and conclusion; you also need to explain the reasoning/evidence behind each step. Then discuss (in detail) an objection to each of the two premises of that argument (i.e., an objection to the first premise and a different objection to the second premise, identifying in each case the premise under attack). The objections you discuss must NOT be those Paley himself discusses and dismisses; they must come from our class discussions (or perhaps your own ingenuity - although be careful!). In your discussion, you should say something about whether or not you think the objection you're talking about actually succeeds in undermining the premise at stake.
- Explain in detail Aquinas's Cosmological Argument, i.e., don't just spit back the steps of the argument; you also need to explain the reasoning/evidence behind each step. Then discuss (in detail) both objections raised to it in class (having to do with its internal inconsistency and its "first causiness" problem). In your discussion, you should say something about whether or not you think the objection you're discussing actually succeeds in undermining Aquinas (and why).
- Explain in detail the Problem of Evil, i.e., don't just copy down the steps of the argument; you also need to explain the reasoning/evidence behind each of the premises. Then explain and discuss what you think are the best TWO possible theodicies available to deal with this problem (no "cheap solutions" please), citing examples where appropriate. As you raise and explain these theodicies, you also need to include a discussion of some possible objections to them, saying in each case whether or not you think the theodicies can withstand the objections you've raised and why.