Introduction to Philosophy

Fall 2011        Test 4

 

 

1.  The determinist believes that...

 

a. the future determines the past.

b. whatever happens outside human beings is necessitated to happen, but our free actions are an exception.

c. whatever happens is necessitated to happen by prior events in accord with laws of nature.

d. physical events are caused by previous events, but mental events are not.

e. some events are not caused by previous events, but are caused by God.

 

 

2.  Which of the following is not a feature of causal and effect relations (as classically understood)?

 

a. Causes must desire their effects.

b. Causes must happen before their effects.

c. Causes must be in physical contact with their effects.

d. Causes necessitate their effects.

e. None of the above (i.e., they are all features of causal relations).

 

 

3.  The Principle of Universal Causality asserts that É

 

a. the universe was caused by a principle.

b. every event was caused by a previous event.

c. some events are uncaused.

d. mental states have affects, but arenÕt caused.

e. principles are caused by universals.

 

 

4.  According to the Psychological Argument for DeterminismÉ

 

a. our actions are caused by our desires, but our deepest desires are not freely chosen.

b. psychologists are determined to be less intelligent than philosophers.

c. psychological states are uncaused, but everything else is.

d. psychological states are the ultimate causes of everything that happens.

e. our actions are caused by our desires, and even our deepest desires are freely chosen.

 

 

5.  According to the Psychological Argument for determinism É

 

a. since we choose our deepest desires, our voluntary acts are caused by factors within our control.

b. because everything physical has a physical cause, all human behavior must have a physical cause.

c. because everything psychological has a psychological cause, everything in the universe is caused.

d. our physiology is determined by our psychology.

e. since we cannot choose our deepest desires, even our voluntary acts are caused by factors outside our control.

 


6.  According to the Physiological Argument for determinism É

 

a. our physiology is determined by our psychology.

b. because everything physical has a physical cause, all human behavior must have a physical cause.

c. because everything psychological has a psychological cause, everything in the universe is caused.

d. everything other than our free choices has a physiological cause.

e. mental events have mental causes and physiological events have physiological causes.

 

 

7.  The Principle of Universal Causality asserts that É

 

a. mental events, but not physical events, are caused by previous events.

b. whatever happens outside human beings is necessitated to happen, but our free actions are a universal exception.

c. everything causes something.

d. physical events, but not mental events, are caused by previous physical events.

e. whatever happens is necessitated to happen by prior physical events according to universal laws of nature.

 

 

8.  The relation between freedom (in its most general sense) and moral responsibility is that É

 

a. we donÕt hold people morally responsible for their behavior unless they acted freely.

b. we donÕt hold people morally responsible for their behavior if they acted freely.

c. we are morally responsible only if we choose to believe that we are free.

d. we are free only if we choose to believe that we are morally responsible.

e. we are morally responsible only if we are not free.

 

 

9.  The crucial difference between contra-causal freedom and merely voluntary behavior is that É

 

a. contra-causal freedom is possible even if everything is caused by a previous physical event, but mere voluntary behavior is not.

b. contra-causal freedom is possible only if no behavior is voluntary.

c. behavior can be voluntary only if contra-causal freedom is impossible.

d. merely voluntary behavior is possible even if everything is caused by a previous physical event, but contra-causal freedom is not.

e. merely voluntary behavior is contrary to causal freedom.

 

 

10. The crucial difference between voluntary and involuntary behavior concerns É

 

a. whether the behavior was caused or uncaused.

b. whether what caused the behavior was itself caused or uncaused.

c. whether anything in the universe is caused or uncaused.

d. whether or not what caused the behavior was a person choosing to act.

e. whether or not the person acting has contra-causal freedom.

 

 

 


11. To say that someone had contra-causal freedom concerning some act is to say that É

 

a. the act was caused by factors beyond that personÕs control.

b. the act wasnÕt voluntary.

c. the act was freely caused by that personÕs contrary nature.

d. the person could have acted otherwise.

e. the person could not have acted otherwise.

 

 

12. Determinists and Indeterminists agree about É

 

a. whether or not every event has a cause.

b. whether or not anyone is ever morally responsible for their behavior.

c. the kind of freedom necessary for moral responsibility.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

13. Compatibilists and Determinists agree about É

 

a. whether or not every event has a cause.

b. the kind of freedom necessary for moral responsibility.

c. whether or not anyone is ever morally responsible for their behavior.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

14. Compatibilists and Indeterminists agree about É

 

a. whether or not every event has a cause.

b. the kind of freedom necessary for moral responsibility.

c. whether or not anyone is ever morally responsible for their behavior.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

15.  When dÕHolbach says that Òchoice does not prove freedom,Ó what he means is that É

 

a. we canÕt choose to believe that we canÕt choose.

b. we canÕt prove that we ever act voluntarily.

c. even if we can choose what to believe, we canÕt believe what we choose.

d. even when we choose how to act, our choices themselves are still determined.

e. we should choose not to choose.

 

 

16.  Ayer believes that moral responsibility (for our actions) requires É

 

a. that our action wasnÕt caused.

b. that we could have acted other than we did.

c. that our action wasnÕt voluntary.

d. that our action wasnÕt constrained.

e. none of the above.

 

 

17.  According to Ayer, to say that one event causes another implies that É

 

a. events of the second kind regularly follow events of the first kind.

b. the first kind of event occurs regularly.

c. the first event has the power to make the second event happen.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

18. According to Ayer, people (mistakenly) believe that the kind of freedom required for moral responsibility is incompatible with the principle of universal causality because they misunderstand É

 

a. astrology.

b. psychology.

c. quantum mechanics.

d. what it means to say that an act is voluntary.

e. what it means to say that one event causes another.

 

 

19. Ayer believes that causes É

 

a. necessitate their effects.

b. force their effects to happen.

c. sometimes donÕt have any effects at all.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

20. Compatibilists believe that É

 

a. every event has a cause.

b. moral responsibility is possible even if every event is caused by a previous event.

c. we are less determined than the determinist thinks we are.

d. all of the above.

e. (a) and (b) above, but not (c).

 

 

21. Determinists believe that moral responsibilityÉ

 

a. is possible only if we never act voluntarily.

b. requires that we have contra-causal freedom.

c. is possible only if agent causation is distinct from event causation.

d. is possible only if we always act voluntarily.

e. (a) and (b) above, but not (c).

 

 

22. Compatibilists believe that moral responsibility É

 

a. is impossible.

b. is possible only if there really is such a thing as agent causation.

c. requires only that we act voluntarily.

d. requires that we have contra-causal freedom.

e. is possible only if some acts have no cause.

 

 

23. According to Compatibilists, our behavior can be called (ÒmerelyÓ) voluntary É

 

a. only if we could have acted other than we did.

b. only if it was caused by an agent and not by a previous event.

c. only if its immediate cause is something outside/independent of us.

d. even if its immediate cause is something outside/independent of us.

e. even if we could not have acted other than we did.

 

 

24. Compatibilists believe that to be morally responsible for our behavior,

 

a. that behavior canÕt be voluntary.

b. that behavior canÕt be caused.

c. we must have contra-causal freedom.

d. that behavior must be the result of agent-causation.

e. none of the above.

 

 

25. Ayer believes that É

 

a. in everything we do, we always act voluntarily.

b. we never act voluntarily.

c. all of our behavior is the inevitable result of factors that are ultimately beyond our control.

d. moral responsibility requires contra-causal freedom.

e. some of our behavior is not the inevitable result of factors that are ultimately beyond our control.

 

 

26. According to Baldner, if determinism is true,  É

 

a. it is morally acceptable to rob banks.

b. it is not morally acceptable to rob banks.

c. Baldner should go to confession.

d. you should stop taking this test.

e. nothing at all follows about how we should act or what is morally acceptable.

 

 

27. Chisholm believes that É

 

a. the existence of free will requires only voluntary behavior, not contra-causal freedom.

b. the existence of free will implies that agent causation is the same as event causation.

c. the existence of free will implies that agent causation is distinct from event causation.

d. free will doesnÕt exist.

e. free will is possible only if some human actions have no cause.

 

 

28. Chisholm agrees with Ayer that É

 

a. moral responsibility makes sense only if indeterminism is true.

b. the opposite of ÒfreeÓ is Òunconstrained.Ó

c. no one has contra-causal freedom.

d. everyone has contra-causal freedom.

e. moral responsibility doesnÕt make sense if our behavior is uncaused.

 

 

29. ChisholmÕs libertarianism agrees with indeterminism that É

 

a. we canÕt be morally responsible if we couldnÕt have acted otherwise.

b. all our actions are determined by prior events and the laws of nature.

c. no one is morally responsible for their behavior.

d. we can be morally responsible even if we couldnÕt have acted otherwise.

e. free acts must be uncaused.

 

 

30. ChisholmÕs libertarianism agrees with compatibilism that É

 

a. we canÕt be morally responsible if we couldnÕt have acted otherwise.

b. we can be morally responsible even if we couldnÕt have acted otherwise.

c. no one is morally responsible for their behavior.

d. even our free acts must be caused by something.

e. all our actions are determined by prior events and the laws of nature.

 

 

31. According to ChisholmÕs account of agent causation, É

 

a. free acts are caused by previous events, which are caused by previous events, and so on.

b. free acts are caused by agents, who are themselves caused to act in this way.

c. free acts are caused by agents, who are not themselves caused to act in this way.

d. free acts are uncaused.

e. agents cause people to pay them 15% of their earnings.

 

 

32. One of the possible problems with the notion of agent causation is that É

 

a. no one really understands what ÒeventÓ causation is supposed to be.

b. it commits us to paying an agent 15% of our earnings.

c. it commits us to the existence of a kind of ÒcausationÓ that we donÕt really understand.

d. it commits us to a belief in the existence of God.

e. it only applies to secret agents, like James Bond.

 

 

33. One of the possible problems with the notion of event causation is that É

 

a. no one really knows who Chisholm is.

b. no one really knows which events are caused and which arenÕt.

c. everyone knows that there really arenÕt any events.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

 

 

34. Indeterminists believe that moral responsibilityÉ

 

a. is possible only if we never act voluntarily.

b. requires that we have contra-causal freedom.

c. is possible only if agent causation is distinct from event causation.

d. is possible only if we always act voluntarily.

e. (a) and (b) above, but not (c).

 

 

35. Compatibilists and Determinists disagree about É

 

a. whether or not anyone is ever morally responsible for their behavior.

b. the kind of freedom necessary for moral responsibility.

c. whether or not every event has a cause.

d. all of the above.

e. (a) and (b) above, but not (c).

 

 

36. ChisholmÕs libertarianism claims that É

 

a. liberty is better than fraternity.

b. free acts are caused by agents, not by other events.

c. the government shouldnÕt interfere with the private affairs of individuals.

d. free acts are caused by other events, not by agents.

e. free acts are uncaused.

 

 

37. According to Chisholm, a choice is not free if ...


a. the agent determined the outcome.
b. the choice is a result of oneÕs desires and beliefs.
c. the agent acted voluntarily.
d. what we do is the result of random chance.
e. if Ayer says it isnÕt.

 

 

38. According to Chisholm, moral responsibility pre-supposes that É

a. the agent making the choice is in control of her behavior.
b. some event happened because an agent chose to act a certain way.
c. the agent had the ability to choose otherwise in the same circumstance.
d. All of the above.
e. only (b) and (c), but not (a).

 

 

39. ChisholmÕs libertarianism disagrees with indeterminism regarding the claim that É

 

a. we canÕt be held morally responsible for behavior that is caused by factors outside our control.

b. moral responsibility doesnÕt require contra-causal freedom.

c. no one is morally responsible for their behavior.

d. free acts must be uncaused.

e. no one has contra-causal freedom.

 

 

40. If you had a free will, É

 

a. you would choose this (wrong) answer, just to prove that you could.

b. you would have chosen not to answer this question at all.

c. you wouldnÕt have chosen to be here today.

d. you would tell your teacher that youÕd rather not get a free question at the end of each test.

e. youÕd pick this (correct) answer, because you want to know you got at least one answer right.