Was A Western Philosopher Whose Commitments To Empiricism
Was A Western Philosopher Whose Commitments To Empiricism Led
______ was a Western philosopher whose commitments to empiricism led him to conclude the self was but a fiction. A. Immanuel Kant B. C. J. Ducasse C. David Hume Incorrect D. Thomas Hobbes E. René Descartes Answer Key: C
Elmer Sprague declares that “I perceive my perceptions†is ________. A. logically impossible B. part of the materialist view Correct C. an odd thing to say D. a logically necessary truth E. true only because God perceives all perceptions Answer Key: C
________ is said to have wrought a Copernican revolution in knowledge. Correct A. Immanuel Kant B. John Locke C. George Berkeley D. David Hume E. René Descartes Answer Key: A
________ was Socrates’ disciple. A. Plato B. Aristotle C. Parmenides D. All of the above Incorrect E. a and b only Answer Key: A
In the dialogue of the same name, Crito comes to Socrates as his A. lawyer. B. teacher. C. executioner. Correct D. close friend. E. student. Answer Key: D
_________ construes the self as an entity whose perceptions are the basis for the reality of physical objects. A. Idealism B. Phenomenology Incorrect C. Pragmatism D. Existentialism E. Materialism Answer Key: A
As Hobbes uses the term, a Leviathan is ________. A. a political despot B. a sea monster C. an irrational desire Correct D. a government E. a religious myth Answer Key: D
Inductive reasoning is reasoning that starts with ________ and arrives at ________. A. highly probably knowledge, certainty B. causes, effects C. facts in the phenomenal world, facts in the noumenal world D. relations of ideas, matters of fact Correct E. specific observations, general probable laws Answer Key: E
________ wrote: “Existence precedes essence.†A. Plato B. Aquinas Correct C. Jean-Paul Sartre D. Aristotle E. Albert Einstein Answer Key: C
Plato believed the self consisted of ________. Incorrect A. reason, spirit, and soul B. reason, appetite, and desire C. reason, aggression (emotion), and appetite D. id, ego, and psyche E. mind, body, and soul Answer Key: C
Hume can right be considered to be ____________. A. an empiricist B. a rationalist Incorrect C. a skeptic D. a transcendental idealist E. both A and C above Answer Key: A
_________ said “If no one asks me, I know what time is; if someone asks and I want to explain it, I do not know.†A. J. M. E. McTaggart Correct B. Saint Augustine C. J. J. C. Smart D. Immanuel Kant E. Henri Bergson Answer Key: B
Maintenance needs are needs associated with _______. A. achieving one’s full potential B. having a life that is comfortable C. developing one’s mind and emotions D. securing one’s position in society Correct E. living as a human being Answer Key: E
Desmond Morris suggests that apparently unselfish behavior is actually a kind of selfish activity, aimed at ________. A. satisfying a desire to feel virtuous B. building a reputation for kindness C. intimidating others D. preserving one’s genes Incorrect E. All of the above Answer Key: D
_________ is the study of what appears to consciousness. A. Existentialism Correct B. Phenomenology C. Pragmatism D. Solipsism E. Idealism Answer Key: B
Descartes applied his method of doubt to ________. A. the goodness of God B. sensation C. mathematical operations Correct D. everything E. his own existence Answer Key: D
Plato believed his forms ________. A. must be real B. must exist outside the mind C. must exist in a transcendent realm D. are inaccessible to human senses Correct E. All of the above Answer Key: E
For Aristotle, aiming at the mean ________. A. means avoiding both excess and deficiency B. will promote happiness C. will promote moral virtue D. All of the above E. a and b only Answer Key: D
The new idealists think that reality is dependent on ______. A. our ideas Incorrect B. our language C. our perceptions D. our system of concepts E. b and d Answer Key: E
The existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre is a A. Freudian Correct B. libertarian C. determinist D. compatibilist Answer Key: B
Karma means literally _________ Correct A. Action B. Movement C. Rightness D. Fate E. Law Answer Key: A
The three traditional fields of philosophy are ________. A. religion, ethics, and logic B. metaphysics, logic, and ethics Correct C. epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics D. ethics, metaphysics, and religion E. metaphysics, epistemology, and logic Answer Key: C
The goal of philosophy, called autonomy, is to be _______. A. able to live by a clearly-defined set of principles B. free of obligations toward other people C. free to decide for yourself what you will believe D. able to choose for yourself how you will act Incorrect E. None of the above Answer Key: C
In the United States, at least, philosophy once proceeded as if A. Only ancient people did philosophy B. Only the elite should do philosophy C. Only the rich should do philosophy D. Only the wise should do philosophy Correct E. Only Caucasian males did philosophy Answer Key: E
Hume’s skepticism includes doubt about the existence of ________. A. ideas B. impressions Correct C. the external world D. time E. b and d Answer Key: C
Hume distinguishes ideas from impressions on the basis of their ________. A. origins B. clarity and distinctness C. force and vivacity D. truth value Incorrect E. a and b only Answer Key: C
Behind the idea of the Turing test is a ________ view of consciousness. A. Platonist B. dualist C. rationalist Correct D. functionalist E. feminist Answer Key: D
Logical positivists ________. A. try to understand the world by understanding language B. object that neither idealism nor materialism has paid sufficient attention to their use of language C. invented the process of bracketing to set aside language that fails to satisfy the criterion of verifiability D. All of the above Correct E. a and b only Answer Key: E
For ________ pragmatism was a tool for understanding the function of ideas in personal experience as instruments of will and desire. A. Edmund Husserl B. John Dewey C. Herbert Spencer D. C. S. Peirce Correct E. William James Answer Key: E
Which is NOT a type of memory identified in the text. Correct A. transcendental B. habit C. personal D. factual Question 1 (1 point) Good photovoltaic cells have an efficiency of approximately ________ Question 1 options: a) 2-6% b) 28-38% c) 14-17% d) 38-58% Save Question 2 (1 point) Hydroelectric power in the U.S. currently represents about ______ % of the total U.S. electricity. Question 2 options: a) less than 1 b) 40 c) 1 d) 7 Save Question 3 (1 point) A windmill system which produces 9 kW of electrical power when the wind is blowing at 4 m/s, will produce ______ kilowatts when the wind is blowing 8 m/s? Question 3 options: a) 72 b) 36 c) 24 d) 18 Save Question 4 (1 point) Radioactivity refers to ________. Question 4 options: a) conversion of mass within the nucleus to energy b) decay of nuclei induced with neutrons c) thespontanious decay of atomic nuclei into lighter, more stable nuclei d) decay of nuclei which must involve a neutrino or an antineutrino Save Question 5 (1 point) The Solar Constant, 2 calories per square centimeter per minute, is _______. Question 5 options: a) the average solar intensity at ground level b) the annual amount of solar energy available at the top of the earth's atmophere c) the solar power density at 93 million miles from the sun d) extremely variable Save Question 6 (1 point) In 2003 the wind energy generating capacity in the U.S. was about _______.
Question 6 options: a) 6.4 GW b) 6.4 MW c) 6.4 kW d) 6.4 TW Save Question 7 (1 point) The spectrum of solar radiation above the earth's atmosphere has its maximum in intensity _______. Question 7 options: a) at a wavelength higher than does the spectrum reaching the surface of the earth b) at the same wavelength as does the spectrum reaching the surface of the earth c) at a wavelength lower than does the spectrum reaching the surface of the earth d) is not related to the maximum in the spectrum reaching the surface of the earth Save Question 8 (1 point) Your cottage foundation is made up of 800 cubic feet of concrete while the floor is made up of 200 cubic feet of oak. About how many Btu are required to raise the temperature of the foundation and floor by 30 degrees F? Given: 22 Btu per cubic feet per degree F for concrete and 25 Btu per cubic feet per degree F for wood. Question 8 options: a) 678,000 b) 150,000 c) 528,000 d) 1,500,000 Save Question 9 (1 point) What is a thermal neutron? Question 9 options: a) a neutron with kinetic energy about 1/40 of an eV. b) a neutron with a kinetic energy about 5 MeV c) one of the neutrons which is produced in a typical nuclear fission reaction d) a neutron inside any large nucleus Save Question 10 (1 point) Suppose you have a typical flat-plate solar collector with area 64 square feet. What is a reasonable number for the Btu per day collected as heat energy? Assume an efficiency of 50%. Question 10 options: a) 8,000 b) 64,000 c) 16,000 d) 32,000 Save Question 11 (1 point) About _______ % of the total energy consumed in the U.S. each year is currently supplied by solar energy. Recall that we use about 98 QBtu per year. Question 11 options: a) 10 b) 6 c) 0.06 d) 1 Save Question 12 (1 point) What is the base material and the doping material typically used in photovoltaic cells to convert solar radiation into electrical energy? Question 12 options: a) silicon doped with uranium b) carbon doped with hydrogen c) silicon doped with arsenic d) antimony doped with silicon Save Question 13 (1 point) What is the typical size and voltage output of an individual solar cell? Question 13 options: a) 2 inches diameter and about 0.5 volt b) 6 inches diameter and about 1 volt c) 0.5 inch diameter and about 9 volts d) 1 inch diameter and about 0.1 volts Save Question 14 (1 point) A parabolic reflector ________ Question 14 options: a) focuses only the direct component of sunlight b) focuses only the diffuse component of sunlight c) focuses both the direct and diffuse components of sunlight d) can be used for solare collection systems only if the overall efficiency is less than 5 % Save Question 15 (1 point) The temperature of the surface of the sun is about 5800 K. Using Stefan's law, find the power per unit area emitted by the sun assuming that the surface emissivity is ideal, i.e. epsilon=1. Question 15 options: a) 16 MW/square meter b) 64 MW/square meter c) 100 MW/square meter d) 6.4 GW/square meter Save Question 16 (1 point) What is the pressure due to the water in pounds per square inch (psi) at the bottom of the static column of water 300 feet deep? Recall that pressure is density times acceleration due to gravity times the height---and be careful about the units. Question 16 options: a) 14.7 psi b) 1470 psi c) 62.4 psi d) 130 psi Save Question 17 (1 point) How much electric power could be obtained from a small hydroelectric station if the elevation change were 90 meters and if 12,000 kg of water passed through the turbines every second, with the overall efficiency being 80%? Question 17 options: a) 8.8 kW b) 1.5 MW c) 8.5 MW d) 12.5 MW Save Question 18 (1 point) The total mass energy of 200 grams of carbon is ________. Question 18 options: a) 18 QWh b) 18 QCal c) 18 QBtu d) 18 QJ Save Question 19 (1 point) What is the purpose of a breeder reactor? Question 19 options: a) reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation b) reduce the thermal polution c) to extend the useful lifetime of our uranium d) reduce the amount of plutonium produced Save Question 20 (1 point) How much thermal energy in joules is made available by cooling 1 cubic meter of rock from 240 degrees C to 100 degrees C? The specific heat is 2.4 J per cubic centimeter per degree C. Question 20 options: 24.0 billion J 33.6 billion J 240 million J 336 million J Answer Key: (not included here, as this is a sample)
Paper For Above instruction
The philosophical stance of empiricism holds that knowledge arises primarily from sensory experience. Traditionally, empiricists emphasize the importance of observation and experience as the foundation of understanding, often contrasting themselves with rationalists, who prioritize reason and innate ideas. Among the western philosophers critiqued for their commitment to empiricism, David Hume stands out as a pivotal figure who concluded that the self is but a fiction, challenging the notion of a persistent, unified self through his skepticism about personal identity. Hume's empiricism led him to argue that what we call the "self" is merely a bundle of perceptions, with no underlying substance, emphasizing that perceptions are fleeting and lack persistent unity.
Hume's radical skepticism extended to his views on causality and the external world, questioning whether our perceptions can truly confirm the existence of an external reality. His assertion that human knowledge is limited to perceptions aligns with his empiricist philosophy, which denies the possibility of certain knowledge beyond experience. This perspective was revolutionary and contributed to a Copernican revolution in epistemology, notably through Immanuel Kant, who responded to Hume's skepticism by proposing that our understanding shapes experience and that certain categories, such as space and time, are a priori.
The history of philosophy reveals a vital debate between rationalism and empiricism, with figures like Plato advocating for innate ideas or forms existing outside sensory experience. However, empiricists like Locke and Hume argue that all knowledge derives from sensory data, dismissing the existence of innate ideas. Locke's theory of the mind as a blank slate (tabula rasa) and Hume's focus on impressions and ideas exemplify this empiricist doctrine. Hume's distinction between impressions—vivid perceptions—and ideas—fainter copies—serves as a basis for his skepticism about the certainty of knowledge.
This empiricist framework significantly influenced subsequent philosophical developments, including the development of phenomenology, which studies phenomena as they appear to consciousness without assumptions about their external existence. Phenomenologists like Edmund Husserl focus on the structures of consciousness and how perceptions give rise to the experience of a world outside the perceiver. This aligns with empiricism's emphasis on perception but extends it by analyzing the experiential structures of consciousness.
Furthermore, the practical implications of empiricist philosophy have influenced scientific methods and technological advances such as photovoltaic cells, wind and solar energy. The empirical testing of hypotheses, measurement of data, and validation through observation underpin scientific inquiry and innovation. For instance, the development of photovoltaic technology relies on empirical research to improve efficiency, capturing solar energy through observed phenomena and rigorous experimentation.
In the realm of physics, empiricism supports the understanding of natural laws through observation and experimentation. For example, the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which describes the power radiated by black bodies like the sun, is derived empirically and validated by measurements. Likewise, studies on renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric power, wind energy, and solar radiation, depend on empirical data to optimize efficiency and sustainability.
Philosophical discussions about the nature of consciousness, perception, and reality continue to influence scientific approaches and technological innovations. The debate between empiricism and rationalism remains central to understanding human knowledge and the shaping of scientific inquiry, with modern developments in neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence testifying to the ongoing relevance of these philosophical ideas. As such, empiricism provides both a foundation and a challenge for modern scientific advancements and technological progress, as it emphasizes evidence-based understanding and observation-based development across disciplines.
References
- Hume, D. (1739). A Treatise of Human Nature. Oxford University Press.
- Kant, I. (1781). Critique of Pure Reason. Cornhill Publishing.
- Locke, J. (1690). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Penguin Classics.
- Descartes, R. (1641). Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.
- Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology. Martinus Nijhoff.
- Stefan-Boltzmann Law. (187