PHL 107                      Prof. Stephens                  Fall 2009

Review Guide on Taylor, Metaphysics: Chapters 3, 4, 6

Chapter 3

1. Explain the view Taylor calls Interactionism. (p.18-19)
2. Explain in detail Taylor’s criticisms of Interactionism. (p.19-24)
3. How does Taylor contrast the mind with the brain? (p.22)

Chapter 4

1. Explain the view known as Epiphenomenalism and explain Taylor’s criticisms of Epiphenomenalism. (p.26-27)
2. Carefully reconstruct the Dualist’s Argument for Dualism. (p.28-29)
3. According to Taylor, what is the source of dualistic theories? (p.29-30)
4. What does Taylor say about the fact that a certain mental state is unobservable? (p.31-32)
5. Explain Taylor’s criticisms of positing the soul as a causal explanation for how persons think. (p.32)
6. Carefully reconstruct the Materialist’s Argument against Dualism and for Materialism. (p.29)
7. Compare and contrast inanimate things (like marbles or rocks) with simple living things (like plants) with organisms having nervous systems (animals) with normal adult human beings (persons).  What types of properties does each of these four classes of things have?  Which properties are shared by some of these four classes but not by the others?
8. What does Taylor say about the “privacy” of psychological states? (p.33-34)
9. Carefully reconstruct the Dualist’s Argument for the Privacy of Psychological States. (p.33)
10. Explain Taylor’s criticisms of the dualist’s privacy of psychological states argument. (p.34)

Chapter 6

1. What is Taylor’s EXACT definition of fatalism? (p.55)
2. Why does Taylor think that the thought of fatalism can be quite overwhelming and sometimes consoling? (p.54)
3. What does he say about the relationship between mere ignorance and genuine possibility in things? (p.56)
4. How does Taylor think we are typically tempted to reason about the past and the future?
5. What does he say are the three sources of the idea of fatalism? (p.56 f.)
6. Explain the Determinacy of Truth Argument (for fatalism).
7. Describe the story of Osmo.
8. Explain the Symmetry of Past and Future Argument.
9. Explain The “Truth is Atemporal” Argument.
10. Explain The Argument from the Law of the Excluded Middle.  What is the Law of the Excluded Middle?
11. What does Taylor say about metaphysics and logic in relation to an opinion nourished by invincible pride? (p.66)

Chapter 13

1. What does Taylor say are the two basic impulses to study metaphysics?
2. Explain Taylor’s argument that it would not matter had each of us never existed (The Bummer Argument).
3. What did Schopenhauer say about religion?
4. Explain Taylor’s view of religion, tradition, and meaning.  How does he think metaphysics and religion importantly differ?
5. What does Taylor think most people are occupied with? (p.133)
6. Explain Taylor’s view of human history.  What is it the result of?
7. Explain Taylor’s view of the nature of meaningfulness.  Whose lives are meaningful and why, according to him?
8. Explain Taylor’s Argument for Meaningfulness.  Explain his analysis of Sisyphus' task and its relation to meaning.
9. Contrast Taylor’s view of nature with the activity of rational beings and historical time.
10. What was Schopenhauer’s dictum about talent and genius? (p.138)
11. List Taylor’s examples of various creations great and small (p.139).
12. What is the difference between procreation and creation, according to Taylor?
13. Explain Taylor’s criticism of the view that everyone is equally special and that every human life is invested with meaning just by virtue of our common humanity.
14. What does Taylor say people tend to do? (p.140)
15. What part of the Bible does Taylor think is very significant for the position he defend in this chapter? (p.140)
16. What facts does Taylor think are not significant? (p.140)
17. List the exceptional persons Taylor regards as creative geniuses (p.141).
18. Explain Taylor’s view of the relation between the world and the “fruits of creative genius” (p.141).

Copyright © 2009 William O. Stephens