Review 2nd Exam

Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus, The Principal Doctrines, The Vatican Collection of Sayings

1. Describe Epicurus’ view of what philosophy is, what it does, why it is important, and for whom.
2. Describe Epicurus’ theology, the features of the gods, our knowledge of them, what piety is. What role do the gods play, according to Epicurus? What should ask the gods for, on his view?
3. Describe Epicurus’ account of death. Present his arguments regarding death. What does he say about longing for immortality? How does the wise man face and deal with death? What is his view on suicide?
4. Diagram Epicurus’ taxonomy of desires, explaining each division of classes. Give examples of each class of desire. What kind of desires does Epicurus recommend? What kind of desires does he urge us to reject? What is his view of extravagance? About partying? About sex and sexual love?
5. Describe Epicurus’ view of the virtues and the source of the virtues. What does he say is the greatest good and the principle of all calculations about desires?
6. Describe Epicurus’ view of fate and chance. What does the wise man believe about them?
7. Describe Epicurus’ view of friendship in detail.
8. Why does Epicurus think that knowing natural science is necessary?
9. What does Epicurus say is the purest security?
10. What does Epicurus say about natural wealth, poverty, and wealth as defined by groundless opinion?
11. Describe Epicurus’ account of justice and its origin.
12. Describe Epicurus’ view of self-sufficiency and freedom. What does he say about bad habits?

1. Describe Epictetus’ account of freedom, slavery, and happiness. What things are up to us? What things are not up to us? What is (the faculty of) choice?
2. Explain Epictetus’ distinction between being unfortunate and meeting misfortune.
3. What is the telos, the goal of life, according to the Stoics?
4. What is Epictetus’ view of fondness, jugs, and kissing one’s child or wife?
5. What advice does Epictetus give about going out for a bath and, in general, undertaking some action?
6. What does Epictetus think upsets people? What is his view of death?
7. In what should we be joyful, according to Epictetus?
8. Explain these analogies (similes) Epictetus uses: (a) being a passenger on a ship, (b) being a traveler at an inn, (c) being an athlete training to compete for an Olympic victory, (d) being an actor in a play, (e) being a guest at a banquet, (f) buying lettuce for an obol
9. Describe how Epictetus says we ought to deal with someone weeping in grief.
10. Explain Epictetus’ view of lameness and taking care of one’s body. What is the proper measure of possessions?
11. Explain Epictetus’ view of progress, property (externals), hunger, spilled oil, stolen wine, and inattentive slave boys.
12. Explain Epictetus’ view of the mortality of loved ones.
13. Explain Epictetus’ views about insults, abuse, and ridicule.
14. What is Epictetus’ view of exile?
15. What is his view of wanting to please others?
16. Describe his account of how to deal with friends, how to help them, etc.
17. Explain his account of different abilities and talents, undertaking different roles, relationships, and appropriate actions.
18. Explain his view of piety, Zeus, and destiny.
19. What does he means by saying that everything has two handles?

Aquinas, Q.3 “What is Happiness” A.1–6, 8; Q.4 “Things Required for Happiness” A.1–4, 8; Q.63 “The Cause of Virtues” A.1–4; Q.23 “Charity” A.1–8

1. What is happiness, and what sort of beings are capable of it?

2. Which human faculties are involved in happiness?

3. Must one wait for the afterlife to be happy, or can one be happy in this life?
4. What are the characteristics of charity?

5. How is charity a sort of friendship?

6. Is charity a virtue of the intellect or of the will?

1. Describe Hume’s view of distinctions among the moral characters and actions of people.
2. Describe Hume’s account of the foundation of morals. What role do the sentiments play? What role does reason play? What does reason focus on?
3. Describe Hume’s view of beauty (natural, artistic) and how it affects us.
4. Present the “You Like What You Eat” argument (a Humean argument from analogy).
5. Present Hume’s “Scientifical” Method of Introspection (5 steps).
6. Present Hume’s Method from Linguistic Experience (2 steps).
7. Explain Hume’s view of benevolence. What does he think about the softer virtues?
8. Explain in detail his account of UTILITY. Give five examples of things Hume says have utility.
9. Explain in detail his account of JUSTICE. What is its value? Describe his Garden of Eden scenario. Describe his One Big Happy Family scenario. Describe his Doomsday scenario. How does he use these various scenarios to account for the use of justice in certain societies and the impossibility of justice in others?
10. What is Hume’s view of Hobbes’ (Plato’s) state of nature?
11. Explain Hume’s view of broadening the scope of justice via mutual connections. How can this view be applied to speciesism? Describe Hume’s views of the morality of gently using nonhuman animals, racism, and sexism.
12. What does Hume say about making everyone’s possessions equal?
13. What does Hume say is the supreme law, which all other particular laws are subordinate to and dependent upon?
14. How does Hume think the rules of natural justice regarding property work in each community?
15. Explain Hume’s account of SUPERSTITION and religion. How are they related to morals?
16. What does Hume say about how houses vary from society to society? What does he say is the sole purpose of justice?
17. Explain Hume’s view of selfishness as the origin of all our sentiments of virtue.
18. What does Hume say about stepping on someone’s toes? About someone who is stuttering? About absolute malice?
19. Why does Hume think DISCRETION is an important virtue? (53)
20. Why does Hume think FRUGALITY is an important virtue? (54)
21. Why does Hume think few people successfully achieve HAPPINESS? What do most people lack, on his view? (54–55)
22. What defect of character, more than any other, does Hume think incapacitates a person for any useful undertaking? (55)
23. What does Hume think is the most indissoluble bond in nature? (55)
24. Why does Hume think that disease, sickness, health, and pain are no source of pride or humility, regard or contempt? (59)
25. Does Hume think that disagreeable passions are blamed? (62 n. #35) What about propensity to disagreeable passions?
26. Which virtue does Hume say has a peculiar luster derived from itself and from that noble elevation inseparable from it? (64)
27. List the virtues which Hume counts as qualities immediately agreeable to ourselves. (61–68)
28. List the virtues which Hume counts as qualities immediately agreeable to others. (68–72)
29. List the virtues which Hume counts as qualities useful to ourselves. (51–61)
30. What does Hume say about the Peripatetic doctrine of the medium? (51)
31. What does Hume say PERSONAL MERIT consists in? (72)
32. Describe how Hume uses the case of Cleanthes the new son-in-law to illustrate his answer to #31. (73)
33. List the virtues which Hume calls the “monkish virtues” (73). What does Hume say about the force of superstition and our natural sentiments? (74).
34. What two sentiments does Hume say the notion of morals implies? (74–75)
35. Briefly explain Hume’s view of the sentiments of HUMANITY and SYMPATHY. (75–78)