Please answer the follow questions. Short answer (a few sentence for each questions)
Oral exam 1 metaphysics
- a. Describe the difference between loose and strict identity. b. Explain how Chisholm uses the distinction to contrast the identity/persistence conditions of objects (like ships) and people. c. Are you convinced by Chisholm that the persistence of people is different than ships? Justify your view.
- a. Suppose you see a tree with no leaves. Is the tree identical to the wood? Give an argument in favor of the Identity Thesis (i.e., tree=wood). b. Give an argument against the Identity Thesis. c. Which view is stronger? That is, is the tree identical to the wood, or not?
- a. What is the principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles? b. Give an argument against the law. c. Should the principle be rejected? Why or why not?
- a. What are the A series and the B series? b. Explain MacTaggart's vicious circle argument against the reality of time.
- a. Explain what B-Theorists think about the past, present, and future. b. Uttered today 'Obama was elected president' is true and 'Obama will be elected president' is false. Explain the token-reflexive theory of tense and show how it can capture the truth-value difference.
- a. Explain A-Theory b. What is one objection to A-Theory? c. Do A-Theorists have a good way to respond? Explain and justify your answer.
- a. Explain the Growing-Block/Growing-Universe Theory b. Explain the argument that almost all tokens of the thought 'I am about to walk outside' are false. c. Is this a good reason to reject Growing-Block/Growing-Universe Theory? Justify.
- a. Explain the Grandfather Paradox b. Explain Lewis's response to the puzzle (relying on two senses of 'can') c. Is Lewis's response successful in diffusing the paradox? Justify.
- a. Explain the difference between Presentism and Eternalism b. Give one reason to support each view. c. Which view is superior given your considerations? Justify.