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(You will be asked to answer one question from among these)
1. It can be argued that Spinoza's theory of substance is a direct consequence of the definitions advanced by Descartes. Show what the connection is.
2. Leibniz and Spinoza can both be described as determinists. Compare and contrast their views of human freedom.
3. How do Spinoza and Leibniz deal with the problem of evil in the world?
4. Compare the role played by God in the systems of Descartes and Leibniz.
5. Compare and contrast the importance assigned by Descartes and Leibniz to the extension of bodies.
6. Compare and contrast the treatment of will in Descartes and Spinoza.
7. Compare and contrast the role of God in the systems of Spinoza and Leibniz.
8. Compare the treatment of primary and secondary qualities in Galileo and Descartes. Is there any significant difference between the two?
9. Leibniz propounded the principle of sufficient reason. How does his explanation of sufficient reason compare with Aristotle's account of the "why" of things?
10. Discuss the distinction between primary and secondary qualities in any two of the following: Galileo, Hobbes, Descartes.
11. Discuss the nature of substance in any two of the following: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz.
12. Discuss, where applicable, the notions of necessity, possibility and existence in Leibniz and one of the following: Hobbes, Spinoza.
13. Discuss the methods of reasoning about the phenomena of nature described by any two of the following: Aristotle, Hobbes, Leibniz, Newton.
14. Discuss the role of essence in metaphysics, as described by any two of the following philosophers: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz.
15. Discuss the nature of the physical world, as exposited by any two of the following philosophers: Aristotle, Galileo, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Newton.
16. Exposit the ontological argument for the existence of God as found in Descartes. Give Leibniz's criticism of Descartes' argument and Leibniz's way of fixing the argument.
17. Descartes had claimed that we gain knowledge through the right use of our reason. Explain the role of reason in Descartes' theory of knowledge and compare it with the account of rational knowledge given by Spinoza.
18. Explore the differences between Leibniz and Descartes concerning God's will and understanding. What consequences did these differences have for the two philosophies?
19. Compare and contrast the way Leibniz and Aristotle construed substance.
20. Compare Newton's methodology of science with that of Descartes.
21. Discuss the relation between existence and essence in any two of the following: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz.
22. Leibniz argued against Descartes contention that the essence of corporeal substance is extension. What, exactly, was Descartes's view? How did Leibniz argue against it? What replacement did Leibniz propose?
23. Describe the "ontological" argument for the existence of God as put forth by Descartes and Spinoza. What flaw did Leibniz find in the argument, and how did he try to correct it?
24. According to Copernicus, the fact that the earth apparently is at rest does not imply that it really is at rest. Explain why he made this claim and how Galileo supported it. Then describe the positions of Newton and Leibniz with respect to this issue.
25. Descartes claimed that we know bodies best through the understanding. What did he mean by this? Compare his view on the matter with that of either Spinoza or Leibniz.
26. Exposit the notion of a cause as described by Aristotle. [Note for hypertext users: there are four: formal, final, material and efficient.] Then compare Aristotle's view with that of Leibniz, Spinoza or Descartes.
27. What was the "mind-body problem" generated by Descartes's philosophy? How did Descartes attempt to deal with it, and how was it criticized by any two of the following: Princess Elisabeth, Margaret Cavendish, Nicolai Malebranche?
28. Discuss the respective roles played by the senses and reason in the theories of knowledge of Descartes, and either Leibniz or Spinoza.
29. Discuss the role played by "supposition" or "hypothesis" in any two of the following: Galileo, Descartes, Cavendish, Leibniz, Newton.
30. Spinoza held a view that that can be understood as implying that the actual world is the only possible world and Leibniz that the actual world is the best among many possible worlds. Discuss the ways in which the two philosophers arrived at these opposing views.
31. Leibniz argued against Descartes's contention that the essence of corporeal substance is extension. What, exactly, was Descartes's view? How did Leibniz argue against it? What replacement did Leibniz propose?
32. Describe the "ontological" argument for the existence of God as put forth by Descartes and Spinoza. What flaw did Leibniz find in the argument, and how did he try to correct it?
33. According to Copernicus, the fact that the earth apparently is at rest does not imply that it really is at rest. Explain why he made this claim and how Galileo supported it. Then describe the positions of Newton and Leibniz with respect to this issue.
34. Descartes claimed that we know bodies best through the understanding. What did he mean by this? Compare his view on the matter with that of either Spinoza or Leibniz.
35. Descartes characterized the physical world as "extended substance." Explain what he meant by this, and show how either Spinoza or Leibniz reacted to Descartes's characterization.
36. Explain the "problem of the criterion" and show how Descartes tried to solve it. Then explain how either Spinoza or Leibniz understood the nature of the "true idea."
37. Show how the rise of the new science was accommodated to religious doctrines in the debate between Leibniz and Newton.
38. Aristotle held that there are "final causes." What is the notion of a final cause, and how was it criticized by Descartes and either Sprinoza or Leibniz?
(You will be given a single question)
1. Describe Aristotle's notion of final causes and show what role (positive or negative) final causes play in the philosophy of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and Newton.
2. Compare Galileo's distinction between primary and secondary qualities with similar distinctions found in Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and Newton.
3. Discuss the role of the human body in the acquisition of human knowledge according to Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.
4. Discuss the nature, existence and role of God in all of the philosophies of Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.
5. What is the role played by substance in each of these philosophers: Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.
6. Show how the mind/body problem arose in the philosophy of Descartes and exposit the differing solutions offered by Spinoza and Leibniz.
7. Explain how Descartes described the relation between mind and body and how Descartes's view was criticized by Princess Elisabeth and Margaret Cavendish. Then describe the alternative views put forward by Spinoza and Leibniz.
8. Explain how Descartes philosophy described the relation between mind and body and how Descartes's view was criticized by Princess Elisabeth, Margaret Cavendish. Then describe the alternative views put forward by Spinoza and Leibniz.
9. Descartes claimed that mind is unextended yet intimately related to extended substance. How did he try to explain the relation? How was his explanation challenged by Princess Elisabeth, Margaret Cavendish, Malebranche, Spinoza and Leibniz?