Question 1

According to Locke, "willing is an act of the mind directing its thought to the production of any action, and thereby exerting its power to produce it." Do you agree with Locke's definition of "willing"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Locke, "willing is an act...

Question 2

Explain what Locke means when he says, "What is it determines the will? The true and proper answer is, the mind. For that which determines the general power of directing, to this or that particular direction, is nothing but the agent itself exercising the power it has that particular way."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what Locke means when he says,...

Question 3

According to Locke, "a man falling into the water (a bridge breaking under him) has not herein liberty, is not a free agent." Do you agree with Locke's definition of a "free agent"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Locke, "a man falling into...

Question 4

In the Spinoza reading we find the claim that "In the mind there is no absolute or __________; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause, and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity."
A) free will
B) universals
C) reciprocity
D) striation

Accepted Answer

Spinoza's claim is that there is no absolute free will in the mind, but rather our desires and wishes are determined by a chain of causes that goes on to infinity.

Question 5

As part of his discussion, Spinoza says, "The mind is a fixed and definite mode of thought, therefore it cannot be the free cause of its actions; in other words, it cannot have an absolute faculty of positive or negative ..."
A) energy.
B) recapitulation.
C) volition.
D) transparency.

Accepted Answer

Spinoza is discussing the idea that the mind is determined by fixed and definite modes of thought, which implies that it cannot have complete freedom of choice and action. Therefore, the best choice for the missing phrase is "volition," which refers to the power or faculty of choosing or making decisions.

Question 6

Spinoza says, "there is in the mind no absolute faculty of understanding, desiring, loving, etc. Whence it follows, that these and similar faculties are either entirely __________, or are merely abstract and general terms, such as we are accustomed to put together from particular things."
A) material
B) organic
C) eternal
D) fictitious

Accepted Answer

Spinoza believes that the faculties of the mind, such as understanding, desiring, and loving, are not absolute but rather abstract and general terms created from our experiences with particular things. Therefore, they are not material or organic, and Spinoza does not believe in eternal faculties. The term "fictitious" best describes these abstract and general terms constructed from our experiences.

Question 7

Spinoza says, "Thus the _________ and the ________ stand in the same relation to this or that idea, or this or that volition, as 'man' to Peter and Paul."
A) mind; body
B) intellect; will
C) eternal; universal
D) sensation; modality

Accepted Answer

Spinoza makes a distinction between intellect and will, comparing them to the general and the specific in the same way 'man' is a general category that includes specific individuals like Peter and Paul.

Question 8

According to Spinoza, since everything that happens in our minds is determined by some cause, which has been itself determined by another cause, therefore, everything happens out of ...
A) reciprocity.
B) spontaneity.
C) necessity.
D) free will.

Accepted Answer

Spinoza believed in determinism, meaning that everything that happens is caused by something else and is therefore predetermined. This means that our thoughts, choices, and actions are all necessitated by prior causes, and we do not have true free will to choose otherwise. Therefore, according to Spinoza, everything happens out of necessity, not spontaneity or reciprocity.

Question 9

In the Spinoza reading we find the claim that "In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause, and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity."

Accepted Answer

Spinoza's philosophy asserts that there is no free will in the mind and that our desires and choices are determined by preceding causes, which themselves are determined by prior causes in an endless chain of causality.

Question 10

As part of his discussion, Spinoza says, "The mind is a fixed and definite mode of thought, therefore it cannot be the free cause of its actions; in other words, it cannot have an absolute faculty of positive or negative energy."

Accepted Answer

Spinoza indeed discusses the nature of the mind and its capacities, but he does not argue that the mind cannot be the free cause of its actions in these terms. Instead, Spinoza suggests that everything, including the mind and its thoughts, is determined by the necessity of the divine nature. He argues for a form of determinism, where human freedom is understood as acting according to the necessity of one's own nature, not as having an absolute faculty of will.

Question 11

Spinoza says, "there is in the mind no absolute faculty of understanding, desiring, loving, etc. Whence it follows, that these and similar faculties are either entirely eternal, or are merely abstract and general terms, such as we are accustomed to put together from particular things."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spinoza says, "there is in the mind...

Question 12

Spinoza says, "Thus the mind and the body stand in the same relation to this or that idea, or this or that volition, as 'man' to Peter and Paul."

Accepted Answer

Spinoza does not directly use this analogy to describe the relationship between the mind, body, and ideas or volitions. His philosophy, particularly in "Ethics," emphasizes the parallelism between the mind and body, suggesting they are two aspects of the same substance, but he does not use this specific analogy involving 'man' and Peter and Paul to explain their relationship.

Question 13

According to Spinoza, since everything that happens in our minds is determined by some cause, which has been itself determined by another cause, therefore, everything happens out of spontaneity.

Accepted Answer

According to Spinoza, everything happens necessarily and deterministically, not out of spontaneity.

Question 14

Explain Spinoza's reasoning in his claim that "In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause, and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity." Do you agree with Spinoza?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain Spinoza's reasoning in his claim that...

Question 15

Explain what Spinoza means when he says, "The mind is a fixed and definite mode of thought, therefore it cannot be the free cause of its actions; in other words, it cannot have an absolute faculty of positive or negative volition." Do you agree with Spinoza?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what Spinoza means when he says,...

Question 16

Explain what Spinoza means when he says, "there is in the mind no absolute faculty of understanding, desiring, loving, etc. Whence it follows, that these and similar faculties are either entirely fictitious, or are merely abstract and general terms, such as we are accustomed to put together from particular things." Do you agree with Spinoza?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what Spinoza means when he says,...

Question 17

Spinoza says, "Thus the intellect and the will stand in the same relation to this or that idea, or this or that volition, as 'man' to Peter and Paul." Do you think that Spinoza's analogy is strong or weak? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spinoza says, "Thus the intellect and the...

Question 18

Why does Spinoza believe the following: "Since everything that happens in our minds is determined by some cause, which has been itself determined by another cause, therefore, everything happens out of necessity"? Do you agree with Spinoza?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does Spinoza believe the following: "Since...

Question 19

d'Holbach criticizes his opponents when he says, "They have believed that the soul is mistress of its own conduct, is able to regulate its own peculiar operations, has the faculty to determine its will by its own natural energy; in a word, they have pretended that man is ..."
A) an evolved creature.
B) a free agent.
C) an eternal soul.
D) a material angel.

Accepted Answer

d'Holbach criticizes the belief that the soul is a free agent, able to determine its own will and conduct.

Question 20

According to d'Holbach, "The faculties which are called intellectual, and those qualities which are styled moral, have been explained in a manner purely ..."
A) immaterial and eternal.
B) mathematically and geometrically.
C) physical and natural.
D) universally and ethically.

Accepted Answer

According to d'Holbach, the intellectual faculties and moral qualities have been explained in a manner that is purely physical and natural.

Quiz 6: John Locke Free Agents

According to Locke, "willing is an act of the mind directing its thought to the production of any action, and thereby exerting its power to produce it." Do you agree with Locke's definition of "willing"?

Explain what Locke means when he says, "What is it determines the will? The true and proper answer is, the mind. For that which determines the general power of directing, to this or that particular direction, is nothing but the agent itself exercising the power it has that particular way."

According to Locke, "a man falling into the water (a bridge breaking under him) has not herein liberty, is not a free agent." Do you agree with Locke's definition of a "free agent"?

In the Spinoza reading we find the claim that "In the mind there is no absolute or __________; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause, and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity."

As part of his discussion, Spinoza says, "The mind is a fixed and definite mode of thought, therefore it cannot be the free cause of its actions; in other words, it cannot have an absolute faculty of positive or negative ..."

Spinoza says, "there is in the mind no absolute faculty of understanding, desiring, loving, etc. Whence it follows, that these and similar faculties are either entirely __________, or are merely abstract and general terms, such as we are accustomed to put together from particular things."

Spinoza says, "Thus the _ and the stand in the same relation to this or that idea, or this or that volition, as 'man' to Peter and Paul."

According to Spinoza, since everything that happens in our minds is determined by some cause, which has been itself determined by another cause, therefore, everything happens out of ...