Question 1

Explain why God says the following: "sinning is not the real issue! The important thing is that people as well as other sentient beings don't get hurt."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why God says the following: "sinning...

Question 2

In the reading, God says, "All I have said is that from the fact that you are talking to yourself one cannot possibly infer my nonexistence, let alone the weaker fact that you are not talking to me." What does God mean by this statement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the reading, God says, "All I...

Question 3

Explain God's meaning in this statement: "I think the most accurate and fruitful definition of me which man can frame-at least in his present state of evolution-is that I am the very process of enlightenment."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain God's meaning in this statement: "I...

Question 4

Explain God's meaning in this passage: "I could no more choose to give you free will than I could choose to make an equilateral triangle equiangular. I could choose to make or not to make an equilateral triangle in the first place, but having chosen to make one, I would then have no choice but to make it equiangular." To this the mortal responds, "I thought you could do anything!" To which God says, "Only things which are logically possible."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain God's meaning in this passage: "I...

Question 5

In the reading, God says, "free will is not an 'extra'; it is part and parcel of the very essence of consciousness." Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the reading, God says, "free will...

Question 6

Foot says that she is interested in examining the argument that claims "that so far from being incompatible with determinism, free will actually ..."

Accepted Answer

The argument Foot is interested in examines the idea that free will actually requires determinism, meaning that the two concepts are not incompatible.

Question 7

Foot considers the following idea: "if human action is subject to a universal law of causation [then] there will be for any action a set of sufficient conditions which can be traced back to factors outside the control of the agent." This is regarded as a definition of ...

Accepted Answer

Foot's idea is describing determinism, the belief that all events, including human actions, are determined by previous causes and that there is no ability to choose otherwise. The statement suggests that any action can be traced back to factors outside of the agent's control, implying that free will is an illusion. It does not involve divine intervention or spirituality.

Question 8

Foot relates that "an action which is not determined cannot properly be called an action at all, being something that happened to the agent rather than something he ..."

Accepted Answer

Foot argues that an action must be something that the agent did intentionally, therefore it cannot be called an action if it was not determined by the agent's intentions. Therefore, the correct answer is (D) "did."

Question 9

According to Foot, "to explain an action is not necessarily to show that it could have been ___________ from some fact about the agent's character-that he is weak, greedy, sentimental, and so forth. We may if we like say that an action is never fully explained unless it has been shown to be covered by a law which connects it to such a character trait."

Accepted Answer

Foot is stating that simply identifying a character trait of the agent does not fully explain their actions unless it can be connected to a law that predicts the action from that trait. Therefore, the best choice for the blank is "predicted."

Question 10

Foot says, "We hold responsible only a man who is _________________; if someone were always to do things out of the blue, without having any reason to do them, we should be inclined to count him as a lunatic, one who could not be held responsible for his actions, so that even if he did things he would do things for which he could not be held responsible."

Accepted Answer

Foot is discussing the idea of holding someone responsible for their actions, and suggests that only a Rational agent can be held responsible. This is because a rational agent does things for a reason, whereas someone who does things without reason cannot be held responsible and might be considered a lunatic. Therefore, the best choice is C, a rational agent.

Question 11

According to Foot, "it looks as if a moral agent is a man whose actions are in general determined, if determinism is involved in _________________for what he does."

Accepted Answer

Foot argues that determinism is involved in having a motive for what a moral agent does. In other words, a moral agent's actions are determined by their underlying motives, rather than external factors such as the will of God or forces of nature.

Question 12

Foot says, "Assigning a motive to an action is not bringing it under any law; it is rather saying something about the kind of action it was, the direction in which it was tending, or what it was done ..."

Accepted Answer

The word "as" indicates a comparison or similarity between assigning a motive to an action and saying something about the kind of action it was, the direction in which it was tending, or what it was done.

Question 13

Foot says, "We have now considered two suggestions: (1) that an undetermined action would not be one which could properly be attributed to an agent as something that he ______ and (2) that an undetermined action would not be the action of a _________ agent."

Accepted Answer

Foot argues that for an action to be attributed to an agent, it must be something the agent did, and it must be the action of a rational agent, reflecting on the nature of agency and rationality in actions.

Question 14

Foot says that she is interested in examining the argument that claims "that so far from being incompatible with determinism, free will actually requires it."

Accepted Answer

Foot is interested in examining the argument that supports the claim that free will and determinism are not incompatible but rather free will requires determinism.

Question 15

Foot considers the following idea: "if human action is subject to a universal law of causation [then] there will be for any action a set of sufficient conditions which can be traced back to factors outside the control of the agent." This is regarded as a definition of determinism.

Accepted Answer

Foot defines determinism as the idea that every human action can be traced back to factors outside of the control of the agent, and this is reflected in her statement about the sufficient conditions for any action.

Question 16

Foot relates that "an action which is not determined cannot properly be called an action at all, being something that happened to the agent rather than something he acquired."

Accepted Answer

Philippa Foot argues that actions must be intentional to be considered true actions, not that they must be determined. She emphasizes the importance of intention and choice in defining actions, rather than determinism.

Question 17

According to Foot, "to explain an action is not necessarily to show that it could have been suppressed from some fact about the agent's character-that he is weak, greedy, sentimental, and so forth. We may if we like say that an action is never fully explained unless it has been shown to be covered by a law which connects it to such a character trait."

Accepted Answer

Foot argues against the notion that explaining an action always requires linking it to a character trait like weakness or greed. She suggests that not all actions need to be explained by such traits, challenging the idea that a full explanation must connect an action to a character flaw or specific trait according to a law.

Question 18

Foot says, "We hold responsible only a man who is a causal being; if someone were always to do things out of the blue, without having any reason to do them, we should be inclined to count him as a lunatic, one who could not be held responsible for his actions, so that even if he did things he would do things for which he could not be held responsible."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Foot says, "We hold responsible only a...

Question 19

According to Foot, "it looks as if a moral agent is a man whose actions are in general determined, if determinism is involved in having a motive for what he does."

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately reflects Foot's view on the relationship between determinism and moral agency.

Question 20

Foot says, "Assigning a motive to an action is not bringing it under any law; it is rather saying something about the kind of action it was, the direction in which it was tending, or what it was done without forethought."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Foot says, "Assigning a motive to an...

Quiz 6: John Locke Free Agents