Philosophy Exam Discussion Thread 2016

[Coffee]

I've attempted to compare them, but I'm a bit worried for the exam because I'm scared they're going to ask, "Hey whats (so and so's) stance on some random argument by someone else". Do you feel me?

Totally! So long as you've got a good idea of what the philosopher's and their texts are about, I'm sure you'll be fine. Make a mental note of the philosopher's that are quite similar or oppose each other quite strongly- these are the one's you'll likely be asked to compare I think.

If you have any text-specific questions feel free to post them here too. There's only a few of us here but I'm sure we'd all be more than happy to help you out

[Coffee]

Does anyone know how to go about answering this question?

Hume urges us to differentiate between thought, imagination, and passion in regards to personal identity. Briefly outline what he means by this. Do you think he is right to suggest this? Justify your response.

Does this tie in with the three relations of ideas, or is it something else? I think imagination refers to his idea that we predict the future based on our past experiences, and thus we are imagining the world, but I'm not sure. And I can't figure out what he said about thought and passion.

[plants]

Does anyone know how to go about answering this question?

Hume urges us to differentiate between thought, imagination, and passion in regards to personal identity. Briefly outline what he means by this. Do you think he is right to suggest this? Justify your response.

Does this tie in with the three relations of ideas, or is it something else? I think imagination refers to his idea that we predict the future based on our past experiences, and thus we are imagining the world, but I'm not sure. And I can't figure out what he said about thought and passion.

This is a hard one! Had to do a bit of research.

I assume the question is referring to this part of the text:
"What then gives us so great a propension to ascribe an identity to these successive perceptions, and to suppose ourselves possessed of an invariable and uninterrupted existence through the whole course of our lives? In order to answer this question, we must distinguish betwixt personal identity, as it regards our thought or imagination, and as it regards our passions or the concern we take in ourselves."

Ok so following this,  he talks about how thought and imagination confounds identity with diversity.  Upon the act of the imagination, we view them in the same way, and "The passage of the thought from the object before the change to the object after it, is so smooth and easy, that we scarce perceive the transition, and are apt to imagine, that it is nothing but a continued survey of the same object." So thoughts are similar and occur in a smooth succession (contiguity), further giving us this false view of identity.

The only further mention of passion I found was way later, when he states;
"Whatever changes he endures, his several parts are still connected by the relation of causation. And in this view our identity with regard to the passions serves to corroborate that with regard to the imagination, by the making our distant perceptions influence each other, and by giving us a present concern for our past or future pains or pleasures."
So passions aid in our idea of identity as linked by causality, as we have "concern for our past or future pains or pleasures."

What I took from it:
Thoughts = contiguity
imagination= (falsely) attributes sameness to diversity
passions = aids in our idea causality in time, as we feel for our past and present events
Haven't really thought about how to evaluate though. Any thoughts? Have I misinterpreted some parts of the text?

[plants]

passions = aids in our idea causality in time, as we feel for our past and present events

Now that I've reread this, I think this is wrong. Rather, passions aid in causality, because we are care about our past and future feelings (ie. passions).

[plants]

Guys do we still have to know about Socrates' distinction between a knack and expertise?

[Coffee]

This is a hard one! Had to do a bit of research.

I assume the question is referring to this part of the text:
"What then gives us so great a propension to ascribe an identity to these successive perceptions, and to suppose ourselves possessed of an invariable and uninterrupted existence through the whole course of our lives? In order to answer this question, we must distinguish betwixt personal identity, as it regards our thought or imagination, and as it regards our passions or the concern we take in ourselves."

Ok so following this,  he talks about how thought and imagination confounds identity with diversity.  Upon the act of the imagination, we view them in the same way, and "The passage of the thought from the object before the change to the object after it, is so smooth and easy, that we scarce perceive the transition, and are apt to imagine, that it is nothing but a continued survey of the same object." So thoughts are similar and occur in a smooth succession (contiguity), further giving us this false view of identity.

The only further mention of passion I found was way later, when he states;
"Whatever changes he endures, his several parts are still connected by the relation of causation. And in this view our identity with regard to the passions serves to corroborate that with regard to the imagination, by the making our distant perceptions influence each other, and by giving us a present concern for our past or future pains or pleasures."
So passions aid in our idea of identity as linked by causality, as we have "concern for our past or future pains or pleasures."

What I took from it:
Thoughts = contiguity
imagination= (falsely) attributes sameness to diversity
passions = aids in our idea causality in time, as we feel for our past and present events
Haven't really thought about how to evaluate though. Any thoughts? Have I misinterpreted some parts of the text?

Thanks, plants! That's pretty much what I had except for the passions- I'll make sure to put that in my notes

Guys do we still have to know about Socrates' distinction between a knack and expertise?

Yes! Anything in the sections that VCAA specifies are for study can be examined

[plants]

Just asking coffee; where did you happen to see that exam question? I've only got the vcaa exams, and the exams my teacher has written.

[Coffee]

What is everyone's plan of attack for the exam on Wednesday? What sections are you planning to complete first? I'm tossing up between ABC and CAB. How are you planning to spend your time in each section?

Just asking coffee; where did you happen to see that exam question? I've only got the vcaa exams, and the exams my teacher has written.

My teacher put together an exam preparation booklet with old VCAA questions and some of her own; my guess is it was her own question

[plants]

I'll do the exam in order
Splitting the time 30-40-50

[grindr]

Thanks, plants! That's pretty much what I had except for the passions- I'll make sure to put that in my notes
Yes! Anything in the sections that VCAA specifies are for study can be examined

Wait.. where's the bit about knacks and what not?? I've only seen this in past questions and assumed it was part of the old study design?

Also, I'll be splitting 30,30,an hour and in order

[plants]

Wait.. where's the bit about knacks and what not?? I've only seen this in past questions and assumed it was part of the old study design?

Also, I'll be splitting 30,30,an hour and in order

Yeah..I believe Socrates only references it in the text when explaining why philsophy>rhetoric. His actual outline of it is not there?

[Coffee]

Wait.. where's the bit about knacks and what not?? I've only seen this in past questions and assumed it was part of the old study design?

Also, I'll be splitting 30,30,an hour and in order

Pretty sure it's from section 499D-500C. Socrates argues that pleasures are those whose long-term effects are good. Since the good life then becomes a matter of foresight and not immediate feeling response, it requires expertise. Breakdown of the differences:

Knack (i.e. cookery)
- Aims for pleasure
- Irrational process - It does not consider the nature of pleasure it is pursuing or why it occurs
- Relies on a remembered routine which has become ingrained by habituation and past experience.

Expertise (i.e. medicine)
- Aims for the good
- Considers the nature of the object it looks after as well as the reason for its action, therefore being able to explain its results.

This illustrates Socrates' view about how we should live.
P1 - Rhetoric is a simple knack for language without the backing of truth, virtue or justice.
P2 - Practising this sort of rhetoric will lead to an unjust society.
Therefore,
Discipline is better for the mind than indulgence, and we should devote all our energies to ensuring the presence of justice and discipline, thereby guaranteeing happiness.

[grindr]

Pretty sure it's from section 499D-500C. Socrates argues that pleasures are those whose long-term effects are good. Since the good life then becomes a matter of foresight and not immediate feeling response, it requires expertise. Breakdown of the differences:

Knack (i.e. cookery)
- Aims for pleasure
- Irrational process - It does not consider the nature of pleasure it is pursuing or why it occurs
- Relies on a remembered routine which has become ingrained by habituation and past experience.

Expertise (i.e. medicine)
- Aims for the good
- Considers the nature of the object it looks after as well as the reason for its action, therefore being able to explain its results.

This illustrates Socrates' view about how we should live.
P1 - Rhetoric is a simple knack for language without the backing of truth, virtue or justice.
P2 - Practising this sort of rhetoric will lead to an unjust society.
Therefore,
Discipline is better for the mind than indulgence, and we should devote all our energies to ensuring the presence of justice and discipline, thereby guaranteeing happiness.

I'm pretty sure this isn't on the set text list....
Set text area is 480e-499b, 505c-509c

[plants]

I'm pretty sure this isn't on the set text list....
Set text area is 480e-499b, 505c-509c

Nope- that's for 2015. This year its 480a–509c.
Here's a link to the text list:
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/philosophy/VCE_Philos_Text_List16.pdf

[grindr]

Nope- that's for 2015. This year its 480a–509c.
Here's a link to the text list:
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/philosophy/VCE_Philos_Text_List16.pdf

:O