Philosophy 306: 18^th Century Philosophy

Spring 2009

Final exam questions

Final Exam for PHIL 306 is at noon on Thursday, May 14

The exam gives us 2 hours. At that time, I will assign you one of the following questions. You may bring notes, confined to whatever you can fit on 2 sheets of standard paper (8 1/2 x 11 inches).

1. While Kant appreciates "Hume's problem," he regards Hume's solution as inadequate.  Explain.  Then explain Kant's basic solution to "Hume's problem." Be very careful to explain how it involves a distinction between pure and empirical judgments.
2. Explain Kant's distinction between judgments of perception and judgments of experience, and how the distinction launches a transcendental argument to arrive at the "categories" or pure concepts of the understanding.  How do these differ from the pure concepts of (theoretical) reason, and how, in turn, do the latter tempt us to the illusion of knowledge about what is transcendent? 
3. Explain Kant's distinction between phenomena and noumena. Why does he think that "thoughts" about noumena are "meaningless"? If he is correct, what are the important implications for philosophy?