1 Either (a) Is Boethius’s god atemporal? What bearing does the
answer to this question have on the argument of Consolation Book 5?
Or (b) Explain Boethius’s distinction between simple and
conditional necessity. To what extent can this distinction alone resolve the
problem posed in the Consolation about the compatibility of divine
prescience and human free will?
2 Either (a) What were Ockham’s criticisms of Scotus’s theory of God’s
contingency? Are they persuasive?
Or (b) What does Ockham mean by a proposition that is ‘present
in wording only’? How well does he use this idea to solve the problem of
divine prescience and future contingents?
3 ‘In the Meditations, Descartes uses sceptical arguments in an original way
as an essential step in establishing his conclusions.’ Discuss.
4 Is Descartes a substance dualist?
5 In what sense, if any, does Leibniz resolve the mind-body problem?
6 Assess Leibniz’s reasons for believing that reality is a colony of souls.
7 Critically discuss Locke’s theory of nominal essence.
8 Either (a) How satisfactory is Locke’s account of sensitive knowledge?
Or (b) Critically discuss Locke’s account of the distinction between
primary and secondary qualities.
9 Berkeley claims that his views about the nature of everyday objects
around us agree with those of common sense. Is he right?
10 ‘In allowing mental substance while denying material substance Berkeley
failed to follow through on his own arguments.’ Discuss.
11 Is Hume, given his own principles, entitled to distinguish impressions,
ideas, and external objects?
12 In what sense, if any, is Hume a sceptic?