There are three sets of questions for this Midterm, you have to CHOOSE and ANSWER ONE question
per section, a total of 3. One about Determinism, one about Indeterminism, and one from the films “A
2001 Spacey Odyssey” or “A Clockwork Orange” both directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Do a good research and read as much as you can, answer each question with clear and logical
explanations, providing coherent examples. You can use (books, articles, website and videos ) for
answering each question of this paper, in addition to the textbook and my lectures. Make sure that you list
the sources on a separate bibliography page. This essay should be written in the MLA format, otherwise I
will be unable to read it.
You have to write a minimum of 3 complete pages, without writing the question, that means, ONE
complete page minimum per answer. A complete page (is more or less 300 words double spaced
minimum. Your name and sources such as bibliography and footnotes should be written on separate
pages. Your grade will be affected if you lack of any of these components.
1) Research ANY of the following men and their work and explain in full the extent to which you think
their theories are valid or invalid where freedom and determinism are concerned. Remember that you
have to write a complete page per answer.
(Calvin and predestination )
2)Taylor’s Unpredictable Arm, page 200 (From Doing philosophy. An Introduction to Experiments, by
Theodore Schrick and Lewis Vaughn)
“Suppose that my right arm is free, according to this conception; that is, that its motions are uncaused. It
moves this way and that from time to time, but nothing causes these motions. Sometimes it moves forth
vigorously; sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes it just drifts vaguely about -these motions all
being wholly free and uncaused. Manifestly, I have nothing to do with them at all; they just happen, and
neither I nor anyone can ever tell what this arm will be doing next. It might seize a club and lay it on the
head of the nearest bystander, no less to my astonishment than his. There will never be any point in asking
why these motions occur, or in seeking any explanation of them, for under the conditions assumed there is
no explanation. They just happen, from no cause at all”.
1. What is Taylor’s unpredictable arm thought experiment? How does it attempt to undermine
indeterminism?
3)”As a philosophic film, 2001, A Space Odyssey prompts us to reflect on human evolution and destiny,
our intrinsic nature and our place within the cosmos. Human beings seem an amalgam of angels, beasts
and machines; we are both body and spirit, just as the universe appears to be composed of the material
and non-material. We pride ourselves on being the rational animals, dominating the planet through our
brain, but if computers surpass us in intelligence then we have lost our uniqueness and superiority. We
value logic over feeling and don’t want to behave like animals, which puts us closer to mechanical
computers . When these machines outperform us in computation, memory, and data organization as well
as overall speed of “thinking”, we are left wondering about our distinctness” pages 109-110 from
(Philosophy Through Film, Burton Porter)
“HAL’s persona raises very basic issues as to the theoretical difference between beings and machines” p.
116 from (Philosophy Through Film, Burton Potter)
1. Computers may be creative but could they be inspired? If a computer is programmed to be deceitful,
could it feel ashamed itself and tell the truth despite the programming (conditioning)? HAL ultimately
killed the crew asleep in the “Hibernaculum”. How does d’ Holbach and James would respond to these
murders?