Philosophy 152 Philosophy of Human Nature Darwall Fall 1996 FINAL EXAM STUDY QUESTIONS 1. Critically discuss Mencius, Nietzsche, Hume, and Wilson on the possibility of human altruism. 2. Critically discuss Plato's description of the development of the just state from the perspective that Marx takes in The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts. Be as specific as possible. 3. Critically compare and contrast Plato and Freud on the human psyche. 4. Either: a. Discuss and critically evaluate De Beauvoir's stages of development toward full freedom. Illustrate with examples. Or: b. Discuss and critically evaluate De Beauvoir's account of women as "other." Illustrate with examples. 5. Critically compare and contrast three of Aquinas, Hume, Mencius, and Nietzsche on the nature and foundation of human morality. 6. Describe what you think Sartre and Freud's reactions would be to each other's views. What, if anything, would Sartre have to give up if he were to accept Freud's theories? What, if anything, would Freud have to give up if he were to accept Sartre's theories? 7. Describe what you think Sartre and Wilson's reactions would be to each other's views. What, if anything, would Sartre have to give up if he were to accept sociobiology as a valid science? What, if anything, would Wilson have to give up if he were to accept Sartre's ideas? 8. A frequent reaction to Aristotle's "function argument" for his claim that the chief human good is a life of excellent rational activity is that there is no such thing as a human purpose or function. Suppose, however, that this idea were to be reinterpreted sociobiologically, in terms of a functional design that is maximally adaptive. Discuss how this idea might be carried forward, and, if it were true, how it might affect Aristotle's ethical claims about the chief human good.