**Philosophy PPQs**
Section 1: Epistemology
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1.1: What is Knowledge?
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(Sample paper) How should propositional knowledge be defined? [25]
(AQA2019) Define (a) acquaintance knowledge, (b) ability knowledge, and (c) propositional
knowledge. [3]
(AQA2020) Explain the view that belief is not a necessary condition for knowledge. [5]
(AQA2021) Explain how an account of epistemic virtue can be used to show why Smith lacks knowledge in one of Gettier's original counter-examples. [12]
(AQA2022) What is the difference between a necessary truth and a contingent truth? [3]
(AQA2022) Explain the reliabilist definition of knowledge. [5]
*(AQA2024) What is meant by a necessary condition and a sufficient condition? [3]*
*What is real essence as per Locke? [3]*
1.2: Perception as a source of knowledge
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### Direct realism
(AQA2020) How convincing is direct realism? [25]
(AQA2022) Explain how the argument from hallucination presents an issue for direct realism. [5]
*(AQA2024) How does the argument from perceptual variation present an issue for direct realism [5]*
### Indirect realism
(AQA2019) Outline how indirect realism leads to scepticism about the existence of mind-independent objects and explain Locke's response based on the involuntary nature of our experience. [12]
(AQA2024) Explain how Bertrand Russell responds to scepticism by arguing that the external world is the best hypothesis [5]
### Idealism
(Sample paper) Explain how Berkeley's idealism differs from indirect realism. [5]
(AQA2019) Explain Berkeley's 'Master' argument. [5]
(AQA2020) Explain why there might be a problem with the role played by God in Berkeley's idealism. [5]
(AQA2021) Is Berkeley's idealist account of perception convincing? [25]
(AQA2022) Outline indirect realism and explain Berkeley's objection that mind-dependent ideas cannot be like mind-independent objects. [12]
1.3: Reason as a source of knowledge
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(AQA2021)What is the difference between a priori knowledge and a posteriori knowledge? [3]
### Innatism
(AQA2019) Do we have innate knowledge? [25]
### Empiricism
(AQA2021) Explain the view that the mind is a 'tabula rasa' at birth. [5]
### Intuition and Deduction thesis
(Sample paper) Explain how Descartes argues that we can gain a priori knowledge through intuition
and deduction. [5]
(AQA2019) Explain Descartes' cogito as an example of an a priori intuition.[5]
(AQA2020) What does Descartes mean by 'clear and distinct ideas'? [3]
(AQA2022) To what extent is Descartes' intuition and deduction thesis successful? [25]
(AQA2024) Explain Descartes' cogito and an empiricist response to it [12]
1.4: The limits of knowledge
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(Sample paper) What is philosophical scepticism? [3]
(AQA2020) Outline philosophical scepticism and explain how reliabilism responds to it. [12]
(AQA2021) Explain Descartes' third 'wave of doubt'. [5]
Section 2: Moral Philosophy
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2.1: Utilitarianism
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(Sample paper) How convincing is utilitarianism as an account of what makes an action morally right? [25]
(AQA2018) Explain how a utilitarian might approach the issue of eating animals. [9]
(AQA2019) Are utilitarians correct when they say that it is morally right to maximise utility? [25]
(AQA2020) Explain Bentham's utilitarianism and explain how Nozick's experience machine challenges this view. [12]
(AQA2021) Explain why utilitarianism has an issue with partiality. [5]
(AQA2022) Explain hedonistic utilitarianism and explain the criticism that it ignores the moral integrity of the individual. [12]
*Explain the principle of utility's role within utilitarianism. [3]*
*Explain what psychological hedonism is. [3]*
*Explain the key features of Bentham's utility calculus. [5]*
*Explain Mill's proof of utilitarianism. [12]*
*Explain Moore's objections to Mill's proof of utilitarianism. [12]*
*Explain Mill's view on higher and lower pleasures. [5]*
*Explain rule utilitarianism's key features. [12]*
*Explain the main claims of preference utilitarianism. [5]*
*[12]Explain Bentham's Utilitarianism and how issue of 'tyranny of the majority' challenges this view.*
*Explain the problem of calculating utility in utilitarianism. [5]*
*Explain Bentham's Utilitarianism and how issue of partiality challenges this view. [12]*
*Explain the objection to utilitarianism on the basis that Utilitarianism ignores the intentions of the individual [5]*
*Explain the objection to Utilitarianism on the basis that Utilitarianism ignores the moral integrity of the individual [5]*
2.2: Kantian Deontological Ethics
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(Sample paper) Explain how Kant's deontological ethics can be applied to the question of whether we should ever tell lies. [12]
(AQA2018) Can Kantian deontological ethics be successfully defended against objections? [15]
(AQA2019) Explain Kant's distinction between acting in accordance with duty and acting out of duty. [5]
(AQA2020) Explain Kant's first formulation of the categorical imperative. [5]
(AQA2021) To what extent can Kantian deontological ethics be defended? [25]
(AQA2022) What does Kant mean by 'hypothetical imperative'? [3]
(AQA2022) Explain the criticism that Kant ignores the value of certain motives. [5]
*Explain what Kant believed that humans are 'imperfectly rational beings' [5]*
*Explain Kant's second formulation of the categorical imperative [5]*
2.3: Aristotelian Virtue Ethics
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(Sample paper) Briefly explain why Aristotle thinks that pleasure is not the only good. [3]
(Sample paper) Explain the analogy drawn between virtues and skills within Aristotelian ethics. [5]
(AQA2018) Explain Aristotle's account of the role of education/habituation in the development of a moral character. [5]
(AQA2019) Explain how Aristotelian virtue ethics might be applied to the issue of simulated killing. [12]
(AQA2020) How convincing is Aristotelian virtue ethics? [25]
(AQA2021) Explain Aristotle's view on how we develop moral character and how this is challenged by the issue of circularity in his definition of 'virtuous acts'. [12]
(AQA2022) Explain the 'skill analogy' that Aristotle uses in his account of virtue. [5]
2.4: Meta-ethics
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(Sample paper) Explain why emotivism is a non-cognitivist theory of ethical language. [5]
(AQA2018) What is moral anti-realism? [2]
(AQA2018) Explain how Mackie's argument from relativity challenges moral realism. [9]
(AQA2019) What is moral anti-realism? [3]
(AQA2019) Explain why Hume thinks that moral judgements are not beliefs. [5]
(AQA2020) Explain Moore's 'open question argument'. [5]
(AQA2021) What is the difference between cognitivism and non-cognitivism about ethical language? [3]
(AQA2022) Is moral anti-realism the correct metaethical view? [25]
*Explain Moore's naturalistic fallacy. [5]*
*Explain why utilitarianism is a form of reductionist ethical naturalism [5]*
*Explain why Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is a form of non-reductionist ethical naturalism [5]*