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What is the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

Description: The Argument from the History of Philosophy is a philosophical argument that attempts to show that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history. This argument is often used to support positions that are traditional or orthodox, but it can also be used to support more radical or controversial positions.
Number of Questions: 16
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Tags: philosophy of mind argument from history traditionalism orthodoxy radicalism
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What is the main premise of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. A particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

  2. A particular philosophical position is false because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

  3. A particular philosophical position is true because it is supported by evidence.

  4. A particular philosophical position is false because it is not supported by evidence.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The main premise of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

What is the main conclusion of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. A particular philosophical position is true.

  2. A particular philosophical position is false.

  3. A particular philosophical position is supported by evidence.

  4. A particular philosophical position is not supported by evidence.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The main conclusion of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that a particular philosophical position is true.

What is one of the main criticisms of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It relies on a false premise.

  2. It is circular.

  3. It is too vague.

  4. It is too specific.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

One of the main criticisms of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it relies on a false premise. The premise that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history is not necessarily true. There are many examples of philosophical positions that have been widely held by philosophers throughout history but that are now considered to be false.

What is another main criticism of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is circular.

  2. It is too vague.

  3. It is too specific.

  4. It is not relevant to the present day.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Another main criticism of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is circular. The argument assumes that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, but it does not provide any independent evidence to support the claim that the position is true. This makes the argument circular.

What is a common response to the criticism that the Argument from the History of Philosophy is circular?

  1. The argument is not circular because it is based on evidence.

  2. The argument is not circular because it is based on reason.

  3. The argument is not circular because it is based on tradition.

  4. The argument is not circular because it is based on authority.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

A common response to the criticism that the Argument from the History of Philosophy is circular is that the argument is not circular because it is based on tradition. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, and this tradition is seen as providing evidence for the truth of the position.

What is a common response to the criticism that the Argument from the History of Philosophy relies on a false premise?

  1. The premise is not false because it is based on evidence.

  2. The premise is not false because it is based on reason.

  3. The premise is not false because it is based on tradition.

  4. The premise is not false because it is based on authority.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

A common response to the criticism that the Argument from the History of Philosophy relies on a false premise is that the premise is not false because it is based on tradition. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, and this tradition is seen as providing evidence for the truth of the position.

What is one of the main strengths of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is based on evidence.

  2. It is based on reason.

  3. It is based on tradition.

  4. It is based on authority.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

One of the main strengths of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is based on tradition. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, and this tradition is seen as providing evidence for the truth of the position.

What is another main strength of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is based on evidence.

  2. It is based on reason.

  3. It is based on tradition.

  4. It is based on authority.


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Another main strength of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is based on reason. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it is supported by evidence and reason, and this makes the argument more persuasive.

What is one of the main weaknesses of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is based on evidence.

  2. It is based on reason.

  3. It is based on tradition.

  4. It is based on authority.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

One of the main weaknesses of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is based on authority. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, and this authority is seen as providing evidence for the truth of the position. However, this authority is not always reliable, and it is possible for philosophers to be mistaken.

What is another main weakness of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is based on evidence.

  2. It is based on reason.

  3. It is based on tradition.

  4. It is based on authority.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Another main weakness of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is based on tradition. The argument claims that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history, and this tradition is seen as providing evidence for the truth of the position. However, tradition is not always a reliable guide to truth, and it is possible for philosophical positions to be passed down from generation to generation without being critically examined.

What is one of the main limitations of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that have been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

  2. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are supported by evidence.

  3. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are based on reason.

  4. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are based on tradition.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

One of the main limitations of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is only applicable to philosophical positions that have been widely held by philosophers throughout history. This means that the argument cannot be used to support new or controversial philosophical positions that have not yet been widely accepted.

What is another main limitation of the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are supported by evidence.

  2. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are based on reason.

  3. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are based on tradition.

  4. It is only applicable to philosophical positions that are based on authority.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Another main limitation of the Argument from the History of Philosophy is that it is only applicable to philosophical positions that are supported by evidence. This means that the argument cannot be used to support philosophical positions that are not supported by evidence, even if they have been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

What is one of the main challenges to the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position has been widely held by philosophers throughout history.

  2. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is supported by evidence.

  3. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is based on reason.

  4. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is based on tradition.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

One of the main challenges to the Argument from the History of Philosophy is the challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position has been widely held by philosophers throughout history. This can be difficult to do, especially for new or controversial philosophical positions that have not yet been widely accepted.

What is another main challenge to the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is supported by evidence.

  2. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is based on reason.

  3. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is based on tradition.

  4. The challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is based on authority.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Another main challenge to the Argument from the History of Philosophy is the challenge of showing that a particular philosophical position is supported by evidence. This can be difficult to do, especially for philosophical positions that are not based on empirical evidence.

What is one of the main objections to the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. The objection that the argument is circular.

  2. The objection that the argument is based on a false premise.

  3. The objection that the argument is too vague.

  4. The objection that the argument is too specific.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

One of the main objections to the Argument from the History of Philosophy is the objection that the argument is circular. This objection claims that the argument assumes the truth of the conclusion in order to prove the conclusion.

What is another main objection to the Argument from the History of Philosophy?

  1. The objection that the argument is based on a false premise.

  2. The objection that the argument is too vague.

  3. The objection that the argument is too specific.

  4. The objection that the argument is not relevant to the present day.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Another main objection to the Argument from the History of Philosophy is the objection that the argument is based on a false premise. This objection claims that the premise that a particular philosophical position is true because it has been widely held by philosophers throughout history is not necessarily true.

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