IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #1
Matthew, Luke, & John Readings
1. Compare the opening of the Gospel of Matthew with that of the Gospel of Mark. What differences do you find in the two? What is the point of beginning the Gospel of Matthew with the genealogy of Christ?
2. The story of the birth and early childhood of Jesus is covered in Matthew 1:18-2:23. What are the significant features of this story? What impressions are created in the mind of the reader by the way Matthew describes the events and circumstances surrounding the early life of Christ?
3. What role does John the Baptist play in Matthew? How does Matthew seem to view John & John's relation to Christ?
4. What kind of people are the Apostles? How does Jesus find them? What leads them to decide to follow Jesus? What is the meaning of this decision in their lives?
5. What was the message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1-16)? Who, of those alive when the Sermon was delivered, do you think might feel threatened by it? Why would they feel threatened?
6. According to Matthew, what is the relation between Jesus and the message he brings to Judaic Law?
7. Who were the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees? What view does the Gospel of Matthew have of them?
8. What principles of conduct does Jesus teach his followers? How are these different from the principles of conduct followed by others at the time? Do you think that the principles Jesus taught could ever realistically be followed by large numbers of people? Would people who genuinely followed those principles be viewed favorably or unfavorably by most governments, either then or now? Why do you say this?
9. In addition to the role of teacher, Jesus is also a healer. What do the stories of Jesus' healing reveal about his character and personality? What do these stories reveal about those Jesus heals?
10. Some of Jesus' teaching involves references to those who will be "cast out" from the kingdom of Heaven (see Matt. 8:11-12 for an example). Who are those who would be cast out? What did they do or do they do to deserve being cast out? Is this message of Jesus consistent with his other teachings regarding love and forgiveness?
11. Jesus associates with many people in his public ministry. Identify the different types of people he associates with. Do some of the groups surprise you? Did they surprise others in Jesus' own time? What does Jesus have to say about those he associates with?
12. What is the relation of the twelve apostles to Jesus, based on Matthew's account? What powers are they given? What rules must they follow?
13. Compare the account given in Luke of the circumstances surrounding the birth and early childhood of Jesus to that given in Matthew. What similarities and differences are there in the two accounts? In what ways do the differences in the two accounts alter your impression of the birth and early childhood of Jesus?
14. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in Luke? What is the relation between the Holy Spirit and Jesus? What is the Holy Spirit anyway?
15. What do the readings from Luke add to the impression of Jesus as an adult and Jesus' ministry that you have from reading Matthew?
16. Compare the opening of the Gospel of John to the openings of Matthew and Luke. What similarities and differences exist among the three accounts? What is the message underlying the first 18 verses of Chapter 1 of John?
17. What does Jesus mean, in the Gospel of John, by calling himself the "Bread of Life"?
18. What does Jesus say about his relation to the Father and the Holy Spirit in John 14:1-21?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #2
Acts, Romans Readings
1. How do Christ's disciples deal with the fact that Jesus is taken up into Heaven forty (40) days after the resurrection and is no longer able to counsel them?
2. What role does the Holy Spirit play in the life of the early church? How do things change for the disciples when the Holy Spirit descends upon them?
3. What is Peter's role in the early church?
4. What disagreements arise among the disciples in the early church? How unified do they seem to be in light of these disagreements? Are the disagreements resolved? If so, how?
5. What is Stephen's role in the early church? What lesson might we draw from the life of Stephen?
6. Who is Saul? What is his role in the early church? What might be learned from his life?
7. What issues does Paul raise in his letter to the Romans (that is, the Christian community in Rome)? What is the significance of these issues and the way Paul treats them in the life of the early church?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #3
Islamic Readings (Convergence, pp. 425-462)
1. Read the introduction (Convergence, pp. 425-429). What are the most important events and people involved in the rise of Islam? What are the "five pillars of Islam"?
2. What is the status of the Koran or the Qu'ran in Islamic belief?
3. What is Allah like? Does Allah differ or resemble Yahweh in the Old Testament? Does Allah resemble God in the New Testament?
4. What does Islamic belief say about Christianity? about Judaism? about other religions?
5. What is the role of Muhammad in Islam? What status does Muhammad have?
6. To what extent does the Koran draw upon Old Testament and New Testament sources? What parallels exist between the Koran and the Bible?
7. What is the status of the Old Testament prophets in the Koran? What is the status of Jesus?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #4
(The Koran, Cow Sura)
1. Who are the Believers referred to in the Koran? Are there are groups of Believers, according to the Koran, other than the Muslims themselves?
2. According to the Koran, how is it (the Koran) meant to be thought of by Believers?
3. Who are the unbelievers the Koran mentions? What don't they believe in? What kind of people are they? What will be their fate?
4. How is the Koran like the Bible? How is it different?
5. What Bible stories do you find mentioned in the Koran? Are they exactly the same story found in the Bible or do some of the details differ?
6. Based on the Cow Sura, what do you think are the fundamental beliefs of Islam (that is, what do the Muslims think about things like God, Jesus, angels, Satan etc.)?
7. How similar are Islamic beliefs to those of Christianity? How different?
8. What is the point of the "cow" section (pp. 72-3) of the Cow Sura?
9. What is the role and status of Mohammad in Islam?
10. What does the phrase "People of the Book" mean?
11. What is Islam's attitude toward Jesus? Toward Christians? Toward Jews? Toward others?
12. What role does Abraham play in Islamic belief?
13. What is the nature of sin, as expressed in the Cow Sura portion of the Koran? Is this siimilar to or different from what sin is thought to be in Genesis?
14. How should Believers act with respect to Allah, to each other, to other People of the Book etc.?
15. What is the role of faith in Islam? Of good works?
16. What does the Koran have to say about fighting? About making war?
17. What other codes of behavior or conduct must Muslims follow, according to the Koran?
18. What does "Paradise" mean in the Koran? What is it described as being like?
19. What is the view of women that emerges in the Cow Sura?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #5
Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy
BOOKS I & II
1. What is the point of having poetic passages alternate with prose in the Consolation? What is said in the poetic sections and how does that compare or contrast to what is said in the prose?
2. What does the first poem tell us about Boethius' state of mind at the opening of the Consolation? What is Boethius' situation in life at this time?
3. Who is the woman who appears to Boethius in Part I? What does she look like? What are her attributes and characteristics? How does Boethius react to her appearance?
4. Who are the Muses of Poetry and what role do they play in Part I, Book I?
5. Why does the woman say she has come to Boethius?
6. What analysis does Boethius make of his situation?
7. What analysis does the woman make of Boethius' situation and state of mind? What does she propose to do to help?
8. Who or what does Boethius blame for his situation? Why does he do this?
9. How does the woman begin Boethius' "therapy"?
10. Book II deals with an analysis of the nature of fortune. What does Lady Philosophy say Fortune is? How does she say it operates?
11. How, according to Philosophy, would Fortune itself argue against the assertions Boethius has made in Book I regarding his situation?
12. What good fortune does Philosophy say Boethius had? What good fortune does she say he still has?
13. What does Philosophy say happiness is? How does one obtain it?
14. What does Philosophy think of material goods and wealth? Why does she think this?
15. What is false happiness? What are some examples of it?
BOOK III
1. According to Lady Philosophy, what goal do all men seek? Do they all take the same route to the goal?
2. What is the connection between happiness and the good?
3. What does Lady Philosophy find lacking in most pursuits after happiness and the good (that is the pursuit of wealth, power, fame, etc.)?
4. What attributes does Lady Philosophy associate with happiness in Section IX?
5. What does Lady Philosophy mean on page 95 by the phrase, the "sum of happiness"?
6. According to Lady Philosophy, what is true happiness? What does it consist of? How does one gain it?
7. What is the source of supreme good, according to Lady Philosophy?
8. How does a person come to know the good itself?
9. According to Lady Philosophy, how is the world governed (Section XII)? In such a world how is it possible for evil to exist? What is evil?
BOOKS IV & V
1. In the third paragraph of Book IV, Boethius tells Lady Philosophy what the "greatest cause of my sadness is". What does he say?
2. What argument does Lady Philosophy use to prove that "the good are always strong and the evil always weak"?
3. How is it, according to Philosophy, that truly evil people don't even exist?
4. What is the ultimate reward for truly good people, according to Philosophy? (The simplistic answer is, of course, that "good is its own reward." Try to explain what this cliché might mean for Lady Philosophy).
5. According to Philosophy, what would it take to make a wicked person truly happy? What are her views on the punishment of the wicked? What would be the worst thing that could happen to a wicked person, the way she sees the matter?
6. What are Philosophy's views of the court system and criminal justice system of Boethius' day? (see page 131)
7. What is the difference, according to Philosophy, between Fate and Providence? Why does she think it important to draw this distinction? How does this distinction fit into the argument that she is developing?
8. How can it be that "all fortune is good fortune," as Lady Philosophy claims it is?
9. Does Lady Philosophy think that chance exists? Why or why not? Why is she even concerned about chance? What are the logical consequences if chance does exist that would imply a theological problem?
10. To what extent are human beings really free, according to Philosophy? How would it be possible for a human being to become as fully free as possible? How does this accord with your notions about freedom?
11. What is the role of prayer in a completely deterministic universe, according to Philosophy? What is the role of prayer in a universe in which Providence is operative?
12. How does God's foreknowledge of future events function, according to Philosophy? How does this fit into her argument about fate and free will?
13. What is the difference, according to Philosophy, among sense-perception, imagination, reason, and intelligence? Why does she draw this distinction? Why is this important to her argument?
14. What is the nature of eternity, according to Lady philosophy?
15. What is the final impact of all of Philosophy's reasoning on Boethius? How is he different at the end of the Consolation than he was at the beginning? What personal meaning do you think the very last paragraph of the work has for him?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #6
The Rule of St. Benedict (Convergence, pp. 103-117)
1. What type of person would the ideal abbot of a monastery be, according to St. Benedict?
2. Obedience is the first, and in many ways the most important, Benedictine rule. What does St. Benedict mean by this?
3. How were the Benedictine monks to practice the rule of humility? What were the 12 steps of humility?
4. How many times were the monks supposed to worship each day?
5. What sort of work (and how much work) were the monks to do each day? What is the point of this in terms of the goals St. Benedict is trying to meet?
6. In what way and to what extent was the ideal Benedictine monastery communistic?
7. What rules does St. Benedict have governing other aspects of the monks' lives such as the clothing they wear, their contact with the outside world etc.
8. If a person wanted to become a Benedictine monk, what would they have to do to gain acceptance at the monastery? How long would this take?
9. Based on the reading, what would you say is the purpose of all of the rules of St. Benedict (remember, we are reading only a small selection of the total document)?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #7
Aquinas' Five Ways (Convergence, pp. 138-144)
Summation of the Catholic Faith (Convergence, pp. 144-151)
The Summa Theologica (Convergence, pp. 152-155)
1. Examine each of the five proofs or "ways" in which Aquinas seeks to demonstrate that God exists necessarily. Be able to explain each proof. What are the particular strengths and/or weaknesses of each proof?
2. In the Summation, how does Aquinas explain that it is possible for human reason to know at least some of the important truths about God? What are the specific limitations of human reason in learning truths about God's nature?
3. Are there ways, according to Aquinas, that the limitations of reason can be overcome by humans in their attempt to know more about God? If there are such ways, what are they?
4. What are the specific "gradations of intellect" that Aquinas identifies?
5. What argument does Aquinas make to prove his point that those truths about God which transcend human reason are still the fit objects of belief?
6. What argument does Aquinas make to prove his point that assent to truths that must be accepted on faith alone is not a sign of foolishness?
7. Why is it the case, according to Aquinas, that truths of reason are not opposed to truths of faith? How, in our own times, have these two types of truths come into conflict?
8. What does the selection from the Summa Theologica have to say about life after death?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #8
Dante's Divine Comedy (Convergance, pp. 156-189)
1. At the start of the poem, the poet, Dante, wakes to find himself lost and alone in a "dark woods." What symbolism do you find present in Dante's description of his state? What sort of condition does he seem to be in?
2. What is the symbolism of the "little hill" and the three animals? Which animal poses the biggest problem for Dante? Why do you say this? What might this symbolize?
3. Who is the mysterious figure that appears to Dante to offer assistance? What assistance doe he offer? How is it that he came to be aware of Dante's plight? How is it that he was sent to aid Dante?
4. What does Dante think about the plan the mysterious figure has for Dante? What emotions does he feel?
5. Who is Beatrice and what role does she play in the poem?
6. What is the meaning/symbolism of the nine line inscription above the gate leading to hell that Dante reads at the very start of Canto III? To whom is this inscription addressed?
7. Once Dante crosses the gate leading to hell, what does he see, hear, smell, feel, and taste? What does this suggest to you about the conditions of hell itself? What might all this symbolize?
8. Who are the souls punished in the very first part of hell Dante sees (the vestibule)? What is the punishment? Does the punishment fit the sin? Why or why not?
9. Who is Charon? What role does he play in the story?
10. What are the souls like who wait to cross over the river Acheron to get to the other side and enter hell proper? Where do they come from? How many of them are there?
11. What transformation takes place in these souls as described in the three lines at the top of page 44? How do you understand this change in them? Does it make sense?
12. What are the conditions of the first circle of hell that Dante sees in Canto IV? What souls are there? What is their sin? How are they punished? What interaction does Dante have with them?
13. Who are the souls in the second circle? How are they punished? Who are Paolo and Francesca? What was their sin? Does the punishment fit the sin?
14. What are the conditions like in the lowest level of hell? What sinners are punished there? Does the punishment fit the sin? Who are Ruggieri and Ugolini? What is their story and their punishment?
15. What does Dante see at the very bottom of hell? Who is punished there? What are conditions like? How is it that Dante is finally able to leave hell?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #8 (Continued)
Dante's Divine Comedy (Convergence, pp. 190-231)
1. Where are Dante and Beatrice located at the opening of Canto 1? What is Dante asking for in his invocation to Apollo?
2. What strange thing occurs to both Beatrice and Dante in Canto 1? What is the explanation for what is taking place?
3. In Canto IV, Dante and Beatrice are in the heaven of the Moon. What souls do they speak to here? What have they done to deserve being in heaven? What issues is Dante pondering? How does Beatrice resolve Dante's concerns and doubts?
4. In Canto VII, Dante and Beatrice are in the heaven of Mercury. What souls are here? What have they done to deserve being in heaven? What problems does Dante struggle with here? How does Beatrice address these problems?
5. In Canto XVIII, Dante and Beatrice are at the fifth sphere (the heaven of Mars) and they then ascend to the sixth sphere of Jupiter. What do they see and who do they meet in these heavens? What kind of life and deeds are rewarded in these places?
6. In Cantos XIX and XX, Dante and Beatrice are in the heaven of Jupiter. Who is here? What issues are on Dante's mind? How does Beatrice and the other souls in this heaven deal with Dante's concerns?
7. Canto XXXIII is the last in the Divine Comedy and here Dante sees the highest heaven of all. St Bernard is now his guide instead of Beatrice. Why is she replaced? Who is St. Bernard and why is he considered a worthy guide here?
8. What does Dante see in the highest of heavens? What problems does he have taking all this in? What imagery does he use in this canto to describe the vision of God Himself? What happens to him after he has this vision of the divine?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #9
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Convergence, pp. 63-96)
1. What time of year is it when the pilgrims set out on the journey to Canterbury? What is significant about this?
2. How does the Prologue tie together what is occurring in Nature at this time of year with the Pilgrim's activity?
3. How does Chaucer, the character, become associated with the group of pilgrims?
4. For each of the pilgrims described in the Prologue, answer the following questions: Who is this person? What rank does he or she hold in society? What is his/her background? What are his/her accomplishments and interests? What is his/her attitude toward the pilgrimage? How good or bad does this person seem to be? Why do you say this?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #10
Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man (Convergence, pp. 104-116)
1. Why does Pico consider humans to be the "most fortunate of creatures"?
2. What does Pico consider the "rank" of humans to be? What is talking about here? What kind of ranking?
3. According to Pico, what options are available to humans in determining their ultimate destiny?
4. What is the meaning of the different terms Pico employs on pages 107-108 of Convergence of Cultures (that is, vegetative, sensitive, rational, intellectual)?
5. What is the highest level to which a human can ascend, according to Pico? How long can he/she go? What determines how high or how low one will go?
6. What is the meaning of the ladder symbol on pages 110 and following of Convergences?
7. What distinction does Pico draw among dialectic, natural philosophy, and theology? What are these things? What use are they to humans?
8. How does one achieve true inner peace, according to Pico?
9. What does Pico say is the role of the liberal arts?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #11
Martin Luther's Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
1. What is Luther trying to accomplish in his Address? Who is his audience? In what way is his message constructed with this particular audience in mind? What would he like his audience to do or think in response to his address? What particular incentives does he suggest would be available were his audience to react as he would like them to?
2. Upon what should Luther and his audience rely, according to Luther, in their difficult undertaking? What is so difficult about this undertaking in the first place?
3. Who are the "Romanists" referred to on page 124? What are their "three walls"?
4. Explain what the first wall of the Romanists is, according to Luther. How does Luther proceed to attack that wall? Be detailed in your answer. . . .his attacks take the form of carefully crafted arguments, so be prepared to explain how each argument is constructed. Answer these questions for the second and then the third walls.
5. What are Councils, as Luther uses the term? Who calls them? Who attends them? What issues do they address? According to Luther, who should call them? Who should attend them? What issues should they consider?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #12
Luther
The Ninety-Five Theses
Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
1. What are the main ideas, themes, complaints etc. that are identified in Luther's Ninety-five Theses?
2. What is Luther trying to accomplish in his Address? Who is his audience? In what way is his message constructed with this particular audience in mind? What would he like his audience to do or think in response to his address? What particular incentives does he suggest would be available were his audience to react as he would like them to?
3. Upon what should Luther and his audience rely, according to Luther, in their difficult undertaking? What is so difficult about this undertaking in the first place?
4. Who are the "Romanists" referred to on page 124? What are their "three walls"?
5. Explain what the first wall of the Romanists is, according to Luther. How does Luther proceed to attack that wall? Be detailed in your answer....his attacks take the form of carefully crafted arguments, so be prepared to explain how each argument is constructed. Answer these questions for the second and then the third walls.
6. What are Councils, as Luther uses the term? Who calls them? Who attends them? What issues do they address? According to Luther, who should call them? Who should attend them? What issues should they consider?
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #13
Luther
Luther's Evangelical Breakthrough: Preface to Romans
1. Luther's Preface to Romans is a commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, which we read earlier in the semester. Consider the interpretation gives to Paul's Epistle in terms of Luther's explanation of key words such as Law, Sin etc.
2. Why does Luther say it is impossible to justify oneself by means of following the law or by doing good works?
3. What does Luther say Paul means by calling the law "spiritual" in Chapter 7 of Romans?
4. How does Luther say it is possible to meet the strict requirements of the Law?
5. How are we justified in the eye of God, according to Luther's interpretation of Paul?
6. What is the "sole cause of sin" according to Luther?
7. What is the difference in meaning, according to Luther, between the words "grace" and "gift" in Paul's work?
8. According to Luther, what did Paul mean by calling himself a sinner in Chapter 7 of Romans and by saying in Chapter 8 that no charge of sin is held against those who are "in Christ"?
9. How does one go about getting faith, according to Luther?
10. What is Faith, according to Luther? How does the possession of it change one's life?
11. What does righteousness mean, according to Luther?
12. According to Luther, what is the difference between flesh and spirit?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #14
The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli)
1. The first section of the reading assignment consists of a general statement Machiavelli makes about the prince's conduct towards others. What does Machiavelli have to say about this? How, in general terms, should the prince's conduct towards others differ from that of ordinary men in their conduct towards others?
2. Does Machiavelli think it better for the prince to be generous or miserly? Why does he say this?
3. Is it better for the prince to be cruel or compassionate? Why? Does Machiavelli's advice apply to all men or just to the prince? Is it better for the prince to be loved or feared? What distinction does Machiavelli draw between being feared and hated? What specific things does Machiavelli say the prince must not do in order to avoid being hated? What is the danger in the prince being hated?
4. How truthful and honest does Machiavelli think the prince should be? Why?
5. How important is it for the prince to win honor, according to Machiavelli? How may the prince win honor?
6. What sort of people should the prince surround himself with, according to Machiavelli?
7. What does Machiavelli think of "yes-men"? What sort of people make the best advisors? How often and to what extent should the prince seek the advice of others?
8. To what extent does Machiavelli think it important for the prince to actually possess the set of qualities he recommends? Is it possible for the prince to get by with just appearing to possess these qualities?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #15
Calvin "Institutes of the Christian Religion" Foundations pp. 147-162
1. What authority does Scripture (the Bible) have in Calvin's view?
2. How does the authority of Scripture compare to the authority of the church, in Calvin's view?
3. What status do human beings have in Calvin's view of things? Is it possible for a person to decide he or she will be saved?
4. What is Christian liberty, according to Calvin? What are the three parts of Christian liberty?
5. What causes a person to be saved eternally, according to Calvin?
6. What does Calvin mean by the phase on page156 "God's eternal election"?
7. What arguments does Calvin present regarding his doctrine of predestination?
8. According to Calvin, the word "church" has different meanings. What are they?
9. According to Calvin, what are the only proper sacraments of the Church?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #16
1. What were the contributions of Aristarchus of Samos to astronomy?
2. What was Eratosthenes of Alexandria able to calculate and how did he do this?
3. What geometrical model did Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria provide for the movement of the planets that solved many of the problems possessed by earlier models? What were the main features of Ptolemy's model?
4. What are epicycles, deferents, eccentrics, and equants?
5. How did Copernicus' astronomical model differ from that of Ptolemy's? What were the advantages and disadvantages of Copernicus' model? What were the weaknesses in terms of predictability of celestial movements?
6. What contributions did Kepler make to our understanding of the movement of the planets? How did his model for celestial motion differ from earlier models? What was original in his proposal?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS - SET #17
COPERNICUS
1. How does Copernicus try to prepare his reader for the subject of his proposals (or "hypotheses") in his address "To the Reader" at the start of his work?
2. Why does Copernicus address his preface and dedication to the Pope? Why is he so concerned about what the Pope thinks? What points does he make to the Pope?
3. In "From Book One," why does Copernicus say the subject of astronomy is worth studying? What points does he make about astronomy in this section?
4. What is Copernicus' astronomical proposal anyway? Be specific and detailed in your answer.
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #18
"Galileo and the New Science of Motion" (Convergence, pp. 328-349)
1. What objections did the Aristotelians have to Copernicus' theory of a sun-centered universe with the earth in motion around the sun?
2. What did these objections lead Galileo to realize he had to do to overcome them?
3. What role did Euclidean geometry and deductive proof play in Galileo's work?
4. What was the role of "demonstrations" in Galileo's scientific endeavors?
5. What is the sceince of mechanics? What are the various elements involved in mechanics? Why is motion so difficult to analyze?
6. What were Galileo's contributions to the science of mechanics?
7. What is the mean-speed theorem and the odd-numbers law?
8. What was the inclined plane experiment? What did it prove?
9. How did Aristotle account for projectile motion? How is Galileo's account of projectile motion different from Aristotle's?
10. How did Galileo's analysis of projectile motion help confirm the Copernican hypothesis?
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #19
Science Readings pp. 373-407
1. What were the major contributions of Tycho Brahe to astronomy and cosmology?
2. What were the major contributions of Johannes Kepler to astronomy and cosmology?
3. In "The Starry Messenger," what does Galileo say are the advantages of telescopic astronomy?
4. What are the key astronomical observations Galileo made with his telescope that had profound cosmological implicatons?
5. In "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina," Galileo attempts to define what he considers to be the proper relationship between religion and science. What does he have to say on this matter?
6. How does Galileo say the Bible should be treated with respect to its merits as a scientific text?
7. Explain Galileo's scientific treatment of the Biblical story of Joshua commanding the sun to stand still.
IGS 201
STUDY QUESTIONS SET #20
Descartes
1. What are the important events in Descartes' life? What were his interests? What were his accomplishments?
2. What interests are revealed in the first part of the Discourse on Method? What manner did Descartes adopt to approach the issues and problems that concerned him?
3. What were Descartes' views on Aristotleanism (the philosophy of what he calls The Schools)?
4. What subjects did he like and what subjects did he not like in school? Why? To what extent did Descartes think his education good? Why?
5. What plan did Descartes make for himself to guide his pursuit of truth? What was Descartes' goal?
6. Why is Descartes so concerned about Method?? What method is he talking about? In other words, what was Descartes "method"?
7. What truths did Descartes' method reveal to him?