1. Explain Anselm’s “Ontological Argument” for the existence of god. Lay out the steps of the argument and explain why Anselm felt that he had proven the existence of god.
2. Discuss Cixous’ notion of écriture feminine. How does her proposal of a new style of writing change the way we think about what it is to write and think?
3. Give an account of what is meant by Nietzsche’s provocative statement that “god is dead.” Was this conclusion presented by Nietzsche as a cause for celebration?
4. Explain how “The Grand Inquisitor” poem is meant to be Ivan’s response to Alyosha’s proposal that the appearance of Christ made life better for humanity.
5. What is at stake in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”? (explain the allegorical nature of the story)
6. Characterize the opposition between Parmenides and Heraclitus’ accounts of reality.
7. Using Derrida’s interpretation in “Before the Law” of the short passage from Kafka, how would you characterize our relationship to the “Law”? Where is the “Law” to be found?
8. Explain Kant’s “Copernican Revolution” and how it set us on a trajectory of self-understanding through history that influenced future thinkers. Be sure to speak about Hegel and Marx’s appropriation of this revolution.
9. Revisiting the trajectory of our class from Heidegger’s original verdict upon our situation and the need to return to the origin, what, in your opinion, has been the point of this course? Be sure to include some examples that prove your point.
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