As its that time of year, and given the popularity of a recent thread with a philosophical theme, I think a forum Philosophy exam paper would be in order.

Answer any two questions. All questions carry equal marks. Given the fact that the nature of (indeed the very existence) of time is still being debated in philosophical circles, there is no time limit. Also, given that the nature of meaning is also still being debated, final assessment of the papers will follow a definitive resolution of this issue.

Q1 Is this a question?

Q2. ‘Man is not what he is and is what he is not’ (Jean-Paul Sartre). Is this a profound statement on the inauthenticity of human existence by one of the world’s greatest Existentialist philosophers or meaningless verbal sophistry, resulting from Sartre imbibing too many cognacs at the Café de Flore?


Q3. ‘Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent’ (Ludwig Wittgenstein - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus). Should this maxim be adopted by Sheffield Forum? If so, what would be its implications?

Q4. Does meaning have any meaning, other than the meaning we ascribe to meaning at the moment we mean our meanings? Discuss

Q5. ‘Lord Russell, what’s it all about?’ (famous London taxi driver’s question to Bertrand Russell). What do you think Russell ought to have said in reply?

Hmmm...After a long 'stroky chin' moment, I have come up with the following answers:

Q1: Uh, yeah, duh.

Q2: Too many cognacs if you ask me!

Q3: It would be a crap maxim for us because we do not talk, we type, an almost silent act. Therefore we can wax lyrical whilst remaining silent!

Q4: Err...not sure if I know what you mean.

Q5: He should have said "Its gon rain, fool"

uh oh... this was like one of those exams where the instructions tell you to read all the way through before answering the questions then right at the end it says write your name in the top left-hand corner and leave the rest of the paper blank...

It clearly states to only answer 2 questions but I only just realised this just in time after having written an answer for all five!!!

So here's an edited version:

1. Yes.

5. I have no idea, just take me to the bloody station.

1. Is this an answer?

5. Oil

Originally posted by LordChaverly
As its that time of year, and given the popularity of a recent thread with a philosophical theme, I think a forum Philosophy exam paper would be in order.

Answer any two questions. All questions carry equal marks. Given the fact that the nature of (indeed the very existence) of time is still being debated in philosophical circles, there is no time limit. Also, given that the nature of meaning is also still being debated, final assessment of the papers will follow a definitive resolution of this issue.

Q1 Is this a question?

Q2. ‘Man is not what he is and is what he is not’ (Jean-Paul Sartre). Is this a profound statement on the inauthenticity of human existence by one of the world’s greatest Existentialist philosophers or meaningless verbal sophistry, resulting from Sartre imbibing too many cognacs at the Café de Flore?


Q3. ‘Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent’ (Ludwig Wittgenstein - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus). Should this maxim be adopted by Sheffield Forum? If so, what would be its implications?

Q4. Does meaning have any meaning, other than the meaning we ascribe to meaning at the moment we mean our meanings? Discuss

Q5. ‘Lord Russell, what’s it all about?’ (famous London taxi driver’s question to Bertrand Russell). What do you think Russell ought to have said in reply?

1. Clearly this is a question - it is a sentence with a question mark at its end. It enquires, therefore it is (a question).

2. DEFINITELY too many cognacs, and too much time on hands.

3. Oh, would that the majority of people take heed of this! :D Then again though, Big Brother would be remarkably quiet.... Should this maxim be adopted by the Forum, certain posters would be posters no longer - not mentioning any names! :D

4. Quite

5. 42

StarSparkle :)

PS I once vaguely knew a person who was studying Philosophy at uni, who claimed that they wrote simply "Yes" in answer to an exam question, and received a First! True or not - I have no idea.

Q1 - All men are not what they are, they are all different.

Q3 - If we spoke then we would be silent, but because we communicate without speaking on the forum there are no implications.

Q4 - Life and learning

Q5 - Meaning always means something, no matter what the meaning is.

q1-yes, you have asked me something so it must be.

q2. You are characterised by those features you possess and those you don't.

q3-don't be daft man.

q4.Meaning?

q5. cheese.

Hmmm...After a long 'stroky chin' moment, I have come up with the following answers:

Q1: Uh, yeah, duh.

Q2: Too many cognacs if you ask me!

Q3: It would be a crap maxim for us because we do not talk, we type, an almost silent act. Therefore we can wax lyrical whilst remaining silent!

Q4: Err...not sure if I know what you mean.

Q5: He should have said "Its gon rain, fool"

Edit: Or 'Soup'

Can I set Q6...

Q6. Think of a question suitable for this examination, then answer it.

Originally posted by Andy
Can I set Q6...

Q6. Think of a question suitable for this examination, then answer it.

ok

Q. Are you who you think you are, or who we think you are?

A. Who are you?

StarSparkle :confused: - or am I?

answer

I dont know who I am and neither does anyone else.

Does anyone know who they really are

If there is life after death,
where do all the new souls come from.

if a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, did it actually fall?

Originally posted by 21steve
if a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, did it actually fall?

I wondered how long it would be before Schroedinger's famous cat and the notion of quantum indeterminacy was (indirectly) mentioned.

Schroedinger himself is on record as saying that he wished he had never mentioned that damned cat.

Originally posted by LordChaverly
I wondered how long it would be before Schroedinger's famous cat and the notion of quantum indeterminacy was (indirectly) mentioned.

Schroedinger himself is on record as saying that he wished he had never mentioned that damned cat.

Hehe did anyone notice the reference to said cat in the recent play at the Lyceum - Insignificance?

Originally posted by 21steve
if a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, did it actually fall?

Don't you mean 'If a tree falls in the woods but no-one is there to hear it, does it make a noise?'

well no. of course that is the famous Philosophical question so i played on it a little, but thanks

Originally posted by LordChaverly
I wondered how long it would be before Schroedinger's famous cat and the notion of quantum indeterminacy was (indirectly) mentioned.

Schroedinger himself is on record as saying that he wished he had never mentioned that damned cat.

who would win in a fight? Pavlov's Dog or Schroedinger's Cat?

plus if you haven't read the Illuminatus Trilogy and Schroedinger's Cat by Robert Anton Wilson and Rob Shea. It will hurt your head.

If x=y+3
how many apples in a barrel of fish?

urban myth i once heard:

uni philosophy exam and the main question was "What is brave?"

apparently a guy wrote on his answer paper "This is." and walked out, scoring top marks.

yeah, right.

i don't believe it

Originally posted by Davie
urban myth i once heard:

uni philosophy exam and the main question was "What is brave?"

apparently a guy wrote on his answer paper "This is." and walked out, scoring top marks.

yeah, right.

i don't believe it

I don't believe it either.

The most common of such myths relates to question 1 of the Philosophy exam above, i.e. is this a question? A student apparently wrote 'Yes, if this is an answer' and was awarded a first. No such incident ever occured, as far as I am aware.

Another variation of the story, which is far more plausible (but also probably apocryphal), is that the student wrote 'Yes, if this is an answer' and was failed. He then supposedly sued the university authorities and lost. He deserved to lose, because he gave no reasons for his answer.

Originally posted by robbie
who would win in a fight? Pavlov's Dog or Schroedinger's Cat?


Pavlov's dog will win by miles, says Google (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Pavlov%27s+Dog+&word2=Schroedinger%27s+Cat)