Intro (2) Flashcards
(22 cards)
______ could never engage in processes of reasoning, for it would have no motive to form hypotheses, to seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them, or to select certain propositions as the premises of an argument.
A being devoid of all curiosity
A being devoid of all curiosity ______, for it would have no motive to form hypotheses, to seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them, or to select certain propositions as the premises of an argument.
could never engage in processes of reasoning
A being devoid of all curiosity could never engage in processes of reasoning, for ______ to form hypotheses, to seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them, or to select certain propositions as the premises of an argument.
it would have no motive
A being devoid of all curiosity could never engage in processes of reasoning, for it would have no motive to ______, to seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them, or to select certain propositions as the premises of an argument.
form hypotheses
A being devoid of all curiosity could never engage in processes of reasoning, for it would have no motive to form hypotheses, to ______, or to select certain propositions as the premises of an argument.
seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them
A being devoid of all curiosity could never engage in processes of reasoning, for it would have no motive to form hypotheses, to seek empirical data in confirmation or refutation of them, or to ______.
select certain propositions as the premises of an argument
______ is a trait which, in all probability, our evolutionary history has conferred upon us as a consequence of natural selection.
Human curiosity
Human curiosity is ______ which, in all probability, our evolutionary history has conferred upon us as a consequence of natural selection.
a trait
Human curiosity is a trait which, ______, our evolutionary history has conferred upon us as a consequence of natural selection.
in all probability
Human curiosity is a trait which, in all probability, ______ as a consequence of natural selection.
our evolutionary history has conferred upon us
Human curiosity is a trait which, in all probability, our evolutionary history has conferred upon us as ______.
a consequence of natural selection
… if, as seems plausible, ______ tends to increase a creature’s chances of survival, we modern humans may well have it at least partly because our ancestors’ less curious rivals did not survive to pass on their genes.
a moderately high degree of curiosity
… if, as seems plausible, a moderately high degree of curiosity ______, we modern humans may well have it at least partly because our ancestors’ less curious rivals did not survive to pass on their genes.
tends to increase a creature’s chances of survival
… if, as seems plausible, a moderately high degree of curiosity tends to increase a creature’s chances of survival, we modern humans may well have it at least partly because ______ did not survive to pass on their genes.
our ancestors’ less curious rivals
… if, as seems plausible, a moderately high degree of curiosity tends to increase a creature’s chances of survival, we modern humans may well have it at least partly because our ancestors’ less curious rivals ______.
did not survive to pass on their genes
However, if a universal human trait such as curiosity is to be explained in such an evolutionary way, it must be ______ whether it is one which could simply be manufactured artificially and ‘installed’ in a computer.
questionable
However, if a universal human trait such as curiosity is to be explained in such an evolutionary way, it must be questionable whether it is ______ and ‘installed’ in a computer.
one which could simply be manufactured artificially
However, if a universal human trait such as curiosity is to be explained in such an evolutionary way, it must be questionable whether it is one which could simply be manufactured artificially and ______.
‘installed’ in a computer
[Curiosity’s] ______ are surely too deep for that to make sense. And this, perhaps, is the most fundamental reason for denying that computers could be, in any literal sense, rational beings.
biological roots
[Curiosity’s] biological roots are surely ______. And this, perhaps, is the most fundamental reason for denying that computers could be, in any literal sense, rational beings.
too deep for that to make sense
[Curiosity’s] biological roots are surely too deep for that to make sense. And this, perhaps, is ______ that computers could be, in any literal sense, rational beings.
the most fundamental reason for denying
[Curiosity’s] biological roots are surely too deep for that to make sense. And this, perhaps, is the most fundamental reason for denying that ______.
computers could be, in any literal sense, rational beings
