PHIL 131 Quiz Questions (Module 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Karen Armstrong contrasts ancient or pre-modern thinking about God and religion with modern views. She often prefers ancient views on the nature of God. According to her, for instance, modern monotheists believe that Revelation in scripture is fixed and that there are things we can know about God, but ancients (pre-modern believers, theologians) would not accept this. What did the ancients believe?

Ancients thought that Revelation was ongoing, it continued every time one opened oneself to a text, different and new interpretations are possible.

Which of the following objections is NOT one of Louis Pojman's main reasons for rejecting C. D. Broad's view that religious experiences strongly justify belief in their veridicality?

Most experiencers have the symptoms of mental or physical illness, which undermines their credibility.

Which of the following is NOT what religious myths are, in the ancient or historical sense, according to Karen Armstrong?

Myths describe fictional events, myths are literally false stories.

Which of the following is what religious myths are, in the modern sense, according to Karen Armstrong?

Myths describe fictional events, myths are literally false stories.

Haught, Dennett, and Wilson discuss accounting for the origins of religion with an evolutionary theory. Which of the following would NOT be a feature of an evolutionary account of religion?

Religion is a gift from God so that believers may have meaningful lives.

Louis Pojman criticizes C. D. Broad's argument for the truth or some religious experiences. Which of the following is one of Pojman's main objections?

There isn't really an enormous amount of agreement among religious experiences about the spiritual nature of reality

Karen Armstrong has said: "Look into your own heart, discover what it is that gives you pain and then refuse under any circumstances to conflict that pain on anybody else". Why does she say this?

all of the above (This principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.) & (Armstrong thinks that this is the Golden Rule which all of the great religions teach us.)

What distinguishes secular from religious worldviews, according to Ninian Smart?

all of the above (secular worldviews do not wield symbols of power) & (secular worldviews typically repudiate religious doctrine)

The Catechism is the summary of the principles of the Christian religion, and it defines God like this: "God is the supreme spirit who alone exists of himself and is infinite in all perfections". Karen Armstrong thinks that this definition is mistaken. Why?

all of the above (God is not the supreme spirit, God is not a being, God is being itself ) & (it is wrong to think that God even exists, since our sense of existence is far too limited to apply to God) & (it presumes that it is possible to define a word that goes beyond what we can think and know)

According to C. D. Broad, what circumstances, even if true, would NOT imply that the claims made by religious and mystical experiencers are delusional?

all of the above (religious experiences always originate from and remain mixed with certain other factors, e.g., sexual emotion) & (experiencers nearly always have certain neuropathic symptoms or certain bodily weaknesses)

David Sloan Wilson argues that evolution is a source of adaptations, both cultural and biological. What is an adaptation?

a trait that evolves biologically, or culturally, in groups or individuals, that increases one's ability to survive and reproduce

According to Swinburne, what is a non-repeatable counter-instance to a law of nature?

a violation of a law of nature

Hume defines a miracle as...

a violation of the laws of nature

William James discusses the notion of "over-belief" and implies that such beliefs are not capable of being proven (or disproven) on empirical or theoretical grounds. On his view, which of the following examples expresses an over-belief?

God is the absolute ruler of the world.

In the video with Haught, Dennett, and Wilson, which of these people believes that even if religious assertions or stories are actually false, there could be good or valuable reasons to believe that such assertions and stories are true?

Haught and Dennett and Wilson

In the video with Haught, Dennett, and Wilson, which of these people believes that the origins and causes of a religion are important questions?

Haught and Dennett and Wilson

In the video with Haught, Dennett, and Wilson, which of these people believes that the origins and causes of a religion are separate questions issues from whether religious beliefs are true?

Haught and Dennett and Wilson

John Haught paraphrases what famous scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins has said in order to show Dennett that some scientists are scientistic: "It may be that humanity won't reach the goal of completely understanding the universe. Science, not religion will lead us there. If that be scientism then all the better for scientism." Which of the following best describes the problem of scientism which Haught thinks that Dawkins expresses?

an exaggerated trust or certainty in the superiority of the methods of natural science applied to all areas of investigation

Using Ninian Smart's Dimensions of Religion Theory, what most likely makes Atheism a secular worldview and not a religious worldview?

atheism lacks a central dogma or ritualistic practices

Karen Armstrong contrasts ancient or pre-modern thinking about God and religion with modern views. She often prefers ancient views on religion and its central concepts. For instance, belief or faith is central to the religious experience for both pre-modern and modern religious worldviews. Unlike moderns, ancients thought having religious belief or faith meant

committing or trusting oneself to a practical good, supporting others, behaving compassionately

Daniel Dennett disagrees with John Haught over whether scientists are guilty of scientism, and raises the concept of the burden of proof in his response to Haught. Which of the following best describes what the burden of proof is?

it is an obligation one has to prove or provide evidence for whatever one asserts or believes

According to John Haught, naturalism is a problem because

it is the view that nature is probably all there is, which sounds too certain, even fundamentalistic

According to John Haught, naturalism is a problem because...

it is the view that nature is probably all there is, which sounds too certain, even fundamentalistic

In Buddhism, what is the purpose of meditation?

it is to practice mindfulness

David Sloan Wilson argues that evolution is a source of adaptations, both cultural and biological. So if religion is ever an adaptation, then...

religion or being religious sometimes helps people to survive and reproduce

In his Varieties of Religious Experience William, James claims that he (and common men) have a "thoroughly pragmatic view of religious experience". What does this mean?

religious experiences is useful but this does not make any of them veridical

Daniel Dennett disagrees with John Haught over whether scientists are guilty of scientism. Which of the following best describes how Daniel Dennett responds to John Haught?

scientism is an inaccurate description of most scientists, who could believe in supernaturals if the burden of proof is met

Which of the following best expresses Hume's principle for the evaluation of testimony about any allegedly miraculous event?

we have to weigh the unlikelihood of the event reported against the unlikelihood that the witness is mistaken or dishonest

In his article on miracles and testimony, John Mackie thinks that Hume's principle for the evaluation of testimony follows logically from a more general principle. Which of the following best expresses the more general principle?

we should accept whatever hypothesis gives the best overall explanation of all the available and relevant evidence

Which of the following best describes literalistic fundamentalism?

whatever scripture says should be interpreted one way only, exactly as it is written

Daniel Dennett describes methodological naturalism in his discussion with John Haught and David Sloan Wilson. Which of the following best describes this idea?

when describing and explaining observations, postulate no supernatural entities unless one provides proof of them

In her writings, Karen Armstrong expresses non-mainstream, pre-modern views of religion. In her writings she has said: "Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians insisted for centuries that God does not exist and that there is 'nothing' out there; in making these assertions, their aim was not to deny the reality of God but to safeguard God's transcendence." Which of the following best summarizes her view here?

whether one experiences transcendence is the most important issue for believers

Buddhism is a missionary religion, why did the Buddha send his monks out into the world?

to help others, spread compassion

In comparing religion and science, C. D. Broad says this: "We must remember that all of us have accepted the current common-sense and scientific view of the material world on the authority of our parents, nurses, masters, and companions at a time when we had neither the power nor the inclination to criticize it. And most of us accept, without even understanding, the more recondite doctrines of contemporary physics simply on the authority of those whom we have been taught to regard as experts." Which of the following is a serious objection to Broad's comparison?

Broad is right but he changes the subject; he confuses justifying reasons for a belief with explaining reasons for a belief. What causes us to believe something (experience, authority) is not good enough evidence to believe something is true, for both scientific claims and religious claims.

According to Ninian Smart, which of the following is a religious worldview?

Buddhism

According to William James, religious experiences or "mystical states, when well developed, usually are, and have the right to be, absolutely authoritative over the individuals to whom they come." What are his reasons for concluding this?

If the truth a person comes to know as a result of their experience becomes a truth by which they can live and thrive, then that person should be left alone.

Many explanations of religion are theological, that is, they assume the existence of supernatural agents that are capable of intervening in physical processes and human affairs. According to a literal interpretation of the Christian and Hebrew bibles, for example, all living terrestrial animals are descended from ancestors that survived the flood on Noah's Ark. Supernatural explanations such as these are rejected by everyone who adopts a naturalistic perspective, not just evolutionists. Why?

Observations and facts about the geographical distribution of terrestrial animals, for example, cannot be explained as originating from a single geographical location.

Louis Pojman, and others, are concerned about the objectivity of religious experiences. All experiences are subjective, sure, but observations based on religious experiences are more vulnerable to certain cognitive or statistical biases. Which of the following describes a sampling bias?

People self-select or put themselves in groups voluntarily and associate with people of similar beliefs. They are typically believers already and have a shared history of explaining phenomena according to popular or accepted religious worldviews. There is little or no control for deliberate or unconscious data selection.

Louis Pojman, and others, are concerned about the objectivity of religious experiences. All experiences are subjective, sure, but observations based on religious experiences are more vulnerable to certain cognitive or statistical biases. Which of the following describes confirmation bias?

People tend to search for or interpret their observations or experiences in a way that supports their preconceptions and they avoid data and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs. People cherry-pick their data.

John Haught has said in his writings: "Evolution makes very good sense scientifically speaking. But does it make good sense theologically as well? Not everyone thinks it does. Religious believers who find evolution contrary to faith usually do so because they are focusing on the complex "design" that scientists have discovered in cells and organisms. They insist that life's chemically and physically improbable architecture points to a divine intelligence that current biology cannot explain. Evolution-inspired atheists, however, usually respond that the architecture of cells and organisms is imperfect, even though awe-inspiring. "This imperfection - the manifold design flaws of life - ," writes David Barash of the University of Washington, "points incontrovertibly to a natural, rather than a divine process, one in which living things were not created de novo, but evolved." I propose, however, that religious thought can make significant contact with Darwin's science if instead of focusing on design it turns its attention to the drama of life. The typically design-obsessed frame of mind through which so many devout theists, as well as staunch atheists, are looking at the question of God and evolution is a dead end both scientifically and theologically." Which of the following best describes Haught's main point here?

Religious people and scientific people should not focus on and argue about the explanations of life so much, instead they should focus on the drama and meaning of life.

According to Dennett, how is science different than religion in a way that contributes to the conflict between science and religion?

Scientiific claims an be disconfirmed but religious claims cannot

In his article on religious experience, C. D. Broad says: "Since both musical experience and religious experience certainly exist, any theory of the universe which was incompatible with their existence would be false, and any theory which failed to show the connexion between their existence and the other facts about reality would be inadequate. So far the two kinds of experience are in exactly the same position. But a theory which answers to the condition that it allows of the existence of religious experience and indicates the connexion between its existence and other facts about reality may leave the question as to its validity quite unanswered. Or, alternatively, it may throw grave doubt on its cognitive claims, or else it may tend to support them. Suppose, e.g., that it could be shown that religious experience contains no elements which are not factors in other kinds of experience. Suppose further it could be shown that this particular combination of factors tends to originate and to be activated only under certain conditions which are known to be very commonly productive of false beliefs held with strong conviction." Which of the following is the most likely conclusion of this passage?

Some religious experiences do not tell us something about reality.

When Hume says, "In all cases, we must balance the opposite experiments, where they are opposite, and deduct the smaller number from the greater, in order to know the exact force of the superior evidence," he means,

We must weigh the evidence in order to know which is stronger

What would it take to prove a miracle, according to Hume?

Widespread agreement among all people in all countries that the same miraculous event occurred.

William James thinks that sometimes one is justified in having a belief due to a religious experience or faith, and he presents the idea of an "over-belief". On his view, an over-belief is ...

a belief one accepts that requires more evidence than one presently has

According to Swinburne, which of the following would be an actual violation of a law of nature if we had strong evidence for it?

a resurrection from the dead

According to Buddhism, what causes the fire within us that needs to be put out?

greed, anger, and ignorance

What are the three poisons and what are their opposites?

greed, anger, and ignorance are opposed by generosity compassion, and wisdom

Karen Armstrong contrasts ancient or pre-modern thinking about God and religion with modern views. She often prefers ancient views on religion and its central concepts. For instance, belief or faith is central to the religious experience for both pre-modern and modern relgious worldviews. Unlike the ancients, moderns think having a religious belief or faith means

intellectual assent to a proposition

According to John Haught, one problem with producing biological explanations of religion is that such accounts

might make people believe that theological explanations of religion are superfuous

William James maintains that: "No authority emanates from [mystical states] which should make it a duty for those who stand outside of them to accept their revelations uncritically." What are his rational reasons for concluding this?

mystical states are private and have no authority because others, as outsiders, feel no private call to them

Which of the following dimensions are NOT part of Ninian Smart's Dimensions of Religion Theory?

national and political

In order to be believable, testimony that an unusual event occurred must be,

stronger in proportion to its unusualness.

According to John Mackie: "Whether the laws of nature are deterministic or statistical, we can give a coherent definition of a miracle as a supernatural intrusion into the normally closed system that works in accordance with those laws, and in either case we can identify conceivable occurrences, and alleged occurrences, which if they were to occur, or have occurred, could be believed with high probability, though not known with certainly, to satisfy that definition." Which of the following best summarizes his main point here?

supernatural intrusions (miracles) are possible if the laws of nature are statistical or deterministic

According to Buddhism, what are the Buddha's main messages?

the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path

The Middle Path that Siddartha discovers in his quest for wisdom lies between what two extremes?

the austere asceticism of renouncers and the sensualism of self-indulgent pleasure-seekers

In her writings, Karen Armstrong has said: "Religion is not about accepting twenty impossible propositions before breakfast, but about doing things that change you. It is a moral aesthetic, an ethical alchemy. If you behave in a certain way, you will be transformed. The myths and laws of religion are not true because they conform to some metaphysical, scientific or historical reality but because they are life enhancing. They tell you how human nature functions, but you will not discover their truth unless you apply these myths and doctrines to your own life and put them into practice." Which of the following best summarizes her view expressed here?

the ethical dimension of religion is the most important aspect of being a religious person

In the "Fire Sermon" quoted in the documentary on the Buddha, what is the fire?

the fire is a symbol for the burning, craving desires in us that are out of control

In Buddhism, how is the idea of the self different than the idea of the self in the western world?

the self is impermanent, not a thing, it does not exist separately, autonomously, its continued existence from one moment to the next and after death is an illusion

Ninian Smart thinks that worldviews such as Nationalism and Marxism are like religions, but that each is not really a religious worldview. Why?

their followers want to be considered separate from religions

In Buddhism, what are the four noble truths?

there is suffering everywhere, suffering has a cause, one can be free of suffering by undertanding its cause, follow the Eightfold Path to end suffering

According to John Haught, an important reason why the Darwinian view of evolution by natural selection is an obstacle to faith for people who think of god as a designer is that

there isn't more evidence of a creator who is benevolent, personal, or fair

According to C. D. Broad, which of the following is NOT a plausible explanation for both "[1] when we find that there are certain experiences which, though never very frequent in a high degree of intensity, have happened in a high degree among a few men at all times and places; and [2] when we find that, in spite of differences in detail which we can explain, they involve certain fundamental conditions which are common and peculiar to them"?

these experiencers are drunk

In Buddhism, what is the purpose of the Eightfold Path?

to end suffering