Quiz

According to the conclusion of the Crito, which of the following should people value most highly? 1) The best interests of those for whom they bear responsibility, like their children. 2) Goodness. 3) Getting a job with a good dental plan. 4) Their own lives.

Goodness.

At the beginning of the Apology, what is Socrates's estimate of how easy it will be to convince his audience that he is innocent?

He is fully aware of how difficult it will be.

Which of the following was written by Socrates? 1. The Apology 2. Crito 3. Meno 4. None of the above

None of the above

Which of the following reflects King's idea about how one should react to laws that are unjust? W: 1. One should evade and defy such laws in exactly the same way in which segregationists were continuing to evade and defy the laws that they objected to. C:2. One should break such laws with a willingness to accept the penalty. W: 3. One should get together with others to pass one's own unjust laws, in revenge. X: 4. One should obey them, but one should at the same time make one's disagreement with those laws known to the proper authorities.

One should break such laws with a willingness to accept the penalty.

Speaking about African-Americans, King says "Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth we were here." How can this be? W: He means this in a figurative sense. Wherever there is injustice -- or even potential injustice -- there too is the destiny of the African-American.

Spaniards brought Africans to the western hemisphere as slaves as early as 1517, in order to replace the native Americans they had enslaved who were dying in large numbers.

What event marks the time when Socrates is to be executed?

The arrival of a ship from Delos.

In the Crito, Socrates is portrayed as imagining a conversation with "the laws and the state," in which Plato sets out what he claims to be Socrates's (and perhaps his own) view of the relationship between an individual citizen and the law. Which of the following reflects the way this relationship is thus characterized? X: 1) The law and the individual citizen are on equal moral footing. If the law does something wrong to the citizen, the citizen is entitled to retaliate. 2) The law and the individual citizen are not on an equal moral footing. The law is to the citizen like a parent, and the citizen owes a debt to the law that must be honored. 3) The law and the individual citizen are like players in an elaborate game of badminton. 4) The law and the individual citizen are not on an equal footing. The law is created by acts of citizens, and thus owes its very existence to citizens. Citizens thus have a superior moral status, as creators always have with respect to the things they create.

The law and the individual citizen are not on an equal moral footing. The law is to the citizen like a parent, and the citizen owes a debt to the law that must be honored.

Martin Luther King said that he was disappointed when he heard some religious leaders call upon their worshippers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is law. Why was he disappointed with this? X: 3. Because he did not feel that subjects like desegregation had any place in the House of God.

Because he felt that religious leaders should call upon their worshippers to comply with desegregation because it is right.?

Socrates is portrayed by Plato as saying that even if the jury were to offer him freedom in exchange for giving up philosophy, he could never accept such a deal. He must continue to question everyone he meets about their concern for wisdom, truth, and the fate of their souls. Who would get his greatest attention, in this regard?

Because they are more kindred to him, he cares more about questioning citizens concerning these things. -->C

In the Apology, Socrates is portrayed as rejecting the idea that he should be acquitted on condition of never practicing philosophy again. Which of the following is the sort of question that Socrates feels he must continue to ask his fellow citizens?

1) "Are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul?"

Crito complains to Socrates that his (Crito's) reputation might be damaged if Socrates does not do as Crito urges. Why does he think this might happen? 1) Because he believed that people might think that Crito could have saved Socrates, but chose not to. W:2) Because he believed that people might think that Crito was not willing to spend the money necessary to get Socrates out of jail. W:3) Because the majority of people would not believe that it was Socrates who refused to leave the jail. They would think that Crito and his friends valued money more than they valued Socrates. 4) All of the above.

1) Because he believed that people might think that Crito could have saved Socrates, but chose not to.

Socrates claims that the reputation he has as a teacher is a slander. He is not a teacher, and has never claimed to be one. What does Socrates believe to be responsible for his reputation as a great teacher, though? 1) He has a certain kind of human wisdom. 2) He has a wisdom that is more than human. 3) He has the same kind of wisdom as the Sophists, with whom he is therefore sometimes confused. W:4) None of the above.

1) He has a certain kind of human wisdom. -->C

What was Socrates's attitude toward those who accused and convicted him, according to the portrayal of him in the Apology? W: 2) He is angry with them.

1) He is not angry with them.

As Socrates examined one person after another who had a reputation for great wisdom, he realized, to his sorrow, that he was becoming unpopular. According to what he is portrayed as saying in the Apology, why did he continue?

1) He thought that he should attach great importance to what the oracle at Delphi had said, and needed to further examine its meaning.

In the Crito, Socrates is portrayed as imagining a conversation with "the laws and the state." What does this imaginary interlocutor say about the idea that Crito has proposed to Socrates?

1) It says that acting on this idea would destroy the laws and, indeed, the whole city.

Which of the following best reflects the nature of philosophy, according to Sanders?

1) Philosophy involves trying to answer questions that don't yet have clear-cut answers. C W:2) Philosophy involves the attempt to show that no question has a clear-cut answer. 3) Philosophy involves the effort to demonstrate the futility of the senses. 4) Philosophy involves trying to turn perfectly clear ideas into mush.

What interpretation does Socrates give in trying to understand what the Oracle at Delphi meant by saying that no man was wiser than he?

1) Socrates concluded that the Oracle was using his name as an example to represent anyone at all who understands that his wisdom is worthless.

At one point in the lecture, Sanders made the peculiar claim that people need to do philosophy as much as they need to breathe. What foundation did he offer for that preposterous idea? 1) Human beings are not "hard-wired" to do the things that they need to do. Instead, the way human beings are constructed makes it necessary that they figure out the answers to questions that don't have clear-cut answers. W: 2) According to Sanders, philosophy is something that only the brightest and best human beings can do. He thinks that it is part of human nature to strive for such excellence. 3) In Sanders's view, this earthly life is only temporary. The true nature of the human being is intellectual, and people should strive to silence the bodily emotions and appetites that distract the intellect. Philosophy assists in this effort. 4) All of the above.

2) According to Sanders, philosophy is something that only the brightest and best human beings can do. He thinks that it is part of human nature to strive for such excellence.

As mentioned in the lecture, Neils Bohr and Albert Einstein argued for years about how to interpret quantum mechanics. What makes this dispute "philosophical", according to Sanders? 1) It recapitulates the famous dispute between two of the greatest philosophers of all time, John Locke and David Hume. -->W 2) It involves questions that, at least at the time of the dispute, did not lend themselves to clear-cut solutions. 3) It was started at a philosopher's bar in Munich in 1927. 4) All of the above.

2) It involves questions that, at least at the time of the dispute, did not lend themselves to clear-cut solutions.

After thinking a long time about what the oracle at Delphi had said about him, Socrates went to one of the people he knew about who had a reputation for great wisdom. What was the upshot of this encounter? 1) 1) Socrates learned from this very wise person some important hints about how to become wise himself. 2) Socrates drew the conclusion that this person was not as wise as people thought he was. 3) Socrates started a small business with this person selling useless odds and ends to people who weren't so wise. W:4) All of the above.

2) Socrates drew the conclusion that this person was not as wise as people thought he was. -->C

In the Apology, Plato portrays Socrates as charging those who voted to kill him with believing that they would thereby be able to avoid giving an account of their lives. Plato even portrays him as saying to them that "a vengeance will come upon you immediately after my death, a vengeance much harder to bear than that which you took in killing me." What is that vengeance? Incorrect: 1) Socrates is portrayed as saying that his followers will rise up and kill those responsible for his own death, along with their families. 2) Socrates is portrayed as saying that young people, who he has held back up until now, will test them and require them to give accounts of their lives. 3) They will no longer be allowed to go bowling, since the only bowling alley in Athens was owned by a close friend of Socrates's 4) None of the above.

2) Socrates is portrayed as saying that young people, who he has held back up until now, will test them and require them to give accounts of their lives.

Which of the following is used by Socrates (with Crito's agreement) as the basis of their discussion concerning whether Socrates should agree to Crito's offer? 1) The principle that neither doing wrong to someone or returning wrong for injury received is ever right. 2)2) W: The principle that one must never allow an injustice to occur, even if preventing injustice requires breaking the law.-->W 3) The principle that one must always act in such a way that the principle of one's action could be made into a universal law that governed all of mankind. 4)None of the above.

2) The principle that one must never allow an injustice to occur, even if preventing injustice requires breaking the law. -->W

In what sense might it be said that science has common roots with philosophy and religion? 1) They all originate in an attempt to grapple with tough questions. 2) In all three fields there is a general insistence on never accepting any conclusion unless it may be proven with certainty. This commitment goes back to antiquity in all three areas, and practitioners of the three domains, while they have always been in considerable disagreement with one another about some things, have shared at least this. 3) All three fields share a tendency to offer "explanations" for things that are completely incomprehensible to any normal person. W: 4) None of the above.

3) All three fields share a tendency to offer "explanations" for things that are completely incomprehensible to any normal person.

In the Apology, what evidence is Socrates portrayed as offering to support his claim that he is a ôgift of the god to the cityö? W: 1. He refers to certain passages in ancient texts, written by Homer and Hesiod, which he interprets as referring to him.

3) He argues that it is contrary to human nature to neglect his own affairs, as he has done for many years, in order to spend his days speaking to the citizens of Athens.

Socrates explains to the jury his reason for not defending himself in the normal way, with lamentations and apologies and pleas. What is the reason he gives? 1) He asserts that he is a better and wiser person than any of them are, and that he does not wish to demean himself. 2) He thought that a few carefully placed bribes would be more effective. 3) He explains that he would much rather die after making the kind of defense he in fact made than live after making the normal kind. W:4) None of the above.

3) He explains that he would much rather die after making the kind of defense he in fact made than live after making the normal kind.

What does Socrates say about the way he is portrayed by the playwright Aristophanes in The Clouds? W: 1) He is flattered by the portrayal, and hopes that he can live up to it. 2) He wishes that Aristophanes had given him a bigger role to play in the comedy. 3) He says that the characterization is completely false. 4) He says that the characterization is completely accurate, even if unflattering.

3) He says that the characterization is completely false.

King harks back to the earliest days of Christianity and calls attention to similarities between those times and the present time. Which of the following reflects the similarities that he cites?

3) In both eras those who fought for social justice were regarded by those who held power in the towns as "disturbers of the peace" and as "outside agitators".

In the Apology, Socrates is portrayed by Plato as telling a story about Delphi. What happens in this story? 1) Socrates asks the oracle at Delphi the meaning of life, and the oracle responds with the words "know thyself". W:2) Socrates asks the oracle at Delphi for the tenth time to allow him to win the Athenian lottery and the oracle responds by saying "Do me a favor... At least buy a ticket!!" 3) Socrates's friend Chairephon asks the oracle at Delphi if any man was wiser than Socrates, and the oracle said that no one was W: 4) All of the above.

3) Socrates's friend Chairephon asks the oracle at Delphi if any man was wiser than Socrates, and the oracle said that no one was.

In his examination of poets who were regarded as wise, Socrates discovered that bystanders listening to the interrogation of these writers by Socrates usually did a better job of explaining the poems than their authors could. How did Socrates explain this fact? 1) The poets had the requisite knowledge, but their ability to express this knowledge in words was limited. 2) The poets had copied these poems from other poets who lived in different villages. 3) The poets must not have composed the poems with knowledge, but rather with some inborn talent or inspiration. 4) The poets were very wise, but not as wise as the bystanders.

3) The poets must not have composed the poems with knowledge, but rather with some inborn talent or inspiration.

Which of the following reflects the view of death enunciated by Socrates in the Apology? Incorrect: 1) The dead are nothing and have no perception of anything. 2) Death is preferable to having to watch "Lassie" reruns. 3) There is a good hope that death is a blessing. 4) Death is definitely a blessing.

3) There is a good hope that death is a blessing.

Socrates argues, against Crito's original contention, that we should not care about what the majority of people say about us. What should we care about, according to Socrates?

3) We should care about the opinions of those who understand what justice and injustice -- and truth -- really are. -->C

Which of the following accurately captures Socrates's attitude toward death, as it is represented in the Apology? W: 1) Death might be a blessing. 2) There may be life after death. 3) A good man cannot be harmed in life or in death. 4) All of the above.

4) All of the above.

Which of the following is included among the things Socrates says in the Apology in response to what his accusers say about him? 1) He says that he teaches no one. 2) He says that he doesn't receive fees for teaching. 3) He says that he is not an expert in teaching human and social excellence and has never claimed to be. 4) All of the above.

4) All of the above.

Which of the following reflects what Socrates says in the Apology about the way he questions people in public? 1) This practice shows that he is a divine gift to the city of Athens. 2) This practice shows that Socrates cares more about the well-being of his fellow citizens than he cares about his own. -->W 3) Socrates has never profited from this practice by charging a fee for his advice. 4) All of the above.

4) All of the above.

Why does Crito feel ashamed on behalf of Socrates and on behalf of all of Socrates's friends? W: 3) Because he thought Socrates should have admitted the wrongs that he had done and faced his punishment like a man.

4) All of the above.

Which of the following reflects Socrates's understanding of the life he has chosen? W: 1) It would be impossible for him to keep quiet, since that would mean disobeying the god whose voice he hears. W:2) It is the greatest good for people to discuss the kinds of things Socrates discusses in public. W:3) The unexamined life is not worth living. 4) All of the above.

4) All of the above. -->C?

Crito argues that Socrates should agree to the escape plan he proposes because he owes it to his children to escape. Why? 1) Because Socrates had promised to take his children to EuroDisneyworld the following spring. 2) Because Socrates knew that Athens was a bad place for anyone to raise children, and he ought to take them to a better environment. 3) Because Socrates's children had been involved in the activities for which Socrates was convicted, and they were likely to be the next to be charged if they didn't escape with Socrates. 4) Because either one shouldn't have children in the first place, or one should commit oneself to the end to sharing with them the toil of bringing them up and educating them.

4) Because either one shouldn't have children in the first place, or one should commit oneself to the end to sharing with them the toil of bringing them up and educating them.

Plato portrays Socrates as saying that "To fear death . . . is . . . to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know." Why does he say this? 1) Because he had an obsessive need to say goofy things that puzzled the people around him. 2) Because Socrates believed that he knew death to be actually a pleasant state, in which the good were rewarded eternally for the positive contributions they had made during their lives. 3) Because while Socrates believed that he knew that death was an unpleasant state, it was absolutely inevitable. Fearing what one could not possibly avoid was irrational, in his view. 4) Because no one knows what death is like it could be a great blessing, rather than a great evil.

4) Because no one knows what death is like it could be a great blessing, rather than a great evil.

The Pythagoreans could be said to have treated the realm of mathematics as if it were divine. Why were they so impressed by it? 1) They had proven that the Greek gods were mathematicians. 2) They were able, on the basis of mathematics, to prove that objects moved according to simple physical equations that could be derived from self-evident premisses. 3) Mathematics offered a highly abstract and rigorous mode of reasoning that only a small number of "elite" people could master...it offered the opportunity for mathematicians to be priest-like in their relation to common men and women. 4) Mathematics offered a mode of reasoning about things that led from apparently self-evident statements to other statements that one would not have known without the proofs. Thus mathematics offered a reliable way of gaining knowledge that was absolutely certain in a world that was in every other respect decidedly uncertain..

4) Mathematics offered a mode of reasoning about things that led from apparently self-evident statements to other statements that one would not have known without the proofs. Thus mathematics offered a reliable way of gaining knowledge that was absolutely certain in a world that was in every other respect decidedly uncertain..

Plato characterizes Socrates in the Apology as referring to a time when "the Thirty" ordered Socrates and four others to bring a man named Leon to them for execution. What was "the Thirty"? Incorrect: 1) This was the highest elective council during the high point of the Athenian democracy prior to 404 B.C.. 2) This was the harsh oligarchy that ruled Athens for about nine months in 404-403 after the defeat of Athens in 404 and prior to the restoration of the democracy in 403. 3) This was a group of 30 Athenian football fans who were angry with Leon because of his horrible record as head coach of the Athens Tigers. Leon had presided over an unprecedented 60 straight losses in the last several seasons of the fifth century B.C.. 4) None of the above.

4) None of the above.

How did Socrates's public displays of the limitations of others lead to his reputation for wisdom, according to the account given in the Apology? Incorrect: 1) In every case, Socrates knew more of the answers to the questions he asked than the supposedly wise men did. 2) The bystanders to these examinations presumed wrongly that Socrates possessed the wisdom that the supposedly wise men plainly lacked. 3) Socrates regularly bribed the bystanders at these displays to pass the word among their friends that Socrates was really wise. 4) Socrates was able to prove his answers to the complicated questions that he raised, whereas the answers offered by the others were mere opinions.

4) Socrates was able to prove his answers to the complicated questions that he raised, whereas the answers offered by the others were mere opinions.

Which of the following is deemed by Socrates to be an irrelevant consideration in determining whether he should participate in an escape attempt?

C: 4) All of the above.

Plato believed one should value the opinions of

C: 4) some people, but not others.

Who wrote "Crito" and "Apology"

C: Plato

Among the Sophists, Protagoras is one of the most memorable. He is believed to have taught that "Man is the measure of all things"? What did he mean by this?

C: That questions of right and wrong, truth and falsity, have no objective answers. Everything depends on the person doing the judging.

A central problem addressed by King in his "Letter From the Birmingham City Jail" is the problem of social tension between whites and blacks in those parts of the country where society had been segregated. What does he say about this tension?

C: The tension was not created by those who engage in nonviolent direct action. Instead, such action merely brings to the surface the previously hidden tension that had already been there.

After questioning a few people who had reputations for great wisdom, Socrates began to believe that the oracle at Delphi had been right in saying that no man was wiser than Socrates. Why?

C:4) Because Socrates did not think that he knew things that in fact he did not know.

Crito presses his point about the danger of antagonizing the majority of people, even if one is pursuing a course that those who know best would agree with. In particular, as Socrates expresses it, "the many are able to put us to death". What is Socrates' response to this? -Incorrect: 1) He agrees that in such situations, one must sometimes compromise one's principles. 2)He argues that this situation, while possible in principle, is not likely to come up. The truly just cause, he argues, is always the most likely to succeed in the hearts of most people. 3)He argues that the most important thing is not life, but the good life. -Incorrect: 4) He asks Meno to order him a last pizza.

He agrees that in such situations, one must sometimes compromise one's principles.

How does Socrates account for the fact that he has been accused of corrupting the young? 1) He guesses that young people who have heard his examinations of supposedly wise people have imitated him, and have found no shortage of people to offend by showing that they are not as wise as they think they are. 2) He presumes that many or most of the young people who have been his students have become offended by the way he treats them. 3) He argues that most of the young people with whom he has come in contact were corrupted earlier by others, and that he should not be held responsible. Incorrect: 4) He acknowledges that he is a dirty old man, but contends that everyone must do "his own thing".

He argues that most of the young people with whom he has come in contact were corrupted earlier by others, and that he should not be held responsible.

In the Apology, Plato portrays Socrates as speaking about what would happen if he is put to death as a result of his trial. What does Socrates say? W: 1) He assures the court that his followers are likely to rise up against the established powers in Athens to reaffirm the principles of justice by whatever means are necessary. 2) He threatens that, if he is put to death, he will not participate in the celebrity "all-Greece" bowling tournament being held in the next month, as he had promised. 3) He assures the court that it will not be harming him more than it is harming itself. 4) All of the above.

He assures the court that his followers are likely to rise up against the established powers in Athens to reaffirm the principles of justice by whatever means are necessary. --> w

Socrates is a character in The Clouds, a play written by the famous Greek writer Aristophanes (it's in any half-way decent library). How is Socrates portrayed in that play? 1) He is portrayed as a great and learned man, whose contributions to the city of Athens should be honored and rewarded. 2) He is portrayed as walking on air and as spouting nonsense about all kinds of things. 3) He is portrayed as a mushroom. 4) None of the above.

He is portrayed as walking on air and as spouting nonsense about all kinds of things.

Parmenides appears to have believed that motion and change were impossible. How could he have believed this, in the face of obvious experience? 1. He must have believed that the experiences of change and motion were illusory, just as we now think that the experience of the sun's apparent motion from east to west during the day is illusory. 2. He must have believed that the experiences of change and motion were illusory, just as we now think that the experience of the sun's apparent motion from east to west during the day is illusory. W: 3. He thought that certain motions and changes were impossible, not all motions and changes. The ones that were impossible, on strictly logical grounds, could be fully explained by the ones that were possible. 4. Parmenides, writing nearly 3,000 years ago, did not have the benefit (as we do) of modern scientific experiments, which would have demonstrated to him that motion and change were possible after all.

He must have believed that the experiences of change and motion were illusory, just as we now think that the experience of the sun's apparent motion from east to west during the day is illusory.

After thinking a long time about what the oracle at Delphi had said about him, Socrates went to one of the people he knew about who had a reputation for great wisdom. What was Socrates's objective in doing this?

He planned to try to show that what the oracle had said was mistaken.

In telling a story about how he first began his practice of the "Socratic questioning" of people who had reputations for being wise, Socrates mentions the reactions of the first such person to be examined by him, and the reactions of bystanders who witnessed this first examination. What does he say about these reactions?

He says that this person came to dislike him, as did many of the bystanders.

Which of the following reflects Socrates's reaction to the suggestion that he should agree to live out the remainder of his life quietly, without bothering others with his philosophical questioning?

He says this would be impossible, since it would mean disobeying the god whose voice he hears.

Socrates, in the Apology, explains what would happen if his jury were to let him go, on condition that he never practice philosophy again. He says that he could not obey, but would continue to question his fellow citizens about their apparent lack of concern for wisdom, truth, or the state of their souls. What would his reaction be, according to what Plato characterizes him as saying, to people who insist that they do care about these things?

He would test such people, and if his questioning leads him to the conclusion that they haven't attained the goodness they say they have attained, he would reproach them.

Which of the following is among the considerations mentioned in the Crito as supporting the conclusion that Socrates should not go along with Crito's escape plan? 1. If Socrates leaves Athens, as recommended by Crito, he will miss all his favorite sporting events. 2) If Socrates goes along with Crito's plan he risks capture. There are other ways of escaping that are far less risky. -Incorrect: 3. If Socrates goes along with Crito's plan he will inspire others to carry out a democratic revolution, and this would be a very bad thing. 4) None of the above. random

If Socrates goes along with Crito's plan he risks capture. There are other ways of escaping that are far less risky.

Where did the story about Socrates's superior wisdom originate, according to what is said in the Apology?

It originally came from the god at Delphi.

What will happen, according to King, if the contemporary church fails to recapture the "sacrificial spirit of the early church"?

It will become less popular among the masses, but better able to exert pressure on society from inside the bastions of power.

What point was Zeno trying to make in his argument concerning Achilles and the tortoise? Incorrect: 1. Achilles could not beat the tortoise until the very end of the race. 2. Races do not work quite like they appear to. In fact, races are almost always fixed. 3. Tortoises are illusory. 4. Our common understanding of motion is not entirely coherent.

Our common understanding of motion is not entirely coherent.?

Which of the following does Plato portray Socrates as offering by way of analysis of his conviction?

Socrates suggests that he was convicted because he was unwilling to say to the jurors what they wanted to hear.

Crito urges Socrates to be more concerned about what other people think, especially when they are in a position to do the kind of harm that the court has done to Socrates. Which of the following does Socrates say in response to this? W: 3. One should always follow the opinion of the majority in matters of right and wrong, since right and wrong really are nothing more than reflections of social consensus.

Some people know more about virtue than others. One should try to find the people who are wise in such matters, and follow their advice. The majority of people are not likely to know very much about virtue.

Sometimes the efforts of individuals to gain their basic constitutional rights leads indirectly to violence. King calls attention in his letter to Supreme Court decisions which bear on this issue. What does the Supreme Court say about such things, according to King? X:1) The Supreme Court has consistently said that efforts to gain constitutional rights must not be continued in cases where violence may result. Legal prohibition of violence takes precedence over transitory pursuit of rights 2) The Supreme Court has consistently postponed consideration of anything substantive in this area, and has instead spent its time either on trivial matters or on vacation. 3) The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that it is immoral to urge an individual to withdraw his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest precipitates violence. 4) None of the above.

The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that it is immoral to urge an individual to withdraw his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest precipitates violence.

Socrates is portrayed by Plato as claiming that his function in the city of Athens is to serve as a kind of ôgadflyö whose job it was to wake up the city, which he compared to ôa great and noble horse which was somewhat sluggish because of its size and needed to be stirred up.ö How did he come to acquire this function, according Socrates?

2) The god has placed him in Athens to perform this function.

We discussed in class the many efforts made by the pre-Socratic Greeks to offer theories and explanations that would reveal the true structure of the world. What is the significance of the proofs attributed to the Pythagoreans, given this background? 1. These proofs offered an example of knowledge that appeared to be absolutely certain, compared to the uncertainty of existing theories about everything else. 2. These proofs provided a basis on which Thales' views could be demonstrated as being superior to all other theories of the day. It was not thereby shown to be 100% correct, but it was clearly the best theory around. 3. The Pythagorean theorem was important as an indication that one should give up on the goal of achieving certainty in our theories it became clear that only mathematics, which concerned itself with fictitious things (like "ideal" triangles) could be absolutely certain. 4. These proofs eventually opened up career opportunities for abstract mathematicians, who up to that time had lived impoverished lives in the back streets of Athens.

These proofs offered an example of knowledge that appeared to be absolutely certain, compared to the uncertainty of existing theories about everything else.

What is it, according to Sanders, that makes ethical questions "philosophical"? 1. Only professional philosophers are truly competent at resolving them. 2. Only professional philosophers would imagine that entire books could be written about them. 3. They don't lend themselves to clear-cut solutions. 4. None of the above.

They don't lend themselves to clear-cut solutions.

The Greeks were unable to use modern analytic geometry to prove the Pythagorean theorem. Which of the following correctly describes the modes of expression and proof that were originally used in the demonstration? 1) They were able to explain the theorem only in terms of Plato's Forms, starting with self-evident Forms like the Form of Justice or the Form of Beauty, and showing that the Pythagorean theorem was true by definition on the basis of these self-evident premisses. 2) They were able to demonstrate the theorem by geometric construction, rather than through the manipulation of variables or the use of algebraic equations. 3) They were able to demonstrate the theorem only after uttering loud oaths and making proclamations concerning the gods that were in extremely bad taste. 4) None of the above.

They were able to explain the theorem only in terms of Plato's Forms, starting with self-evident Forms like the Form of Justice or the Form of Beauty, and showing that the Pythagorean theorem was true by definition on the basis of these self-evident premisses.->W

The earliest records of Western philosophy indicate that "metaphysics" was at the heart of many philosophical disagreements. What is metaphysics? That is, what were these pre-Socratic philosophers arguing about?

W: 1) They were arguing about the principles of right and wrong behavior. 2) They were arguing about the basic principles of external reality.