PHIL 110 Chapter 4 Exam

Which of the arguments for the existence of God is an a priori argument? The Cosmological Argument The Teleological Argument The Ontological Argument The Fideist Argument

The Ontological Argument

According to William James, a belief or decision may be justified based on faith only if it meets which one of the following criteria? A) A decision one way or the other is unavoidable. B) The rational evidence is in its favor. C) No doubts are possible. D) The decision has no momentous impact on one s life.

A) A decision one way or the other is unavoidable.

John Hick's theodicy maintains that A) Even an all-powerful God could not make free persons into ready-made, perfected moral agents. B) God could allow all of the evil in the world because the evil constitutes a just punishment for sin. C) Evil is only apparent, but there is in reality no evil, only a lack of good. D) God's power is limited by the natures and choices of individuals.

A) Even an all-powerful God could not make free persons into ready-made, perfected moral agents.

The free will defense typically attempts to explain A) Moral evil B) Natural evil C) Both moral and natural evil D) Neither moral nor natural evil

A) Moral evil

The teleological argument claims that the existence of God is needed to account for A) the apparent design in the universe. B) the objectivity of our fundamental ethical principles. C) the existence of an observable series of causes and effects. D) the existence of contingent beings, including the universe as a whole.

A) the apparent design in the universe.

Which statement best characterizes John Hick's position? A) A good God would make our life completely free of pain. B) Even an all-powerful God could not make free persons into ready-made, perfected moral agents. C) The reason God allows suffering in this life is to punish us when we have gone astray. D) The problem of evil is solved by recognizing that what is good and evil is simply a matter of personal, subjective, opinion.

B) Even an all-powerful God could not make free persons into ready-made, perfected moral agents.

Natural evil consists of A) all those evils, such as crimes, that result from the wickedness of human nature. B) terrible events such as tornadoes that are produced by nature. C) human moral evil that is natural and, therefore, forgivable. D) evils done to nature, such as pollution.

B) terrible events such as tornadoes that are produced by nature.

Which of the following are examples of attacks that critics make against fine-tuning arguments, according to the text? (Mark all that apply.) A) The big bang itself adequately explains the origin and nature of the universe, including the apparent fine-tuning that makes life, and more specifically intelligent life, possible. B) The fact that the constants of the universe have just the values that they do, so that intelligent life can exist, is explainable in terms of the natural laws that we currently understand. C) The mathematics of probability cannot function when dealing with possible universes, since we don't know how many possible universes there are or whether some are more probable than others. D) It is possible that most or even all possible values of the various constants of the universe are actually realized and that, therefore, there exist multiple universes, possibly an infinite number of them, so that it is not surprising at all that at least one of them would have intelligent life.

C & D

Which of the claims below is not an objection made by Philo (a character in Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion) to the argument from design? A) Even if we accept the basic structure of the design argument, it wouldn't license belief in an infinite, perfect, omniscient God but only belief in a much more limited creator. B) The great differences between human artifacts and the universe make the analogy between the two weak. C) Although the notion of an infinite regress of causes is puzzling, it's not logically incoherent. D) It's problematic to reason from the part to the whole.

C) Although the notion of an infinite regress of causes is puzzling, it's not logically incoherent.

Which of the following is\are a premise in Anselm's argument? A) Everything that came into existence had a cause. B) There cannot be an infinite regress of causes. C) Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone. D) all of the above.

C) Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone.

In his argument for God, William Paley uses the analogy of A) a large ball found in the woods. B) the information found in the DNA molecule. C) a watch found upon the ground. D) a perfect island.

C) a watch found upon the ground.

According to William James, an essential condition for an act of faith to be a reasonable option is when A) the rational evidence is overwhelming in its favor. B) no doubts are at all possible. C) the decision one way or the other is unavoidable. D) all the above.

C) the decision one way or the other is unavoidable.

In his parable about the two worshipers, Kierkegaard says that the worshiper who is genuinely in the truth is A) the one who has the correct beliefs about God. B) the one who is able to rationally justify his or her beliefs. C) the one who prays to a false idol with utmost passion. D) the one whose actions conform to the laws of his religion.

C) the one who prays to a false idol with utmost passion.

Pascal's, James', and Kierkegaard's position on faith and reason could be best described as A) rationalistic theism. B) agnosticism. C) natural theology. D) nonevidentialism.

D) Nonevidentialism.

An agnostic is someone who claims that A) God does not exist. B) belief in God should be based on faith and subjective reasons. C) each individual is really a part of the being of God. D) there is not sufficient evidence to support either theism or atheism.

D) There is not sufficient evidence to support either theism or atheism.

Which of the following criticisms of the free will defense is/are mentioned in the text? A) It seems possible that God could make us so that we always freely choose the good. B) God could allow people to be free to commit minor evils while preventing them from committing major evils. C) The value of having the amount of freedom we have does not justify the amount of moral evil that results. D) all of the above.

D) all of the above.

According to the text, moral evil is the only kind of evil there really is. true false

FALSE

An essential premise of the cosmological argument is the claim that everything has a cause for its existence. true false

FALSE

Monotheism is the belief that God and the world are identical. true false

FALSE

Joe says that evolutionary biology describes how species come about, but not why they come about; religion explains the why. Which model of the relationship between science and religion is Joe adopting? Adversarialism Territorialism Perspectivalism Harmonizing

Perspectivalism

William James's essay "The Will to Believe" was an attempt to defend W.K. Clifford's position. true false

FALSE

he problem of evil is that of explaining how to turn people from their evil ways to do good. true false

FALSE

Soren Kierkegaard's position is an example of evidentialism agnosticism natural theology fideism

FIDEISM

The Problem of Evil is an argument most often used to argue in favor of believing in God. true false

FALSE

The teleological argument is a type of a priori argument. true false

FALSE

Which of the following adjectives would Kierkegaard have been least likely to use to describe belief in God? A) Subjective B) Reasonable C) Absurd D) Objectively uncertain

B) Reasonable

Thomas Aquinas believed that it was logically impossible for the world to have always existed without a beginning. true false

FALSE

With which of the following claims would both a believer in natural theology and an atheistic evidentialist agree? A) Objective evidence is required for religious belief. B)Objective evidence for religious belief is available. C) We cannot know if God does or does not exist. D)Belief in God must be based on faith alone and not on reasons.

A) Objective evidence is required for religious belief.

Another name for agnosticism is A) religious skepticism B) atheism C) theism D) fideism

A) Religious skepticism

Which of the following statements most accurately represents the position of Intelligent Design theorists like Behe and Dembski? A) Science reveals to us that certain types of biological complexity cannot be adequately explained by evolutionary mechanisms but, rather, are best explained in terms of intelligent design. B) Scientific accounts of life are only one perspective, while other, equally valid perspectives, such as intelligent design, should also be taken seriously and taught, especially in high school biology classrooms. C) Evolutionary biology actually supports intelligent design, since evolutionary mechanisms themselves must have been designed and used so as to bring about the irreducible and specified complexity we observe in nature. D) Intelligent design must be presupposed as a stop-gap theory until evolutionary science is finally able to explain all of the incidents of irreducible and specified complexity.

A) Science reveals to us that certain types of biological complexity cannot be adequately explained by evolutionary mechanisms but, rather, are best explained in terms of intelligent design.

Consider the following claims. Which does not directly attack Aquinas's causal version of the Cosmological Argument for God's existence? A) Uncaused beings or events are possible. B) The first cause of the universe may well have been the Big Bang. C) The idea of an infinite series of causes and effects is strange but logically possible. D) The idea of an uncaused event is absurd.

A) Uncaused beings or events are possible.

The principle of sufficient reason states that A) everything that exists must have a reason that explains its existence and its properties. B) there is not sufficient reason to believe in God. C) reason is sufficient to answer all our religious questions. D) there is an ultimate and good purpose for everything that happens in life.

A) everything that exists must have a reason that explains its existence and its properties.

Anselm's argument may be viewed as a reductio ad absurdum argument because A) he begins with a premise that is the opposite of what he wants to prove and shows that it leads to a contradiction. B) contemporary philosophers consider his premise to be absurd. C) it reduces all the traditional properties of God to the one property of perfection. D) it reduces belief in God to an absurd leap of faith.

A) he begins with a premise that is the opposite of what he wants to prove and shows that it leads to a contradiction.

The teleological argument argues for the existence of God on the basis of A) the evidence of design in the universe. B) the existence of contingent beings that require an explanation. C) our deep-seated conviction that there is a teleos or a purpose and meaning to human life. D) the need for a first cause that brought the universe into existence.

A) the evidence of design in the universe.

Pascal's discussion of gambling and religious belief is intended to show that A) there is more to gain and less to risk in believing in God. B) life is a game and should not be taken seriously. C) choosing God or choosing unbelief are equally risky choices. D) the religious person does not gamble, but bases his or her choices on knowledge that is certain.

A) there is more to gain and less to risk in believing in God.

Kierkegaard's view on the relationship between faith and reason is that A) when faith and reason conflict, faith should be given the priority over reason. B) reason should have priority over faith to make sure our beliefs are rational. C) reason can prove the existence of God, but having such a proof is not necessary to have faith. D) having objective reasons for believing in God s existence is a necessary first step to having faith in God.

A) when faith and reason conflict, faith should be given the priority over reason.

Which of the following would be instances of fine-tuning as it is described in the text? (Mark all that apply.) A) The force of gravitation is just so as to allow stars to form without collapsing on themselves. B) The strong nuclear force is just so as to allow elements to form. C) The energy state of the universe immediately after the big bang was just so as to cause the universe to expand at just the right rate to allow matter to coalesce. D) The flagella of certain amoebas require a number of specific and interdependent parts to develop simultaneously so as to function together.

A, B, & C

What does Richard Taylor believe would be the case if we supposed the world had no beginning? A) The question of why such a world existed would already be adequately answered. B) It would still be reasonable to ask why such a world existed at all. C) The Principle of Sufficient Reason would not be applicable to the issue of the sufficient reason for the world's existence. D) It could then be logically shown that the world must have no ending either.

B) It would still be reasonable to ask why such a world existed at all.

To be an agnostic is, by definition, to be a nonevidentialist. true false

FALSE

Natural theology is A) the belief that nature is divine and should be worshiped. B) the attempt to prove God's existence on the basis of reason and experience alone. C) the application of divine revelation to our understanding of nature. D) the belief that nature is all that exists and that there are no supernatural beings.

B) The attempt to prove God's existence on the basis of reason and experience alone.

Gaunilo's point concerning the island is that A) if God is perfect, then it is possible for him to create a perfect island. B) the ontological argument could be used to prove the necessary existence of a perfect island. C) nothing can be perfect, whether this be a God or an island. D) if one has never experienced a perfect island, then it is impossible to conceive of it.

B) The ontological argument could be used to prove the necessary existence of a perfect island.

Which of the following claims does not directly attack Anselm's Ontological Argument for God's existence? A) Existence is not a property to be listed among other properties, as though adding existence to its list of attributes would make something greater. B) There may in fact be entities which exist that are greater than God. C) Arguments of the same structure as Anselm s can also prove the existence of absurd things like perfect islands. D) The argument tells us only about how our ideas of God and existence are related analytically, but it does not allow us to infer a factual (synthetic) statement about the world.

B) There may in fact be entities which exist that are greater than God.

C. S. Lewis's Natural Order defense claims that A) suffering is a punishment for violating natural laws established by God. B) suffering results from the laws of nature, which are necessary if there is to be human freedom at all. C) God's ways are so far beyond our ways that we shouldn't try to explain why he allows evil to happen. D) God is incapable of preventing natural evil, but he can comfort us in our suffering.

B) suffering results from the laws of nature, which are necessary if there is to be human freedom at all.

The free will defense assumes that A) God can freely do anything he wishes and we should not question him. B) there are some things that are logically impossible for God to do. C) we would be better off lacking free will than suffering. D) we will be rewarded for enduring suffering in the afterlife.

B) there are some things that are logically impossible for God to do.

Which of the following offers the best definition of the word "theodicy"? A) A type of argument against God's existence based on the existence of senseless evil in the world. B) A "leap of faith" resulting from a failure to reconcile God's existence and the existence of evil. C) A justification for God's permitting evil to exist. D) An argument attempting to show that evil is not real.

C) A justification for God's permitting evil to exist.

Which of the following best characterizes the difference between a posteriori and a priori arguments for the existence of God? A) A priori arguments are used by atheists while a posteriori arguments are used by believers. B) A posteriori arguments are used by atheists while a priori arguments are used by believers. C) A posteriori arguments rely on our experiences while a priori arguments do not. D) A priori arguments rely on our experiences while a posteriori arguments do not.

C) A posteriori arguments rely on our experience while a priori arguments do not.

Which of the statements below would a nonevidentialist be most likely to reject? A) It is not rationally required to have objective, rational evidence for our basic beliefs and stance toward life. B) We must often base our ultimate commitments on personal grounds. C) Belief in God must be supported by objective, rational arguments. D) There is a warranted grounding for religious belief besides rational argument.

C) Belief in God must be supported by objective, rational arguments.

Which of the following claims would not be accepted by a supporter of the greater goods defense? A) Some evils are necessary to achieving certain good ends. B) The good that is achieved in the world outweighs the evil. C) God could have made the world less evil while still achieving the same goods. D) The same or greater amount of good in the world could not have been attained by any means that did not involve the presence of these evils.

C) God could have made the world less evil while still achieving the same goods.

Pascal's Wager is best summarized by which of the following? A) Choosing to believe in God and choosing not to believe both involve equal risk and an equal chance of reward. B) The tremendous improbability of the universe being so organized as to produce intelligent life entails that God must exist. C) There is more to gain and less to lose by believing in God. D) Whether or not God actually exists, it is more prudent to be an agnostic than either a theist or an atheist.

C) There is more to gain and less to lose by believing in God.

W.K. Clifford's story of the shipowner was intended to make the point that A) the best we can do is act on our sincere convictions. B) it is better to take risks in the hope that we are right than to never venture out into the unknown. C) it is always wrong to believe anything on insufficient evidence. D) faith provides us with a basis for belief when reason fails.

C) it is always wrong to believe anything on insufficient evidence.

In the reading, C.S. Lewis argues that A) God's ways are so far beyond our ways that we shouldn't try to explain why he allows evil to happen. B) God is incapable of preventing natural evil, but he can comfort us in our suffering. C) suffering results from the laws of nature, which are necessary if there is to be human freedom at all. D) suffering is a punishment for violating God's moral law.

C) suffering results from the laws of nature, which are necessary if there is to be human freedom at all.

Which of the following most accurately completes the statement? According to the Cosmological Argument from contingency, A) there are only contingent beings. B) there are no necessary beings. C) there are both contingent and necessary beings. D) there are no contingent beings.

C) there are both contingent and necessary beings.

In his refutation of the teleological argument, David Hume argues that A) the analogy between human creations and the universe is weak. B) we have no other universe with which to compare this one. C) it supports the conclusion that God has all the limitations of human creators. D) all of the above.

D) All of the above

Soren Kierkegaard believed that faith should never go beyond what can be proven on the basis of reason. true false

FALSE

A criticism of the cosmological argument mentioned in the text is A) it seems possible that there could be an infinite series of causes. B) the uncaused cause of the universe could be matter and energy. C) it makes no sense to say the existence of something is necessary. D) all of the above.

D) All of the above.

According to your text, John Hick's critics, Edward Madden and Peter Hare, argue that A) there is never any justification for allowing people to suffer. B) Hick's position is weak because he justifies it by basing it on the Bible rather than by giving philosophical arguments. C) there is no way of knowing whether or not something is evil. D) Hick assumes that the only choice God had was between the present amount of evil and no evil at all.

D) Hick assumes that the only choice God had was between the present amount of evil and no evil at all.

Three of the following, if true, serve as criticisms of Pascal's Wager. Which one is not a criticism? A) Christianity is not the only viable religious choice. B) It is impossible to force yourself to believe something just because you want to. C) God would not punish an agnostic for her beliefs if they were based on the best available objective evidence. D) It is impossible to rationally prove that God exists.

D) It is impossible to rationally prove that God exists.

Which of the following claims is the most likely to be rejected by both Pascal and James? A) When reason cannot guide us in making an unavoidable decision, it is legitimate to appeal to subjective justifications in deciding what to believe. B) Reason is insufficient to provide rational grounds for belief in God's existence. C) It is impossible to take a neutral standpoint with respect to God's existence. D) It is possible to demonstrate the existence of God on the basis of sense experience.

D) It is possible to demonstrate the existence of God on the basis of sense experience.

A pragmatic nonevidentialist theist and a fideist theist are most likely to give different answers to which of the yes/no questions below? A) Does God exist? B) Is objective evidence required for religious belief? C) Is sufficient objective evidence for belief in God available? D) Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

D) Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

A pragmatic nonevidentialist theist and a fideist theist are most likely to give different answers to which of the yes/no questions below? A) Does God exist? B)Is objective evidence required for religious belief? C) Is sufficient objective evidence for belief in God available? D) Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

D) Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

Three of the following four concepts are directly related to the Ontological Argument for God's existence. Which concept does not belong? A) The idea of a greatest conceivable being B) A reductio ad absurdum argument C) Existence as a great-making property D) The concept of cause and effect

D) The concept of cause and effect.

Which of the following is not a criticism of the Free Will Defense? A) God could allow people to be free to commit minor evils while preventing them from committing major evils. B) The value of having the amount of freedom we have does not justify the amount of moral evil that results. C) It seems possible that God could make us so that we always freely choose the good. D) There is nothing wrong, in theory at least, with the idea of an infinite chain of determining causes.

D) There is nothing wrong, in theory at least, with the idea of an infinite chain of determining causes.

Which of the following propositions, if true, offers a solution to the Problem of Evil? A) God is not perfectly good. B) God's power has limits. C) God's knowledge has limits D) a, b, and c are all adequate to resolve the problem of evil.

D) a, b, and c are all adequate to resolve the problem of evil.

Which of the following does not play a central role in Aquinas' "first cause" version of the cosmological argument? A) the notion of God being (among other things) an uncaused first cause B) the impossibility of an infinite regress of causes C) the existence of things that were caused D) the idea that existence in reality is greater than existence just in the understanding

D) the idea that existence in reality is greater than existence just in the understanding.

For Kierkegaard, we can gain a sense of our authentic self only when A) we have thoroughly examined the rational foundation of our ideas. B) we stop struggling so hard and feel a sense of satisfaction with who we are. C) we gain friends and are accepted by our society. D) we stand before an infinite God who knows us as we are.

D) we stand before an infinite God who knows us as we are.

Which of the following premises in the Problem of Evil does the Greater Goods defense attack? A) God is all-loving. B) God is all-knowing. C) God is all-powerful. D) Evil exists. E) If God exists and is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, then evil would not exist.

E) If God exists and is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, then evil would not exist.

Anselm believed that God was so far beyond human reason that it was impossible for the mind to conceive of him. true false

FALSE

Anselm's critic, Gaunilo, rejected the ontological argument because he was an atheist. true false

FALSE

Blaise Pascal believed that faith could be proven by reason. true false

FALSE

Everyone who believes in God agrees with the premise that he is all-powerful. true false

FALSE

It is an essential claim of all atheists that it can be proven that God does not exist. true false

FALSE

John Hick argues that God made the world a paradise in which we could experience nothing but pleasure, thus human moral wickedness is the cause of all suffering. true false

FALSE

Proponents of Natural Theology consider faith to be an appropriate source of evidence in the attempt to prove the existence of God. true false

FALSE

Which one of the following philosophers is best described as a fideist? Williams James Søren Kierkegaard Blaise Pascal William Clifford

Søren Kierkegaard

A priori arguments are based on reason alone and not data obtained from experience. true false

TRUE

A theodicy is an attempt to justify God's permitting of evil to occur. true false

TRUE

According to Kierkegaard, there is a difference between knowing about God and having faith in him. true false

TRUE

According to Pascal, deciding whether or not to believe in God is not an optional decision. true false

TRUE

According to the text, Blaise Pascal and William James believed that there was no practical difference between being an atheist and being an agnostic. true false

TRUE

All versions of the cosmological argument contain the claim that the universe is not self-explanatory. true false

TRUE

An evidentialist is one who claims that belief in God must be supported by objective evidence. true false

TRUE

Anselm assumes that existence is a property that makes a being greater. true false

TRUE

Based on the definitions offered in the text, it is possible for an atheist to be an evidentialist. True or False

TRUE

Fideism is one form of nonevidentialism. true false

TRUE

Of the three main arguments that attempt to prove God's existence, only the Ontological does not rely on sense experience. true false

TRUE

Pascal assumes that the only options are belief or disbelief in the Christian God, but he does not consider other religious options. true false

TRUE

The cosmological argument for God is a type of a posteriori argument. true false

TRUE

The greater good defense claims that some evils are necessary in order to achieve certain good ends. true false

TRUE

The ontological argument is an example of an a priori argument. true false

TRUE

The problem of evil is used by the atheist to provide a positive argument or evidence for the nonexistence of God. true false

TRUE

There are both atheists and theists who are evidentialists. true false

TRUE

W.K. Clifford's argument rejects the notion of basing beliefs on faith alone. true false

TRUE

he opposite of a contingent being is a necessary being. true false

TRUE

Sally says that religion has no place in discussions of the origins of life, or of the universe, since these are natural phenomena. Religion should stick with what it's meant to deal with, the soul and God. Which model of the relationship between science and religion is Sally adopting? Adversarialism Territorialism Perspectivalism Harmonizing

Territorialism