Philosophy exam 2

a (he cannot be certain that he is not dreaming)

Descartes claims that all of his beliefs that are derived from the senses can be doubted. Which of the following is the main reason he gives for this claim? a) He cannot be certain that he is not dreaming. b) The senses are contaminated by impurities. c) Information gathered by the senses requires interpretation. d) He recently drank a lot of cheap wine.

c (expectation)

Dukkha is a central concept in Buddhism. As the author, Walpola Rahula, points out it's often translated as "suffering." However, it really means something broader and more complex. The Buddha identifies three aspects or categories of dukkha. Which of the following is NOT among them? a) Ordinary suffering. Pain and sadness and all the standard negative experiences and emotions are in this category. b) Change. Change is always stressful, and the very fact that everything in the world is impermanent is a source of "suffering." c) Expectation. Having expectations is a recipe for disappointment. This category includes all of the forms of "suffering" that we bring upon ourselves through our hopes and desires. d) Conditioned States. Often translated as the dukkha of being or existence, this is the hardest to understand. It has to do with facing the facts of our existence as a constantly changing aggregate of processes.

d (reincarnation)

Enlightenment or Nirvana is the "ultimate purpose" of Buddhism. It's described in many ways. Which of the following is NOT among them? a) The cessation of dukkha. b) Absolute truth. c) Blowing out. d) Reincarnation. e) Liberation. f) Extinction of thirst.

b (a piece of wax)

Towards the end of the second meditation there is a famous passage in which Descartes describes an object and the way it changes. It's a confusing passage in which he's emphasizing that the existence of the mind is more obvious than the existence of bodies, and that what can be known can only be known through the mind. What's the object he describes? a) An apple. b) A piece of wax. c) A clock. d) A ball of clay.

c (the religious stage)

Which of the following does Kierkegaard consider the highest stage of human existence? a) The aesthetic stage. b) The ethical stage. c) The religious stage. d) The scientific stage.

a (a leap of faith)

According to Kierkegaard, what is the only legitimate path to belief in God? a) A leap of faith. b) A fully rational proof. c) Participation in a community of believers. d) Spiritual training and meditation.

e (God is unpredictable)

In the "Essence of God" reading by Daniel Birsch, we get a list of the traditional properties of God. Which of the following is NOT among them? a) God is omnipotent. b) God is omniscient. c) God is omnipresent. d) God is perfectly good. e) God is unpredictable. f) God is spiritual. g) God is eternal. h) God is personal.

c (There is no realm of perfect, unchanging reality in Buddhism.)

There are several extraordinary claims made in Chapter 4. Which of the following is NOT among them? a) The Absolute Truth is that there is nothing which is absolute. Everything is relative and impermanent. b) Nirvana is no different than Samsara, it all depends on perspective. c) Nirvana is the perception of the ultimate Reality or "Rädsara," a realm of perfect and unchanging forms. d) Nirvana is beyond all dualities; good and evil, right and wrong, existence and non-existence. e) Nirvana is beyond logic and reasoning. It cannot be understood through intellectual effort.

d (God allows evil to exist as a challenge to humans)

Which of the following is NOT an element of the Augustinian theodicy? a) God is not responsible for evil; it is the result of free human choices. b) All evil is either sin or the punishment for sin. c) God's initial creation was perfect, containing no evil. d) God allows evil to exist as a challenge to humans.

a (God exists outside of space and time)

According to Birsch, which of the following would be the best way to understand the claim that God is transcendent? a) God exists outside of space and time. b) God exists everywhere at the same time. c) God is the same thing as existence itself. That is, God is everything, and everything is God. d) God is constantly re-creating the world at every moment.

c (realistic, but light hearted and joyful)

According to Walpola Rahula which of the following is an appropriate characterization of the attitude of Buddhism towards life? a) Pessimistic and melancholy. b) Optimistic and joyful, but somewhat naive. c) Realistic, but light-hearted and joyful. d) Demanding and ascetic.

b

According to the first half of the reading, Kierkegaard's ideas about religion and faith are a response to two concerns about Christianity. What are they? a) That religion inspires an emotional response that strengthens belief, and that strong unreflective belief is dangerous. b) That Christianity is based on a logical contradiction, and that God's existence cannot be known as an objective truth. c) That God is infinitely creative and expressive, and that all religions share some fundamental similarities. d) That it was morally wrong for God to command Abraham to kill his son, and that religious belief is the principle source of evil in the world.

a

Aquinas offers five proofs for the existence of God, often called the Five Ways. Which of the following is the best summary of the proof from motion? a) Things in the world move, and everything that moves has to be moved by something else. But there cannot be an infinite chain of movers, so there must be a first mover, namely God. b) Things in the world move, and everything that moves brings about subsequent motion in other things. But there cannot be an infinite chain of movers, so there must be a final mover, who "absorbs" as it were the motion of all other things, namely God. c) Some things move faster than other things. But there must be something which moves the fastest. The thing which is fastest is God. d) If there was no God, existence would have no purpose. If there was no purpose there would be no reason for motion (or change) of any kind. But there obviously is motion in the world, so there must be a purpose, so there must be a God.

d (there may exist an all powerful evil being who deceives him)

Descartes claims that he has some beliefs which do not derive from the senses, such as the belief that "two and three together always form five," and "squares can never have more than four sides." Nonetheless, Descartes casts doubt even upon these beliefs. Which of the following is the worry he raises? a) Beliefs that are expressed in language are always subject to misunderstanding. b) Abstract ideas are not grounded in experience, and thus they cannot be confirmed. c) The human intellect is finite, and thus capable of error. d) There may exist an all-powerful evil being who deceives him.

b (that he exists as a thinking thing)

In Meditation 2 Descartes discovers something that he cannot doubt. What is it? a) That he knows absolutely nothing. b) That he exists as a thinking thing. c) That God exists. c) That he has hands and a face.

a (we are alienated from God by sin, and as a result we experience anxiety and despair)

Kierkegaard is considered one of the founders of the philosophical movement known as existentialism, a philosophy that focuses on the nature of human experience/existence. Both of the readings describe Kierkegaard's portrayal of the fundamental human condition. What is it? a) We are alienated from God by sin, and as a result we experience anxiety and despair. b) We find no good reasons to believe in God, so we delude ourselves with faith. c) Recognizing that God does not exist, we celebrate our new found freedom from religious tyranny. d) Recognizing that God does not exist, we fall into depression and despair over the meaninglessness of our lives.

d (He's trying to establish a solid foundation for knowledge)

René Descartes explains his purpose at the beginning of the reading. What is he trying to accomplish? a) He's trying to demonstrate that humans cannot KNOW anything. b) He's trying to prove that God exists. c) He's trying to encourage readers to take philosophy seriously. d) He's trying to establish a solid foundation for knowledge.

b (sixth century bce)

Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism. He lived in Northern India (present-day Nepal). During what century was he born? a) Seventh century B.C.E (600's B.C.E.) b) Sixth century B.C.E (500's B.C.E.) c) Seventh century C.E (600's C.E.) d) Sixth century C.E (500's C.E.)

b (wisdom and compassion)

The Eight-fold Path encompasses practical advice about living a life that is conducive to enlightenment. According to the author of the text, what two characteristics is the Buddha chiefly concerned to develop? a) Faith and cheerfulness. b) Wisdom and compassion. c) Understanding and tranquility. d) Balance and simplicity.

a (cessation of dukkha)

The first Noble Truth is that all of existence is dukkha. The second Noble Truth is that dukkha arises from within. What is the third Noble Truth? a) Cessation of dukkha. b) Celebration of dukkha. c) The eight-fold path. d) The ten-fold path.

c (no soul, nor even a self)

What does the Buddha say about the human soul or self? a) As in Christianity and Islam, the Buddha says that the soul is an eternal spiritual entity, which migrates to heaven or hell after death. b) As in Hinduism, the Buddha says that the soul is a spiritual entity that is reincarnated from one living form to another. c) The Buddha says that there is no soul, nor even a self. d) The Buddha says that the soul is made of plastic and aluminum foil.

b (an attempt to reconcile the existence of God with the existence of evil)

What is a theodicy? a) Any argument asserting the incompatibility of God and evil. b) An attempt to reconcile the existence of God with the existence of evil. c) A myth or story that explains the necessity of evil allegorically. d) A spiritual journey undertaken in order to overcome moral evil, or sin.

a (evil serves the purpose of soul building)

What is the main claim of the Irenaean theodicy? a) Evil serves the purpose of soul-building. b) Evil is the result of human action. c) Evil is a punishment for sin. d) Evil is the result of human ignorance and desire.

d (it's a result of our internal thirst and craving)

What is the origin of dukkha? a) It's a result of conflict between human beings caused by their differing perceptions of reality. b) It's created by evil Gods and spirits, such as Satan and Shiva. c) It's a by-product of the clash between the physical and spiritual aspects of reality. d) It's a result of our internal thirst and craving.

c (belief in human free will)

What's central to the two main theodicies discussed by John Hick? a) Belief in the value of soul-building. b) Belief that the amount of evil in existence is greater than necessary. c) Belief in human free will. d) Belief that human sin is inevitable.

c

Which of the following is NOT among the criticisms of Kierkegaard presented in the first half of the reading? a) If truth merely depends on strength of conviction, then ANYTHING can be true. b) It's not possible to justify a leap of faith towards Christianity in preference to a leap of faith towards any other religion. c) It's self-contradictory for Kierkegaard to try to rationally explain why we should embrace an irrational belief. d) Kierkegaard's beliefs conflict with the standard Christian view that religious claims are objectively true.

d (the fourth answer is a way of agreeing with the Irenaean theodicy)

Which of the following is NOT an objection to the Irenaean theodicy? a) Considering events like the Holocaust, and the fact that innocent children die from disease and starvation, there seems to be much more evil in the world than ought to be necessary for soul building. b) Even if this theodicy explains human suffering, it does nothing to explain animal suffering. c) If God wants free beings with perfected souls, then if he's truly ALL-POWERFUL, he ought to be able to create them that way from the beginning. d) To understand evil we should think of God as a parent. If parents protect their children from every danger, then the children don't acquire the skills to protect themselves.

c (traditional buddhists do not believe that humans should be ethical)

Which of the following is NOT one of the fundamental differences between traditional Buddhism and the major Western religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam? a) Traditional Buddhists do not believe in a God. b) Traditional Buddhists do not believe that humans have souls. c) Traditional Buddhists do not believe that humans should be ethical. d) Traditional Buddhists do not believe that there is an afterlife.

b

Which of the following is the best reconstruction of Paley's argument? (Hint: This is a teleological argument, and teleology is about purpose. The argument goes from the recognition of purpose in the world, to the conclusion that God exists.) a) All things like watches have a designer. All things with a designer have a purpose. Nature has a designer. Therefore nature has a purpose. b) All things like watches have a purpose. All things with a purpose have a designer. Nature is like a watch. Therefore nature has a designer. c) All things like watches have a purpose. All things with a purpose have a designer. Nature is like a watch. Therefore nature has a purpose. d) All things like watches have a designer. All things with a designer have a purpose. Nature has a purpose. Therefore nature is like a watch.

a (we would see that the watch has a purpose)

William Paley claims that if we were to find a watch on the ground we would immediately know that it must have had a designer. Which of the following is his main reason for saying this? a) We would see that the watch has a purpose. b) We would see that the watch is in motion. c) We would see that the watch contains information. d) We would find an identifying mark from the craftsman who made it on the back cover.