Philosophy Final

What did Socrates and Kierkegaard have in common?

Both thinkers carved out a significant place for the individual in their respective philosophies

According to the online article, which religion was not listed as being influenced by the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle?

Buddhism

Hume was a strict empiricist and didn't believe that causation was something that is real because it is not something we actually have a direct sensation of. How did Kant get around this?

By invoking the existence of a personal God: in other words, God would not allow us to be deceived by something so apparent to our reason

Who was it that actually journeyed to Delphi and inquired of the oracle whether anyone was wiser than Socrates?

Chaerophon

Which subject was not taught at Plato's Academy?

Chemistry

Locke believed that each human being possesses natural rights. The word "natural" is key to his philosophy. Which proposition follows from this view?

Each person possesses rights to life, liberty, and property regardless of whether civil and religious authorities acknowledge it.

In Nietzsche's morality, the call for equality by the lower type of human being (a member of the conforming herd) actually masks which vice?

Envy

Which major branch of philosophy is concerned with the criteria for determining whether someone merely has an opinion or an actual "piece" of knowledge?

Epistemology

Ultimately, what is the purpose of the "herd" in encouraging "Slave Morality"?

Establish equality between themselves and the higher beings by encouraging moral values that discourage strength, independence, and creativity

In Sophie's World, the following two philosophical questions are presented: "Is there any will or meaning behind what happens?" and "Is there a life after death?" Which of the following major branches of philosophy do these two questions represent?

Ethics

Which major branch of philosophy is interested in what standards can be used to determine whether a particular act is morally right or morally wrong?

Ethics

Among other things, Luther translated the Bible in German. Which of his beliefs did this achievement reflect?

Every person can interact with God directly and in this sense is their own priest.

What particular organ did Darwin admit posed the greatest difficulty to his theory?

Eyes

Which proposition best summarizes Kant's view of faith?

Faith is appropriate when one is faced with a decision on a topic that cannot be decided via reason

In Plato's view, the World of the Senses possessed much more reality than the World of Forms.

False

T of F: According to Locke, the mind plays no role in the acquisition of knowledge.

False

T of F: For Kierkegaard, moving past the aesthetic stage and becoming a person that lives by a universal code of morality is the highest good that can be achieved in human existence.

False

T of F: Whereas the medieval period took human beings as their starting point in the pursuit of truth, Renaissance thinkers began with the God of Christianity.

False

T or F: For Hume, an "idea" is more lively, or powerful, than the impression to which it corresponds.

False

T or F: Hume thought it morally wrong to act in one's own self-interest.

False

T or F: In Epicurus' philosophy, immediate sensory pleasure was the only type of pleasure to be considered when making moral decisions.

False

T or F: Kant believed that our senses tell us how the world really is.

False

T or F: Karl Marx was primarily concerned with unconscious drives that not only shape human personality and behavior, but also society at large.

False

T or F: Like Plato, Aristotle held a positive view of women and their rational abilties.

False

T or F: Like the Sophists, Plato was a relativist.

False

T or F: Locke did not think that the mind played any role in the acquisition of knowledge.

False

T or F: No Pre-Socratic philosopher suggested anything similar to the theory of evolution

False

T or F: One thing that Descartes and Aristotle is that they both were rationalists.

False

T or F: Originally, Christianity was meant only for the Jews who were waiting for a Messiah.

False

T or F: Overall, Bertrand Russell was skeptical of the claim, "Philosophy is valuable even when it doesn't provide clear-cut answers to existential questions."

False

T or F: René Descartes' trusted his senses first and foremost since he was a philosopher that sought to develop a system of thought that didn't depend on religion.

False

T or F: Sophie and her mother read the letters together and jointly take the course in philosophy.

False

T or F: Spinoza's metaphysics left no room for human beings to make free choices.

False

T or F: In Sophie's World, the following statement, "A philosopher never gets quite used to the world" is intended to be a criticism of philosophers as well as the study of philosophy in general.

Fasle

__________ is the belief that whatever happens was already predetermined beforehand.

Fatalism

Aristotle believed that there were four causes that are responsible for explaining what makes an object or organism what it is. Which cause is responsible for telling us the overall purpose of an object or organism? (Aristotle held to a teleological view of the universe, meaning that he believed everything had a purpose.)

Final

The era in which thinkers attempted to offer a grand system of philosophy (an all-encompassing attempt to account for reality as a whole) ended with which philosopher?

George Hegel

As Sophie's World came near to the end, Hilde's father was like __________ in the world of Sophie and Alberto Knox (her philosophy teacher).

God

Ultimately, Socrates believed that he would be condemned by the majority due to what?

He had made many enemies in Athens due to his commitment to expose people's lack of knowledge in pursuit of the truth.

Why did Nietzsche despise Christian morality? (This question is not covered specifically in the reading and not directly in the video. You will need to think through Christianity morality in light of Nietzsche's concept of Slave Morality and the herd.)

He saw Christian morality as one of the clearest examples of Slave Morality.

Cicero, a Roman Philosopher, wrote that Socrates "called philosophy down from the sky . . ." What did he mean?

He turned philosophy from natural and worldly speculation to issues that had a direct relevance to how people live.

Marx believed that the history of humanity has been shaped more by class struggle than anything else. What does he mean?

History has been ultimately shaped by who owns and controls the means of production

In Descartes' dualistic view of the human person, what was the main philosophical problem that he had to find a solution for?

How does something material and immaterial interact?

Concerning objects in the world outside of our own mind, what did Kant believe we could know?

How the object appears to us

Which ontological (related to being) fact about human beings lends itself toward Sartre's idea that human beings must create their own meaning?

Human beings do not possess an innate nature.

Locke's philosophy played a crucial role in how the government of the United States is structured. Where is this most evident?

In the division of powers between three branches of government

René Descartes' believed that whatever one "clearly and distinctly" perceived must necessarily be true. This phrase "clearly and distinctly" refers to the role of which mental function in Descartes' methodology?

Intuition

According to Sophie's World, what is one potential problem with the deductive syllogism which Aristotle introduced?

It actually is not logically valid.

The new scientific method was empirical in nature. What does this mean?

It began with observation and not authoritative texts

What was Kierkegaard's view of the Christian faith?

It is so irrational that it requires a leap of faith and the commitment of one's entire being.

Kierkegaard is known as the Father of Existentialism. According to the text, what is the chief difference between Hegel's philosophy and Kierkegaard's existentialism?

Kierkegaard seeks to draw his entire existence into his philosophical reflection

According to Russell, philosophy primarily aims at __________.

Knowledge

What does the word/name "Sophia" mean in Greek?

Love of wisdom

Who was in charge of education during the Medieval ages?

Monasteries

According to the reading, why are female voices absent in Ancient Greek philosophy as well as most of this history of Western philosophy (this started to change only in the 20th century)?

Most of Western history consists of societies that were controlled by men, and women were often not given the same educational, vocational, or philosophical opportunities.

According to Sophie's World, a __________ is a story about the gods which sets out to explain why life is as it is.

Myth

Where did the Renaissance begin?

Northern Italy

Why is there no room in Spinoza's philosophy for human beings to make free choices (i.e., all events are determined)?

Nothing exists except nature, and nature has its laws which determines what happens and when.

When Sartre writes that we are "condemned to be free," what does he mean by "condemned"?

One finds himself/herself in a situation with no meaning yet were never asked whether they wanted such an existence

In the chapter about Kant, two different type of philosophers are mentioned. Which of the following descriptions is not a philosopher according to the text?

One who rejects the existence of God for no apparent reason

Who was responsible for spreading the Christian message (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) throughout the Greco-Roman world in the first century A.D. (CE) more than anyone else?

Paul

Plato believed that both the soul and society were tripartite in nature. Whereas reason must rule in the soul in order for a person to function best and prosper, __________ must rule in society for the state to be healthy, strong, and prosperous.

Philosophers

Russell writes, "The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense . . ." What does he mean?

Philosophy provides one with perspectives that can show a person that what they have accepted as true without critical analysis might be nothing more than opinions passed to them via their local culture/sub-culture.

Darwin's idea that all existing vegetable and animal forms descended from earlier, more primitive forms was contrary to Plato's ideas about animal species. How?

Plato believed that each species of plants and animals existed because they participate in their corresponding form in another world, not because they came into existence from another species.

What does Sartre mean when he refers to a "sloppy morality"?

Pretending that God not existing doesn't make much difference in morality

When Socrates went around trying to prove that the oracle was not correct about him being the wisest, which of the following groups did he not interrogate?

Priests

The second epistemological question that Locke was interested in was, "Can we rely (or trust) what our senses tell us?" His philosophical answer in a way is both "yes" and "no." Regarding the "yes" part of his answer, which part of what our senses tell us is trustworthy?

Primary Qualities

René Descartes' system of philosophy began with which of the following?

Radical doubt

Plants, animals, and human beings each have a soul according to Aristotle. In some sense, this "soul" defined the essential activity of that which possessed it. For example, plants possessed a vegetative soul. What was the type of soul that humans possessed that made them unique due to the fact that no other species possesses it?

Rational

__________ is the view that reason, not the senses, is the primary source and justification for knowledge.

Rationalism

The rise of Deism during the Enlightenment was the result of what?

Reason's suggestion that while a world without God is irrational, so is a world with dogmas and doctrines that also seem irrational

For Locke, knowledge is a two step process. First, raw data enters through the senses. Second, the mind begins to classify, organize, and "manipulate" (not used in a negative sense here) what the senses provide to make sense of it (key for knowledge). What is the general term that Locke uses for this second step?

Reflection

Who would be most likely to agree with the following claim: Writers and artists can lead humanity to a better way of living.

Renaissance thinkers

Which movement in Europe can be viewed as a strong reaction to the emphasis and focus on human rationality in the Enlightenment?

Romanticism

Bertrand Russell writes that philosophy is usually concerned with questions that do not yet have answers. However, he also makes the point that this does not mean that philosophy has not answered many questions and show progress in the past. How does he reconcile these claims?

Russell points out that when philosophy begins to answer questions and knowledge begins to accumulate in a particular area, that area often breaks off and becomes its own subject (e.g., psychology).

What was Luther's central idea that was expressed in two of the theses that Luther posted on the door of a church?

Salvation is possible by faith alone and not by works.

Whereas Hegel believed that history was moved along by reason, Marx theorized that what shapes history more than anything else are the "material" factors in society. For Marx, what did "material" mean (at the risk of oversimplification)?

Socioeconomic conditions

What is a nihilist?

Someone that believes everything is permissible since nothing means anything

René Descartes was in pursuit of what?

Something that could be known with certainty

Early Greek philosophers wanted to find natural explanations for natural processes rather than _________ explanations.

Supernatural

One online source states the following concerning Plato's view of the soul: "Plato divides the human soul into three parts: the Rational, the Spirited [this is referred to as "Will" in Sophie's World], and the Appetite. The Rational part desires to exert reason and attain rational decisions; the Spirited part desires supreme honor; and the Appetite part of the soul desires bodily pleasures such as food, drink, sex, etc." In Plato's view, a person needs to cultivate which virtue in order to keep the Appetitive part of the soul from ruling (which would not be healthy or good)?

Temperance

Albert Camus wrote about absurdity which is a common theme among many existentialists. What does it mean?

That life is utterly irrational and ultimately meaningless

In response to Hegel's "world spirit," Kierkegaard wrote that "truth is subjectivity." Rather than this statement alluding to metaphysical or moral relativity, he simply meant what?

That truth isn't truth unless it is also personal

In Sophie's World, it is stated that Aristotle believed that human beings are political creatures. What did Aristotle mean by this?

That we are social

Which book in the New Testament tells of the origin and growth of the early church?

The Acts of the Apostles

In the Allegory of the Cave, ultimate reality is the sun outside of the cave. In Plato's Theory of the Forms, the sun corresponds to which Form which also serves as the ultimate form and source of all else?

The Good

From a philosophical perspective, what significant event occurred in the 6th century CE?

The church closed Plato's Academy in Athens.

Which event impacted Plato and his philosophical career more than any other event?

The death of his mentor, Socrates

Ultimately, what did Marx blame for the ills of society?

The economic structure that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer

Hume did not think that causation was something that necessarily existed out in the world. Instead, what we label "cause and effect" is what?

The habit of expecting that A will follow B based on past observation

What was the difference between the view of human beings in Medieval thought and the view of human beings in the Renaissance?

The latter held a much more positive view of human being's nature and potential.

Locke believed that when a person is born, their mind is like an unfurnished room. What did he mean?

The mind is empty until the five senses began to furnish it with material for the mind to use

Medieval philosophy was ultimately concerned with one issue. What was it?

The relationship between faith and reason in Christianity

Marx believed that a society can be understood has having a "basis" and a "superstructure." Concerning this relationship, which of the following statements best reflects this relationship?

The superstructure refers to the way society thinks (e.g., art, philosophy) which is built upon the material relations in that society

Which Christian belief directly opposed Plotinus' view that all is one (There is the "One" that is pure reality and all else are emanations form that One)?

There is a sharp distinction between the Creator and creation in Christian thought.

Hume's thought resembles Buddhism in several ways. Regarding identity, which statement would they both agree on?

There is no permanent "I" (i.e., ego) underneath the constant change that characterizes life (ruling out the possibility of proving an eternal human soul)

The famous phrase, "Man is the measure of all things" was uttered by Protagorus. What did he mean?

There is no such thing as objective, universal truth, for all is relative to the individual and their perspective.

Those that belonged to the movement of Romanticism were often pantheists. What does this mean?

They believed that everything is ultimately an expression of one absolute, meaning that all is one

In Aquinas' thought, what is the significance of the natural theological truths?

They can be discovered via reason which all people possess regardless of whether they are a Christian.

What was one important similarity between René Descartes and Socrates?

They saw the value in admitting what one doesn't know as a starting point in the pursuit of knowledge.

Beginning with René Descartes, modern philosophers were system-builders. What does this mean?

They sought to build a system of thought that answered all of the fundamental philosophical questions in a coherent manner.

Jesus came announcing that forgiveness of sin was possible with God. Yet, his mission differed greatly from what many Jews were expecting of a Messiah. How?

They were expecting military and/or political rebel to free them from Roman rule, but Jesus was not either of these.

In Freud's theory, one often represses those desires that are deemed most unacceptable to the society in which one lives. A psychoanalyst then attempts to uncover the tensions and conflicts buried in the unconscious, for they cannot be "treated" until they become known. According to Freud, what is the best way of getting a peak into the unconscious?

Through a person's dreams

What might be one reason that Descartes was motivated to show that the soul was not bound to the laws of nature due to the fact that it is not physical like the body?

To preserve free will in a mechanistic age.

T of F: In the Apology, Socrates seems to say that a divine voice speaks to him from time to time to tell him what not to do.

True

T of F: Russell seems to argue that philosophy holds the power to actually transform—not just inform—the individual who studies it.

True

T or F: According to Locke (see the fish net example in the video), tolerance in a pluralistic society can even have positive economic benefits for all involved.

True

T or F: According to the video, Plato's Academy was more formal than Aristotle's Lyceum.

True

T or F: Charles Darwin earned his degree in theology.

True

T or F: Hume would agree with the following statement: Matters of faith cannot be proven or disproven via reason.

True

T or F: In Hume's philosophy, there is a sharp distinction between matters of reason and matters of faith.

True

T or F: Kant believed that human rationality was sufficient for discovering what is morally right and wrong.

True

T or F: Kant believed that morality is universal in nature, applying to all people in all places and at all times.

True

T or F: Kierkegaard believed that there was a drastic difference between giving mental assent to doctrines of Christianity and actually following Christ.

True

T or F: Most of what we know about Socrates is from the dialogues of Plato.

True

T or F: Plato believed that women possesses the same reasoning powers as men.

True

T or F: Plato viewed the physical world as something evil which made it difficult for a soul to gain knowledge.

True

T or F: Plato was one of Socrates' followers

True

T or F: Plato's metaphysics and epistemology were closely linked.

True

T or F: Sophists were concerned more with how to win an argument than the actual truth.

True

T or F: While Kant is not a strict empiricist, he does agree with Hume that knowledge of the world originates with our senses.

True

How is pantheism—a philosophy which received some attention in the Renaissance—different than a biblical view of God and reality?

Unlike pantheism, the God of the Bible is distinct from the natural world.

What does Sartre mean when he writes that we have been "abandoned" (a very existential term)?

What does Sartre mean when he writes that we have been "abandoned" (a very existential term)?

The Pre-Socratics were ultimately concerned with which question?

What is the most basic stuff of which the universe is made?

Russell writes, "Philosophic contemplation, when it is unalloyed, does not aim at proving that the rest of the universe is akin to man. All acquisition of knowledge is an enlargement of the Self, but this enlargement is best attained when it is not directly sought. It is obtained when the desire for knowledge is alone operative, by a study which does not wish in advance that its objects should have this or that character, but adapts the Self to the characters which it finds in its objects." What does he mean when he writes that the "enlargement of the Self occurs only when it is not directly sought?

When one pursues knowledge in an objective fashion without trying to make the search conform to what one wishes, the Self will expand and grow although the latter was more of a by-product.

In Locke's philosophy of property, what does "labor mixing" mean? Choose the best option.

When one uses their mental and/or physical labor to change unused material into something that can be used/sold.

What is one of the main differences between Plato's Forms and Aristotle's forms?

While both Plato and Aristotle agreed that Forms existed in another immaterial realm, only Plato believed that they had some influence on the world of experience for human beings.

Sartre writes that we are "condemned to be free." What does he mean?

While humans are completely free to make whatever they want of their lives, the freedom can be terrifying and yet they were never given the option to not exist

What is the first question that the philosopher presents to Sophie?

Who are you?

According to Nietzsche, what is the fundamental drive that motivates all moralizing as well as action?

Will to power

According to one ancient philosopher, where does philosophy begin in the mind/heart of an individual?

With a sense of wonder

The central mechanism in Darwinian evolution is natural selection. Which statement best explains this?

Within a particular species, those features most adapted for survival will be perpetuated whereas members of that species without that specific feature will die off

What did Philosopher Simone de Beauvoir think was the consequence of there being no intrinsic human nature (she agreed with Sartre)?

Women are free and independent to pursue whatever they desire (just like men)

Who believed that change was impossible—and thus only an illusion—since one cannot get from point A to point B since this would involve covering an infinite number of steps in between (which cannot be done)?

Zeno

Which part of the personality in Freud's theory is responsible for striking a realistic compromise between the urges and instinct in one part of the personality and the moral consciousness that resides in another?

ego

What is the term that Marx uses to describe a situation capitalists keep getting richer off of the labor performed in horrible working conditions?

exploitation

T or F: Marx would agree with this statement: Ideas are what ultimately shape history.

false

Which of the following is the best example of what Hume calls a "complex" idea?

heaven

Hegel's philosophy can be difficult to understand. Ultimately, his philosophy can be viewed as a way to understand what?

human history

Socrates believed that "When we do wrong it is because we don't know any better." This suggests that __________ is the only true evil and that people are actually good by nature.

ignorance

For Hume, the basic building blocks of all knowledge are __________.

impressions

Ultimately, Freud's view of human nature is that it is determined by ________.

inner drives

Locke believed that tolerance, especially religious tolerance, was a strength and not a weakness because it provided __________ for those living in a pluralistic society.

more stability

Hume is known as a moral sentimentalist. What does this mean?

none of the above

A ________ is someone that believes that all is God and God is all.

pantheist

In René Descartes philosophy of mind, the __________ was the place where matter and mind interacted in a human being.

pineal gland

In Freud's psychology, the term __________ refers to when a person doesn't give the real reason for what they are doing because the real reason is too uncomfortable to admit either to themselves or to others.

rationalize

Locke believed that human beings naturally pursue all of the following except __________.

sexual pleasure

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, the higher type of human being requires __________ to be creative and achieve greatness.

solitude

According to Freud, what element in the mind plays the role of moral conscience?

superego

One basic belief that is at the heart of Pre-Socratic philosophy—and explains much of it— is . . .

that there is only one basic substance underneath everything.

For Christians, Jesus is first and foremost . . .

the Son of God who bore the sins of humanity.

In Kant's epistemology, what provides the "material" for the mind to organize?

the five senses

First and foremost, René Descartes viewed himself as a __________ being.

thinking

In Descartes' metaphysics, mind has the property of ________ while the body (or matter in general) has the property of ________.

thought, extension

T or F: In Nietzsche's thought, the term "herd" was a derogatory term.

true

T or F: The term "existential" refers to any philosophical "project" that is chiefly concerned with the existence of human beings.

true

Locke is famous for writing that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa. What does this Latin phrase mean?

A blank or empty slate

How does Hume view the self (i.e., ego)?

A bundle of different perceptions but nothing else

John Locke believed that every human being possesses natural rights. Among these, one is the "right to labor."

A person has the natural right to enjoy the fruits of their physical labor, ingenuity, creativity, and innovation.

In Locke's thought, what is the main difference between an object's primary and secondary qualities?

A primary quality is inherent in the object, meaning that if the quality is not present, then the object ceases to be itself

Which of Kierkegaard's stages in life's way is the lowest level of existence and often ends with the feeling that life is empty and utterly pointless?

Aesthetic

What is a simple sensation in Locke's thought?

An immediate perception we have through one of our five senses

Which Pre-Socratic philosopher chose to identify the stuff of which the universe was made with something ambiguous and less specific?

Anaximander

In Hegel's thought, an idea or theory would be put forth and then the opposite would eventually come forth. This "opposite" is referred to as a "negation" by Hegel. Another word for the initial negation is what?

Antithesis

Hume believes that when we witness a virtuous action, we experience something like a feeling of pleasure. We may not be able to provide a reason why, but we know what we feel and judge the act based on that feeling. In his moral philosophy, what is the term for this feeling of pleasure?

Approbation

Most of what we know about the ideas of the Pre-Socratics is from the writing of __________.

Aristotle

One could argue that Darwin's theory that human beings evolved from a much simpler organism over eons of time has undermined the idea that human beings possess great intrinsic worth. Why?

Because human beings are no longer viewed as creatures uniquely created in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27)

What is the likely reason that Thales believed water to be the primary substance from which all else was made?

Because it can take on many forms which suggested that it could account for all of the variety in nature

Why does Marx believe that change in the economic structure of a society only comes through revolution?

Because the upper class in any society does not let go of their power willingly

Hume did not believe that important metaphysical beliefs that had been held by many others could be proved. Thus, he remained agnostic toward some of these beliefs including the immorality of the soul, life after death, and the existence of God. Considering his empiricism, why did he believe that reason could not demonstrate any of the above beliefs?

Because these ideas could not be ultimately traced back to a simple impression.

While Socrates learned that the poets did know quite a few things, what was their major epistemological error?

Because they knew their own subject, they also thought themselves wise on matters not related to poetry.

For Russell, why does the "practical" person not see the value of philosophy?

Because while they see the value of food for the body, they don't see the need for providing the mind with "food" as well

Which is the best definition of an agnostic concerning God's existence?

Believing that the existence of God cannot be neither proved nor disproved