Question 1

Nagel rejects the idea that death is bad because it is a period of nonexistence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Which of the following best represents Wolf's response to pessimists, like Nagel, Camus, and Richard Taylor?

Accepted Answer

A)  Wolf argues that God's existence shows that we ought not be pessimists 
B)  Wolf argues that we ought to live in a way that harmonizes with our insignificance 
C)  Wolf argues that we aren't cosmically insignificant 
D)  Wolf agrees with them about our significance and how we ought to respond to our insignificance 
A)  Wolf argues that God's existence shows that we ought not be pessimists 
B)  Wolf argues that we ought to live in a way that harmonizes with our insignificance 
C)  Wolf argues that we aren't cosmically insignificant 
D)  Wolf agrees with them about our significance and how we ought to respond to our insignificance

Question 3

By a belief in the "afterlife," Scheffler is referring to the belief that

Accepted Answer

A)  we will continue to exist after our deaths. 
B)  others will continue to exist after our deaths. 
C)  we will be reincarnated after our deaths. 
D)  we will not survive death. 
A)  we will continue to exist after our deaths. 
B)  others will continue to exist after our deaths. 
C)  we will be reincarnated after our deaths. 
D)  we will not survive death.

Question 4

For Taylor, a meaningful life is a _______ life.

Accepted Answer

A)  content 
B)  creative 
C)  purposeful 
D)  autonomous 
A)  content 
B)  creative 
C)  purposeful 
D)  autonomous

Question 5

Existential shock involves recognizing one's own mortality from the outside view.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Which of the following is a case in which life is meaningful for Taylor's Quebecoise nuns?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are enslaved and their vocation is in no way chosen by them 
B)  They choose their life but irrationally 
C)  They choose their life out of a deep and unshakable faith in God's existence 
D)  They choose their life out of a deep faith in God's existence, and their belief is true 
A)  They are enslaved and their vocation is in no way chosen by them 
B)  They choose their life but irrationally 
C)  They choose their life out of a deep and unshakable faith in God's existence 
D)  They choose their life out of a deep faith in God's existence, and their belief is true

Question 7

Why doesn't Ismael think life is meaningless if we die?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because we can still experience pleasant things, even if we die 
B)  Because she believes we live eternal lives after death 
C)  Because death allows our lives to constitute meaningful wholes 
D)  Ismael doesn't think that life has any meaning if we die 
A)  Because we can still experience pleasant things, even if we die 
B)  Because she believes we live eternal lives after death 
C)  Because death allows our lives to constitute meaningful wholes 
D)  Ismael doesn't think that life has any meaning if we die

Question 8

What do Seneca and Zhuangzi share in common?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both hold that one should never grieve someone's death 
B)  Both hold that death isn't something bad 
C)  Both advocate the importance of human convention 
D)  None of the above 
A)  Both hold that one should never grieve someone's death 
B)  Both hold that death isn't something bad 
C)  Both advocate the importance of human convention 
D)  None of the above

Question 9

For Wolf, to answer the question "What makes a life meaningful?" we don't need an answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?"

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

For Nagel, the brevity of life is a convincing source of absurdity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

According to Scheffler, the projects whose values would most clearly be undermined are

Accepted Answer

A)  scholarly projects. 
B)  scientific projects. 
C)  goal-oriented projects. 
D)  personal projects. 
A)  scholarly projects. 
B)  scientific projects. 
C)  goal-oriented projects. 
D)  personal projects.

Question 12

Scheffler claims that we are not solely concerned with bringing about the best consequences.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

In addition to Hume's works, no-self accounts can be found in

Accepted Answer

A)  the Bible. 
B)  contemporary neuroscience. 
C)  Buddhist texts. 
D)  strands of quantum mechanics. 
A)  the Bible. 
B)  contemporary neuroscience. 
C)  Buddhist texts. 
D)  strands of quantum mechanics.

Question 14

Why do some people hold that death isn't bad, according to Nagel?

Accepted Answer

A)  They argue that in certain cases, death actually relieves one of suffering 
B)  They argue that death merely deprives one of life, which has no value in itself 
C)  They argue that death is simply an experiential blank, so it has no value at all 
D)  All of the above 
A)  They argue that in certain cases, death actually relieves one of suffering 
B)  They argue that death merely deprives one of life, which has no value in itself 
C)  They argue that death is simply an experiential blank, so it has no value at all 
D)  All of the above

Question 15

Taylor thinks much of human life is simply about avoiding boredom.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The experience of existential shock is puzzling because

Accepted Answer

A)  we all know, at some level, that we will die. 
B)  it only lasts a few moments. 
C)  we believe that we do have a self. 
D)  we believe that our existence is necessary. 
A)  we all know, at some level, that we will die. 
B)  it only lasts a few moments. 
C)  we believe that we do have a self. 
D)  we believe that our existence is necessary.

Question 17

Unlike Confucians, Zhuangzi is fundamentally opposed to the idea that human identity must be understood in terms of social relations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

It seems we can naturally hope for certain things. What problem does this raise for Nagel's thesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  We have different attitudes toward someone who dies young versus someone who dies older 
B)  It explains our different attitudes toward prenatal and posthumous nonexistence 
C)  It is unclear that death is actually a loss of life 
D)  None of the above 
A)  We have different attitudes toward someone who dies young versus someone who dies older 
B)  It explains our different attitudes toward prenatal and posthumous nonexistence 
C)  It is unclear that death is actually a loss of life 
D)  None of the above

Question 19

Both Hume and some Buddhists accept a no-self view.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

In his discussion of Masters Si, Yu, Li, and Lai, what does Zhuangzi suggest about grief?

Accepted Answer

A)  That it is a natural response to death 
B)  That we can train ourselves so that we don't feel it 
C)  That we shouldn't grieve death 
D)  All of the above 
A)  That it is a natural response to death 
B)  That we can train ourselves so that we don't feel it 
C)  That we shouldn't grieve death 
D)  All of the above

Nagel rejects the idea that death is bad because it is a period of nonexistence.

Which of the following best represents Wolf's response to pessimists, like Nagel, Camus, and Richard Taylor?

By a belief in the "afterlife," Scheffler is referring to the belief that

For Taylor, a meaningful life is a _______ life.

Existential shock involves recognizing one's own mortality from the outside view.

Which of the following is a case in which life is meaningful for Taylor's Quebecoise nuns?

Why doesn't Ismael think life is meaningless if we die?

What do Seneca and Zhuangzi share in common?

For Wolf, to answer the question "What makes a life meaningful?" we don't need an answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?"

For Nagel, the brevity of life is a convincing source of absurdity.

According to Scheffler, the projects whose values would most clearly be undermined are

Scheffler claims that we are not solely concerned with bringing about the best consequences.

In addition to Hume's works, no-self accounts can be found in

Why do some people hold that death isn't bad, according to Nagel?

Taylor thinks much of human life is simply about avoiding boredom.

The experience of existential shock is puzzling because

Unlike Confucians, Zhuangzi is fundamentally opposed to the idea that human identity must be understood in terms of social relations.

It seems we can naturally hope for certain things. What problem does this raise for Nagel's thesis?

Both Hume and some Buddhists accept a no-self view.

In his discussion of Masters Si, Yu, Li, and Lai, what does Zhuangzi suggest about grief?

Philosophy

God and Evil

Knowledge and Reality

Minds, Bodies, and Persons

Ethics and Society

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Exam 6: Existential Issues

Nagel rejects the idea that death is bad because it is a period of nonexistence.

Which of the following best represents Wolf's response to pessimists, like Nagel, Camus, and Richard Taylor?

By a belief in the "afterlife," Scheffler is referring to the belief that

For Taylor, a meaningful life is a _______ life.

Existential shock involves recognizing one's own mortality from the outside view.

Which of the following is a case in which life is meaningful for Taylor's Quebecoise nuns?

Why doesn't Ismael think life is meaningless if we die?

What do Seneca and Zhuangzi share in common?

For Wolf, to answer the question "What makes a life meaningful?" we don't need an answer to the question "What is the meaning of life?"

For Nagel, the brevity of life is a convincing source of absurdity.

According to Scheffler, the projects whose values would most clearly be undermined are

Scheffler claims that we are not solely concerned with bringing about the best consequences.

In addition to Hume's works, no-self accounts can be found in

Why do some people hold that death isn't bad, according to Nagel?

Taylor thinks much of human life is simply about avoiding boredom.

The experience of existential shock is puzzling because

Unlike Confucians, Zhuangzi is fundamentally opposed to the idea that human identity must be understood in terms of social relations.

It seems we can naturally hope for certain things. What problem does this raise for Nagel's thesis?

Both Hume and some Buddhists accept a no-self view.

In his discussion of Masters Si, Yu, Li, and Lai, what does Zhuangzi suggest about grief?

Philosophy

God and Evil

Knowledge and Reality

Minds, Bodies, and Persons

Ethics and Society

Filters