Deck 4: Greek Thought: From Myth to Reason

Question 1

The earliest Ionian philosophy

A)was closely associated with religion and the Greek priesthood.
B)originated in Mesopotamia via Asia Minor.
C)began with the cosmologists who sought to understand now how nature came to be the way it was.
D)still maintained the gods were the origin of nature.
E)held that the most important quality of knowledge was its practical application.

Answer 1

began with the cosmologists who sought to understand now how nature came to be the way it was.

Question 2

The text argues that the immense historical importance of the development of rational thought in Greece was

A)the total elimination of myth from the life and thought of most Greeks.
B)its completion by the time of Plato.
C)the Greek balance between belief in divine forces and reason.
D)the fact that the Greeks originated the norm of reason and applied it consciously to intellectual and social life.
E)all of the above

Answer 2

the fact that the Greeks originated the norm of reason and applied it consciously to intellectual and social life.

Question 3

The doctrines of the Sophists encouraged all of the following EXCEPT

A)loss of respect for authority.
B)disobedience to law.
C)neglect of civic duty.
D)selfish individualism.
E)sophrosyne.

Answer 3

sophrosyne.

Question 4

In Athens, the Sophists taught

A)political skills of public speaking and policy-making.
B)music and mathematics.
C)secret methods of achieving immortality.
D)spiritual exercises aimed at individual enlightenment.
E)practical skills that improved Athenian technology.

Question 5

The philosophical insights offered by Parmenides

A)accepted a concept of a True Being that included transcendence and permanence.
B)rejected the Pythagorean style of thought.
C)referred to the True Being as God.
D)contended that understanding of the cosmos proceeded through the senses.
E)stated that the universe is made of matter and void.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship of Pythagoras and the Ionian philosophers?

A)Pythagoras was the Ionian philosopher who believed the primary substance was air and that the sun's rays falling through dense air caused the rainbow.
B)Unlike the Ionians, Pythagoras is credited with inventing formal logic.
C)Unlike the "matter philosophers," Pythagoras believed in the one True Being, transcendent, permanent, and perfect.
D)Pythagoras believed that the nature was not made of a primary substance, as the Ionians believed, but out of mathematical relationships.
E)Unlike the "matter philosophers," Pythagoras believed that the mathematical harmony of the universe expressed the perfect thoughts of the True Being.

Question 7

Which of the following effectively pairs early Greek thinkers with their ideas?

A)Ionians and rejection of mythic explanations of nature
B)Pythagoras and mathematical order of nature
C)Democritus and mechanical structure of the universe
D)Parmenides and logical proof
E)all of the above

Question 8

The earliest theoretical philosophers in human history were the

A)Hebrews.
B)Ionians.
C)Pythagoreans.
D)Sophists.
E)Platonists.

Question 9

Hippocrates

A)was the last Greek physician to ascribe divine origins to disease.
B)was influenced by the thought of the early Greek cosmologists.
C)combined magic and medicine.
D)drew upon the information provided by oracles rather than observations to treat patients.
E)all of the above

Question 10

Which of the following speculated that the world was composed of atoms?

A)Democritus
B)Parmenides
C)Thales
D)Pythagoras
E)Anaximenes

Question 11

Greek civilization departed from their Near Eastern antecedents in all the following ways EXCEPT the Greeks

A)systematized the mathematical knowledge of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians into a body of theoretical knowledge.
B)used the astronomical information compiled by the Babylonians not for religious purposes but to discover the geometrical laws that governed heavenly bodies.
C)rejected magical beliefs and practices in medicine.
D)developed the concept of a rational or legal state and the idea of free and equal citizens making their own laws.
E)eliminated any concept of a reality beyond the physical and denied the possibility of eternal life.

Question 12

The text notes that Plato was strongly influenced by

A)Anaximander.
B)Parmenides.
C)Democritus.
D)Thales.
E)Pythagoras.

Question 13

Which is an INCORRECT statement about the relationship of Socrates to the Sophists?

A)Unlike the Ionian philosophers, both believed that rational knowledge of the individual and society was more important than knowledge of nature.
B)Both rejected the old mythological traditions.
C)Socrates condemned Sophist relativism.
D)Socrates believed that the Sophists' unbridled critical thinking had undermined belief in the old system of beliefs but had not provided people with a satisfactory replacement.
E)Unlike the Sophists, Socrates believed the improvement of the individual is possible.

Question 14

Which of the following CANNOT be associated with the Ionians?

A)ethics as the heart of philosophic speculation
B)curiosity about the essential substance that gave rise to all physical phenomena
C)physical explanations accounting for natural phenomena
D)nature no longer manipulated by the gods or subject to chance
E)the ability of the human intellect to grasp nature's hidden structure

Question 15

Which early Greek thinkers and religious mystics refused to eat animal flesh because they believed it contained former human souls?

A)the followers of Thales
B)the followers of Pythagoras
C)the followers of Parmenides
D)the followers of Democritus
E)the followers of Anaximander

Question 16

The Pythagoreans

A)rejected democracy as too chaotic and corrupt.
B)believed that human beings were simply complex machines.
C)participated in the cult of Dionysus.
D)discovered that the intervals in the musical scale can be expressed mathematically.
E)practiced astrology.

Question 17

Although Thales is responsible for all the following innovations, the text identifies which as revolutionizing thought?

A)Thales was the first man known to have predicted a solar eclipse.
B)Thales omitted the gods from his explanation of nature and found physical explanations to be sufficient.
C)Thales believed that water was the basic element out of which everything was made.
D)Thales broke with the commonly held explanation for the occurence of earthquakes.
E)Thales noted that heavenly objects move in regular patterns.

Question 18

Socrates believed moral values came from

A)rational inquiry and critical self-examination.
B)popular opinion and social conventions.
C)a transcendent, omniscient God.
D)inherited mytho-religious traditions.
E)Sophist pragmatism.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT considered as a condition that enabled the Greeks to make their breakthrough in rational thought?

A)contact with the mathematic achievements of the old Near Eastern civilizations
B)the extension of the idea of universal destiny to natural phenomena which produced a new concept: natural law
C)freedom from a powerful priesthood
D)the rise of the Greek city and its principle of order
E)the Greeks' dissatisfaction with their rigid set of religious doctrines

Question 20

The ideas of Anaximander included which of the following?

A)an agreement with Thales over the original substance
B)the belief that the source of all things was a definite substance still found in the natural world
C)a theory that a source called the Boundless was the seed of the world
D)the notion that fire was the origin of air and wind
E)the principle that life emerged first on land and then in the sea

Question 21

Aristotle's ethics held that a person should

A)practice moderation in all things including the restraint of emotions.
B)follow the will of the majority since law is based on reason manifested by a community of thinking people.
C)suppress his passions and all other irrational tendencies.
D)follow tradition , which manifests the wisdom of the ages.
E)conform his will to the will of God.

Question 22

Socrates would agree with which of the following statements?

A)"No greater good can happen to a man than to discuss human excellence every day."
B)"As long as I have breath and strength I will not give up philosophy"
C)"The unexamined life is not worth living."
D)"My mission was to be a gadfly to stir Athenians from their complacency and prompt them to reflect critically about their lives."
E)all of the above

Question 23

Greek artists exemplified the humanist spirit of Greek culture by

A)placing people in their natural environment.
B)making the human form the focal point of attention.
C)exalting human nobility and dignity.
D)celebrating the beauty of the human being.
E)all of the above

Question 24

The essence of Greek tragedy lies in

A)the inability of human beings to show courage and determination in the face of their fate.
B)the passivity of tragic heroes.
C)the hero's struggle against the forces and obstacles that eventually crush him.
D)the disorderliness of the universe.
E)all of the above

Question 25

Which of the following explains the relationship between the ideas of Socrates and Plato?

A)​Both thinkers embraced the world of nature and the social world in their systems of philosophy.
B)Plato embraced Socrates' attempt to achieve personal morality rather than the transformation of the community.
C)Socrates was far more interested in political life than was Plato.
D)Both thinkers rejected the existence of universal standards of right and justice.
E)all of the above

Question 26

How did Athens, the center of Greek culture, treat Socrates?

A)Athens agreed with his suggestion to give him free room and board when he grew old and to guarantee his young children a free state-sponsored education.
B)Socrates was exiled after the Peloponnesian War.
C)Using monies from the Delian League, Athens funded his new center of learning called the Academy.
D)Athens convicted him of corrupting the youth, denying the city's gods, and believing in new ones. He was ordered to commit suicide.
E)The Athenians largely ignored him, letting him be a voice in the desert, unheard and ineffective.

Question 27

Drama originated in Greece from

A)festivals honoring the god of wine, Dionysus.
B)ceremonies depicted in Minoan and Mycenaean art.
C)competitions among Greek city-states.
D)the epics of Homer .
E)the dialogues of Plato.

Question 28

Aristotle

A)was a student of Socrates.
B)tutored Philip II of Macedon in Thebes.
C)founded his own school, the Lyceum.
D)systematically rejected the thought of the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, and Plato.
E)devoted his life to expanding the theory of Ideas.

Question 29

In The Clouds , the playwright Aristophanes

A)eulogized Socrates' soaring intellect and pure living.
B)dramatized the story of Socrates' trial and execution.
C)lauded Socrates for his positive influence on Athenian youth.
D)mocked Socrates as a fuzzy-headed, impractical, and ridiculous figure.
E)accused Socrates of embezzling state funds.

Question 30

Who was the most prominent female poet in Antiquity?

A)Pindar
B)Sappho
C)Medea
D)Lysistrata
E)Diotima

Question 31

Which best describes Plato's theory of ideas?

A)Rather than being eternal and unchanging, ideas by their very nature evolve as they are discussed.
B)Ideas, not the physical world, comprise reality.
C)Ideas result from sensory perception and rational reflection.
D)Ideas are only labels for deeper realities.
E)Matter and ideas are the two components of reality.

Question 32

The method of inquiry called dialectics, or logical discussion, is associated with

A)the Sophists.
B)Socrates.
C)Plato.
D)Aristotle.
E)Herodotus.

Question 33

Plato believed all of the following would be true of the ideal state EXCEPT

A)men and women should receive the same education and have equal access to all occupations, including that of the philosopher-ruler.
B)the division of society should correspond to the three divisions of the soul: reason (rulers), spiritedness (soldiers), and desire (working population).
C)the government should have checks and balances and be divided into three branches.
D)only the "possessors of truth" would be allowed to rule.
E)rulers could not have property or families.

Question 34

The poet Hesiod and the dramatist Aeschylus both wrote about the

A)genealogy of the gods.
B)folly of the Persian Emperor Xerxes.
C)perils of hubris.
D)daily ordeal of common people trying to survive.
E)all of the above

Question 35

The text makes all the following connections EXCEPT

A)just as a Greek sculptor shaped a clear visual image of the human form, so also a Greek dramatist brought the inner life of human beings into sharp focus.
B)like the natural philosophers, Greek dramatists saw an inner logic in the universe and called it Fate or Destiny.
C)the dialogue between thinking individuals in Greek drama paralleled Socratic dialectics.
D)Greek art and drama evidenced a growing self-awareness of the individual.
E)like Parmenides and Plato, Greek dramatists focused on the world beyond sensory perception.

Question 36

Who may be remembered as the first actor in history because he engaged in dialogue?

A)Croesus
B)Hesiod
C)Thespis
D)Sappho
E)Aeschylus

Question 37

The central theme of Pindar's poetry is

A)the striving for excellence.
B)the futility of human existence.
C)the evils of tyranny.
D)hubris.
E)the tenderness of love.

Question 38

Plato's The Republic

A)adapted the rational legacy of Greek philosophy to politics by fashioning a rational model of the state.
B)was based, in part, on the conviction that for people to live ethical lives, they must do so as citizens of a just and rational state.
C)criticized the fundamental assumption of Athenian democracy: common people are capable of participating sensibly in public affairs.
D)stated that in democracies leaders are often chosen for the wrong reason, that democracy's intoxication with liberty leads to anarchy and when that chaos arrives the people turn power over to demagogues.
E)all of the above

Question 39

Aristotle's theory of knowledge and reality included which of the following?

A)Sense perception was not essential for understanding.
B)Forms existed independently of particular objects.
C)It was possible for theory to conflict with fact.
D)The ultimate goal of knowledge is the comprehension of the essence of things and the understanding of universal principles.
E)Love of beauty can eventually lead a person to contemplate absolute beauty and good in the world beyond the physical.

Question 40

Greek art

A)employed an approach consistent with the new scientific outlook pioneered by the Greeks.
B)rejected reason and embraced the irrational.
C)followed a dramatically different developmental trajectory than Greek philosophy and politics.
D)was not interested in imitating reality but in depicting the divine.
E)had little impact on the development of subsequent Western art.

Question 41

Which of the following is a play that is said to have expressed the innermost thoughts of a Greek woman?

A)Medea
B)Oedipus Rex
C)The Clouds
D)The Persians
E)The Libation Bearers

Question 42

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Ionian philosophers

Question 43

In his plays, Euripides

A)rejected the methods of the Sophists.
B)celebrated the triumph of reason over the irrational.
C)expressed compassion for human suffering.
D)departed from the humanitarianism of other Greek playwrights.
E)did not assign any roles to the gods.

Question 44

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Pre-Socratics

Question 45

All the following may be said about Herodotus EXCEPT

A)as the "father of history," Herodotus was a thoroughgoing rationalist.
B)Herodotus was free of the common Greek contempt for the non-Hellenic world.
C)Herodotus did not merely repeat legends but he often sought to discover what really happened.
D)the gods had a relatively minor role in his histories.
E)Herodotus seemed to share in the Greek fascination with the tragedy of hubris.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about Thucydides is correct?

A)The study of war would reveal general principles of human behavior.
B)The motives of statesmen were insignificant in studying the historical event.
C)The historian must entertain rather than enlighten.
D)History was the work of the gods.
E)His work represents a rejection of the findings of the Sophists and the Hippocratic doctors.

Question 47

One of the chief concerns of Aeschylus involved the

A)decline of the Mycenaeans.
B)weakening moral fiber of Athenian youth.
C)individual in conflict with the moral universe.
D)freedom of Greek women.
E)tragedy of the Peloponnesian War.

Question 48

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
relativism

Question 49

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
ethics

Question 50

​In considering the achievement of the ancient Greeks, the text states that the Greeks

A)rejected slavery.
B)were able to eliminate superstition fully.
C)​often behaved similar to other ancient peoples.
D)​always lived up to their own ideals.
E)all of the above

Question 51

Antiwar themes may be associated with both

A)Euripides and Sophocles.
B)Plato and Herodotus.
C)Aristophanes and Sappho.
D)Euripides and Aristophanes.
E)Homer and Thucydides.

Question 52

Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the approach to history of ancient peoples?

A)Like the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, the Greeks rejected critical analysis and interpretation in the writing of history.
B)All ancient societies, including the Greeks, considered history the record of divine wrath or benevolence.
C)The Greeks based their histories of human actions on available evidence.
D)Both the Hebrews and Greeks removed historical events from the realm of religious-mythical thought.
E)The Greek achievement in history represented the synthesis of the innovations of earlier societies.

Question 53

The development of Greek thought presented in the text demonstrates

A)a trend toward a more rational understanding of nature and society.
B)the belief that knowledge, not obedience, is essential for a virtuous life.
C)a passion for the pursuit of excellence.
D)an appreciation of the worth, significance, and dignity of the individual.
E)all of the above ​

Question 54

A distinctive theme in Sophocles' plays, such as Oedipus Rex and Antigone , is

A)the need to adhere to traditional religious values.
B)the tragedy of adhering to laudable virtues, which in excess or in some circumstances inevitably lead to disaster.
C)humanitarianism.
D)condemnation of war.
E)the comedy of everyday life.

Question 55

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
sophrosyne

Question 56

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
the world of Forms

Question 57

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
dialectics

Question 58

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Sophists

Question 59

It could be said that Aristophanes

A)feared attacking authority figures.
B)culminated the Ionian school of philosophy.
C)was an itinerant philosopher whose ideas strongly influenced the young.
D)criticized the diminishing sense of values among Athenians.
E)believed only dramatic tragedies could lead Athenian audiences to a better life.

Question 60

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
philosophy

Question 61

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. In what ways did the Greeks' approach to nature, history, and medicine represent an attempt to systematize knowledge?

Question 62

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Which school of Greek philosophy took an essentially pragmatic approach to knowledge? To which contemporary influences was this school responding and what were some of its conclusions?

Question 63

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
hubris

Question 64

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. How does the development of Greek drama epitomize the movement of Greek culture from myth toward rationality?

Question 65

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
naturalistic

Question 66

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
drama

Question 67

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Use information from both Chapters 3 and 4 to answer the following question: The author stresses the importance of the Greeks and the Hebrews as two sources of Western civilization. Based on the information present to this point, compare and contrast the contribution of each.

Question 68

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Explain why Socrates was a central figure in Greek philosophy and why Athens put him to death. What was Socrates' significant contribution to the Western tradition?

Question 69

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. How did the Peloponnesian War influence various Greek philosophers, historians, and playwrights?

Question 70

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. What innovations did Greek historians develop in their attempt to understand the past? Explain how the Greek approach to history differed from that of other Near Eastern peoples.

Question 71

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Compare Ionian views with those of the Pythagoreans and Parmenides. How did each tradition contribute to the development of scientific thought?

Question 72

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. In what ways did the Greek developments of rationalism and humanism represent a break with Near Eastern civilizations? What relationship exists between these concepts?

Question 73

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
tragedy

Question 74

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. How did early Greek cosmologists explain the origin of the world? How and why did their ideas differ?

Question 75

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Compare and contrast the questions explored by the cosmologists, the Sophists, and Socrates. What knowledge did each seek, and how did each pursue that knowledge?

Question 76

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. Compare and contrast the thought and writings of Plato and Aristotle. What does the work of each philosopher reveal about the values and practices of Greek thought?

Question 77

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Parthenon