Question 1

Sometimes the meaning of something (a sign, a word)is what it refers to. If the meaning of one's life refers to something, then what would give one's life meaning would be contextual, as in a linguistic reference.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

To say that "life is absurd" is to say

Accepted Answer

A) that you have to work to create meaning. 
B) that the meaning of life is found in the context of our lives. 
C) that it has no meaning. 
D) that the meaning of life is like the meaning of a game.

Question 3

Much of our language of "relationships" conjures up a picture of two lonely souls trying to "get through" to one another.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The writer John Barth suggested that

Accepted Answer

A) only writers can make sense of their lives as stories. 
B) life is a Bildungsroman. 
C) "life imitates art." 
D) each of us is the hero of his or her own story.

Question 5

People who think that children are the basis for a meaningful life tend to project abstractly into the future to a utopia, a place of total peace and happiness.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Which of the following would be an all-important question for someone who sees life as a disease ?

Accepted Answer

A) "Can desire be extinguished?" 
B) "Who on this earth can one help?" 
C) "What would a healthy life look like?" 
D) "What kind of story is being developed?"

Question 7

Believing that life's meaning lies in children has the odd consequence

Accepted Answer

A) that you never know how many children you might have. 
B) that from this perspective, the meaning of one's children's lives are found not in their lives but in their children's lives. 
C) that one should oppose contraception. 
D) that the meaning of one's life depends on your opinion about abortion.

Question 8

German philosophers in the nineteenth century talked about life being a Bildungsroman, a story of personal development.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

According to Camus, "one must imagine Sisyphus happy" because

Accepted Answer

A) he will soon be executed and so his suffering will end. 
B) the struggle to live is itself enough to make his life meaningful. 
C) a life of pure reason is impossible. 
D) Sisyphus believes he is doing God's will.

Question 10

Aristotle argues that one need not have friendships to live a good life.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Strictly speaking, the question of the meaning of life is purely theoretical, and there is no connection between your vision of the meaning of life and the life you will actually lead.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Children, God, and afterlife

Accepted Answer

A) are all forms of meaning equated with "life as an investment." 
B) are all forms of meaning created within ourselves, like stories. 
C) are all meaningful because they create happiness. 
D) are all forms of meaning located outside of ourselves, to which our lives refer.

Question 13

Material acquisitions are a dependable test of success in life.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

What is the similarity between the question of the meaning of life and the question of the meaning of a word?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the similarity between the question...

Question 15

In Homer's Iliad , the ancient Greeks found the meaning of life in honor and

Accepted Answer

A) sought to live up to the expectations of the community by proving themselves in battle and not disgracing themselves. 
B) sought to pursue wisdom as the greatest of goods. 
C) sought to live a life of duty. 
D) sought to free themselves from all desires.

Question 16

The question about the meaning of life most typically arises during happy times, when we have the luxury of time to reflect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Faust are comedies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

How do you answer the question "What is the meaning of life?"   Your essay can draw on any of the options in the text, but can also develop a different image. In either case, be sure to explain the vision of meaning, and explain why this image is compelling to you. Solomon and Higgins say that the way one answers the question of the meaning of life indicates one's "general view of life."    What does your answer reveal about your general view of life?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do you answer the question "What...

Question 19

What did the Stoics believe about human desires and emotions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What did the Stoics believe about human...

Question 20

The vision of Sisyphus pushing his rock up the mountain only to have it fall back again is a good image for the conviction that life is suffering.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: The Meaning of Life

Sometimes the meaning of something (a sign, a word)is what it refers to. If the meaning of one's life refers to something, then what would give one's life meaning would be contextual, as in a linguistic reference.

To say that "life is absurd" is to say

Much of our language of "relationships" conjures up a picture of two lonely souls trying to "get through" to one another.

The writer John Barth suggested that

People who think that children are the basis for a meaningful life tend to project abstractly into the future to a utopia, a place of total peace and happiness.

Which of the following would be an all-important question for someone who sees life as a disease ?

Believing that life's meaning lies in children has the odd consequence

German philosophers in the nineteenth century talked about life being a Bildungsroman, a story of personal development.

According to Camus, "one must imagine Sisyphus happy" because

Aristotle argues that one need not have friendships to live a good life.

Strictly speaking, the question of the meaning of life is purely theoretical, and there is no connection between your vision of the meaning of life and the life you will actually lead.

Children, God, and afterlife

Material acquisitions are a dependable test of success in life.

What is the similarity between the question of the meaning of life and the question of the meaning of a word?

In Homer's Iliad , the ancient Greeks found the meaning of life in honor and

The question about the meaning of life most typically arises during happy times, when we have the luxury of time to reflect.

Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Faust are comedies.

What did the Stoics believe about human desires and emotions?

The vision of Sisyphus pushing his rock up the mountain only to have it fall back again is a good image for the conviction that life is suffering.