Question 1

According to Epicurus, death is not bad for the one who dies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Scheffler begins his essay by asking readers to consider a thought experiment according to which

Accepted Answer

A)   They will be killed by a giant asteroid.
B)   The earth will be destroyed thirty days after their deaths.
C)   The entire universe will end a billion years in the future.
D)   They will not live on in an afterlife following death. B

Question 3

Wolf agrees with Scheffler that

Accepted Answer

A)   The eventual extinction of humanity renders our current projects meaningless.
B)   The continued existence other people matters more to us than our own survival.
C)   Both a and b
D)   Neither a nor b D

Question 4

Socrates leaves his friends with instructions to

Accepted Answer

A)   Take care for themselves.
B)   Study philosophy.
C)   Avenge his death.
D)   All of the above.

Question 5

Wolf thinks that an adequate account of meaning in life must be able to explain our intuitions about examples of meaningful lives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Wolf compares the way the doomsday scenario would affect us to

Accepted Answer

A)   The loss of faith in God.
B)   The death of a loved one.
C)   The loss of faith in a personal afterlife.
D)   All of the above.

Question 7

Wolf claims that if we were confronted with the doomsday scenario, ultimately the reasonable thing to do would be to

Accepted Answer

A)   Grow apathetic and depressed.
B)   Reject faith in God and a personal afterlife.
C)   Get back to our lives.
D)   None of the above.

Question 8

Are there any pieces of advice offered by Epictetus that you think can be captured in modern slogans (e.g., "You are your own worst enemy")? What are they? Do you think these are good pieces of advice?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Are there any pieces of advice offered...

Question 9

What are the principles of a good life, according to Epicurus? Do you agree? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the principles of a good...

Question 10

Like Scheffler, Frankfurt believes that the search for medical cures will likely lose its important to us in the absence of belief in the afterlife.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

According to Vitrano, a meaningful life is one in which an individual

Accepted Answer

A)   Achieves happiness.
B)   Acts morally.
C)   Both a and b
D)   Neither a nor b

Question 12

Knowing which activities are worthwhile, according to Vitrano, would require

Accepted Answer

A)   Shared intuition.
B)   An objective measure of their value.
C)   Distinguishing between mere pastimes and serious projects.
D)   Cultural norms.

Question 13

According to Epictetus, those things within our power include

Accepted Answer

A)   Our impulses.
B)   Our bodies.
C)   Our reputation.
D)   All of the above.

Question 14

According to Taylor, our lives can have

Accepted Answer

A)   Subjective meaning.
B)   Objective meaning.
C)   A will of their own.
D)   All of the above.

Question 15

Frankfurt argues that Scheffler underestimates

Accepted Answer

A)   How much of what matters is dependent on our belief in the afterlife.
B)   How much of what matters is independent to our belief in God.
C)   How much of what matters is dependent on our belief in God.
D)   How much of what matters is independent to our belief in the afterlife.

Question 16

Consider Epictetus's references to Socrates. Explain why you think Epictetus reveres Socrates. Do you agree?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consider Epictetus's references to Socrates. Explain why...

Question 17

Socrates claims that his friends can do nothing to serve him after his death.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Taylor claims that we can never find meaning in our lives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

If Sisyphus were to build a great temple

Accepted Answer

A)   His life would be objectively meaningful.
B)   His life would have a point.
C)   He would become bored.
D)   All of the above.

Question 20

What do you think of Socrates's attitude toward his own death? What adjectives would you use to characterize it, and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What do you think of Socrates's attitude...

Exam 13: The Meaning of Life

According to Epicurus, death is not bad for the one who dies.

Scheffler begins his essay by asking readers to consider a thought experiment according to which

Wolf agrees with Scheffler that

Socrates leaves his friends with instructions to

Wolf thinks that an adequate account of meaning in life must be able to explain our intuitions about examples of meaningful lives.

Wolf compares the way the doomsday scenario would affect us to

Wolf claims that if we were confronted with the doomsday scenario, ultimately the reasonable thing to do would be to

Are there any pieces of advice offered by Epictetus that you think can be captured in modern slogans (e.g., "You are your own worst enemy")? What are they? Do you think these are good pieces of advice?

What are the principles of a good life, according to Epicurus? Do you agree? Explain.

Like Scheffler, Frankfurt believes that the search for medical cures will likely lose its important to us in the absence of belief in the afterlife.

According to Vitrano, a meaningful life is one in which an individual

Knowing which activities are worthwhile, according to Vitrano, would require

According to Epictetus, those things within our power include

According to Taylor, our lives can have

Frankfurt argues that Scheffler underestimates

Consider Epictetus's references to Socrates. Explain why you think Epictetus reveres Socrates. Do you agree?

Socrates claims that his friends can do nothing to serve him after his death.

Taylor claims that we can never find meaning in our lives.

If Sisyphus were to build a great temple

What do you think of Socrates's attitude toward his own death? What adjectives would you use to characterize it, and why?