Deck 1: Ancient Greek Philosophy

Question 1

According to Socrates,justice is

A)minding your own business.
B)whatever the guardians say it is.
C)treating all people in the community as equals.
D)making sure that everyone gets an equal share.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In his defense,Socrates acknowledges that the most dangerous accusations against him are the

A)charges of Anytus and his supporters.
B)actions of the youth of Athens who enjoy seeing their superiors mocked.
C)claims of impiety.
D)reputation he developed because of Aristophanes and other Athenian satirists.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Socrates responds to Crito,saying that he cannot leave because the "laws of Athens" tell him that

A)he cannot enjoy the privileges of a society without also subjecting himself to its justice.
B)if a city is unjust,one must stay and protest until justice is done.
C)the city is more important than the individuals involved and so its judgments are always right.
D)he deserves his penalty.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

At the beginning of the Republic,Socrates states that in examining the nature of communities he hopes to

A)found a utopian society.
B)show how individuals are unimportant.
C)illustrate what justice is.
D)compare the relation of individuals to the group as a whole.

Question 5

In answer to Meletus' claim that Socrates is deliberately corrupting the youth,Socrates argues that he would never intentionally harm the young men because

A)it is morally wrong to lead a person astray.
B)he didn't realize that he was a bad influence.
C)if he were to harm another person he would only be hurting himself.
D)he is the only person in Athens who really cares about their education.

Question 6

In his attempt to find someone wiser than himself,Socrates comes to the conclusion that wisdom

A)is not worth seeking.
B)consists of knowing what one does and does not know.
C)belongs only to the lower class of merchants and craftsmen.
D)was given to him by the god at Delphi.

Question 7

Socrates defends himself against charges of impiety by arguing that

A)his belief in supernatural activities implies a belief in gods.
B)the gods do not exist.
C)his new religion of the supernatural includes belief in gods.
D)Socrates is a follower of Anaxagoras who believes in the gods.

Question 8

According to Socrates,the "laws of Athens" conclude that justice

A)is socially constructed.
B)is more important than friends,family,or one's own life.
C)has been corrupted by the people in power and therefore Socrates is under no obligation to obey.
D)only matters if it benefits the community as a whole.

Question 9

The most important quality that a guardian possesses is

A)gentleness to the community and viciousness to its enemies.
B)a dispassionate,meek temperament.
C)relying on instinct,not knowledge.
D)a love for the spirit of inclusion and democracy.

Question 10

When Crito asks Socrates how he would like to be buried,Socrates replies "As you please,only you must catch me first," indicating that

A)he is still considering escaping.
B)his body will decompose too quickly to be buried properly.
C)when he is dead his soul will leave his body.
D)even after he dies his teachings will live on.

Question 11

Socrates claims that a person is wise,courageous and just in the same way that ??? _____ is/are wise,courageous,and just.

A)the guardians
B)the ruler
C)the city
D)one's family

Question 12

Socrates states that injustice results when

A)the guardians do not allow the common people a say in the government.
B)one part of the soul does not fulfill its proper function.
C)people are forced to suppress their instincts.
D)individuals are inconvenienced or harmed for the sake of the community.

Question 13

The purpose for the guardian's lifestyle standards is to

A)make the common people work to achieve similar privileges.
B)keep them from taking the law too seriously.
C)teach the guardians to govern the people severely.
D)keep them from being corrupted by the desire for money and power.

Question 14

In the dialogue concerning two sticks of unequal length,Socrates' point is that our recognition of inequality

A)demonstrates that we have an understanding of equality and inequality prior to seeing particular equal or unequal objects.
B)shows that the careful observation of sticks of different length reveals the nature of equality and inequality.
C)shows that equality and inequality are relative terms,applicable only to particular objects and situations.
D)is too abstract to be understood by reason alone.

Question 15

Socrates concludes his defense by stating that all of his arguments are intended to defend

A)the god of Delphi because the god will lose a faithful follower.
B)himself because he is a great philosopher and deserves to live.
C)the city because Socrates is the gods' gift to Athens.
D)himself because he is afraid of dying.

Question 16

According to Socrates,the soul

A)is an integral part of the body.
B)is part of a universal soul.
C)is separate from the body and possessed knowledge before becoming attached to the body.
D)recollects knowledge only by reflecting on abstract concepts.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a characteristic of Socrates' theoretical society?

A)The community is formed because each person has needs which they cannot fulfill for themselves.
B)There is no need for war.
C)Trade develops as the population increases.
D)The community is governed and protected by guardians.

Question 18

To Socrates question about the nature of piety,Euthyphro initally

A)gives a clear definition,but cannot come up with examples.
B)claims he knows exactly what it is,but only gives examples.
C)claims that he is unsure what it is,but develops a clear definition based on his conversation with Socrates.
D)claims he is unsure what it is,and never does get an adequate definition.

Question 19

Which of the following is not an argument that Crito employs in his attempt to convince Socrates to flee Athens?

A)Everyone in Athens wants him dead.
B)The nearby cities would be honored to take him in.
C)Allowing himself to be executed is morally wrong.
D)If Socrates dies,his friends would miss him and they would be subject to public criticism.

Question 20

Socrates argues that piety and what is pleasing to the gods are

A)essentially the same thing.
B)experientially the same thing.
C)practically the same thing.
D)different things.

Question 21

What does Aristotle conclude is goodness?

A)something which is wanted for its own sake
B)that which is best for the individual
C)that which brings the most pleasure
D)that which partakes in goodness

Question 22

Given what Aristotle says about wisdom,art and experience,what might he say about the Internet?

A)"The Internet has lots of information and so is a source of wisdom."
B)"The Internet has lots of information and is a good source of factual data."
C)"The Internet provides you with experiences and so is a source of wisdom."
D)"The final cause of the Internet is to waste your time."

Question 23

If Aristotle were watching a game of golf,what would he identify as the cause of a hole-in-one?

A)the lie (where the ball starts)
B)the putter striking the ball
C)the player's desire to get a birdie
D)All the above are causes.

Question 24

According to Glaucon,the life of the just person (the person who 'would be,not seem the best')is

A)praised and honored by all people.
B)rewarded by the gods and favored in heaven.
C)full of contentment and inner peace.
D)none of the above.

Question 25

This year,the Happiest Aristotelean Award goes to

A)Bob the bartender,who gets liquored up all day and parties all night.
B)Sam the soldier,who has 10 purple hearts and is admired by his country.
C)Bill the insurance broker,who works hard to provide for his clients.
D)Roberta the venture capitalist,who made a fortune in Internet stocks.

Question 26

Which of the following is not one of Aristotle's criticisms of Plato's theory of Forms?

A)There is no proof for the existence of Forms.
B)There would have to be Forms of negations.
C)The theory of Forms does not help our knowledge of particulars.
D)Because Forms are numbers they must be the causes of all things.

Question 27

Thinking is related to perceiving in that thinking

A)increases when we are strongly stimulated just as our ability to perceive increases after our sense organs are strongly stimulated.
B)is about universals while perceiving is about particulars.
C)is done in the brain while perceiving is done in the sense organs.
D)is about what is thinkable as perceiving is about what is sensible.

Question 28

Socrates' ideal community guardians would have a philosophic nature so to

A)be ruthless to all enemies.
B)treat all peoples with humanity.
C)distinguish fellow citizens from enemy,non-citizens.
D)not fight because they are pacifists.

Question 29

Guardians in the fullest sense will combine

A)quickness of mind and a steady character.
B)ready understanding and good memory.
C)sober constancy and steadiness.
D)ruthlessness and passion

Question 30

In order to become wise,one must

A)live a life full of many growing experiences.
B)appreciate art and be an accomplished artist.
C)study extensively,especially science and philosophy.
D)know causes and principles.

Question 31

If a bee suddenly stung Aristotle,Aristotle would say that

A)the bee stung him by chance.
B)by careful study and consideration he could determine the multiple factors that caused the bee to sting him at that very moment.
C)he was the cause of the bee's stinging him.
D)this particular case of bee stinging has no relation to bee stinging in general.

Question 32

Of any living thing we can properly say

A)its soul is the function of its body.
B)if it is a human,then it has a soul
C)the soul can exist apart from the body only in the heavens
D)the soul is a potential brought to fulfillment by a body

Question 33

In the Myth of the Cave,the prisoners in chains represent

A)the Spartans.
B)those who violate the rules of the guardians.
C)those who are natural-born slaves.
D)all of us before we recollect the Forms

Question 34

Aristotle's primary criticism of the first philosophers is that

A)they argue minor points instead of synthesizing their beliefs.
B)they fail to take all of the four causes into account.
C)they do not acknowledge the unmoved mover.
D)they agreed with Plato in this theory of the Forms.

Question 35

Socrates argues that women may act as guardians because

A)their maternal instincts make them more qualified than men to protect the community.
B)women have a duty to serve.
C)the natural gifts needed to rule are distributed to men and women.
D)although their minds are totally different,education can overcome those differences.

Question 36

According to the description of the society,children would be

A)cared for only by wet nurses.
B)cared for only by their blood parents.
C)shared by male members of the community.
D)eliminated from society.

Question 37

A society ought to be governed by philosophers because only philosophers

A)know how to trick the common people into following the laws of the community.
B)have sufficiently examined the various political structures of Greece.
C)do not value political power.
D)have no passions or appetites.

Question 38

People agree to live in a just society,says Glaucon,because

A)all people value justice as part of the eternal,unchanging Form of the Good.
B)they think the just life is the best kind of life.
C)they fear injustice towards themselves.
D)they do not want anyone to get away with unjust crimes.

Question 39

According to Aristotle,there must be a first mover which

A)created the world out of non-being.
B)intervenes on behalf of humans.
C)exists necessarily.
D)is pure potentiality.

Question 40

According to Aristotle,the primary difference between physics (natural science)and mathematics is

A)physics deals with objects as concepts,not as particulars.
B)physics deals with whether the earth is a sphere; mathematics does not.
C)mathematics separates the attributes of a natural object from the object; physics does not.
D)mathematics is not concerned with the attributes of natural objects; physics is.

Question 41

Epicurus would be against cheating because

A)there is more pleasure in doing the good.
B)the gods oppose it.
C)one would be afraid of getting caught.
D)it is wrong.

Question 42

Happiness requires activity which is an expression of complete virtue _________.

A)and external goods
B)and honor
C)and pleasure
D)alone

Question 43

In contrast to Plato's view of justice,Epicurus holds that

A)justice does not lead to pleasure.
B)justice is the will of the stronger.
C)justice is oppressive and hence does not give pleasure.
D)the abstract concept of justice is meaningless.

Question 44

With regards to politics,Epicurus would most likely say

A)"Live unseen."
B)"If I don't do it,who will?"
C)"Question authority."
D)"Power to the people."

Question 45

Which of the following does Aristotle not say in regards to the "Golden Mean"?

A)The "Golden Mean" is relatively easy to find.
B)Some actions and emotions cannot be understood by means of the "Golden Mean."
C)The "Golden Mean" is a way to determine if an action is virtuous.
D)The "Golden Mean" leads to virtue.

Question 46

If you don't like your role in life,you should

A)play the role as best you can anyway.
B)change the role by your choices.
C)look forward to your role in the next life.
D)petition the gods to change your life.

Question 47

If a stoic philosopher does not cry at his wife's death,what stoic virtues is he displaying?

A)courage in going on with life in spite of his pain.
B)hope that her soul will be content with the gods.
C)fear that his wife is being tormented by the gods.
D)apathy in not being disturbed by his loss.

Question 48

The purpose of the natural sciences is to

A)remove our fear of nature.
B)gain knowledge for its own sake.
C)experience the inherent pleasure of learning.
D)gain knowledge which can be used to make money.

Question 49

Concerning moral weakness and self-indulgence,Aristotle claims that

A)both are equally bad because they lead a person to vice.
B)self-indulgence is worse because the self-indulgent person has an evil intent.
C)moral weakness is worse because the person has no strength of will.
D)both spring from a lack of knowing the good.

Question 50

Of the three kinds of things found in the soul (emotions,capacities,and characteristics),Aristotle says that virtue has to do with

A)characteristics,because virtue cannot be merely an emotion or a capacity for an emotion.
B)capacity,because virtue cannot be emotionally based and since it has to do with choice it cannot be merely a characteristic of a person.
C)capacity,because virtue deals with the capacity to do either good or evil.
D)emotion,because it is the only one of the three that is part of the soul.

Question 51

Epictetus believes that we ought to live a life that is

A)free from all pain and loss.
B)harmonious with what happens naturally.
C)self-determined.
D)prayerful so that we might influence the gods.

Question 52

According to Epicurus,we can remove the fear of death by

A)recognizing there are no gods to fear.
B)removing the desire for immortality.
C)living in such a way that we achieve immortality.
D)not thinking about it.

Question 53

Suppose Aristotle met Mother Teresa.What would he most likely say of her moral virtue?

A)Her Catholic upbringing taught her to love the poor.
B)She has a kind nature and so naturally helps the poor.
C)A lifetime of helping the poor has made it natural for her to help the poor.
D)Her virtue is particular and has no bearing on universal virtue.

Question 54

Aristotle rejects Plato's view of the good because

A)Plato's view is too absolutist.
B)people don't actually want the good as Plato thought.
C)the good that Plato spoke of is unattainable for humans.
D)Plato saw good not as an aim for humans,but simply as an abstraction.

Question 55

Because pleasure is the greatest good,one ought to

A)choose every pleasure possible.
B)satisfy all natural desires.
C)satisfy all necessary natural desires.
D)avoid all pain.

Question 56

According to the skeptic,there is no way we can know things as they really are,thus,one should develop an attitude of

A)disbelief.
B)suspended judgment.
C)faith.
D)disinterest.

Question 57

After stating that happiness needs to be attainable,Aristotle goes on to say that

A)no one can attain it in this life.
B)happiness requires good parents,good children,and good looks.
C)in his system,happiness is equally attainable for everyone.
D)happiness results from right attitudes,and not from actions.

Question 58

Skepticism,is defined by Sextus Epiricus as

A)an ability,or mental attitude,which opposes appearances to judgments in any way whatsoever.
B)a critical attitude toward one's physical or mental capacity.
C)a reserved acceptance of certain claims or propositions about the world.
D)a state of awe or shock.

Question 59

The central,originating cause of skepticism is,according to Sextus Empiricus

A)confusion from contradictory events.
B)the hope of attaining quietude and unperturbedness when it comes to contradiction and/or conflict
C)the difficulty in defining the relationship between mind and body.
D)inconsistency between perceived and conceived experience(s).

Question 60

Aristotle concludes happiness is

A)an exciting and thrilling feeling.
B)that which draws us to higher goods.
C)a pleasant and peaceful feeling.
D)a way of life.

Question 61

According to Gaunilo,to grant real existence to anything would be foolish without

A)unquestionable and certain proof of actual existence.
B)guarantee of one's perceptive and sensory abilities.
C)consulting laws of science.
D)specimens or examples of the thing(s).

Question 62

Gaunilo uses his "Lost Island" argument to show that

A)Anselm's argument is based on sensory observations and so subject to error.
B)Anselm is wrongly trying to impose a definition on God,and is therefore,not taking his majesty into account.
C)Anselm's argument is trying to prove that God is merely a fanciful idea,which is heresy.
D)Anselm's argument could be used to prove that any "great" thing must exist.

Question 63

Augustine concludes that time is ultimately

A)"tension."
B)linear and fated.
C)undecided and may be influenced by prayer.
D)a human construct.

Question 64

Anselm asserts that God,the being-than-which-none-greater-can-be-conceived,cannot even be thought to not exist because

A)that would lead to a contradiction.
B)that would imply that God is an essence,not a substance.
C)God is the unmoved mover,and to not exist would be to be moved.
D)that would imply that God has no substance,which he has.

Question 65

According to Gaunilo's Lost Island case,if one purports to think of the greatest conceivable island,along the lines of Anselm's ontological argument,yet the island does not exist,then it cannot be the greatest conceivable island.Why is this?

A)For,to be the greatest conceivable island,it would have to exist,as any existent island would be greater than an imaginary one.
B)For,to exist,things must be conceived of.
C)For,in such one is not actually conceiving of the island
D)All of the above.

Question 66

"Philosophy" also states that "all things will happen which God knows will happen"

A)including things that happen as a result of free will.
B)unless free agents choose otherwise.
C)because God causes them to happen.
D)because they are necessary in themselves.

Question 67

Instead of saying that it is inconceivable that the highest thing of all should not exist,Gaunilo suggests that it may be better to identify statements about its nonexistence and/or possible nonexistence as

A)false.
B)unintelligible.
C)undeveloped.
D)likely true.

Question 68

Anselm's ontological argument and Gaunilo's Lost Island Argument pertain to different issues,but are structured in the same way.How can the Lost Island Argument,according to Gaunilo,illustrate that Anselm's ontological argument-which is structured with the same logic- is flawed?

A)It proves at least one of Anselm's premises false.
B)It proves true a case-the existence of the Lost Island-that is actually false.
C)A and B
D)None of the above

Question 69

What is the difference between the intellect and the will?

A)The intellect contemplates the differences between actions and chooses between actions whereas the will does the action.
B)The intellect is concerned only with ideas,and the will is concerned only with actions.
C)The intellect is part of the soul while the will is part of the body.
D)The intellect always chooses good while the will sometimes chooses evil.

Question 70

As described by Sextus Empiricus,what is the means by which the skeptic arrives at a suspension of judgment and,as a result,tranquility?

A)by conducting empirical study.
B)by setting things-i.e.,appearances or objects of thought-in opposition.
C)by a priori judgment.
D)by ceasing to pursue study or critical analysis of some event,cause,or effect.

Question 71

The primary purpose of Augustine's treatment of the concept of time is to

A)show that time is a measurable,understandable law in God's knowable,orderly universe.
B)demonstrate that time is purely a human construct,and has nothing to do with God.
C)explain how God experiences time just as we do.
D)show that humans are frail and time-bound while God is eternal.

Question 72

How does Gaunilo suggest that one go about arguing for the existence of some superior being?

A)by identifying a being with comparatively bigger and better attributes,then naming such a being superior.
B)by first showing the superior being exists,then proving all the other attributes such a bigger and better being has to have.
C)by appeal to one's ability to envision a superior being
D)by appeal to one's inability to envision a superior being.

Question 73

According to Sextus Empiricus,the skeptic is not guilty of the dogmatizing that other philosophers commit.He claims that this is because

A)the skeptic's claims do not positively assert anything,but state what appears to him/her and announce his/her impression of certain affairs.
B)skepticism is not teachable,and thus cannot be presented to others as dogma.
C)the skeptic's perception of affairs is the accurate perception.
D)the skeptic does not necessarily belief any claims that he/she makes about the world.

Question 74

According to Augustine,which of the following things are completely evil?

A)a corrupted will
B)things which are objects of misdirected love
C)Satan
D)Nothing is completely evil.

Question 75

All natures which are contrary to God

A)are part of the pre-arranged duality of the universe.
B)There are no natures that are contrary to God.
C)render God less powerful.
D)are the objects of misdirected love.

Question 76

According to Plotinus,why do we recognize some things as beautiful?

A)because we were beautiful when we were with the Forms
B)because beauty is good and we desire goodness
C)because society has conditioned us to believe that those things are beautiful
D)beauty is the "Golden Mean" of multiple observed objects

Question 77

According to "Philosophy," divine foreknowledge

A)means that humans really have no choice.
B)is logically impossible.
C)does not disturb the nature of things.
D)led Boethius to jail.

Question 78

How do we come to know beauty?

A)through intuitive insight
B)by studying and comparing instances of particular beautiful things
C)by studying Plato's writings on beauty
D)by becoming an artist

Question 79

The will chooses evil because

A)God has predestined it so.
B)it has no reason,it just does.
C)evil is more attractive than good.
D)the will is evil.

Question 80

At the beginning of the Confessions,the root of Augustine's spiritual conflict is the struggle between

A)his desire to know God by intuition only and his desire to know God by reason only.
B)God and Satan for the supremacy of his soul.
C)his will to sin and his will to serve God.
D)his desire to perfect himself through faith and his desire to perfect himself through works.