Contemporary Philosophy
Exam Review
Course Introduction
Contemporary Philosophy explores the major developments, movements, and figures in Western philosophy from the late 19th century to the present day. The course examines key themes such as existentialism, phenomenology, analytic philosophy, critical theory, postmodernism, and recent trends in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. Students will analyze the works of influential thinkers including Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, and Derrida and engage with debates surrounding language, identity, power, science, and society. Through critical readings and discussions, the course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how contemporary philosophical issues shape and reflect the world we live in today.
Recommended Textbook
The Philosophical Journey An Interactive Approach 6th Edition by William Lawhead
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7 Chapters
585 Verified Questions
585 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3161
Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction To The Philosophical Journey
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52 Verified Questions
52 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62582
Sample Questions
Q1) The question "Are mental events really brain events?" is a metaphysical question.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) In discussing "inference to the best explanation," the text pointed out that
A) philosophy makes use of this method,but science does not.
B) science makes use of this method,but philosophy does not.
C) both science and philosophy make use of this method.
D) religion makes use of this method,but science and philosophy do not.
Answer: C
Q3) If an argument is strong,the premises make the conclusion highly probable.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) In Plato's Allegory of the Cave,the prisoners were glad when their friend told them about the world outside the cave.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
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Chapter 2: The Search for Ultimate Reality
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93 Verified Questions
93 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62581
Sample Questions
Q1) The compatibilist claims that we are not 100% determined in our behavior.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) John Searle's Chinese room argument attempts to show that
A) computers are capable of translating foreign languages into English.
B) computers will never be able to simulate conversations.
C) it is likely that computers will someday be as intelligent as humans.
D) passing the Turing Test is not a sufficient criterion for intelligence.
Answer: D
Q3) According to David Chalmers,consciousness
A) cannot be reduced to or explained in terms of physical processes.
B) is not a fundamental feature of reality.
C) and subjective experiences do not exist.
D) can be identified with and reduced to physical processes in the brain.
Answer: A
Q4) According to agency theory,event-causation describes events that are determined.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
4
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Chapter 3: The Search For Knowledge
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156 Verified Questions
156 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Berkeley,there is difference between ideas produced by our imagination and real things because
A) ideas of sense are more strong,lively,and distinct.
B) ideas produced by our imagination are dependent on our minds,but real things are outside the mind.
C) God gives us the ideas in our imagination,but the external world gives us the ideas of real things.
D) ideas of sense have a steadiness,order,and coherence,and are not excited at random.
E) both a and d
Answer: E
Q2) Hume says our causal judgments are based on
A) the experience of a necessary connection between two events.
B) the similarity between two events.
C) the bedrock certainty of the sciences.
D) the constant conjunction of two events in our past experience.
Answer: D
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Chapter 4: The Search for God
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62579
Sample Questions
Q1) Fideism is one form of nonevidentialism.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Pascal's discussion of gambling and religious belief is intended to show that
A) there is more to gain and less to risk in believing in God.
B) life is a game and should not be taken too seriously.
C) choosing God or choosing unbelief are equally risky choices.
D) the religious person does not gamble but bases his or her choices on knowledge that is certain.
Q3) John Hick argues that God made the world a paradise in which we could experience nothing but pleasure,thus human moral wickedness is the cause of all suffering.
A)True
B)False
Q4) An agnostic is someone who claims that
A) God does not exist.
B) belief in God should be based on faith and subjective reasons.
C) each individual is really a part of the being of God.
D) there is not sufficient evidence to support either theism or atheism.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: The Search for Ethical Values
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106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Thomas Hobbes said that the only reason we have morality is to avoid a state of war.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The utilitarian ethics of Bentham and Mill is a version of A) deontological ethics.
B) consequentialism.
C) divine command theory.
D) virtue ethics.
Q3) Kant believed that all true ethics was based on religion.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism.
A)True
B)False
Q5) According to your text,you can act in your own self-interest without being selfish. A)True
B)False
Q6) What are some of the criticisms that could be made against ethical egoism?
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Chapter 6: The Search for the Just Society
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56 Verified Questions
56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to your text and the essays of Gandhi and King,what are the differences between criminal disobedience and civil disobedience? Why do they think we should obey some laws and not others?
Q2) Explain John Rawls's notions of the "original position" and the "veil of ignorance." What role do they play in deciding what is the most just form of government? Explain the two principles of justice that he advocates.
Q3) In Plato's ideal society,those who had the most freedom and personal wealth were
A) the workers.
B) the auxiliaries.
C) the priests.
D) the rulers.
Q4) Which of the following said,"The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas"?
A) Robert Paul Wolff
B) John Stuart Mill
C) Martin Luther King,Jr.
D) Karl Marx
Q5) What is capitalism and why was Marx so opposed to it? What does he think is the future of capitalism?
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Chapter 7: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
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33 Verified Questions
33 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Søren Kierkegaard was one of the 19<sup>th</sup>-century founders of the contemporary movement known as
A) rationalism.
B) utilitarianism.
C) existentialism.
D) natural theology.
Q2) From the standpoint of Leo Tolstoy's philosophy of life,criticize the view of Hazel Barnes.Pretend you are Barnes,how would she evaluate Tolstoy's view of the meaning of life?
Q3) Leo Tolstoy's view on faith and reason is that
A) reason provides no answers to the meaning of life,only faith does.
B) reason can lead us to the meaning of life,but the majority of people are weak and need faith.
C) all faith must be grounded in reason.
D) only reason should be our guide in life,for faith does not provide us with what we need.
Q4) Some philosophers argue that the question "What is the meaning of life?" is a meaningless one.
A)True
B)False
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