Philosophy for Beginners
Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
Philosophy for Beginners introduces students to the fundamental questions, concepts, and thinkers that have shaped human thought throughout history. The course explores major branches of philosophy, including ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and political philosophy, providing students with a foundational understanding of each area. Through the study of influential philosophers and engagement with classic philosophical texts, students will develop critical thinking skills, learn to analyze arguments, and reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions. This course prepares students to approach complex issues thoughtfully and lays the groundwork for further study in philosophy or related disciplines.
Recommended Textbook
The Philosophical Journey An Interactive Approach 6th Edition by William Lawhead
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7 Chapters
585 Verified Questions
585 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Introduction To The Philosophical Journey
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52 Verified Questions
52 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Plato,there is no truth about justice,for everyone has a different opinion about it.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) In a sound argument,the conclusion is A) necessarily true.
B) probably true.
C) valid.
D) strong.
Answer: A
Q3) "All opinions are false" is an example of a self-referential inconsistency.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) A philosophy can fail the criteria of rational coherence without being contradictory.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 2: The Search for Ultimate Reality
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93 Verified Questions
93 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The hard determinist and the libertarian both believe that A) compatibilism is true.
B) incompatibilism is true.
C) universal causation is true.
D) we have moral responsibility.
Answer: B
Q2) Marvin Minsky defended the position represented by A) the strong AI thesis.
B) Cartesian dualism.
C) John Searle's Chinese room argument.
D) Edgar Allen Poe's attack on machine intelligence.
Answer: A
Q3) The position of functionalism is incompatible with the strong artificial intelligence position.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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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 your text,"idealism" means the belief that
A) one should have an optimistic outlook on life.
B) the task of philosophy is to search for the ideal conditions of knowledge.
C) ultimate reality is mental or spiritual in nature.
D) reality goes far beyond what we discover in sense experience.
Answer: C
Q2) The pragmatist's claim that all our knowledge is tentative and subject to revision is called
A) fallibilism.
B) methodological skepticism.
C) fideism.
D) pragmatic revisionism.
Answer: A
Q3) Descartes initially employed skeptical doubt in order to arrive at certainty.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: The Search for God
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) W.K.Clifford's argument rejects the notion of basing beliefs on faith alone.
A)True
B)False
Q2) W.K.Clifford's story of the shipowner was intended to make the point that
A) the best we can do is to act on our sincere convictions.
B) it is better to take risks in the hope that we are right than to never venture out into the unknown.
C) it is always wrong to believe anything on insufficient evidence. D) faith provides us with a basis for belief when reason fails us.
Q3) According to John Hick,why did God create a world in which there is suffering? What are some criticisms that could be made of Hick's position?
Q4) Why does William James reject the claim "It is wrong to believe anything on insufficient evidence"? Why does James believe that it is not unreasonable to believe in God?
Q5) The fine-tuned universe argument for God attempts to undermine the claim that the universe was produced by the Big Bang.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: The Search for Ethical Values
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106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Utilitarian ethics would argue that abortion is morally impermissible.
A)True
B)False
Q2) According to Aristotle's theory,acquiring the moral virtues can be compared to A) learning the principles of physics by acquiring the right ideas.
B) maturing into adolescence;it is simply something that happens in time.
C) acquiring a musical skill through practice.
D) having brown eyes;one is either born with them or not.
Q3) Teleological ethics is another name for deontological ethics.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In Plato's story of the ring of Gyges,the ring had the power to make one invisible. A)True
B)False
Q5) How do psychological egoism and ethical egoism differ? How do some philosophers use psychological egoism to support ethical egoism? Could one be a psychological egoist but not an ethical egoist and vice versa? Explain.
Q6) What is the distinction between subjective ethical relativism and conventional ethical relativism?
Page 7
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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) 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.
Q2) A society's obligation to protect individual rights,according to John Stuart Mill,is based on
A) the fact that these rights are given to us by God.
B) the demands of general utility.
C) the social contract.
D) the laws of nature.
Q3) Socrates argues against civil disobedience by saying
A) one should never do evil in return for evil.
B) the laws of his society nurtured and educated him.
C) he is the victim of unjust men,not unjust laws.
D) all of the above
Q4) Which one of the following principles did Martin Luther King,Jr.advocate?
A) One who breaks an unjust law must be willing to pay the penalty.
B) Violent resistance to an unjust law is morally justified.
C) You cannot use the law to enforce morality.
D) Instead of trying to change the laws,we should try to change people's hearts.
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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) Some philosophers argue that the question "What is the meaning of life?" is a meaningless one.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Discuss the four general ways to approach the question of the meaning of life as set out in your text.What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
Q3) 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?
Q4) Explain Kierkegaard's distinction between knowing the truth and being in the truth.
Q5) Discuss times in your life when the viewpoint of nihilism seemed to have some plausibility.In the light of these experiences,discuss why you did or did not ultimately embrace nihilism.
Q6) Nihilism is the claim that
A) the meaning of life can be found in a relationship to God.
B) there are no values worth pursuing in life.
C) pleasure is the only thing that gives life meaning.
D) the meaning of life can be found in different ways for different people.
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