Q&A Hero

Q: Pico argued that:A. God had granted humans a unique position in the universe.B. humans are not capable of change.C. humans do not have freedom to choose from a variety of lifestyles.D. individuals with differing viewpoints cannot be tolerated.

Q: Petrarch believed in which of the following?A. Life in this world serves the purpose of preparing for life after death.B. Religion should reflect the philosophy described by St. Paul.C. The human spirit should be freed from medieval traditions.D. Scholasticism contained most of the solutions to human problems.

Q: According to Renaissance humanists, Aristotle's philosophy had:A. become too influential within the churchB. been almost completely overlookedC. made religion too individualisticD. renewed interest in the occult

Q: Which of the following phrases best captures the spirit of Renaissance humanism?A. "We the people have the power to bring great change to the world."B. "We must treat others with respect, sensitivity, and dignity."C. "Do not look to the past for answers; we must only look ahead to the future."D. "We must follow an Aristotelian way of life."

Q: The Renaissance humanists wanted religion to be more:A. universalB. monotheisticC. ritualisticD. personal

Q: What two broad events were key factors in the acceptance of the objective study of nature, ultimately weakening the authority of the church?A. Exploration; medicineB. Exploration; printingC. War; medicineD. War; printing

Q: During the Renaissance, Europe gradually switched from being ____-centered to being ____-centered. A. God; human B. human; God C. individual; society D. culture; society

Q: Which statement best reflects Kuhn's views of the 14th and 15th centuries? A. There was a complete shift from a Christian paradigm to a scientific paradigm. B. Anomalies began to arise with the Christian paradigm. C. The scientific paradigm coexisted with the Christian paradigm. D. The scientific paradigm began to lose momentum because of the strength of the Christian paradigm.

Q: During the period before the Renaissance, which of the following was true?A. Astrology was met with great skepticism.B. Superstition influenced most everyone from peasants to kings and the clergy.C. People were classified into three groups: believers, nonbelievers, or questioners.D. Scientific inquiry and reason were encouraged.

Q: Occam's views were widely taught and can be viewed as the beginning of: A. Cynicism B. Stoicism C. Scholasticism D. empirical philosophy

Q: The belief that extraneous assumptions should be eliminated from explanations is called: A. Scholasticism B. Occam's razor C. nominalism D. realism

Q: Who denounced the search for abstract truths that existed beyond the world of appearance? A. Pythagoras B. Plato C. William of Occam D. Aquinas

Q: Which of the following was true of Aquinas' theology? A. It united faith and reason. B. It deplored the study of nature. C. It demonstrated that church dogma was debatable. D. It argued that the Christian church should be as it had been described by St. Augustine.

Q: According to Aquinas, predestination maintains that: A. God has preordained which people will be granted salvation B. good deeds can bring one closer to salvation C. salvation will come if one accepts Jesus as the son of God D. sin must precede repentance and salvation

Q: What was a goal of St. Thomas Aquinas? A. To convert a large number of Aristotelians to Christianity B. To demonstrate that Christianity existed in accord with other religions C. To apply the scientific method in solving theological problems D. To strengthen the position of the church through reason

Q: Aristotle's emphasis on ____ placed the church in a difficult position. A. faith B. the supernatural C. reason D. Plato's philosophy

Q: Once Aristotle's ideas were assimilated into church dogma, they were: A. less important B. no longer challengeable C. completely understood D. considered supernatural

Q: In addition to making a comprehensive review of Aristotle's works and the Islamic and Jewish scholar's interpretation of Aristotle's works, ____ was the first since the Greeks to attempt to learn about nature by making careful empirical observations. A. St. Anselm B. Lombard C. Abelard D. Magnus

Q: Abelard's proposed compromise between nominalism (concepts summarize individual experience) and realism (once concepts are formed, they exist apart from individual experience), is called: A. conceptualism B. scholasticism C. the ontological argument D. the dialectic

Q: The belief that abstract universals (essences) exist and that empirical events are only manifestations of those universals is called: A. reification B. conceptualism C. nominalism D. realism

Q: Who believed that so-called universals were nothing more than convenient verbal labels? A. nominalists B. realists C. rationalists D. nativists

Q: To remove inconsistencies in church dogma, Abelard used: A. the direct examination of nature B. a careful study of the Bible C. the dialectic method D. the acceptance of Aristotle's philosophy

Q: The attempt to synthesize Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology is referred to as: A. Neoplatonism B. Averroism C. Scholasticism D. Paganism

Q: Which statement would Peter Lombard most likely agree with? A. There is no place for pagan philosophy in religion. B. Faith alone can bring one closer to understanding God. C. The use of reason interferes with faith. D. One can learn about God by studying the empirical world.

Q: The major assumption made in the ontological argument for the existence of God is that: A. one can find God by studying nature B. faith and reason are essentially the same process C. if one can think of something, it must exist D. the Aristotelian conception of God is the only correct conception of God

Q: Who was responsible for the ontological argument for the existence of God? A. St. Augustine B. St. Anselm C. Lombard D. Abelard

Q: ____ sought to reconcile Judaism and Aristotelian philosophy. A. Avicenna B. Averros C. St. Anselm D. Maimonides

Q: Who discovered that the retina, not the lens, is the light sensitive part of the eye and that inoculation might prevent disease? A. Avicenna B. Averros C. Maimonides D. St. Anselm

Q: Which of the following is true of Averros' philosophy? A. It was basically Aristotelian. B. It was basically Platonistic. C. It denied the existence of a soul. D. It was supported by many Christians.

Q: According to Avicenna, the active intellect was: A. the mechanism by which humans enter into a relationship with God B. essentially as Aristotle had described it C. less important than common sense D. nonexistent

Q: In analyzing human thinking, Avicenna started with five external senses then postulated: A. three rational states B. seven internal senses C. four senses that bridge internal and external experience D. the active intellect

Q: Aristotle's philosophy was highly influential in ____ during the so-called Dark Ages. A. the Western world B. the Roman Empire C. the Arab world D. Alexandria

Q: According to St. Augustine, humans can have conceptions of the past and future because: A. we are made in God's image B. we live in the eternal present C. of the remnants of sensory experiences D. man is the measure of all things

Q: For St. Augustine, the primary goal of human existence is to: A. seek pleasure and avoid pain B. accept one's fate C. enter into a personal, emotional union with God D. engage in active reason

Q: Confessions, a volume about one man's sins, confessions, and forgiveness, is written by: A. St. Paul B. St. Augustine C. Thomas Aquinas D. Avicenna

Q: According to St. Augustine, not acting in accordance with one's internal sense causes: A. a feeling of Godliness B. one to rise above animal impulses C. guilt D. anxiety

Q: According to St. Augustine, evil exists because: A. God created it to test the faith of humans B. humans chose it C. at times the devil is more powerful than God D. humans are basically animals

Q: What concerns were held by both St. Augustine and St. Jerome? A. The question of fate or free will B. The influence that pagan philosophies held over Christians C. The reconciliation of faith and reason D. The quest for salvation by choosing good over evil

Q: Largely due to this man's efforts, Christianity was defined by a single set of beliefs and documents. A. Constantine B. St. Augustine C. Thomas Aquinas D. St. Paul

Q: The fact that St. Paul valued ____ would have been abhorrent to most Greek philosophers. A. faith above reason B. reason above faith C. intuition above empirical observation D. Epicureanism above Stoicism

Q: Which of the following did St. Paul add to the Judaic tradition? A. One God created the universe. B. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. C. Hymans fell from a state of grace in the Garden of Eden. D. God sacrificed his son to atone for our shared transgression, otherwise known as original sin, which allows humans to reunite with God.

Q: Jesus can be best thought of as a(n): A. philosopher with a focus on God B. empathetic ruler C. complex man with multifaceted goals D. simple man with focused goals

Q: The religion in which individuals are caught in an eternal struggle between wisdom and correctness as well as ignorance and evil is called: A. Vedantism B. mystery religions C. Zoroastrianism D. cult of Mithras

Q: Turning away from the empirical world and entering a union with the eternal things that dwell beyond the world of the flesh was characteristic of the good life for: A. Zeno of Citium B. Epicurus C. Diogenes D. Plotinus

Q: According to Philo, the way to true knowledge is by: A. introspection of the innate truth B. a purified, passive mind receiving divine illumination C. engaging in active reason D. combining empirical observation with rational deliberation

Q: Neoplatonism is a philosophy that emphasized the most ____ aspects of Plato's philosophy. A. empirical B. empathetic C. rational D. mystical

Q: For the Stoics, the basic moral choice a person makes is: A. to act or not to act in accordance with nature's plan B. to live or not to live in accordance with God's will C. to seek pleasure or to avoid pain D. to follow one's personal impulses or to conform to society's values

Q: For the ____, courage in the face of danger was considered the highest virtue. A. Neoplatonist B. Epicurean C. Stoic D. Cynic

Q: Hedonism, according to Epicurus, is: A. pleasure in having one's basic needs satisfied and avoiding pain B. avoiding pain at all costs C. seeking extreme pleasure D. attaining a relationship with a higher power

Q: Who preferred naturalistic explanations to supernatural ones and earned the title, "Destroyer of Religion"? A. Antisthenes B. Gorgias C. Diogenes D. Epicurus

Q: Who was given the nickname "Cynic," and lived a self-sufficient, publicly outrageous life? A. Antisthenes B. Gorgias C. Diogenes D. Epicurus

Q: Which statement is most consistent with a Cynic's point of view? A. People need rules and regulations by which to live their lives. B. Anything natural is good. C. Courage in the face of adversity is the highest virtue. D. The only things worth living for are patriotism, sacrifices for others, and devotion to a common cause.

Q: What did the Skeptics use as their guide(s) for living? A. philosophical truth, feelings, and convention B. philosophical truth, sensations, and convention C. sensations, feelings, and philosophical truth D. sensations, feelings, and convention

Q: The Skeptics suggested that by ____, one could avoid the frustration of being wrong. A. arriving at one's beliefs very carefully B. believing only in ideas held by the majority of people C. following one's own natural impulses D. not believing in anything

Q: In general, ____ promotes a suspension of belief in anything and ____ promotes a retreat from society. A. cynicism; skepticism B. skepticism; cynicism C. epicureans; stoics D. stoics; epicureans

Q: The main target of skepticism was dogmatism. A dogmatist is anyone who: A. equates essences with verbal definitions B. confuses names with real things C. claims to have arrived at an indisputable truth D. lives a life of excess instead of moderation

Q: Events following the death of Aristotle created a situation in which people sought: A. answers to questions concerning problems of everyday living B. the first principles or universals that underlie physical reality C. philosophical certainty D. a solution to Zeno's paradox

Q: According to Aristotle, ____ is explained as the lingering effects of sensory experience. A. common sense B. imagination C. scala naturae D. entelechy

Q: What aspect of Aristotle's philosophy became the cornerstone of most modern theories of learning? A. The reminiscence theory of knowledge B. The laws of association C. The notion of common sense D. The assumption that the souls of the living organisms are arranged in a hierarchy

Q: The law of ____ states that if we think of something, we will also tend to recall the things we experienced along with it. A. similarity B. frequency C. contrast D. contiguity

Q: According to Aristotle, ____ is a spontaneous recollection of something that had been previously experienced and ____ involves an actual mental search for a past experience. A. recall; remembering B. remembering; recall C. reminiscence; association D. association; remembering

Q: According to Aristotle, the unmoved mover: A. is God B. is nature C. sets nature in motion and does little else D. has the same essence as the form of the good

Q: For Aristotle, sensory experience: A. is the only thing necessary for attaining knowledge B. is unnecessary for attaining knowledge C. is necessary but not sufficient for attaining knowledge D. inhibits the attainment of knowledge

Q: Aristotle postulated ____ as the mechanism that coordinates information from the five senses. A. the mind B. the soul C. the entelechy D. common sense

Q: According to Aristotle, we perceive environmental objects because: A. tiny copies of them enter the pores of the body B. their movement influences a medium, which in turn stimulates one or more of the five senses C. their eidola go through one or more of the five senses and then to the heart D. their eidola go through one or more of the five sense and then to the brain

Q: Because Aristotle assumed that everything in nature exists for a purpose, his theory is labeled: A. religious B. empirical C. teleological D. nativistic

Q: According to Aristotle, the ____kept an object moving or developing in its prescribed direction until its full potential was reached. A. entelechy B. instincts C. form of the good D. rational mind

Q: The purpose for which an object exists is its ____ cause. A. material B. formal C. efficient D. final

Q: The force that transforms matter into a particular form is its ____ cause. A. material B. formal C. efficient D. final

Q: The particular form or pattern of an object is its ____ cause. A. material B. formal C. efficient D. final

Q: According to Plato, the supreme goal in life should be to: A. give all components of the soul equal expression B. return to the world beyond the world C. be courageous in the face of danger D. free the soul as much as possible from the adulterations of the flesh

Q: Plato believed that the ideal society would be governed by: A. God B. common people C. philosopher-kings D. soldiers

Q: According to Plato, whether one is a philosopher-king, a soldier, or a slave, is largely determined by: A. personal effort B. educational experience C. the social influence of one's parents D. biological inheritance

Q: According to Plato's reminiscence theory of knowledge, all knowledge is: A. personal opinion B. innate C. derived from sensory experience D. culturally determined

Q: Plato's analogy of the divided line illustrates: A. the influences of the soul B. an existence in the shadows of reality C. the need for sensory experience D. a hierarchy of understanding

Q: The allegory of the cave demonstrates: A. how difficult it is to deliver humans from ignorance B. that truth is relative C. that most humans have a passionate desire to know the truth D. that learning is remembering

Q: According to Plato, the components of the soul are: A. really the same B. typically in harmony with one another C. often in conflict with one another D. subservient to the bodily needs

Q: Plato's theory of forms is best represented by the statement: The cats that we see are: A. superior copies of an abstract incomplete form of "catness" B. inferior copies of an abstract pure idea of "catness" C. manifestations of our sensory processes but in actuality we cannot know if they exist D. concrete forms born of our sensory processes, proving their existence

Q: For Socrates, essences were: A. impossible to determine B. verbal definitions C. transcendental truths D. unimportant

Q: Socrates used the method of ____ to determine what all examples of a concept such as beauty have in common. A. Sophistry B. inductive definition C. introspection D. logical deduction