Deck 2: What Is the Philosophers Way Socrates and the Examined Life

Question 1

Explain what a fallacy is. What kind of mistake is someone making when they commit a formal fallacy in an argument?

Answer 1

not answered

Question 2

What is "wisdom," and how does philosophy relate to it?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

Describe and explain the steps in the critical-thinking process.

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

What is the subject matter of ethics in philosophy? How are these questions approached?

Question 5

What is the subject matter of philosophy? As an academic subject, what does it teach?

Question 6

What was Socrates' philosophical aim? How did his philosophical method match up to his aim?

Question 7

Why did Socrates think he was not wise? What was he able to accomplish by thinking
this?

Question 8

What was Socrates' theory of knowledge, and how did he apply it in philosophical
practice?

Question 9

How does the study of philosophy contribute to the search for a meaningful life?

Question 10

The Socratic method is mainly a method of .

A) learning
B) teaching
C) questioning
D) experience

Question 11

What are the different branches of philosophy, and what are they about?

Question 12

The significance of the polis in ancient Greek philosophy was as a place .

A) of learning
B) for justice to be established
C) where people could share ideas
D) ruled by philosophers

Question 13

What kinds of values were espoused in Homer and Hesiod? How did these values encourage the discipline of philosophy in ancient Greece?

Question 14

Ancient Greek stories of the gods served most importantly to .

A) entertain the people
B) develop reasoning skills
C) teach the importance of philosophy
D) establish core values

Question 15

The pre-Socratic philosophers were mainly interested in .

A) the nature of truth
B) sound political principles
C) the basic principles of ethics
D) the ultimate nature of reality

Question 16

What do you think you can fruitfully learn from the study of philosophy? How can you apply philosophy to your life?

Question 17

What is wrong with "relativism" as a thought process? What does the relativist need to understand?

Question 18

Socrates thought of himself as an intellectual "midwife" because .

A) he helped people know what they thought
B) he helped people invent new ideas
C) he was always coming up with ideas
D) he helped the Athenians become a family

Question 19

Describe the nature of critical thinking. What advantage does the critical thinker have over someone who lacks that skill?

Question 20

How can you apply Socrates' method of inquiry in your own life?

Question 21

Socrates believed that .

A) he was wise
B) he was not wise
C) no one was wise
D) only the gods were wise

Question 22

To value living an "examined life" assumes that .

A) there is no greater good than ethical living
B) people normally do not think enough
C) everyone needs to learn more
D) the truth lies within each of us

Question 23

What does Socrates say to defend himself against the charges of Meletus?

A) He did not know the laws of the city.
B) Those trying to charge him with evil are hypocritical.
C) Meletus has no firsthand knowledge of any of Socrates' teachings.
D) If he is intentionally trying to deceive the young, he must be trying to hurt himself.

Question 24

Socrates was an archetypal thinker in that he .

A) convinced other people of his opinion
B) was able to overcome any objection
C) probed the consequences of beliefs
D) wrote many influential books

Question 25

Thrasymachus thought that "might makes right" because .

A) people need to have a powerful ruler
B) strength is always a good thing
C) ethics is generally relative to the observer
D) justice is defined by whoever has the most power

Question 26

Why did Socrates think people need a "physician of the soul"?

A) they need to live ethically
B) they are inclined toward evil
C) they have inadequate knowledge
D) they do not live in a healthy way

Question 27

Socrates thought that "there is no teaching, only remembering" because .

A) people remember better when they figure things out for themselves
B) people can arrive at truths without being directly told them
C) no one really knows enough to be able to teach
D) people cannot learn more than they already know

Question 28

The sophists were basically .

A) philosophers
B) rhetoriticians
C) politicians
D) artisans

Question 29

Irony is used in dialogue in order to .

A) create more than one level of meaning
B) demonstrate one's superior knowledge
C) get the responder to show their opinion
D) defuse a situation with humor

Question 30

Socrates thought that no one knowingly does evil because .

A) everyone is naturally drawn towards the good
B) people do not receive an adequate moral education
C) they only choose evil because they feel constrained to
D) evil is really an illusion