Deck 7: The Hellenistic ERA

Question 1

The Hellenistic era is the period from the __________.

A) death of Alexander to the end of the Roman Republic
B) birth of Alexander to the death of Alexander
C) birth of Alexander to the end of the Roman Republic
D) death of Alexander to the beginning of the Roman Republic

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In general, Hellenistic philosophy favored __________ over __________.

A) logic; practical wisdom
B) epistemology; metaphysics
C) ethics; metaphysics and logic
D) religion; logic

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Epicureanism is __________.

A) identical with gluttony
B) the philosophy of achieving happiness through moderate pleasures and avoidance of pain
C) the philosophy of Epictetus
D) identical with asceticism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Hedonism is the __________.

A) same as gluttony
B) view advanced by the Stoics
C) view advanced by the skeptics
D) doctrine that pleasure is the supreme good

Question 5

__________ is a hedonist.

A) Epicurus
B) Epictetus
C) Sextus Empiricus
D) Pyrrho

Question 6

__________ is a Stoic.

A) Epicurus
B) Epictetus
C) Sextus Empiricus
D) Pyrrho

Question 7

__________ is thought to be the original skeptic.

A) Epicurus
B) Epictetus
C) Sextus Empiricus
D) Pyrrho

Question 8

Epicureanism, Stoicism, and skepticism are all motivated toward __________.

A) material security and peace of mind
B) peace of mind and freedom from disturbance
C) freedom from pain
D) peace and love

Question 9

Epicurus did not propose __________.

A) recklessly sensual, overindulgent living
B) moderation in pleasures
C) a philosophy for achieving happiness
D) we not fear death

Question 10

According to Epicurus, pleasures are __________.

A) to be pursued at all cost
B) to be avoided
C) equal
D) not all equal

Question 11

According to Epicurus, the desire for happiness and the desire for physical comfort are both __________ desires.

A) necessary
B) natural
C) unnecessary
D) unnatural

Question 12

Epicurus claimed that the gods __________.

A) constantly intervene in human affairs
B) do not exist
C) have nothing to do with us
D) should be feared and obeyed

Question 13

Atomism is the belief that reality consists of a(n) __________ number of minute, indivisible bits called atoms moving rapidly in a(n) __________ void.

A) finite; infinite
B) infinite; infinite
C) infinite; finite
D) finite; finite

Question 14

According to Epictetus, our __________ are up to us, but our __________ are not.

A) desires; bodies
B) perceptions; intentions
C) bodies; impulses
D) desires; perceptions

Question 15

Stoicism preaches cosmopolitanism, the view that __________.

A) the earth is the center of the cosmos
B) all men are brothers
C) the universe is governed by rational principles
D) happiness arises through acting in accord with the logos.

Question 16

Stoicism holds that the universe is a kind of organizing being, or __________.

A) logos
B) mythos
C) ethos
D) thanatos

Question 17

The Stoic ideal is __________.

A) total impassiveness
B) equivalent to wu-wei in Daoism
C) a complete lack of emotion
D) moderation in attitudes

Question 18

Sextus Empiricus thinks that all of the following, except __________, are dogmatists.

A) Aristotle
B) Epicurus
C) Epictetus
D) Protagoras

Question 19

Stoicism has been attractive to many because it offers itself as a(n) __________.

A) antidote for the miseries of the world
B) path to spiritual salvation
C) plan for epistemological certainty
D) tool for controlling one's destiny

Question 20

The only real harm that can be done to a person, according to __________, is self-inflicted injury to the soul by a lack of virtue

A) Epicureans
B) the Stoics
C) skeptics
D) Atomists

Question 21

Sextus Empiricus's ten arguments show that __________ only provides part of the epistemological picture.

A) reality
B) appearance
C) time
D) space

Question 22

Epicureanism, Stoicism, and skepticism all aim toward __________.

A) faith
B) belief
C) knowledge
D) peace of mind

Question 23

According to the Stoic Epictetus, a(n) __________ cannot be harmed.

A) virtuous person
B) knowledgeable person
C) Stoic
D) ignorant person

Question 24

Stoicism is the view that __________

A) happiness and peace of mind are attainable only for a very few
B) we can attain happiness and peace of mind if we focus on controlling our lives
C) we can attain happiness and peace of mind if we focus on controlling only what is up to us
D) happiness and peace of mind are unattainable

Question 25

__________ is the view that we lack knowledge in some fundamental way.

A) Stoicism
B) Epicureanism
C) Atomism
D) Skepticism

Question 26

Epictetus asserts, __________.

A) "It is not ideas that upset people but rather ideas about things"
B) "It is not things that upset people but rather things"
C) "It is not things that upset people but rather ideas about things"
D) "It is not ideas of things that upset people but rather ideas in general"

Question 27

Sextus Empiricus says that skeptics manage to get through life fine just by __________.

A) ignoring reality
B) ignoring appearances
C) attending to appearances
D) rejecting reality

Question 28

The skeptic claims that the most reasonable response to a lack of knowledge is __________.

A) withdrawal from inquiry
B) suspending judgment
C) redoubling one's efforts at knowing the really real
D) accepting appearance as reality

Question 29

According to the skeptic, the goal of life is happiness attained through __________ pleasures and the__________ of mental disturbance.

A) intense; avoidance
B) moderate; avoidance
C) moderate; acceptance
D) intense; acceptance

Question 30

Epicurus equates __________ with an unperturbed soul.

A) being numb
B) being disinterested
C) pleasure and the absence of pain
D) the absence of pain

Question 31

Epicurus claims that the gods have nothing to do with us because they do not exist.

Question 32

Hedonism is identical with gluttony.

Question 33

Epicureanism is the view that life's highest aim is happiness attained through moderate pleasures and the avoidance of mental disturbance.

Question 34

Epicurus equates pleasure with an unperturbed soul.

Question 35

Epicurus argues that the worst evil is physical pain and torment.

Question 36

According to Epicurus, prudence teaches us to distinguish different sorts of desires and to choose wisely among them.

Question 37

The ideal Stoic is someone who is completely emotionless.

Question 38

Stoicism is the view that we can attain happiness and peace of mind if we focus on controlling only what is up to us and ignoring what is not up to us.

Question 39

Stoicism is the view that we are in charge of our future.

Question 40

According to the Stoic Epictetus, a virtuous person cannot be harmed.

Question 41

Epictetus asserts, "It is not things that upset people but rather ideas about things."

Question 42

Skepticism is the view that societal values are flawed and, therefore, to be rejected.

Question 43

According to the skeptic Sextus Empiricus, nothing can be known.

Question 44

The skeptic Sextus Empiricus endorses the view that our lack of knowledge should motivate us to seek absolute truth.

Question 45

Sextus Empiricus advances fifteen arguments in support of skepticism, all of which share a general form.

Question 46

Sextus Empiricus says that skeptics manage to get through life fine just by attending to appearances.

Question 47

The skeptic claims that the most reasonable response to a lack of knowledge is to suspend judgment.

Question 48

According to the skeptic, the goal of life is to achieve peace of mind.

Question 49

The skeptic claims that although we should suspend judgment at times, we ultimately can achieve absolute knowledge.

Question 50

Epicurus claims that death is nothing to us because the soul is immortal.