Deck 1: The Philosophical Enterprise

Question 1

What is the mind/body problem?

Answer 1

Not Answer.

Question 2

What is the problem of free will?

Answer 2

Not Answer.

Question 3

What is the problem of personal identity?

Answer 3

Not Answer.

Question 4

What is the problem of evil and the existence of God?

Question 5

What is the problem of skepticism and knowledge?

Question 6

How do philosophical problems arise?

Question 7

How can philosophical problems be solved?

Question 8

What is a philosophical theory?

Question 9

How do philosophical theories differ from scientific theories?

Question 10

How can philosophical theories be tested?

Question 11

Which of the following statements is atest implication for the theory that "all birds can fly"?

A) If all birds can fly, then penguins can fly.
B) Helicopters should be considered birds.
C) Penguins are not birds.
D) Penguins are birds or they can fly.
E) No insects are birds.
F) none of these

Question 12

We can reject a thought experiment on the grounds that its

A) assumptions are unreasonable.
B) results are unfavorable.
C) situations are physically impossible.
D) outcome produces too much agreement.
E) none of these

Question 13

Tooley's Cat thought experiment argues against

A) the potentiality principle.
B) none of these
C) the possibility of animals being persons.
D) animal experimentation.

Question 14

In Greek, "Philosophy" means love of

A) God.
B) mystery.
C) wisdom.
D) debate.
E) virtue.

Question 15

Philosophical problems arise from the realization that some our most fundamental beliefs ___________ each other.

A) reinforce
B) are disconnected from
C) are inconsistent with
D) provide explanations for
E) are derivable from

Question 16

Thought experiments transform our intuitive understanding into a theoretical one by

A) produce results that yield wide-spread agreement.
B) identifying the conditions for applying a concept.
C) always contradicting common sense.
D) none of these.

Question 17

Thomson's Diseased Musician thought experiment shows that

A) the question of whether the fetus is a person is irrelevant to the abortion controversy.
B) to be an agent, one must be in good health.
C) your mental capacity determines if you are a human or not.
D) society values practical professions over the arts.
E) the health care system does not treat all patients equally.

Question 18

One of the motives for doing philosophy is to

A) lead a good life.
B) withdraw yourself from the world.
C) recognize that faith is the only guide to life.
D) show that science cannot make successful predictions.
E) none of these.

Question 19

Philosophical questions are

A) unavoidable.
B) unnecessary.
C) faith-inspired.
D) empirical.
E) superfluous.

Question 20

"Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity" is called

A) Occam's razor.
B) law of noncontradiction.
C) natural theology.
D) heuristic principle.
E) none of these.

Question 21

Warren's Moral Space Traveler thought experiment shows that

A) it's possible for a nonhuman to be a person.
B) humans have a higher moral status than persons.
C) you need a soul in order to be a human.
D) humans cannot be agents.

Question 22

Philosophical theories try to explain how it is ______________ possible for a concept to apply.

A) logically
B) causally
C) socially
D) politically
E) psychologically

Question 23

Scientific theories try to explain how it is ______________ possible for an event to take place.

A) logically
B) causally
C) socially
D) politically
E) psychologically

Question 24

Which of the following isnot one of the criteria of adequacy for an Inference to the Best Explanation?

A) Consistency
B) Complexity
C) Scope
D) Conservatism
E) Fruitfulness

Question 25

In ethics, a being with full moral status is called

A) an agent.
B) a person.
C) a human.
D) a soul.
E) a citizen.

Question 26

Not all conceivable situations (e.g., time travel) are logically possible because they may

A) contain hidden contradictions.
B) violate the laws of nature.
C) contradict the teachings of the world's great religions.
D) violate human rights.
E) none of these

Question 27

Philosophical inquiry attempts to eliminate ______________ from our belief system.

A) God
B) evil
C) coherence
D) inconsistencies
E) truth

Question 28

If two of our beliefs contradict one another, then we know

A) nothing.
B) that both are true.
C) that both are FALSE.
D) that at least one of them is FALSE.

Question 29

The study of reasoning.

A) metaphysics
B) epistemology
C) axiology
D) logic
E) none of these

Question 30

Causal possibility is a ______________ for logical possibility.

A) necessary condition
B) sufficient condition

Question 31

Being a cat is a ______________ for being a mammal.

A) necessary condition
B) sufficient condition

Question 32

Being a reptile is a ______________ for being a lizard.

A) necessary condition
B) sufficient condition

Question 33

Being a widow is a ______________ for being female.

A) necessary condition
B) sufficient condition

Question 34

80% of all engineers are male. Terry is an engineer. Therefore, Terry is male. This argument form is

A) invalid.
B) modus ponens.
C) modus tollens.
D) hypothetical syllogism.
E) disjunctive syllogism.
F) enumerative induction.
G) analogical induction.

Question 35

A valid deductive argument that contains only true premises.

A) cogent
B) uncogent
C) sound
D) unsound
E) none of these

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) Socrates was a soldier.
B) Socrates was tried for defiling the gods and corrupting the youth.
C) Socrates thought he knew nothing.
D) Socrates was killed by hanging.

Question 37

In the Euthyphro, Socrates is trying to get Euthyphro to:

A) help him plead his case.
B) pray for him.
C) identify the nature of religion.
D) identify the nature of holiness (goodness).

Question 38

Warren's Moral Space Traveler thought experiment is intended to show that

A) all and only human beings are persons.
B) being a human being is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for being a person.
C) it is impossible for a nonhuman to be a person.
D) alien beings on other planets are persons.

Question 39

Galileo's thought experiment concerning Aristotle's theory of motion is intended to show that

A) Aristotle's theory of motion is plausible.
B) Aristotle's theory of motion is identical to Galileo's theory.
C) Aristotle's theory of motion is self-contradictory.
D) Aristotle's theory of motion is not self-contradictory.

Question 40

The Tooley's Cat thought experiment is intended to show that

A) cats have a right to life.
B) being a potential person is a necessary condition for having a right to life.
C) being a potential person is a sufficient condition for having a right to life.
D) being a potential person is not a sufficient condition for having a right to life.

Question 41

Thomson's Diseased Musician thought experiment is intended to show that

A) a fetus always has a right to life.
B) a woman may not be morally obligated to share her body with a developing fetus.
C) a woman is morally obligated to share her body with a developing fetus.
D) a developing fetus has the same rights as a musician.

Question 42

What kind of argument is this?
Either p or q.
Not p.
Therefore, q.

A) Disjunctive syllogism
B) Denying the consequent
C) Hypothetical syllogism
D) None of the above

Question 43

It is logically possible for a brick to float in the air.

Question 44

It is logically possible to live to be 900 years old.

Question 45

Theories cannot be tested in isolation.

Question 46

Positive instances cannot conclusively confirm a theory.

Question 47

Philosophical theories cannot be tested.

Question 48

Philosophical problems are unsolvable because there are no right and wrong answers in philosophy.

Question 49

A thought experiment can be criticized if a variable other than the one under investigation could have produced the result.

Question 50

Thought experiments are used in science as well as in philosophy.

Question 51

It is not possible for a nonhuman to be a person.

Question 52

Galileo failed to demonstrate that Aristotle's theory of motion is self-contradictory.

Question 53

The Tooley's Cat thought experiment supports a pro-life position.

Question 54

Thomson's Diseased Musician thought experiment shows that killing innocent persons is always wrong.

Question 55

The conclusion of a sound deductive argument is true.