Deck 1: What Is Philosophy

Question 1

According to your text, philosophy is a pure, theoretical activity and is not concerned with our passionate moral commitments.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

According to Bertrand Russell, the task of philosophy is to preserve common sense and the majority opinion within the community.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to your text, the hallmark of philosophical method is argument.

Question 5

Some philosophers have used rational arguments to show that it is sometimes rational to go against reason.

Question 6

Practical reason has to do with evaluating the evidence for our beliefs.

Question 7

Metaphysics is concerned with the nature of ultimate reality.

Question 8

Epistemology is primarily concerned with the study of values.

Question 9

Philosophical questions about the mind would fall under metaphysics.

Question 10

One of the "Ten Commandments of Philosophy"is "Stick to your opinions, no matter what."

Question 11

The point of William James's story about the squirrel was

A) the need to get clear on the facts involved in a dispute.
B) the difficulty of knowing what we are observing.
C) the need to make our concepts as clear as possible.
D) there are no true opinions about anything.

Question 12

According to philosophers Michael Tooley and Mary Anne Warren, the anti-abortion argument involves an equivocation over the term

A) "human being."
B) "morally wrong."
C) "killing."
D) "abortion."

Question 13

The philosophical debate over freedom of the will would fall under the category of

A) metaphysics.
B) epistemology.
C) axiology.
D) biomedical ethics.

Question 14

Political philosophy would be a topic within

A) metaphysics.
B) epistemology.
C) axiology.
D) logic.

Question 15

"Philosophical study is dialectic" means that it is like a

A) conversation in which opposing viewpoints guide us to better answers.
B) a map of reality that we construct from the data of science and experience.
C) a mirror of ourselves and our deepest convictions.
D) a maze that leads us in circles.

Question 16

The two kinds of rationality, discussed in your text, are

A) religious and scientific.
B) logical and emotional.
C) practical and theoretical.
D) Western and Eastern.

Question 17

Pascal, Kierkegaard, and James agree that

A) we must never believe anything on insufficient evidence.
B) it is impossible to find grounds for believing anything.
C) every belief is as equally justified as any other belief.
D) sometimes we are justified in believing on insufficient evidence.

Question 18

According to your text, philosophy is a practice of

A) giving reasons in support of one's beliefs and actions.
B) collecting different opinions on weird questions.
C) finding an alternative to religious belief.
D) finding beliefs that are emotionally appealing.

Question 19

One of the "Ten Commandments of Philosophy"is "Divide and Conquer,"which refers to

A) a method of defeating opponents in a debate.
B) a method for classifying different philosophies.
C) the analytic method of examining a problem or theory.
D) appropriating your ideas in a personal way.

Question 20

Give two examples each of issues or questions that fall under metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology.

Question 21

Respond to the following questions from the point of view taken in your text. "Why do philosophers always have to find reasons for their conclusions? Why don't philosophers respect our nonrational beliefs?"

Question 22

Set out, in your own words, three of the "Ten Commandments of Philosophy"and explain each one.

Question 23

Explain the difference between practical reason and theoretical reason. According to your text, how do they relate to one another?