Question 1

What did the Gods condemn Sisyphus to?
A) Death
B) Ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain
C) Being constantly dissatisfied with life despite the fact that he clings to it
D) Being unhappy with his life

Accepted Answer

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to roll a huge boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down when it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity.

Question 2

Why was Sisyphus being punished by the Gods?
A) For being unhappy with the life they had granted him
B) For mistreating his wife
C) For stealing their secrets
D) For failing to grasp the significance of his life

Accepted Answer

Sisyphus was punished by the gods for his trickery and deceit, including stealing their secrets, among other offenses. His punishment was to eternally roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time it neared the top.

Question 3

Why is Sisyphus the "absurd hero," for Camus?
A) He failed to appreciate the things he had, but he had many things worth appreciating
B) His hatred for death and passion for life won him the punishment of his life being for nothing
C) Because he was condemned to ceaseless punishment
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Camus considers Sisyphus the "absurd hero" because his eternal punishment of rolling a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down symbolizes the human condition of seeking meaning in a meaningless world. Sisyphus's defiance and passion for life, despite his futile task, embody the absurd hero's acceptance of life's inherent absurdity.

Question 4

Why is Sisyphus tragic, according to Camus?
A) Because he was condemned to such a horrific punishment
B) Because he lost his wife
C) Because he is conscious
D) Because despite having a loving wife, he failed to appreciate her love

Accepted Answer

According to Camus, Sisyphus is tragic because he is conscious of the futility of his task, yet he continues to push the boulder up the hill, symbolizing the human condition and the search for meaning in a meaningless world.

Question 5

Why does Sisyphus's return to the bottom of the mountain interest Camus?
A) This is when Camus imagines Sisyphus's stoic return to his torment
B) This is the period of Sisyphus's life where he is conscious of his fate
C) This is when Sisyphus becomes superior to his fate
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does Sisyphus's return to the bottom...

Question 6

Why is it a mistake to say that happiness necessarily springs from the absurd discovery, for Camus?
A) Because the absurd also springs from happiness
B) Because although it can spring from the absurd discovery, it doesn't necessarily
C) Because the absurd is tragic
D) Because the absurd discovery is a source of sadness

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it a mistake to say...

Question 7

How must one imagine Sisyphus, according to Camus?
A) Ambivalent
B) Angry
C) Sad
D) Happy

Accepted Answer

According to Albert Camus in his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus," one must imagine Sisyphus happy as he embraces his eternal task, finding meaning in his struggle itself.

Question 8

For Camus, Oedipus is _______ Sisyphus.
A) In a completely different sort of situations than
B) In the same sort of situation as
C) Tragic but happy, unlike
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

For Camus, Oedipus and Sisyphus share a fundamental existential condition, embodying the human struggle against the absurdity of life. Camus sees both figures as confronting their fates with a sense of rebellion and acceptance, which aligns them in the same sort of existential situation.

Question 9

When Sisyphus ordered his wife to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square, what happened?
A) She performed the task, and Sisyphus was satisfied
B) She performed the task, and Sisyphus scorned her for it
C) She didn't perform the task, and Sisyphus scorned her for it
D) She didn't perform the task, and Sisyphus was satisfied

Accepted Answer

Sisyphus asked his wife to cast his unburied body into the public square to test her love for him. When she did as he requested, he used this as a reason to argue with Persephone, the queen of the underworld, that he had been treated unjustly and should be allowed to return to the world of the living to chastise her. This shows that he scorned her for following his instructions.

Question 10

It is important, for Camus, that Sisyphus's fate . . .
A) Is not the product of his actions
B) Be endless
C) Is his fate
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is important, for Camus, that Sisyphus's...

Question 11

The Gods, according to Camus, thought that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.

Accepted Answer

This statement reflects the essence of the myth of Sisyphus, as interpreted by Albert Camus, where the gods punish Sisyphus with the eternal task of pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he reaches the top, symbolizing futile and hopeless labor.

Question 12

Sisyphus's wife refused to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square.

Accepted Answer

Sisyphus instructed his wife to throw his naked body into the middle of the public square as part of a plan to cheat death.

Question 13

The fate of ordinary workers, for Camus, is importantly different from Sisyphus's fate.

Accepted Answer

For Camus, the fate of ordinary workers is metaphorically similar to that of Sisyphus, as he uses Sisyphus's endless task of rolling a boulder up a hill only for it to roll down again as a symbol for the repetitive and seemingly meaningless tasks of human life, suggesting a shared existential struggle.

Question 14

For Camus, Sisyphus's consciousness was both the source of his torment and his victory.

Accepted Answer

Albert Camus posits in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that Sisyphus's awareness of his futile task—forever rolling a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down—renders his labor absurd. However, it is this very consciousness and his ability to find meaning in the struggle itself that Camus argues makes Sisyphus an emblem of human resilience and triumph over the absurd.

Question 15

Camus holds that it is impossible to overcome one's absurd situation in any way.

Accepted Answer

Camus argues that while the absurd cannot be overcome, one can confront it by embracing life's experiences fully and by living with passion and revolt, thus giving life meaning despite the absurd.

Question 16

For Nagel, why isn't the fact that nothing we do now will matter in one million years a source of absurdity?
A) Because brevity is not a source of absurdity
B) Because it isn't true
C) Because that fact won't matter in one million years
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Because that fact won't matter in one million years

Question 17

Why is the fact that we're going to die a possible source of absurdity?
A) Because it means all chains of justification must end arbitrarily
B) Because it means nothing we do now matters
C) Because there is no final end to the things we do
D) (a) and (c)

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is the fact that we're going...

Question 18

Which of the following is a real source of absurdity, according to Nagel?
A) That nothing we do now will matter in one million years
B) That we are merely tiny specks in an infinite vastness of universe
C) That we will necessarily die
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that the absurdity of life arises from the discrepancy between the seriousness with which we take our lives and the possibility that our lives might be insignificant or arbitrary, rather than from any specific cosmic or temporal condition.

Question 19

When do we see absurdity in ordinary life, according to Nagel?
A) When we reflect on situations
B) When a situation includes a conspicuous discrepancy between pretension/aspiration and reality
C) When we come into contact with our own mortality
D) When we think about how small we are relative to the universe

Accepted Answer

Nagel suggests that absurdity arises when there is a noticeable gap between our aspirations or pretensions and the reality of our situation, highlighting the incongruity in our lives.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes why Nagel thinks life is absurd?
A) Because we are condemned to death
B) Because our hopes are often in disagreement with the world
C) Because we must take our lives seriously, but we can always regard everything as open to doubt
D) Because we must take an external view of ourselves

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that life is absurd because we take our lives seriously, yet we can always adopt a perspective that questions the significance of everything, leading to a sense of absurdity.

Quiz 6: Existential Issues

What did the Gods condemn Sisyphus to?

Why was Sisyphus being punished by the Gods?

Why is Sisyphus the "absurd hero," for Camus?

Why is Sisyphus tragic, according to Camus?

Why does Sisyphus's return to the bottom of the mountain interest Camus?

Why is it a mistake to say that happiness necessarily springs from the absurd discovery, for Camus?

How must one imagine Sisyphus, according to Camus?

For Camus, Oedipus is _______ Sisyphus.

When Sisyphus ordered his wife to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square, what happened?

It is important, for Camus, that Sisyphus's fate . . .

The Gods, according to Camus, thought that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.

Sisyphus's wife refused to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square.

The fate of ordinary workers, for Camus, is importantly different from Sisyphus's fate.

For Camus, Sisyphus's consciousness was both the source of his torment and his victory.

Camus holds that it is impossible to overcome one's absurd situation in any way.

For Nagel, why isn't the fact that nothing we do now will matter in one million years a source of absurdity?

Why is the fact that we're going to die a possible source of absurdity?

Which of the following is a real source of absurdity, according to Nagel?

When do we see absurdity in ordinary life, according to Nagel?

Which of the following best describes why Nagel thinks life is absurd?