Question 1

__________ favor social and economic change to help the poor.
A)Conservatives
B)Leftists
C)Bourgeoisie
D)Zeitgeists

Accepted Answer

Leftists favor social and economic change to help the poor. Conservatives generally support maintaining the status quo, while the bourgeoisie (meaning the middle class) may not have a unified perspective on social and economic change. Zeitgeists refer to the prevailing attitudes and beliefs of a particular time period, and do not necessarily align with any particular political ideology.

Question 2

What shape depicted in your text might best describe healthcare reform according to a liberal?
A)A diamond
B)An upside down triangle
C)A triangle
D)A vertical rectangle

Accepted Answer

Liberals often view healthcare reform as a system where resources are distributed from the top (government) to the base (people), resembling a triangle with a broad base representing the population benefiting from the reform.

Question 3

Aristotle argued that the best political communities would be __________.
A)dominated by wealthy citizens
B)oligarchies
C)formed by elites
D)formed by citizens of the middle class

Accepted Answer

Aristotle believed that the best political communities would be formed by citizens of the middle class. According to him, the "middle class" had the ability to understand both the rich and poor, and had the potential to create a stable and just society. He argued that extremes of wealth or poverty would lead to political instability and injustice.

Question 4

Which of the following would be consistent with Confucius's vision of government?
A)Immoral behavior by rulers
B)Participation of the masses
C)Moral behavior by rulers
D)Limits on family ties

Accepted Answer

Confucius believed that a ruler should display moral behavior as an example to the people and lead by virtue. He held that the government should be run by the well-educated and virtuous elites who have compassion for the people.

Question 5

Which of the following was of greatest concern to John Locke?
A)Freedom of speech for all
B)Power resided with the proletariat
C)The right to property
D)Voting rights

Accepted Answer

John Locke's belief in the right to property was one of his central ideas, as he believed that individuals had the right to possess and control their own property without interference from the government. This belief laid the groundwork for later ideas of individual liberty, capitalism, and limited government.

Question 6

Aristotle and John Locke might agree on which point?
A)The importance of voting rights for all citizens
B)The importance of property rights
C)The importance of changing paradigms
D)The importance of the scientific method

Accepted Answer

Both Aristotle and John Locke placed a high importance on property rights. Aristotle believed that private property was necessary for individuals to be able to live a virtuous life, while Locke saw property rights as a natural right that individuals possessed and that government should protect.

Question 7

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau would likely agree on which of the following?
A)Individuals join and stay in civil society
B)Life is nasty and brutish
C)Power resided with the proletariat
D)The importance of empirical research

Accepted Answer

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, despite their differences, all argue that individuals join and stay in civil society to escape the state of nature and to protect their rights, though they conceptualize these processes differently.

Question 8

Which statement best reflects a normative description?
A)The United States has higher taxes than most European democracies.
B)The United States has lower taxes than most European democracies.
C)The United States has a federal income tax.
D)The United States has tax rates that are too low.

Accepted Answer

A normative statement involves value judgments and opinions, rather than strictly factual information. Choice D ("The United States has tax rates that are too low") is a normative statement, as it reflects an opinion on what tax rates should be, rather than a purely factual description of the current situation. Choices A, B, and C are descriptive statements and do not involve value judgments.

Question 9

Which of the following is most consistent with the idea of a social contract?
A)Government should be limited to ensure individual freedom.
B)Individuals join and stay in civil society.
C)Citizens prefer solitary lives to living in groups.
D)Citizens are more concerned with their own social situation than the community.

Accepted Answer

The social contract theory states that individuals agree to join and stay in civil society in order to benefit from the protection and security provided by a government or ruling authority. This aligns with choice B, which implies that individuals enter into a social contract by joining civil society. The other options are not in line with the principles of the social contract theory.

Question 10

Thomas Hobbes wrote that "the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and __________."
A)endless
B)tiring
C)short
D)depressing

Accepted Answer

Hobbes believed that humans in the state of nature led short and brutal lives due to the absence of civilization and organization. This is reflected in his famous quote that describes the life of man as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

Question 11

Which of the following is most consistent with the concept of the "general will" according to Rousseau?
A)Creating a park for the citizens to enjoy
B)Using public dollars so that some citizens can attend private schools
C)Offering tax breaks to one auto manufacturing plant
D)Low turnout in elections

Accepted Answer

According to Rousseau, the general will is the will of the people as a whole, and it represents the common good. Creating a park for the citizens to enjoy is consistent with this concept because it benefits the community as a whole and promotes the common good.

B, C, and D are not consistent with the concept of the general will. Using public dollars to attend private schools benefits a select few individuals and does not promote the common good of the community as a whole. Offering tax breaks to one auto manufacturing plant benefits a particular company or industry and does not necessarily promote the common good. Low turnout in elections does not reflect the will of the people as a whole and may not accurately represent the general will.

Question 12

Which statement best reflects a descriptive statement?
A)The United States has a higher infant mortality rate than Japan.
B)The United States should do more to help the poor.
C)The United States would benefit from lower taxes.
D)The United States would benefit from building more prisons.

Accepted Answer

The statement provides a factual comparison between two countries in terms of their infant mortality rates. This is a descriptive statement as it presents information without expressing an opinion or making a recommendation.

Question 13

What theory best explains a scenario where India develops similar political views to France, despite the fact that France was unaware of Indian political philosophies until recently?
A)Modernization Theory
B)Classical Theory
C)Rational-Choice Theory
D)Marxist Theory

Accepted Answer

Modernization theory states that as societies develop economically, their social and political structures will also change to reflect Western ideals. India's increasing economic development could have led to its adoption of similar political views as France through this theory.

Question 14

Which of the following best characterizes Aristotle?
A)He only explained what is.
B)He only explained what ought to be.
C)He explained both what is and what ought to be.
D)He neither explained what is nor what ought to be.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle believed in exploring the natural world to understand what is and used logic and reason to determine what ought to be. He believed in finding moral or ethical principles from his observation of natural phenomena. Therefore, he explained both what is and what ought to be.

Question 15

If __________ were alive, he might suggest that poor academic performance in schools could be attributed to a society that does not promote education and provides few resources devoted to schools.
A)John Locke
B)Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C)Thomas Hobbes
D)Machiavelli

Accepted Answer

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is known for his views on education and believed that society should prioritize education and create resources for schools. He also believed that individuals are naturally curious and that learning should be a natural process. Therefore, it is likely that if he were alive, he would attribute poor academic performance to a society that does not value education and provide adequate resources for schools.

Question 16

Plato and Aristotle were from __________.
A)Great Britain
B)Italy
C)Greece
D)Egypt

Accepted Answer

Both Plato and Aristotle were ancient Greek philosophers.

Question 17

Karl Marx used the term __________ to refer to everything built on top of the economy.
A)the social contract
B)institutions
C)behavioralism
D)superstructure

Accepted Answer

Marx used the term "superstructure" to refer to everything built on top of the economy, including institutions, laws, politics, culture, and ideology. He argued that these elements were shaped by the economic base and served to justify and maintain the existing class relations.

Question 18

Social contracts, the state of nature, and civil society are phrases that are best associated with __________.
A)the contractualists
B)Marxists
C)behavioralism
D)systems theory

Accepted Answer

Social contracts, the state of nature, and civil society are ideas that originated with contractualist philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Question 19

Which of the following pairs of terms are most incompatible with each other?
A)Descriptive, realism
B)Normative, realism.
C)Descriptive, realism,
D)Normative, zeitgeist

Accepted Answer

Normative refers to values or opinions, while realism is an approach that seeks to describe things as they really are. These are incompatible because normative judgments are subjective and based on personal values, whereas realism relies on objective observations and empirical evidence.

Question 20

__________ wrote Republic.
A)Aristotle
B)Plato
C)Hans J. Morgenthau
D)Niccolo Machiavelli

Accepted Answer

Republic is a philosophical work written by Plato, a student of Socrates. It is considered one of the most influential works in Western literature and has been studied and debated for centuries.

Quiz 2: Theories

__________ favor social and economic change to help the poor.

What shape depicted in your text might best describe healthcare reform according to a liberal?

Aristotle argued that the best political communities would be __________.

Which of the following would be consistent with Confucius's vision of government?

Which of the following was of greatest concern to John Locke?

Aristotle and John Locke might agree on which point?

Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau would likely agree on which of the following?

Which statement best reflects a normative description?

Which of the following is most consistent with the idea of a social contract?

Thomas Hobbes wrote that "the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and __________."

Which of the following is most consistent with the concept of the "general will" according to Rousseau?

Which statement best reflects a descriptive statement?

What theory best explains a scenario where India develops similar political views to France, despite the fact that France was unaware of Indian political philosophies until recently?

Which of the following best characterizes Aristotle?

If __________ were alive, he might suggest that poor academic performance in schools could be attributed to a society that does not promote education and provides few resources devoted to schools.

Plato and Aristotle were from __________.

Karl Marx used the term __________ to refer to everything built on top of the economy.

Social contracts, the state of nature, and civil society are phrases that are best associated with __________.

Which of the following pairs of terms are most incompatible with each other?

__________ wrote Republic.