Question 1

René Descartes
-Descartes doubts all of the following except that

Accepted Answer

Descartes famously concluded "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am") as the fundamental truth that could not be doubted, asserting his own existence as something that is certain and indubitable.

Question 2

Hildegard of Bingen
-Which of the following does Hildegard NOT say about the soul?

Accepted Answer

Hildegard of Bingen believed in the deep interconnection between the soul and the body, and she thought that the soul animates the body and is involved in the workings of the intellect and the will. However, she did not claim that the soul is unknowable by sense perception; her works often describe the soul in ways that suggest it can be understood or experienced, at least indirectly, through its manifestations in the physical world and through spiritual insight.

Question 3

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
-Contrary to medieval scholars understanding of the "Chain of Being," Pico believes

Accepted Answer

Pico della Mirandola's "Oration on the Dignity of Man" posits that humans are unique in the Chain of Being because they can occupy any place within it, based on their choices and actions, rather than being fixed at birth.

Question 4

Hildegard of Bingen
-Which of the following is true about the connection between the soul and the senses?

Accepted Answer

Hildegard of Bingen posited that the soul both understands through the senses and is itself understood in this way, indicating a reciprocal relationship between the soul and the senses.

Question 5

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
-Human dignity consists of

Accepted Answer

Pico della Mirandola emphasized human dignity as stemming from our free will, which allows us to shape our own nature and destiny.

Question 6

William of Ockham

-Which of the following is not one of Ockham's arguments against universals existing outside the mind?

Accepted Answer

William of Ockham argued against the existence of universals outside the mind using various arguments, but the claim that "if a universal is a substance, then only the mind can have substance" is not one of them. His arguments were more focused on the nature of universals as abstract entities rather than substances, and how they relate to particulars and the mind's conceptual framework.

Question 7

Moses Maimonides
-In discussing motion,Maimonides claims that

Accepted Answer

Maimonides, in his philosophical writings, particularly in "The Guide for the Perplexed," discusses the nature of motion and corporeality. He argues that for a corporeal thing to move another, it must itself be in motion, reflecting a medieval understanding of motion and causality.

Question 8

THOMAS AQUINAS 
-Thomas believes that perfect happiness

Accepted Answer

Thomas Aquinas argued that perfect happiness, or beatitude, cannot be found in this life but only in the next, through the direct vision of God's essence.

Question 9

René Descartes
-Descartes calls into doubt everything which he had formerly held as true because

Accepted Answer

Descartes seeks to establish a firm basis for determining what is true and what is false by calling all his former beliefs into doubt. He hopes to arrive at some undoubtable truths, which he can then use as the foundation of his knowledge.

Question 10

René Descartes
-Descartes bases his argument for God's existence on

Accepted Answer

Descartes' argument for God's existence is based on his own existence. He argues that his own existence as a thinking being implies the existence of a God who could not have been brought into existence by any cause or dependent on any thing for his existence.

Question 11

René Descartes
-Descartes' goal in doubting is to

Accepted Answer

Descartes' goal in doubting was to arrive at a point of logical certainty with regards to knowledge. He aimed to strip away all assumptions and beliefs that he had previously held as true and establish a foundation of knowledge based on something that could not be doubted. This led him to the famous phrase "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am), which he believed was the only thing he could be certain of.

Question 12

All of Thomas's proofs for God's existence are similar in that

Accepted Answer

All of Thomas's proofs, such as the First Cause argument, the Argument from Design, and the Moral Argument, begin with an appeal to sense experience or observable phenomena in the natural world. He believed that reason and observation could lead to knowledge of God's existence.

Question 13

THOMAS AQUINAS 
-According to Thomas,the intellect and the body are united in that

Accepted Answer

According to Thomas, the intellect and body are united in that the intellectual soul is the form of the body. This means that the soul, which includes the intellect, gives form and structure to the body, and is intimately connected with it. This is a key concept in Thomas's philosophy, as it explains the relationship between the immaterial and material aspects of human beings.

Question 14

THOMAS AQUINAS 
-Given that God's eternal law manifests itself in both divine (Biblical)law and Natural Law,Thomas believes that human laws

Accepted Answer

According to Thomas, human laws should be based on both divine and natural laws for the sake of peace and order. He believes that God's eternal law manifests itself in both divine and natural law, and that human laws should direct all human activities to be in accordance with these laws. By integrating both divine and natural law into human laws, Thomas believes that society can achieve a harmonious balance and uphold the common good.

Question 15

THOMAS AQUINAS 
-According to Thomas,the statement "God exists" is

Accepted Answer

Thomas Aquinas argued that the existence of God can be proven through human reason, notably in his Five Ways, which are logical arguments for God's existence.

Question 16

René Descartes
-The "I" that Descartes says must exist is characterized by

Accepted Answer

Descartes argues that the mind is a thinking entity, while the body is a material entity that has sensory perceptions. Therefore, he concludes that the self, or "I", is a combination of a mind with thoughts and a separate body with sense perceptions.

Question 17

Hildegard of Bingen
-What does Hildegard say about the role of reason?

Accepted Answer

Hildegard believed that reason is present and detectable both in the actions of humans and in the work of God. She saw reason as a gift from God, allowing humans to understand and interpret the world around them. She believed that reason in humans was meant to be used in service of God and that reason was a way for humans to understand God's will.

Question 18

Hildegard of Bingen
-Hildegard's primary concern in writing an account of the soul is to

Accepted Answer

Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval mystic and scholar, often emphasized the importance of using one's intellect and will to perform good deeds and live a virtuous life. Her writings frequently aimed to persuade readers towards spiritual improvement and moral action.

Question 19

Moses Maimonides
-Maimonides claims that everything that exists potentially with an essence that includes some possibility

Accepted Answer

Maimonides' concept of potentiality and essence means that everything that exists has the potential to not exist, as well as the potential to develop into something else. This means that nothing exists by necessity and that everything is contingent.

Question 20

William of Ockham

-Ockham argues against the position of Duns Scotus that universals

Accepted Answer

Ockham argued against Duns Scotus's position that universals are formally distinct from particulars, advocating instead for a more nominalist approach where universals are not seen as having a real, separate existence from the particulars they are thought to represent.

Quiz 1: Ancient Greek Philosophy

René Descartes -Descartes doubts all of the following except that

Hildegard of Bingen -Which of the following does Hildegard NOT say about the soul?

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola -Contrary to medieval scholars understanding of the "Chain of Being," Pico believes

Hildegard of Bingen -Which of the following is true about the connection between the soul and the senses?

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola -Human dignity consists of

William of Ockham -Which of the following is not one of Ockham's arguments against universals existing outside the mind?

Moses Maimonides -In discussing motion,Maimonides claims that

THOMAS AQUINAS -Thomas believes that perfect happiness

René Descartes -Descartes calls into doubt everything which he had formerly held as true because

René Descartes -Descartes bases his argument for God's existence on

René Descartes -Descartes' goal in doubting is to

All of Thomas's proofs for God's existence are similar in that

THOMAS AQUINAS -According to Thomas,the intellect and the body are united in that

THOMAS AQUINAS -Given that God's eternal law manifests itself in both divine (Biblical) law and Natural Law,Thomas believes that human laws

THOMAS AQUINAS -According to Thomas,the statement "God exists" is

René Descartes -The "I" that Descartes says must exist is characterized by

Hildegard of Bingen -What does Hildegard say about the role of reason?

Hildegard of Bingen -Hildegard's primary concern in writing an account of the soul is to

Moses Maimonides -Maimonides claims that everything that exists potentially with an essence that includes some possibility

William of Ockham -Ockham argues against the position of Duns Scotus that universals