Question 1

Cosmology,unlike ontology,is the study of
A) how the most real things have come
Into being.
B) how the most real things pass out of existence.
C) the cosmos.
D) what is.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cosmology,unlike ontology,is the study of
A) how the...

Question 2

Spinoza begins by assuming that,because substance is ultimate and totally independent,and because substances cannot interact,there can be only one substance.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Spinoza's philosophy holds that substance is self-caused and self-sufficient, and that there cannot be two substances that interact with each other as this would compromise their independence. Therefore, he concludes that there can only be one substance.

Question 3

We can understand Heraclitus' claim that the basic nature of reality is an "ever-living Fire" as being similar to
A) the modern view that ultimate reality is not matter but energy.
B) Einstein's general theory of relativity.
C) Democritus,in emphasizing the atoms.
D) Anaximenes' view that reality is air.

Accepted Answer

Heraclitus' idea of the "ever-living Fire" can be interpreted as an early form of the modern view that ultimate reality is not matter but energy. The concept of energy as a fundamental aspect of reality has become increasingly important in modern physics, particularly in the areas relating to quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.

Question 4

Descartes and the physicist Sir Isaac Newton,embraced a teleological view of the world as Gaia.

Accepted Answer

Descartes and Newton did not embrace a teleological view of the world as Gaia. The concept of Gaia, which suggests that the Earth is a self-regulating organism, was developed by James Lovelock in the 1970s.

Question 5

We are forced to introduce the concept of "reality" by the distinction between
A) what is material and what is spiritual.
B) what appears to be the case,and the "deeper" picture that allows us to explain it.
C) what is sacred and what is profane.
D) what is mind and what is body.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "reality" is introduced based on the distinction between what appears to be the case and the deeper understanding that allows us to explain it. This suggests that reality is not simply what is immediately apparent, but requires further analysis and understanding. The other choices (A, C, and D) do invoke distinctions, but not necessarily ones that are directly related to the concept of "reality."

Question 6

The early Greek philosophers' theories were monumental because they were attempting to explain the world
A) through appealing to the moods and whims of the gods.
B) through appealing to a single divine Creator,the Demiurge.
C) in terms of an infinite number of principles.
D) in a systematic way,not by appeal to the moods and whims of invisible gods.

Accepted Answer

The early Greek philosophers, starting with the Pre-Socratics, were attempting to explain the world in a systematic way, without resorting to explanations based on the moods and whims of invisible gods. They sought to understand the fundamental principles and elements underlying the universe, and to develop rational hypotheses and arguments to account for the natural phenomena they observed. The idea of a single divine Creator, the Demiurge, was later proposed by some philosophers in the Platonic and Neoplatonic traditions, but it was not a part of the early naturalistic approaches of the Pre-Socratics. Similarly, while some philosophers posited an infinite number of principles or substances (e.g. Thales' water, Anaximenes' air), the aim was still to provide a rational and coherent explanation for the nature of reality, not to invoke divine or arbitrary forces.

Question 7

Approaches to the question "What is real?" seem to start from two very different places,
A) science and common sense.
B) physical science and biological science.
C) science and religion.
D) folk psychology and scientific psychology.

Accepted Answer

The question "What is real?" is often approached from two distinct perspectives: science and religion. Science seeks to understand reality through empirical evidence and rational inquiry, while religion often provides answers based on spiritual beliefs and sacred texts.

Question 8

Science's discovery of a complex system of elements and subatomic particles is similar to Thales discovery of
A) water.
B) earth.
C) fire.
D) the experimental method.

Accepted Answer

Thales is known for his belief that water is the basic substance of the universe. This belief is considered to be one of the first attempts to explain the nature of matter. Similarly, the discovery of a complex system of elements and subatomic particles is a fundamental attempt to understand the nature of matter.

Question 9

Charles Hartshorne and Alfred North Whitehead both developed a process philosophy that synthesized science and a mechanistic metaphysics.

Accepted Answer

Charles Hartshorne and Alfred North Whitehead developed a process philosophy that synthesized science and metaphysics, but it was not mechanistic; it emphasized change and becoming rather than static being.

Question 10

Plato's "myth of the cave" illustrates the point that
A) people are like cave dwellers when they attend only to physical things,not perceiving what is real directly.
B) people are like cave dwellers,in learning how to learn how to perceive true reality without much light.
C) there are three worlds: the world in the cave,the world outside of cave,and the world within the mind.
D) few can spend their entire lives in the cave.

Accepted Answer

The myth of the cave is meant to illustrate the idea that people can be like cave dwellers, only perceiving what they can physically see in front of them, rather than understanding the truth that lies beyond what is immediately visible. This is represented by the prisoners who are chained in the cave and can only see the shadows on the wall in front of them, mistaking these shadows for reality. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 11

According to Eddington,the physicist sees a plank on the street as
A) a solid,unyielding object.
B) mostly emptiness,consisting in myriads of electrical charges dashing about at great speeds.
C) existing,relative to the observer.
D) God,or Absolute Spirit.

Accepted Answer

According to Eddington, the physicist sees a plank on the street as mostly emptiness, consisting of myriads of electrical charges dashing about at great speeds. This is because of the principles of quantum mechanics, which state that matter is composed mostly of empty space with tiny particles bouncing around at high speeds.

Question 12

According to Spinoza,substance is defined as
A) anything which is an attribute.
B) an extended thing,or body,existing independently of the mind.
C) a monad,or mind,which cannot interact with other monads.
D) that which is in itself; which means a conception of it can be formed independently of any other conception.

Accepted Answer

According to Spinoza, substance is that which is in itself, meaning it can be conceived of independently of any other conception. It is an ultimate and independent reality that exists on its own, and from which all other things derive their existence. Substance is not dependent on anything else for its existence, and is therefore self-sufficient. This concept is central to Spinoza's philosophy and is the foundation of his metaphysics.

Question 13

Pythagoras thought that numbers were more real than trees and tables because
A) numbers were created by god,while trees and tables were not.
B) numbers were eternal,while trees and tables were not.
C) numbers were social constructions,while trees and tables were not.
D) numbers unlike trees and tables were composed of more basic elements.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Pythagoras thought that numbers were more real...

Question 14

Unlike Plato,while Aristotle thought that the world most basically consisted in forms,he thought that these forms
A) were in the World of Being separate from the World of Becoming.
B) were in both the World of Being and the World of Becoming.
C) were in material substances,such as trees and people.
D) could not be known.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle believed that forms were not separate from material substances, but rather were inherent to them. For example, the form of a tree would be found within an actual tree, rather than in a separate World of Being. This was a fundamental difference between Aristotle and Plato, who believed in a separation between the physical world and the world of Forms.

Question 15

Plato's metaphysics combines,but also reinterprets,the perspectives of
A) Anaximander,Thales and Democritus.
B) Heraclitus,Pythagoras and Parmenides.
C) Heraclitus,Aristotle and Augustine.
D) Pythagoras and Axaximenes.

Accepted Answer

Plato's metaphysics is heavily influenced by the three philosophers mentioned, particularly Parmenides who argued for the existence of a timeless, changeless Being which Plato identified with his concept of the Forms or Ideas. Pythagoras also influenced Plato's understanding of the role of mathematics in understanding reality, while Heraclitus' emphasis on change and flux was reinterpreted by Plato as the realm of sensory experience that is subject to constant change and therefore not ultimately real.

Question 16

A problem for Descartes is that if substances are by definition ultimate and totally independent of one another,then
A) how can God create them?
B) how can we know them?
C) how can they interact?
D) how can they be real?

Accepted Answer

If substances are totally independent, it is difficult to explain how they can interact with each other. Descartes proposed that the interaction between substances occurs through the pineal gland in the brain, but this has been criticized as inadequate.

Question 17

According to Descartes,the mind and the body are substances that require one another to exist.

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed in dualism, which posits that the mind and body are distinct and separate substances that can exist independently of each other.

Question 18

To say that one's ontology is evaluative means that
A) it is beyond theory and argument.
B) it is a branch of ethics.
C) it is a way of weighing what is most basic to our view of the world.
D) it is subjective.

Accepted Answer

An evaluative ontology is concerned with weighing what is most fundamental or basic to our view of the world. It is not beyond theory or argument, nor is it necessarily a branch of ethics or entirely subjective.

Question 19

Because Leibniz believed that monads are completely independent of one another and that physical substances are illusions,he was led to conclude that
A) we only actually perceive a virtual version of the world and one another.
B) we actually perceive both a virtual and a real version of the world and one another.
C) as minds,we are able,through God,to interact with physical bodies.
D) there was only one substance,God.

Accepted Answer

Leibniz's philosophy posits that monads are the fundamental elements of reality, completely independent and without interaction. Since physical substances are considered illusions in this view, our perceptions of the world and each other are essentially virtual, as we cannot directly interact with the monads that constitute reality.

Question 20

The basic metaphysical assumption that reality is unified,is reflected in the fact that scientists always prefer the most elegant theory that ties together the most material under the simplest principle.

Accepted Answer

This is consistent with the scientific principle of Occam's razor, which states that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. This principle is based on the assumption that reality is unified and harmonious.

Quiz 4: The Nature of Reality

Cosmology,unlike ontology,is the study of

Spinoza begins by assuming that,because substance is ultimate and totally independent,and because substances cannot interact,there can be only one substance.

We can understand Heraclitus' claim that the basic nature of reality is an "ever-living Fire" as being similar to

Descartes and the physicist Sir Isaac Newton,embraced a teleological view of the world as Gaia.

We are forced to introduce the concept of "reality" by the distinction between

The early Greek philosophers' theories were monumental because they were attempting to explain the world

Approaches to the question "What is real?" seem to start from two very different places,

Science's discovery of a complex system of elements and subatomic particles is similar to Thales discovery of

Charles Hartshorne and Alfred North Whitehead both developed a process philosophy that synthesized science and a mechanistic metaphysics.

Plato's "myth of the cave" illustrates the point that

According to Eddington,the physicist sees a plank on the street as

According to Spinoza,substance is defined as

Pythagoras thought that numbers were more real than trees and tables because

Unlike Plato,while Aristotle thought that the world most basically consisted in forms,he thought that these forms

Plato's metaphysics combines,but also reinterprets,the perspectives of

A problem for Descartes is that if substances are by definition ultimate and totally independent of one another,then

According to Descartes,the mind and the body are substances that require one another to exist.

To say that one's ontology is evaluative means that

Because Leibniz believed that monads are completely independent of one another and that physical substances are illusions,he was led to conclude that

The basic metaphysical assumption that reality is unified,is reflected in the fact that scientists always prefer the most elegant theory that ties together the most material under the simplest principle.