2012–2013
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Excelsior College® Examinations Content Guide for
INTRODUCTION TO
PHILOSOPHY
Take advantage of
online Excelsior College
Practice Exams.
See page ii for details.
Use this guide if you are planning to test between
October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013.
If you are planning to test on or after October 1, 2013, you should also obtain the
revised version of this guide which will be available in late summer 2013. You may
access the revised version online from our Web site.
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(continued on page 17)
Copyright © 2012 Excelsior College. All rights reserved. “Excelsior College” is a registered servicemark of Excelsior College. All rights reserved.
ii
Studying Independently for this
Excelsior College® Examination
General Description of the Examination
The Excelsior College Examination in Introduction to Philosophy measures knowledge and understanding of the
material typically taught in a one-semester survey course in philosophy. The examination content reflects common
knowledge drawn from courses with such titles as Introduction to Philosophy or Basic Philosophical Issues. No
previous knowledge of philosophy is required prior to beginning study for this examination.
The examination tests for a knowledge of facts and terminology and an understanding of logic, epistemology,
metaphysics, and ethics. Students will be expected to know logical reasoning, the history of philosophy, and the
different approaches to various philosophical problems.
Learning Outcomes:
After you have successfully worked your way through the recommended study materials, you should be able to
demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
1. Identify, comprehend, and apply some common logical principles and fallacies.
2. Identify, comprehend, and apply the major ethical theories.
3. Identify, comprehend, and apply the major metaphysical issues and viewpoints.
4. Identify, comprehend, and apply the major epistemological issues and viewpoints.
Uses for the Examination
Examination Length and Scoring
Excelsior College, the test developer, recommends
granting three (3) semester hours of lower-level
credit to students who receive a letter grade of C or
higher on this examination. This recommendation is
endorsed by the American Council on Education. The
examination may be used to help fulfill the introductory
philosophy core requirement for the Philosophy major,
as a Humanities general education course, or as a free
elective for all Excelsior College degree programs that
allow for free electives. Other colleges and universities
also recognize this exam as a basis for granting credit
or advanced standing. Individual institutions set their
own policies for the amount of credit awarded and the
minimum acceptable score. Before taking the exam,
you should check with the institution from which you
wish to receive credit to determine whether credit
will be granted and/or to find out the minimum grade
required for credit.
The examination consists of approximately 130
four-option multiple-choice questions, some of
which are unscored, pretest questions. The pretest
questions are embedded throughout the exam, and
they are indistinguishable from the scored questions.
It is to your advantage to do your best on all of the
questions. You will have three (3) hours to complete
the examination. Your score will be reported as a letter
grade.
IP/AB
Examination Administration
Pearson VUE Testing Centers serve as the
administrator for all Excelsior College computerdelivered exams. The Disability Services office at
Excelsior College is responsible for considering
requests for reasonable accommodations (exceptions
for individual students with documented disabilities).
1
Computer-Delivered Testing
You will take the exam by computer, entering your
answers using either the keyboard or the mouse. The
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even for those with little or no computer experience.
On-screen instructions are similar to those you would
see in a paper examination booklet.
We strongly encourage you to use the online tutorial
before taking your exam at Pearson VUE Testing
Centers. To access the tutorial, go to www.excelsior.
edu/exams, and click on Books Study Guides & Exam
Resources and then on the Testing Tutorial link. A
tutorial will not be available at the test center.
About Test Preparation Services
Preparation for Excelsior College® Examinations,
though based on independent study, is supported by
Excelsior College with a comprehensive set of exam
learning resources and services designed to help you
succeed. These learning resources are prepared by
Excelsior College so you can be assured that they
are current and cover the content you are expected
to master for the exams. These resources, and your
desire to learn, are usually all that you will need to
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There are test-preparation companies that will offer to
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2
IP/AB
Preparing with the Content Guides
and Related Materials
A committee of teaching faculty and practicing
professionals determines the learning outcomes to
be tested on each ECE. Excelsior College Center for
Educational Measurement staff oversee the technical
aspects of test construction in accordance with
current professional standards. To promote fairness
in testing, we take special care to ensure that the
language used in the exams and related materials is
consistent, professional, and user friendly. Editorial
staff perform systematic quantitative and qualitative
reviews to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance
with conventions of bias-free language usage.
How Long Will It Take Me to Study?
As an independent study program, an ECE enables you
to show that you've learned material comparable to
one or more college-level courses. To prepare, then,
you should study and review as much as you would for
a college course.
How long is that? College professors advise that in
each week of a semester, you should spend at least
three hours studying for every credit you will earn. So,
for a three-credit course, you should study nine hours
a week, or 135 hours total for a 15-week semester (3
hours × 3 credits × 15 weeks). Use the form below to
determine how much time you should spend:
My e
xam is
_____ credits × 3 hours per week × 15 weeks =
_____ total hours of study.
Using the Content Outline
At the heart of this content guide is a content outline
that describes the various content areas of the test
and what is required to prepare for them. The content
outline is like the syllabus for a course (for which you
are your own teacher). To fully prepare for an ECE
requires self-direction and discipline. Study involves
careful reading and reflection and systematic review.
Use the percentage weightings chart at the beginning
of the outline to allocate your study time. For
example, if you are preparing for the 3-credit exam in
Foundations of Gerontology, and wish to take the exam
15 weeks from today, you might create the following
schedule, knowing that you should plan a total of 135
hours of study:
Percent
of Exam
Hours
Week
Important Concepts
of Gerontology
10%
13.5
1
Demography of Aging
12%
16.2
2–3
Biology and Physical Health
17%
23
3 –5
Psychology and Mental Health
14%
19
6–7
Sociology
14%
19
8 –9
Economics, Work,
and Retirement
14%
19
10–11
Political Behavior
and Public Policy
14%
19
12–13
Death and Dying
5%
6.75
14
(General Review, Catching Up)
xx
??
15
Content Area
Each content area in the outline includes (1) the
minimum hours of study you should devote to that
content area and (2) the most important sections
of the recommended resources for that area. These
annotations are not intended to be comprehensive.
You may need to refer to other chapters in the
recommended textbooks. Chapter numbers and titles
may differ in later editions.
IP/AB
3
Most content outlines contain many examples that
illustrate the types of information you should study.
Although these examples are numerous, do not
assume that everything on the exam will come from
these examples. Conversely, do not expect that every
detail you study will appear on the exam. Any exam is
only a broad sample of all the questions that could be
asked about the subject matter.
Using the Recommended Resources
It is important to structure your study using the
content outline along with the Recommended
Resources: regular college textbooks, primary and
secondary source materials, publications prepared
by Excelsior College staff to support your exam
preparation, open educational resources (OER), and
(in some cases) audiovisual materials or journal
articles. Each test question is referenced to one or
more of the Recommended Resources. Resources
listed as "additional" or "other" clarify some topics in
the content outline or provide enrichment, but are not
essential to your preparation.
Pay close attention to whether we are recommending
that you use all the resources or offering you a choice.
Many of our content guides provide brief descriptions
of the materials that may help you to choose among
alternatives. You can also look up the books on the
publisher’s Web site, where you may be able to view
sample pages, review the table of contents, and
explore supplementary materials. If you encounter
topics in the content outline that are not covered in
the resource you are using, try an alternative in the
Recommended Resources list or check the list of
additional resources.
Some textbook publishers sell workbooks or study
guides to accompany their texts. If the committee that
developed your exam has evaluated these materials,
they will be listed in the content guide and the
Excelsior College Bookstore may offer a special price if
you purchase these guides at the same time with your
textbook.
If your exam has a Guided Learning Package, it will
benefit you to use the whole thing: the package
provides a coherent course of study to follow and
you will save money over purchasing the materials
individually. An integral part of each guided learning
package is the course guide, prepared by Excelsior
College distance learning specialists in collaboration
with the test developers. Excelsior College course
4
guides may be purchased only from the Excelsior
College Bookstore. Do not confuse them with study
guides from other publishers.
Using the Sample Questions
and Rationales
Each content guide provides sample questions to
illustrate those typically found on the exam. The
sample questions are not intended to serve as a
practice test, but you may use them as models to
create your own test questions for review purposes.
In the last pages of this guide, you will find rationales
for the multiple-choice sample questions (with the
correct answer printed in bold). The rationales explain
why the answer is correct and the other choices are
wrong. The number in parentheses at the beginning
of each rationale refers to the appropriate section of
the content outline. Especially if you chose one of the
wrong answers, you should return to its section of the
content outline for additional study.
Study Tips
Before you even begin to study you may find it fun to
search “learning style” on the Internet for tools to
identify how you learn best. Whatever your specific
style, you will want to become an active user of the
resource materials. Aim for understanding rather than
memorization. The more active you are when you study,
the more likely you will be to retain, understand, and
apply the information.
The following techniques are generally considered to
be "active learning":
• preview or survey each chapter
•h
ighlight or underline text you believe is important
• write questions or comments in the margins
• practice re-stating content in your own words
• r elate what you are reading to the chapter title,
section headings, and other organizing elements of
the textbook
• find ways to engage your eyes, your ears, and your
muscles, as well as your brain, in your studies
• s tudy with a partner or a small group (are you
an enrolled student? search for partners on
MyExcelsior Community)
IP/AB
•p
repare your review notes as flashcards
or create audiotapes that you can use while
commuting or exercising
When you feel confident that you understand a content
area, review what you have learned. Take a second
look at the material to evaluate your understanding.
If you have a study partner, the two of you can review
by explaining the content to each other or writing test
questions for each other to answer. Review questions
from textbook chapters may be helpful for partner or
individual study, as well.
Using the Practice Exams
The ECE practice exams are highly recommended
as part of your study plan. See the inside covers of
this guide for information on purchasing the practice
exams. You should use the first form of the practice
exam as a pretest, analyze your results, study the
areas that were most difficult for you, and then use the
second form as a posttest to see if your grasp of the
material has improved. Although there is no guarantee,
our research suggests that students who do well on
the practice exams are more likely to pass the actual
exam than those who do not do well (or do not take
advantage of this opportunity).
Academic Honesty
Nondisclosure Statement
All test takers must agree to the terms of the Excelsior
College Academic Honesty Policy before taking an
examination. The agreement will be presented on
screen at the Pearson VUE Testing Center before
the start of your exam. Once you accept the terms
of the agreement, you can proceed with your
exam. If you choose not to accept the terms of the
agreement, your exam will be terminated and you will
be required to leave the testing center. You will not
be eligible for a refund. For more information, review
the Student Policy Handbook at www.excelsior.edu/
studentpolicyhandbook.
Student behavior will be monitored during and after
the exam. Electronic measures are used to monitor
the security of test items and scan for illegal use
of intellectual property. This monitoring includes
surveillance of Internet chat rooms, Web sites, and
other public forums.
On the Day of Your Exam
Remember to practice healthy eating and stress
control in the days before your exam. Then, when the
big day comes, do yourself some favors:
•d
ress comfortably: the computer will not mind that
you're wearing your favorite relaxation outfit
•a
rrive at the test site rested and prepared to
concentrate for an extended period
•a
llow sufficient time to travel, park, and locate the
test center
•b
e prepared for possible variations in temperature
at the test center due to weather changes or energy
conservation measures
•b
ring your IDs, but otherwise, don’t weigh yourself
down with belongings that will have to be kept in a
locker during the test.
IP/AB
5
Learning Resources for this Exam
The study materials listed below are recommended by Excelsior College as the most appropriate resources to help
you study for the examination. For information on ordering from the Excelsior College Bookstore, see the inside
front cover of this guide. You may also find resource materials in college libraries. Public libraries may have some
of the textbooks or may be able to obtain them through an interlibrary loan program.
You should allow sufficient time to obtain resources and to study before taking the exam.
Recommended Resources
The textbooks listed below provide very good coverage of the topics on the content outline.
Chaffee, J. (2013). The philosopher’s way: Thinking critically about profound ideas (4th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. (with free access to MySearchLab)
Note: In addition to the chapter reading assignments listed in the content outline, you are
responsible for reading primary source material provided at the textbook Web site. Those
materials are indicated by (Lab) in the content outline above. Where the Lab designation does
not appear, you are responsible for the level of information about the work that is provided in
the textbook itself.
Bowen, J. (2008). A journey through the landscape of philosophy: A reader. New York: Pearson
Longman.
These study materials may be purchased from the Excelsior College Bookstore.
Open Courseware
Saylor Foundation: Introduction to Philosophy
http://www.saylor.org/course/phi101/
Order the resources
you need today!
The Excelsior College
Bookstore is available
by phone, fax, email,
Web site, and mail.
See page ii for
ordering information.
6
IP/AB
Content Outline
The major content areas on the Introduction to Philosophy examination and the percent
of the examination devoted to each content area are listed below.
Percent of the
Examination
Content Area
I. The Nature of Philosophy and Logic
10%
II.Metaphysics
35%
III.Epistemology
20%
IV.Ethics
35%
Total
Note: Throughout the following outline, you will
find entries with (Lab). This means you are
expected to read the entire selection found
online at www.mysearchlab.com. Full-text
primary sources may be found as downloadable
PDFs in the category MyThinkingLibrary.
Information for accessing this site is in the
Chaffee textbook. If a philosopher or a work
does not have the Lab indication, you are
responsible only for the coverage of that
material in the textbook itself.
I.The Nature of Philosophy and Logic (10%)
14
hours
Chaffee (4th ed., 2013)
Ch. 1, What Is Philosophy?
100%
B. Why is philosophy important?
C. Branches of philosophy (for example:
metaphysics, ethics, logic, epistemology)
D. Logical reasoning
1. Fallacies (ad hominem, begging the
question, equivocation, appeal to
popularity, false dilemma, ignorance,
post hoc, slippery slope, naturalistic
fallacy, denying the antecedent,
affirming the consequent)
2. Argument forms (logical laws)
3.Validity
4.Soundness
E. Critical thinking
1. Point of view
Ch. 2, What Is the Philosopher’s Way?
2.Assumptions
Ch. 6, What Is Real? What is True?
3.Evidence
Bowen (2008), Guide to Critical Thinking
and Logic (pp. xvii – xxvii)
A. What is philosophy?
1.Definitions
2. Having a philosophy vs. doing
philosophy
4. Reaching conclusions
F.Socrates
1. Apology by Plato (Lab)
2. Socratic method
G. Bertrand Russell—The Problems of
Philosophy (Ch. 1 and 15) (Lab)
3. Purpose of philosophy
IP/AB
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II.Metaphysics (35%)
B. The nature of reality
1. Heraclitus—Fragments
48
hours
Chaffee
Ch. 3, Who Are You?
Ch. 4, Are You Free?
Ch. 7, Is There a Spiritual Reality?
Bowen
Ch. 2, Self, Mind, and Soul
Ch. 6, Faith and Reason
2.Aristotle
a. Four causes
b.Reality
c.Forms
d. The Politics (Book I, Book IV) (Lab)
3.Leibniz
C. Self, mind, and soul
A. God
1. Proofs for God’s existence
a.Anselm—Proslogion (Ch. 2-7) (Lab)
b.Aquinas—Summa Theologica (third
article: Whether God Exists) (Lab)
c. David Hume—Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion (Lab)
d. William Paley—The Teleological
Argument (Lab)
e. Bertrand Russell—Why I Am Not a
Christian
2. The problem of evil
a. John Hick—Philosophy of Religion
(God Can Allow Some Evil) (Lab)
3. The Ethics of Belief by Clifford
4. The Will to Believe by James (Lab)
5.Pascal
6. Kierkegaard
a. The leap of faith—Philosophical
Fragments
7.Nietzsche
8.Religion
1. Mind-body problem
a.Materialism
b.Dualism
2.Descartes—Meditations on First
Philosophy (Lab)
3. The soul
4.Locke—An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding (Book 1, Chapters 1 and
2; Book 2, Chapters 2 and 7; Book 4,
Chapter 11) (Lab)
5.Hume—An Inquiry Concerning Human
Understanding (selections) (Lab)
6.Kant—Fundamental Principles of the
Metaphysics of Morals (Lab)
7. Other theorists (for example: Freud,
Ryle)
a. The Concept of Mind—Ryle
D. Personal identity
1.Memory
2.Body
3. No self
E. Free will and determinism
a.Buddhism
1. Free will
b.Christianity
2.Determinism
c.Hinduism—Bhagavad-Gita (Lab)
d. Islam
a. The System of Nature by d’Holbach
(Thiry) (Lab)
e.Judaism
b. The Will to Believe by James (Lab)
f.Taoism
g. Mary Daly’s feminist view 3.Existentialism
a.Sartre—Existentialism Is a
Humanism (Lab)
4. Feminist approaches
8
IP/AB
a.Grimshaw
F.Causality
1.Hume—An Inquiry Concerning Human
Understanding: Of the Idea of Necessary
Connection (Lab)
G.Plato—Republic—selections (Lab)
1. Theory of Forms
2.Leibniz
3.Kant
3. Allegory of the Cave
b. Critique of Pure Reason (Lab)
Eastern approaches
III.Epistemology (20%)
27
a. Meditations on First Philosophy 1,
2, and 6 (Lab)
2. Theory of innate ideas
1.Buddha—Dhammapada (Lab)
hours
1.Descartes
a. Prolegomena to Any Future
Metaphysics (Lab)
H.Russell—The Problems of Philosophy
(appearance/reality) (Lab)
I.
E.Rationalism
Chaffee
Ch. 8, Are There Moral Truths?
Ch. 9, What Are Right Actions?
Bowen
Ch. 3, Science
F. Skepticism
G.Phenomenology
H.Constructivism
I.Pragmatism
J.Plato
1. The divided line K. African American approaches
1. W.E.B. DuBois—The Souls of Black Folk
(Lab)
2. Martin Luther King, Jr—Letter from
Birmingham Jail (Lab)
L. Feminist approaches
A. Knowledge
B.Truth
C.Science
1. Kuhn
2.Popper
3.Feyerabend
4.Longino
1.Jaggar
M. Eastern approaches
1.Buddhism
2. Hinduism
a. The Upanishads (Lab)
3.Taoism
a. Lao Tzu—Tao Te Ching (Lab)
D.Empiricism
1.Locke—An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding (Lab)
a. Tabula rasa
2.Berkeley—Three Dialogues Between
Hylas and Philonous (Lab)
3.Hume—An Inquiry Concerning Human
Understanding: of the Origins of Ideas
(Lab)
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IV.Ethics (35%)
48
hours
Chaffee
Ch. 5, How Can We Know the Nature of
Reality?
Ch. 6, What Is Real? What Is True?
Ch. 10, What Is Social Justice?
Bowen
Ch. 11, Morality
K.Kant—Fundamental Principles of the
Metaphysics of Morals (Lab)
1.Deontology
2. Hypothetical imperative
3. Categorical imperative
L.Existentialism
1.Kierkegaard
2.Nietzsche
3.Sartre
A.Plato
1. Euthyphro (Lab)
B.Aristotle
1. Nicomachean Ethics (Lab)
C.Absolutism
1. The Concept of Morals by Stace
D.Egoism
4. De Beauvoir
5.Camus—The Myth of Sisyphus (Lab)
M. The ethic of care
1.Noddings
2.Gilligan
N. Social justice
1. Plato’s political ideas
1. Rational egoism
a. The Republic (Lab)
2. The Virtue of Selfishness by Rand
b. Crito (Lab)
3. Egoism and Moral Skepticism by
Rachels
E.Stoicism
1. Marcus Aurelius—Meditations
F. Natural law
G.Relativism
1. Anthropology and the Abnormal by
Benedict
H.Subjectivism
I.Values
J.Utilitarianism
1.Bentham—An Introduction to the
Principles of Morality and Legislation
(Lab)
2.Mill
a. Utilitarianism (Lab)
2.Aristotle
a. The Politics (Lab)
3.Hobbes
a. Leviathan (Lab)
4.Locke
a. The Second Treatise of Government
(Lab)
5.Hume
6.Marx—The Communist Manifesto
7.Rawls—A Theory of Justice
8. Okin
9.Wollstonecraft—A Vindication of the
Rights of Women (Lab)
O.Religion
1. Divine command theory
b. On Liberty (Lab)
3.Epicurus—Letters to Menoeceus (Lab)
10
IP/AB
Sample Questions
The questions that follow illustrate those typically
found on this exam. Answer rationales can be found
on pages 13−15 of this guide.
5. According to Aristotle, which cause gives
shape and purpose to matter?
1) final cause
2) formal cause
3) material cause
1. Which logical fallacy occurs whenever a
person categorically assumes what an
argument is trying to prove?
1) post hoc
4) efficient cause
6. Which philosophical viewpoint assumes that
mind and body are separate and distinct
realities or entities?
2) ad hominem
1)dualism
3)equivocation
2)empiricism
4) begging the question
3)materialism
2. Which branch of philosophy is devoted to the
study of reason and argumentation?
1)epistemology
2)ethics
3)logic
4)metaphysics
3. Order and apparent purpose are observed in
the universe. It is therefore reasonable to
assume God has created the universe. This
summarizes which argument for the existence
of God?
The argument of
1)motion
4)rationalism
7. Which statement best explains existentialism?
1) Scientific progress is based on
resistance to attempts to falsify
scientific hypothesis.
2) Scientific progress is made by
accumulating evidence in support of
general principles.
3) Humans are determined by causal laws.
4) Humans create themselves through
freedom of choices.
8. According to Epicurus, what is the highest
pleasure?
2)design
1)eating
3) levels of being
2)learning
4) contingency and necessity
3)sex
4. Which philosopher coined the term “leap of
faith”?
1)Kierkegaard
4)sleeping
9. What ideal did Plato consider to be the
essence of everything that exists?
2)Nietzsche
1)form
3)Popper
2) golden mean
4)Russell
3) divided line
4)body
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11
10.What does John Searle consider to be the
hardest question for a philosopher?
1) “Is the mind distinct from the body?”
1) “Character is higher than intellect.”
2) “What is the relation of the mind to the
rest of the universe?”
2) “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
3) “How can enlightenment be achieved
through non-attachment?”
4) “How do consciousness and memory
provide the basis for the self?”
11.“To be is to be perceived.” Who stated this
philosophy?
1)Anselm
2)Berkeley
3)Descartes
4)Plato
12.Which philosopher claimed that every belief
should be doubted?
1) René Descartes
2)Socrates
3) William James
4)Aristotle
13.“All things in the world come from being,
and being comes from non-being.” Which
philosopher said these words?
1)Lao-Tzu
2)Confucius
3)Plato
4)Thales
14.Which Greek philosopher wrote The
Nicomachean Ethics?
1)Aristotle
2)Epicurus
3)Plato
4)Heraclitus
15.According to Aristotle, which is the way to
happiness?
1)piety
2)celibacy
3) a humble life
4) virtuous living
12
16.Which statement best characterizes the
doctrine of ethical egoism?
3) “One has not only a legal but a moral
responsibility to obey just laws.”
4) “The achievement of happiness is a
human being's highest moral purpose.”
17.Which statement best summarizes the
philosophy in Paul Henri Thiry, Baron
d’Holbach’s The System of Nature?
1) The natural world is the best of all
possible worlds.
2) Life does not make sense without
personal freedoms.
3) The laws of nature determine human
behavior.
4) When one makes a choice, it is implied
that all people make the same choice.
18.What does Jeremy Bentham’s principle of
utility assume?
The principle of utility assumes that
1) being does not require causation.
2) knowledge is both rational and empirical.
3) pain should decrease and pleasure
should increase.
4) nature is the basis of all human
behavior.
19.Which term refers to something which can be
known only through reason, without the help of
empirical verification?
1) a priori
2) a posteriori
3) ex post facto
4) ex hypothesi
20.What does John Rawls's “veil of ignorance”
best illustrate?
How human beings
1) behave in a state of nature
2) become rational beings
3) function in society
4) explain the soul after death
IP/AB
Rationales for Sample Questions
1.(ID1)
4.(IIA6a)
1) T his fallacy occurs when you confuse
coincidence with causality.
1) Kierkegaard believed that there are times when
humans must transcend pure rationality and rely
instead on faith.
2) This fallacy occurs when an author attacks the
person rather than the argument.
2) See 1).
3) This fallacy occurs whenever an argument turns
on a crucial shift in the meaning of a significant
word or phrase.
3) See 1).
4) T his fallacy makes an assertion even though it
assumes to ask a question, pointing the listener
to a certain position within its own language.
5.(IIB2a)
2.(IC)
1) This is the study of knowledge.
4) See 1).
1) F inal cause refers to the ultimate purpose for
which something exists.
2) Formal cause is the embedded form that gives
shape and purpose to the matter.
2) This is the study of proper behavior.
3) M
aterial cause is the actual matter of which
something is made.
3) L ogic is concerned with valid inferences and the
structure of arguments.
4) E
fficient cause triggers the action that sets a
thing in motion.
4) This is the study of the nature of reality.
6.(IIC1b)
3.(IIA1d)
1) D
esign precedes movement, although both
are attributable to God in this philosophical
observation.
2) T his argument assumes that a God designed the
universe and its so-called divine order.
3) G
od is considered to represent the highest
degree of reality in this observation, that is,
where all levels of being merge into one.
1) E
mpiricism holds that all knowledge comes from
sensory experience.
2) Dualism is the belief that experience can be
compartmentalized into two entities: the physical
and the cognitive.
3) M
aterialism holds that matter is the only true
reality.
4) R
ationalism emphasizes reason as a source of
knowledge.
4) In yet a different theory of knowledge, God is
both contingent and necessary.
*correct answer
IP/AB
13
7.(IID4)
11.(IIID2)
1) E
xistentialism is not a thesis about the nature of
science.
1) P
erception is irrelevant to St. Anselm’s
philosophy.
2) E
xistentialism is not a thesis about the nature of
science.
2) Perception is the essence of George Berkeley’s
philosophy on the nature of being.
3) This is the definition of determinism.
3) R
ené Descartes’ existential philosophy is based
on the idea that “I think, therefore I am.”
4) T his statement is the only explanation among the
four of Jean-Paul Sartre’s theory of existentialism.
8.(IVD)
4) P
lato discussed perception in “The Allegory of
the Cave,” but this phrase does not summarize
his entire philosophy.
1) E
ating is a physical pleasure, which Epicurus
considered lower than intellectual pursuits.
12.(IIIE1a)
2) E
picurus believed that intellectual pursuits, such
as learning, are higher pleasures than others
having to do with maintaining the physical body.
1) Rene Descartes made this claim in Discourse on
Method, which expounded on the doubt inherent
in every belief system.
3) See 2).
2) See 1).
4) See 2).
3) See 1).
4) See 1).
9.(IIG)
1) T he theory of forms is one of Plato’s key
metaphysical doctrines.
2) T his concept is key to Aristotle's philosophy of
ethics.
13.(IIIM3)
1) These transcendent words were written by LaoTzu in The Way of Lao-Tzu.
2) See 1).
3) This is a key concept of Plato's epistemology.
3) See 1).
4) T he body, as a concept, is less real than form,
according to Plato.
4) See 1).
14.(IVB)
10.(IIIC1)
1) This is one of many classics written by Aristotle.
1) T his is a question first addressed by René
Descartes and more recently by Daniel Dennett.
2) E
picurus is remembered for the letters he wrote,
not books.
2) S
earle is interested in the philosophy of the mind
and the relationship between the self and mental
phenomena.
3) Plato is perhaps best known for The Republic.
3) T his is an issue considered in the Buddhist
theory of “no-self.”
4) H
eraclitus was a pre-Socratic who wrote on the
nature of reality.
4) T his is a question considered at length by David
Hume in A Treatise of Human Nature.
*correct answer
14
IP/AB
15.(IVB)
18.(IVJ1)
1) Piety is not a relevant virtue for Aristotle.
1) T he ancient Greek philosopher Parmenides said
that being is without cause.
2) T o Aristotle, celibacy was a deficiency, as was
promiscuity. Monogamy, on the other hand, was a
virtue.
3) A
humble life is not central to the idea of virtue
in Greek philosophical thought.
2) T his was Immanuel Kant’s position in his Critique
of Pure Reason.
4) T o Aristotle, happiness means living virtuously,
that is, balanced between deficiency and excess.
3) Bentham's principle of utility holds that humans
will choose the insight of education, which in turn
decreases pain and increases pleasure, for the
betterment of society as a whole.
16.(IVD)
4) N
ature is the basis of all human behavior, of
which utility is but a part.
1) T his quote, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, speaks
to the importance of character and the limits of
knowledge.
2) T his quote, attributed to Socrates and recorded
by Plato, speaks to the importance of human
reflection on experience.
3) T his quote, by Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks
to the relationship between law and ethical
behavior.
4) T his quote best reflects the premise of ethical
egoism, as postulated by Ayn Rand.
19.(IVK)
1) A priori means “prior to experience,” and refers to
specific knowledge that is true and independent
of direct experience.
2) A
posteriori refers to a truth which is dependent
upon direct experience or empirical verification.
3) E
x post facto refers to doing something
retroactively, or after the fact.
4) Ex hypothesi means “from hypothesis.”
20.(IVN8a)
17.(IIE)
1) T his is a position put forward by Pope and
Leibniz, and satirized by Voltaire in Candide.
2) T his is the idea put forward by William James in
The Will to Believe.
3) A
ccording to Baron d'Holbach (Thiry), all motives
and actions are subject to the immutable laws of
nature.
4) T his is an idea from Jean-Paul Sartre's
Existentialism Is a Humanism.
1) P
hilosophers disagree on how people would
behave in a true state of nature. Rawls was
building upon a different theory, that of social
contract.
2) T hat humans are rational is a given in Rawls’s
thinking.
3) The concept of the “veil of ignorance” levels the
playing field among humans, which ensures equal
opportunity in the formation of a just society.
4) R
awls was more concerned with justice than with
metaphysical subjects such as the soul.
*correct answer
IP/AB
15
Excelsior College Examination Development
Committee in Introduction to Philosophy
Sharon Kaye, PhD (University of Toronto, Philosophy, 1997)
Associate Professor of Philosophy, John Carroll University
Adrianne Leigh McEvoy, PhD (University of Buffalo, Philosophy, 2002)
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Mansfield University
Kimberly Mosher Lockwood, PhD (University of Cincinnati, Philosophy, 2005)
Lecturer, University of Dayton
R. Dennis Potter, MA (University of Notre Dame, Philosophy, 1997)
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Utah Valley University
James Stacey Taylor, PhD (Bowling Green University, Philosophy, 2000)
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, The College of New Jersey
16
IP/AB
Put It All Together with Excelsior College
Examinations (ECEs) Resources and Services.
(continued from page ii)
After each practice exam, you can check your
performance on each question online and find out
why your answer was right or wrong. Feedback is not
intended to predict your performance on the actual
ECE; rather, it will help you improve your knowledge
of the subject and identify areas of weakness that
you should address before taking the exam. We highly
recommend that you take the first form of the practice
exam before you begin studying—to see how much
you already know—and the second form after you have
finished studying.
Look for the ∆ in the exam listing on the back cover
for available practice exams. Visit www.excelsior.edu/
exams for updates on practice exam offerings.
Online Tutoring
Use this free service (available through
SMARTHINKING™) to connect with tutors who have
been trained in a variety of academic subjects. For
details, log on to your MyExcelsior page, find the
MyExcelsior Resources box, and click on the link under
Free Tutoring – Smarthinking.
Nursing Theory Exam Online Conferences
These eight-week study sessions are designed to
prepare you for the nursing theory examinations.
Through each conference’s textbook readings,
learning activities, case studies, pre/post tests,
and discussion boards, you will review and be
advised on essential information and concepts
covered in the exam. The sessions will also
connect you with nursing faculty and other
students to study with, wherever and whenever you
choose!
The Online Conference for Transition to the
Registered Professional Nurse Role is available to
prospective nursing students as well as enrolled
nursing students. For a list of dates and fees,
please contact the LEARN office at 888-647-2388,
ext. 1316, or visit www.excelsior.edu/nursing.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open educational resources (OERs) are learning
materials that are freely available to individual learners
via the Web. These materials may include brief
lessons on very specific topics, e-textbooks, podcasts
of famous lecturers, and even full-blown university
courses that you can download or participate in on line.
To help students use these resources to prepare for
credit-bearing exams, Excelsior College has prepared
“A Guide to Open Educational Resources,” available at
www.excelsior.edu/open-educational-resources. The
Guide lists specific OER offerings that cover at least
a portion of the content for most of the ECEs in Arts
& Sciences and Business. The content guides for the
individual exams also list recommended OER sites.
IP/AB
17
Ask your advisor how these Excelsior College Examinations
can move you closer to your degree goal.
Examination
Credit Hrs.
Arts and Sciences
Abnormal Psychology ∆...........................................3*
Anatomy & Physiology ∆..........................................6
Basic Genetics ∆...................................................3
Bioethics ∆............................................................3*
Cultural Diversity....................................................3*
Earth Science ∆.....................................................3
English Composition†.............................................6
Ethics: Theory & Practice†∆....................................3*
Foundations of Gerontology ∆.................................3*
Interpersonal Communication..................................3
Introduction to Macroeconomics ∆..........................3
Introduction to Microeconomics ∆...........................3
Introduction to Music ∆..........................................3
Introduction to Philosophy ∆....................................3
Juvenile Delinquency ∆...........................................3*
Life Span Developmental Psychology ∆....................3
Microbiology ∆.......................................................3
Organizational Behavior ∆.......................................3*
Pathophysiology ∆..................................................3*
Psychology of Adulthood & Aging ∆..........................3*
Research Methods in Psychology ∆.........................3*
Social Psychology ∆...............................................3*
World Conflicts Since 1900 ∆.................................3*
World Population ∆.................................................3
Examination
Credit Hrs.
Principles of Marketing ∆........................................3
Workplace Communication with Computers ∆...........3
Education
Literacy Instruction in the Elementary School ∆........6*
Nursing: Associate Level
Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Safety ➀∆..........3
Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Differences➀∆....3
Essentials of Nursing Care: Chronicity➀∆.................3
Essentials of Nursing Care: Reproductive Health➀∆..3
Health Differences Across the Life Span 1➀∆...........3
Health Differences Across the Life Span 2➀∆...........3
Health Differences Across the Life Span 3➀∆...........3
Transition to the Registered
  Professional Nurse Role ∆....................................3
Fundamentals of Nursing**....................................8
Maternal & Child Nursing (associate)**...................6
Nursing: Baccalaureate Level
Community-Focused Nursing ∆................................4*
Research in Nursing ∆............................................3*
Adult Nursing** ∆..................................................8*
Maternal & Child Nursing (baccalaureate)**............8*
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing**.......................8*
* Upper-level college credit
Business
Business Law ∆.....................................................3
Ethics: Theory & Practice†∆....................................3*
Financial Accounting ∆............................................3
Human Resource Management ∆............................3*
Labor Relations ∆..................................................3*
Managerial Accounting ∆........................................3
Organizational Behavior ∆.......................................3*
Principles of Management ∆...................................3
**This exam does not apply toward the Excelsior College nursing degrees.
†Guided Learning Package available
∆ Online practice exam available
➀You must be enrolled in Excelsior College prior to registering to take
this exam. If you need this exam for another nursing program, please
contact that institution for the testing code you need to register.
Now, registering to take any of these exams is easier than ever!
Register online
at www.excelsior.edu/examregistration
all toll free
C
888-72EXAMS (888-723-9267)
Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 518-464-8500
or email: [email protected]
And when you’re ready to test, you can
schedule to take your exam at Pearson VUE Testing
Centers through our Web site: www.excelsior.edu.
Register by mail
Download the registration form
and mail it with your payment.
The information in this content guide is current as of July 15, 2012.
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rev. 8/09, 7/10, 8/11
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