PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THIS QUIZ
Introduction to Philosophy
Quiz One: Chapter 1
Determine whether each of the following claims is True (A) or False (B) (One Point Each)
1. According to your text, studying philosophy promises to give all serious students satisfying answers to the deepest
questions pertaining to the world and the meaning of life.
2. If an argument is valid, this is enough to guarantee that the conclusion of the argument is true.
3. Critical thinking is a skill that encourages people to resist change and to passionately defend their most fundamental
beliefs.
4. There is no difference between “having” a philosophy and “doing” philosophy.
5. In philosophy, an argument is defined as "a contentious dispute."
6. The structure of an argument is a composition of statements in which there are certain statements (the premises)
offered in support of another statement (the conclusion).
7. The goal of dialectic is to achieve wisdom through deep meditation and solitary inquiry.
8. Socrates believed that “it was better to commit wickedness than to suffer it.”
9. Socrates believed that “no one knowingly does evil.”
10. Socrates promised his students success in the pursuit of wealth, political power and reputation.
Multiple Choice Questions (One point each)
11. “Philosophy,” literally defined, means:
A. love of knowledge.
B. love of wisdom.
C. love of rhetoric.
D. critical thinking.
E. none of the above
12. A central aim of philosophy is:
A. to prove that others are ignorant and foolish
B. to rid the mind of any and all assumptions
C. to learn how to win arguments and influence people
D. acquire self understanding
E. all of the above
13. In a deductive argument, an author’s aim is to
A. demonstrate that the premises, if true, make the conclusion very likely
B. show that the premises, if true, guarantee that the conclusion must be true.
C. establish a claim by threatening their opponent with violence
D. trick others into accepting a claim for irrelevant reasons
E. none of the above
14. In an inductive argument, the author’s aim is to
A. demonstrate that the premises, if true, make the conclusion very likely
B. show that the premises, if true, guarantee that the conclusion must be true.
C. establish a claim by threatening their opponent with violence
D. trick others into accepting a claim for irrelevant reasons
E. none of the above
15. According to Socrates, __________ is considered the true identity of the person.
A. soma or body
B. psyche or mind
C. arête or excellence
D. pathos or passion
E. all of the above
16. The Socratic Method is
A. a method using dynamic questions and the conceptual analysis of key terms.
B. a method by which answers are generated not by the teacher, but by the student.
C. often compared, by Socrates, to the methods used by a midwife or sculptor
D. an educational technique whereby participants are first made aware of their ignorance in order to better search
for truth.
E. all of the above
17. Socrates believed he was wiser than anyone else in Athens because he
A. had found the ultimate truth, using the Socratic method.
B. knew he was ignorant.
C. did not believe in any god.
D. realized that all opinions are equally true.
18. Three of the six criteria the book discussed for evaluating philosophical claims are
A. cultural consensus, convincingness, clarity.
B. clarity, consistency, comprehensiveness.
C. centrality, comprehensiveness, cultural consensus.
D. compatibility, conviction, centrality.
19. This problem did not appear on the quiz I distributed in class. I told everyone to mark “A.”
20. Expressing two assertions that could not both be true under any possible circumstances is known as
A. a logical inconsistency.
B. a self-referential inconsistency.
C. the false dichotomy fallacy.
D. the fallacy of affirming the consequent.
Matching Questions: Match the branch of philosophy with the definition.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
metaphysics
epistemology
ethics
aesthetics
logic
21. The study of the ultimate characteristics of reality or existence.
22. The study of moral values and principles.
23. The branch of philosophy that seeks to establish the rules for correct reasoning and valid arguments.
24. The study of knowledge.
25. The study of beauty, art, and taste.
Answer problems 26 and 27 on separate answer sheet