Reading and Writing Philosophy Quiz

Authored by Steven J. Todd, University of Connecticut.

For multiple choice questions, always choose the best answer. If more than one answer is correct, choose the answer that includes all of the correct answers.

This activity contains 20 questions.

	How should one read philosophy?   Just as one would read a good novel. None of the answers are correct. Several times, very carefully, with the goal of critically evaluating the argument. Each text should be grasped in one careful reading Browse over the text, as the details don't matter.

	In philosophy, an argument is   a fancy word for bickering. a set of statements including one or more premises and a conclusion. None of the answers are correct. a heated debate about whether premises lead to a conclusion. a series of questions and answers.

	Thought experiments are   imaginary situations created to help clarify a problem. necessary for any scientific experiment. a kind of carefully constructed scientific experiment. All of the answers are correct. pointless, since they can never be turned into real experiments.

	Premise indicators include   since, because, assuming. thus, therefore, it follows that. it follows that, since, assuming. although, further, moreover. because, it follows that, although.

	In order to critically evaluate a deductive argument you should   All of the answers are correct. decide whether the argument is valid or invalid. identify the argument. check to see if all of the premises are true. restate the argument.

	When writing a philosophy paper, one should think of one's audience as   unaware of your insight. smart, ignorant, and hostile. sensitive to any ambiguity in your work. All of the answers are correct. looking for every (good) reason to reject your conclusion.

	When picking a topic to write on, you should   focus on an argument that completely convinces you. formulate a careful criticism of one or two problems you find in an argument, preferably an argument that you find unconvincing. try to incorporate into your paper a criticism of all of the problems that you find in an argument. None of the answers are correct. only analyze an argument that you believe can be completely destroyed.

	Objections to your argument   may be considered, but you should not respond to them. should never be considered in your paper. should only be considered if they are minor, because serious objections will weaken your argument and should be avoided in your paper. None of the answers are correct. are also called 'counter arguments'; serious objections should always be considered and responded to in your paper.

	Your paper should   repeat only what others have said or written. begin by presenting a brief overview of the history of philosophy. not be open to revision - once you've created your argument, then you should not reconsider it. All of the answers are correct. present a careful, reasoned defense of some philosophical claim.

	When constructing your paper, you should   begin with premises your audience already agrees with. use arguments to move from obvious claims to contentious claims. All of the answers are correct. be consistent - don't contradict yourself. use simple words and clearly articulated ideas.

	In the excerpt from "Evil and Omnipotence", one of the conclusions Mackie wants his argument to demonstrate is that   God is not omnipotent. None of the answers are correct. belief in the traditional monotheistic God is irrational. God is not wholly good. evil does not exist.

	In the excerpt from "Evil and Omnipotence", the problem of evil, as Mackie defines it   is a logical problem. All of the answers are correct. is a problem for everyone. is a practical problem of choosing to perform certain good actions rather than other evil actions. will be solved through further empirical study.

	In the excerpt from Section V of Hume's "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion", the conclusion of Philo's main argument is that   like effects prove like causes. None of the answers are correct. the Argument From (to) Design is inconvenient. the traditional monotheistic God is neither perfect nor infinite. God does not exist.

	In the excerpt from Jackson's "What Mary Didn't Know", the conclusion of Jackson's main argument is that   the thesis that the world is entirely physical is false. Mary does not know everything there is to know about the physical world. since Mary learns something when she sees the color red for the first time, she does not know all there is to know. None of the answers are correct. Mary was born colorblind, yet later her color vision is remarkably restored, thanks to a clever thought experiment.

	In the excerpt from Jackson's "What Mary Didn't Know", Churchland's objection to Jackson's argument (at least as Jackson reports it) is that   All of the answers are correct. Leibniz's law equates 'knowledge by description' with 'knowledge by acquaintance'. thought experiments are not useful in philosophical discourse. Jackson's argument equivocates on how the phrase "knows about" is used. Jackson's argument is not "tightly" constructed.

	In the excerpt from "Evil and Omnipotence", a serious objection to the problem of evil as Mackie defines it is   since no one else can solve the problem, the theologian is not required to solve the problem either. evil is a real problem that needs to be squarely addressed and not merely discussed as if it were an intellectual exercise. All of the answers are correct. the problem of evil is a mystery to us. However, the solution is available to God who may eventually reveal that solution to us, although He is not required to. None of the answers are correct.

	In the excerpt from "Evil and Omnipotence", according to Mackie's characterization, theologians   None of the answers are correct. cannot admit that there is no rational proof of the existence of God. will be able to respond to Mackie's argument by claiming that God can be known to exist in some unspecified non-rational manner. All of the answers are correct. can consistently hold both that a good omnipotent thing exists and that evil also exists, if they so choose.

	In the excerpt from Section V of Hume's "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion", a serious objection to Philo's line of reasoning that Philo considers is that   since God is infinite, finite humans cannot say anything about Him - and this would include Philo. All of the answers are correct. it would take a lot of humans to create a world, but there is only one God. philosophers should never offer more causes than are necessary to explain a given phenomenon. God's perfection can be proved a priori.

	In the excerpt from Section V of Hume's "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion", a premise in Philo's main argument against the Argument From (to) Design is   God does not exist. None of the answers are correct. God is not infinite. like effects prove like causes. God is not perfect.

	When writing their first philosophy paper a student should   write a dialogue. neither quote nor cite any authorities in their paper. put the conclusion of their argument only at the end of their paper in order to give their paper a dramatic effect. not waste time creating sub-arguments to justify their premises for their main argument. None of the answers are correct.

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