Which of the following are considered foundational assumptions in the field of sociology?

Test Questions: Philosophy in General, Socrates, Value of Philosophy

Answers at end. Because these questions draw on different textbooks and topics covered in different semesters, not all of them apply to any particular course in a semester.

True/False (True=A, False=B)

1.         "Philosophy" literally means "knowing the truth."

2.         One of the aims of philosophy is to think critically about whether there are good reasons for adopting beliefs.

3.         Philosophical questions are generally more concerned with showing how beliefs differ among persons or cultures than with showing how those different beliefs can be justified.

4.         To say that philosophy encourages the adoption of a questioning attitude means that philosophic thinking encourages people to deny the existence of God or traditional moral beliefs.

5.         Philosophical reflection often contradicts traditional beliefs about human existence because the aim of philosophy is to show how all beliefs, no matter how well justified, are false.

6.         In philosophy the purpose of rational self-examination is to develop arguments that correct or support beliefs in ways that could be persuasive even to people with different backgrounds.

7.         Though philosophy is defined as the pursuit of wisdom, it does not investigate what it means to ask questions in the first place.

8.         As the pursuit of wisdom, philosophy raises questions about almost everything except what it means to question in the first place.

9.         Because philosophy requires that we question our beliefs, it cannot provide reasons why one set of beliefs should be preferred over another.

10.      Philosophy=s challenge to believers to explain and defend claims of religious truth are summarized by the two fundamental philosophical questions, "what do you mean?" and "how do you know?"

11.      Because philosophy aims primarily at justifying personal opinions, it relies on abstractions and word play to avoid confronting concrete and practical issues.

12.      One of the primary aims of philosophy is to see how our beliefs compare with those of others who can and do raise objections against those beliefs.

13.      Even though philosophy in general aims to clarify our ideas and evaluate reasons for our beliefs, some areas of philosophy (e.g., ethics, aesthetics) are based on the assumption that achieving such an aim is impossible.

14.      Philosophy attempts to answer questions such as "Why do we exist?" by examining what it means to ask such questions and to evaluate whether proposed answers to such questions are justified.

15.      Like science, law, and religion, philosophy aims to justify our personal beliefs and our society's practices.

16.      The point of the Socratic method is to determine the truth of a belief by means of dialectical exchange (questions and answers, hypothesis and counter-example).

17.      Socrates's comment that "the unexamined life is not worth living" is an example of his ironic technique of saying something that means just the opposite.

18.      Socrates argues that "the unexamined life is not worth living," because without knowing how we should act (based on universal principles) we would not be able to live worthwhile lives.

19.      In the Socratic method of enquiry, one asks questions aimed at discovering the nature, essence, or fundamental principles of the topic under consideration.

20.      The Socratic method of questioning is intended to show that it is a waste of time to try to determine either the essences of things or even which method of questioning should be preferred.

21.      According to Socrates, we cannot experience a good life without knowing what it means to be human and what it means to act virtuously.

22.      According to Socrates, a person who does not know why an act is good occasionally might act virtuously, but such occasions of accidentally "getting it right" cannot constitute a virtuous or worthwhile life.

23.      By saying that "virtue is knowledge," Socrates means that it is good to know as much as possible because knowledge is valuable in and of itself, even if it does not guide a person to act morally.

24.      Socratic ignorance is the same as complete skepticism because Socrates admits he knows nothing, not even whether his method of enquiry is appropriate.

25.      Like the social sciences (e.g., psychology or sociology), philosophy discovers truths by identifying what people in fact believe instead of judging whether those beliefs are justified.

26.      Metaphysics is that area of philosophy concerned with questions about the nature of reality.

27.      Epistemology is the study of the origin, structure, and extent of reality.

28.      The epistemological question of what we know about reality is different from the metaphysical question about the nature of reality itself.

29.      According to feminist ways of thinking, philosophy has value because it is committed to an aggressive, critical, and adversarial search for an ultimate truth about things.

30.      Contemporary feminists claim that to the extent that philosophical inquiry requires that we consider alternative ways of thinking, it makes us more tolerant and open-minded.

Multiple Choice

31.      "Is there anything you would be willing to die for?" is a philosophical question insofar as:
 (a) it does not have any right or wrong answer because it is a meaningless question.
 (b) it is a meaningless question because everyone could have a different answer to it.
 (c) it forces us to articulate and justify our beliefs about what we know and ought to do.
 (d) it is more concerned with one's religious beliefs than with factual claims about the world.

32.      One of the aims of philosophy is to think critically about whether there are good reasons for adopting our beliefs. Reasons are considered "good reasons" if they are consistent with everyday experience and:
 (a) are part of a set of religious, moral, or political beliefs that an individual feels deeply about.
 (b) are considered good by at least one culture, sub-culture, or individual.
 (c) cannot be interpreted in different ways by different people or cultures.
 (d) take into account objections, are acceptable to impartial third parties, and avoid undesirable consequences.

33.      If the world that we individually perceive is limited to an internal perspective, then there is no way that we could determine whether our own perspective is useful, true, or valuable because:

 (a) we know whether our internal perspective is correct only by comparing it with an objective, external perspective (the "real" world).
 (b) whatever we appeal to in order to prove that our perspective is right itself would be part of the standard we use in evaluating that perspective.
 (c) scientific research that reveals facts about the world would cause us to challenge our perceptions in a dream-world of our own making.
 (d) without limiting our perspective to an internal dream-world, we cannot achieve any objective, external knowledge of the real world.

34.      Philosophy is concerned primarily with identifying beliefs about human existence and evaluating arguments that support those beliefs. These activities can be summarized in two questions that drive philosophical investigations:
 (a) why should we bother? and what are the consequences of our believing one thing over another?
 (b) how do philosophers argue? and are their differences important?

 (c) who really believes X? and how can we explain differences in people's beliefs?
 (d) what do you mean? and how do you know?

35.      A philosophical inquiry improves our critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities by:
 (a) clarifying what our concepts or words mean and evaluating the reasons we give for our beliefs.
 (b) indicating which issues or problems are considered most important in contemporary society.
 (c) providing final and specific answers to questions about the nature of human existence.
 (d) showing how each person's view about the clarification of concepts or evaluation of arguments is to be respected because they are equally valuable.

36.      One of the tasks of philosophy is to test conceptual frameworks for depth and consistency. It does this through (1) expressing our ideas in clear, concise language and (2) supporting those ideas with reasons and with overcoming objections to them. Philosophy thus emphasizes the need to:
 (a) pose questions that can be resolved not by reasoning but only by faith or personal belief.
 (b) show why the beliefs adopted by most people in a culture are preferable since more people understand those beliefs and see no reason to raise objections to them.
 (c) articulate what we mean by our beliefs and to justify our beliefs by arguments.
 (d) develop a set of ideas about the nature of society (i.e., an ideology) that can be used to support a religious conceptual framework.

37.      Philosophy differs from the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology) in that, instead of attempting merely to describe individual or social beliefs and practices, philosophy examines whether those beliefs and practices are:

(a)     found in cultures other than our own.

(b)     consistent with other (e.g., religious) beliefs.

(c)     used as the bases for civil laws.

(d)     justified, that is, based on good reasons.

38.      Philosophy differs from science, law, and religion because philosophy raises questions about whether:

(a)     it is psychologically possible for human beings to agree on scientific, legal, and religious set of beliefs.

(b)     assumptions, practices, and beliefs in those areas of human action are meaningful and justified.

(c)     one of these three ways of reasoning describes the nature of reality more accurately than the other two.

(d)     our scientific, legal, and religious beliefs and practices can be found in other species of animals.

39.      Whereas the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics) ask questions about how people think and act, philosophy is the study of:
 (a) how people with different beliefs or backgrounds disagree with one another.
 (b) what beliefs mean and whether people with different beliefs are justified in having them.
 (c) the reasons why philosophic questions never have better or worse answers.
 (d) questions that can be answered better by appealing to scientific experiments.

40.      Which of the following questions are epistemological rather than ontological or metaphysical questions?
 (a) How are real things and imaginary things different? What distinguishes reality from appearance?
 (b) How is the existence of an individual thing different from the existence of the totality of all things?
 (c) Are human beings free? Does God exist? Is there an afterlife?
 (d) What does it mean to know something? How is knowledge different from belief or opinion?

41.      Which of the following areas of philosophy IS NOT normally as an area of axiology?

(a)     logic

(b)     ethics

(c)     social-political philosophy

(d)     aesthetics

42.      Through his Allegory of the Cave, Plato seeks to show how philosophy promotes independent thinking by helping people recognize how:

(a)     only personal opinions ultimately matter because knowledge of reality varies among individuals.

(b)     disagreements about the meaning of words can be resolved only by compromising our principles.

(c)     our ordinary experience is a poor copy of what a full understanding of the nature of reality is.

(d)     personal fulfillment depends on accepting traditional beliefs without questioning the reasons for them.

43.      According to Socrates, just as there is a difference between what an ironic statement says and its true meaning, so also appearances differ from reality. Even though societies or individuals appear to differ about what is required for the good life, that in no way contradicts the fact that:
 (a) what is right or wrong, true or false varies from one culture to another.
 (b) appearances are the only real way we have for knowing reality.
 (c) the distinction of appearance and reality is the basis for the dialectical discovery of truth.
 (d) there are objective principles for thought and action that are required for the good life.

44.      According to Socrates, an unexamined life is not worth living; and it certainly could not be a virtuous life. Why not?
 (a) Because if someone did not know how to act virtuously, he or she would still be considered virtuous by others who also did not know the principles for good living.
 (b) Because since Socrates was a philosopher, he of course thought that people who examined their lives philosophically were more virtuous than those who did not.
 (c) Because without knowing the rationale for why one should act in a particular way, one does not know whether actions are justified and ought to be repeated.
 (d) Because a virtuous life would be one in which someone does what the rest of the society says is right, and that means examining views other than one's own.

45.      In saying that "the unexamined life is not worth living," Socrates wants to emphasize how:

(a)     the value of philosophical inquiry depends on how well it is respected by society.

(b)     unless we know what gives life meaning, we have no reason to live one way rather than another.

(c)     our most fundamental beliefs are usually based on societal values or family upbringing.

(d)     philosophical inquiry is not intended to yield answers but only to raise endless questions.

46.      According to Socrates, "the unexamined life is not worth living" and "virtue is knowledge" because:
 (a) human existence is valuable precisely because everyone is interested in examining his or her life.
 (b) unless our society tells us what we should do, we will never be considered virtuous.
 (c) the excellence or value (aretê) of our lives consists in the extent to which we act virtuously.
 (d) without asking what makes life worthwhile, we cannot know how we ought to live.

47.      Socrates acknowledges that he does not know certain things (e.g., what justice is), but he claims to know the method by which he and others can learn those things. In this "Socratic method" we:
 (a) ask questions to discover the essence or defining characteristic of what makes a thing be what it is.
 (b) act as if we know the truth of a thing even though we acknowledge that we can never know it.
 (c) follow the instructions of the philosophers, for they are the only ones who have seen beyond the cave.
 (d) agree that there is a distinction between how things appear to us and the reality that is beyond us.

48.      In spite of the fact that Socrates claims to be ignorant of the essence or nature of certain things like justice, he is wise insofar as he recognizes that without such knowledge actions are rationally unjustified. That is, his wisdom consists in his recognition not only that he is ignorant of such essences but also that:

(a)     justice, like knowledge, requires that he admit that he knows nothing and never will.

(b)     he knows what he is supposed to be looking for, that is, knowledge of the essences of things.

(c)     knowing the essences of things is impossible, because he does not know beforehand what he is looking for.

(d)     asking questions about essences is itself unjustified without knowing why he engages in such a practice.

49.      According to Socrates, the value or quality of one's life depends on understanding the principles of, or basic rationale for human existence. Without such knowledge (he suggests) life lacks virtue, because:
 (a) acting virtuously means acting in way that is informed about what one is doing and why.
 (b) someone who does not understand existence philosophically could never do anything right.
 (c) to have the power or ability to do anything at all requires that we know what we are doing.
 (d) not only is virtue knowledge but also the unexamined life is not worth living.

50.      According to Socrates, in order to know how we ought to live, we have to determine whether our personal beliefs and the beliefs of our society are justified. We can make such a determination by:
 (a) asking as many people as possible what it is that they believe and following the majority opinion.
 (b) distinguishing between personal beliefs (e.g., religion) and societal beliefs (e.g., upbringing).
 (c) assuming that no belief can ever be justified because we never escape Socratic ignorance.
 (d) identifying the essential characteristics of being human and evaluating our beliefs based on them.

51.      According to Socrates, acting virtuously means doing the right thing, and doing the right thing means doing:

(a)     that for which one can give informed, defensible reasons.

(b)     what is consistent with one=s religious or personal beliefs.

(c)     what the majority of people in society say is right.

(d)     whatever is necessary to lead oneself from the cave of ignorance into the light of knowledge.

52.      According to Socrates, it is important that we discover what makes a particular action (e.g., a merciful or just act) the kind of action that it is, because without such knowledge:
 (a) no one in society will ever do any action that really is merciful or just, only those actions that they think are merciful or just.
 (b) the primary purpose of human existence--which is to think and to know--is replaced by a focus on morality (acting and doing).
 (c) we can refer only to how people characterize actions without knowing why such actions should be characterized that way.
 (d) there would be no way to distinguish one kind of action (e.g., a merciful action) from another kind of action (e.g., a just action).

53.      For Socrates, the belief that "virtue is knowledge" is related to his claim that "the unexamined life is not worth living," because he believes that:
 (a) the unexamined life is one in which we live day to day without asking questions about who we are and why we are here in the first place.
 (b) the Delphic oracle identified Socrates as the wisest person on earth because he claimed to know nothing.
 (c) by questioning traditional beliefs, we learn to recognize how some answers seem to be more satisfactory than others.
 (d) the only way to be a good or worthwhile person is to know how human beings should behave based on universal norms or values.

54.      Socrates' claim that "the unexamined life is not worth living" is often cited as a central theme in the activities of people. By it, Socrates is typically understood to mean that:
 (a) it is sometimes simply not worth all the effort of examining life and its problems in great detail; sometimes it is better simply to "go with the flow."
 (b) while taking a reflective attitude toward life is interesting and even sometimes important, most of what makes life worth living is not worth examining.
 (c) simply doing whatever everyone else does without thinking about why we should do what we do can hardly be thought of as worthwhile, noble, or admirable.
 (d) it is a waste of time to sit around thinking about whether life is worth living; we should leave such reflection to talk-show hosts, political figures, and religious leaders.

55.      Socrates claims that no one knowingly wills to do evil. Immorality, he says, is due to ignorance about what is in our own best interest. In response to this, critics (e.g., Aristotle) point out that Socrates overlooks the fact that:
 (a) simply knowing what is good is often insufficient to overcome irrational or evil desires.
 (b) doing what is good is often its own reward, regardless of whether it promotes our interests.
 (c) to will to do evil, we have to know what evil is; but since evil cannot be known, we cannot will it.
 (d) knowing the good is impossible, and thus no one can knowingly will to do either good or evil.

56.      According to Socrates, the task of the wise and virtuous person is not simply to learn various examples of just or virtuous actions but to learn the essence of justice or virtue in order to recognize:

(a)     the difference between perfect instances (as opposed to mere copies) of justice or virtue.

(b)     ways of acting justly or virtuously in other situations.

(c)     how the opinions of others about what makes actions just or virtuous are equally valuable.

(d)     how justice and virtue are universal human goals, even if we do not always agree on how to achieve them.

57.      For Buddhists philosophy frees us from the ignorance that causes the cycle of birth, suffering, and death, by:

(a)     describing the cycle of birth and death as endless, thus comforting us with the thought of immortality.

(b)     proving that after we die, God will protect those individuals who have had faith in him.

(c)     portraying the cycle of birth and death as a blessing, something we should hold onto as long as we can.

(d)     showing us how the changing world of individuality, life, and death is really an illusion.

What is the foundation of sociological studies?

Which statement is included in the underlying assumptions of sociology?

Which of the following is a concept of the sociological perspective?

What are the four key characteristics of sport as a social institution?