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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Enlightenment.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What religion was Wilson born into?
(a) Judaism.
(b) Catholicism.
(c) Southern Baptism.
(d) Protestantism.

2. What does Wilson say evidence from the natural sciences says about Enlightenment thinkers?
(a) They made correct assumptions about the material world.
(b) They made correct assumptions about the evolution of species.
(c) They made correct assumptions about the presence of dinosaurs.
(d) They made correct assumptions about the nature of divinity.

3. In Wilson's account, why did the French Revolution fail?
(a) Because of the excesses of tyrants and terrorists.
(b) Because the efficiency of the military in the Reign of Terror allowed Napoleon's rise.
(c) Because of international fear of the spread of revolution.
(d) Because of the intellectual opposition to the tyranny of the revolution.

4. What philosophical assumption underlay the notion that evolution followed simple laws?
(a) Materialism.
(b) Transcendentalism.
(c) Idealism.
(d) Mysticism.

5. What is the relationship between politicians and intellectuals, in Wilson's account?
(a) They have a mutually supportive role.
(b) They are not related.
(c) They misinterpret each other's work.
(d) They obfuscate each other's work.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Wilson describe the strength of the French Revolution?

2. What benefit does Wilson say consilience has?

3. How does Wilson characterize the current state of knowledge?

4. Where did Wilson develop the idea of unified learning?

5. What accomplishment does Wilson say Einstein strove for in his work?

(see the answer key)

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