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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. _________ is not the desired goal of the person who wants to be more spiritual or focused, according to the book.

2. Health and _________ are just two of the many aspects of life that are not for sale.

3. ___________ writes in the second century BC that supreme happiness comes from contentment, according to the book.

4. Ivan Illich believes that the world is divided into _______ camps of thought about money and about materialism.

5. After meeting with the _________, Francis decides to give up all that he owns and he lives a life of poverty, according to the book.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the question that arises from the story of the man on the boat, according to Ruskin?

2. What does mass production do to the family, according to the section by Jean Rousseau?

3. What does James say that society does when it sees a person who is poor and downtrodden?

4. How does Schumacher define the idea of temperantia within this section of the book?

5. What is poverty if it is not the end goal of the creative community, according to Michael Harrington?

6. What are some of the downsides to being wealthy, according to this section of the book?

7. Why is it difficult to reject the easy life and the comfort of materialism?

8. What is the idea or thing that metes out everything that man needs in order to be happy in life, according to Taylor?

9. How is the poor man separated from the destitute man, according to the book?

10. What does the invention of free time, as given by mass production, cause a man to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some people believe that while man has the ability to reach divine forms, man also has the ability to degenerate into lower forms.

Part 1: Do you think that mankind will ever reach a divine form?

Part 2: How do you think man tends to degenerate himself into lower form?

Part 3: Why do you think that man hasn't decided to reach for higher forms?

Essay Topic 2

The book points out that man is neither good nor evil, but may be a bit of both.

Part 1: Why do you think that man is not necessarily good?

Part 2: How do you think a person can be neither good nor evil?

Part 3: Do you think man needs to be good or evil? Or can he/she be a bit of both? Is this possible?

Essay Topic 3

In the book, ego is defined as a non-productive luxury that stands in the way of one's true worth.

Part 1: Do you think that ego gets in your way? Why or why not?

Part 2: In what way is ego a luxury in life, as stated in the book?

Part 3: How do you think your life would look if you didn't have ego to worry about?

(see the answer keys)

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