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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Chesterton define tradition in political terms?
(a) Defining the past as a democracy that is long gone.
(b) Thinking of one's ancestors as kings.
(c) Allowing one's ancestors to vote.
(d) Defining the past as an oligarchy.

2. What does Chesterton say is losing its authority in the modern mind?
(a) Religion.
(b) Argumentation.
(c) Scientific absolutes.
(d) First principles.

3. In the same story of the sailor, what is better than discovering a new land?
(a) Returning home to the old land.
(b) Discovering that the new land is really the old one.
(c) Claiming the new land for your own.
(d) Settling the new land and making it familiar.

4. Chesterton says that this common ground is mostly found among what group of readers?
(a) People who have read a large amount of Christian apologetics.
(b) Readers from Western culture.
(c) Well-educated readers.
(d) Readers from Eastern culture.

5. What do art and ecstasy recall to us, in Chesterton's words? (Chesterton 2000, p.g 212)
(a) "For certain dead levels of our life we forget that we have forgotten."
(b) "There is no connection, except that one has seen them together."
(c) "For one awful instant we remember that we forget."
(d) "All the fire of the fairy tales is derived from this."

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Mr. Blatchford?

2. Why does Chesterton think that materialism is much narrower than Christianity?

3. What does Chesterton assume as common ground between him and any reader?

4. How does H. G. Wells perceive categories of things?

5. Why, earlier in Chapter One, does Chesterton tell the story of the sailor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Chesterton's second notion of fairyland entail praise?

2. What does Chesterton say is the spirit of the law in fairy land? Why is this not inconsistent?

3. Considering the fact that elf land is more rational than the scientific world is, why does Chesterton say that magic flourishes in elf land?

4. "But it is a much more massive and important fact that he [the materialist] is not free to raise, to curse, the thank, to justify, to urge, the punish, to resist temptation, to incite mobs, to make New Year resolutions, to pardon sinners, to rebuke tyrants, or even to say 'thank you' for the mustard" (Chesterton 2000, pg 185). What is the context for this statement? Does it logically follow from Chesterton's argument?

5. In Chapter I, Introduction in Defense of Everything Else, Chesterton states that he hates the defense of something that cannot be proved or disproved. How is this important for the rest of the book?

6. What does a pragmatist believe and how does he compare to a determinist? What is Chesterton's opinion of pragmatism? How is pragmatism fundamentally separated from the truth?

7. What is "the false theory of progress" (Chesterton 2000, pg 196)? What implications does it have for daily life?

8. Humility is chiefly understood chiefly as a restraint on a man's arrogance and boasting. What is Chesterton's argument concerning humility? What example does he give to illustrate a humble view of the world?

9. Materialism is a much narrower belief than Christianity, in fact, more than any religion. What reasons does Chesterton give for this? How does it relate to the discussion of madness and sanity?

10. Chesterton explains that a madman's mind moves in a small, perfect circle. What does he mean with this picture? How does it relate to the movements of a sane man's mind?

(see the answer keys)

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