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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 Beauvoir introduce the role of God in the discussion of ethics?
(a) By considering the endless pursuit of pure ethics and the failure to achieve such places the power of judgement in the hands of God.
(b) By pointing out that Sartre's view of existentialism ends with man attempting to make himself God.
(c) By suggesting the wide views of the nature of God actually makes God ambiguous.
(d) By pointing out that all ethics end up being an effort to define God.

2. What does Beauvoir report to be the child's situation?
(a) He is cast into a universe which he has not helped to establish and appears as an absolute to which he can only submit.
(b) He faces the reality that his freedom is continually reduced by his growing knowledge.
(c) He is subject to accept all things based upon what others tell him.
(d) His ambiguity is compounded by his ignorance of right and wrong.

3. What role does time play what Beauvoir identifies as the ability to will oneself free?
(a) The goal of freedom is pursued and confirmed in time.
(b) The individual uses time to manipulate the physical world to exercise his freedom.
(c) Time is required for the individual to understand that he is free.
(d) Time allows the accumulation of spontaneous acts to define their direction.

4. What type of man does Beauvoir identify as being nihilistic?
(a) The point at which the serious man realizes the pursuit of his goals have been made at the expense of his freedom.
(b) The man who disputes the seriousness of another man's goals to the point that his goals are regarded as generally useless as a consequence.
(c) The man who sees the futility of his goals and realizes he has missed the benefits of his ambiguity.
(d) When a man who faces failure becomes conscious of being unable to be anything and decides to be nothing.

5. To what does Beauvoir compare the "sub-man" in his relationship to ethics and facticity?
(a) To trees and pebbles which are not aware that they exist.
(b) To the faceless laborer who's production has more purpose than does he.
(c) To the cowardly writer who will not publish and therefore does not exist.
(d) To the purposeless book that never gets taken from the shelf.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Beauvoir claim matters to the serious man?

2. How does Beauvoir explain the differences between the conditions of Western women from that of children?

3. In what sense does Beauvoir claim that every man is free?

4. At what time does Beauvoir suggest that children begin to notice the contradictions, hesitations and weaknesses of adults?

5. How does Beauvoir suggest a past accomplishment can be made relevant in the present?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Beauvoir suggest to be a flaw in Existential philosophy?

2. To what does Beauvoir credit the development of many different philosophical world views?

3. How does Beauvoir describe the difference between Marxists and existentialist?

4. How does Beauvoir claim that man can find truth in his life?

5. How does Beauvoir explain that adult lives can slip by in an infantile world?

6. How does Beauvoir claim that man can disclose being?

7. What does Beauvoir detail as the consequences of failure to the serious man?

8. How does Beauvoir characterize Dualists?

9. How does Beauvoir claim one can avoid nihilism?

10. What does Beauvoir note has been claimed of the nature of existentialism as a philosophy?

(see the answer keys)

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