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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. What does Beauvoir recognize as the paradox that faces a man who is willing to fight for a valid cause?
(a) Man can only assure better life by causing death to those who would destroy it.
(b) The only way a man can make an important gain is to sacrifice something equally important.
(c) Only sacrifice can lead to achievement.
(d) No action can be generated for man without its being immediately generated against men.

2. What does Beauvoir mean when she refers to "The Antinomies of Action"?
(a) That often in the fight for or against oppression, the action contradicts the motivation.
(b) That actions, not words, are most effective against oppression.
(c) That the intentions of the those who act against oppression must be constantly in check.
(d) That improper actions against oppression will lead to more oppression.

3. How does Beauvoir illustrate her example proves her point that, "festivals stop the movement of transcendence?"
(a) The festival regarding the liberation of Paris allowed people to temporarily ignore the coming difficulties that were to come to their post-war society.
(b) Pagans who adopt Christian labels for the celebrations are starting the process of renouncing their paganism.
(c) Throughout history empires leave the discipline that made their systems transcendent for the pleasures found during festivals.
(d) Christians allow the influences of pagan observances to obscure the principles of the Bible.

4. How is Beauvoir asking each one to confirm their existence through the ethics of ambiguity?
(a) By the transcendence of goals.
(b) As a value for all others.
(c) As a means to an end.
(d) By combining mind to matter through projects.

5. What are the two clans that Beauvoir claims to come from oppression?
(a) Those who enlighten mankind by thrusting it ahead of itself, and those who are condemned to mark time hopelessly.
(b) The oppressors and the oppressed.
(c) Those who escape into their aesthetic only to allow their oppressive ideas to penetrate reality and subject the freedom of others to mechanically toil to satisfy their needs.
(d) Those who believe their status allows them the freedom to oppress and those whose freedom is taken for the benefit of those of status.

Short Answer Questions

1. How do ethics of ambiguity avoid being solipsistic?

2. What does Beauvoir claim to be the violence committed by opponents to the Nazi occupation of France.

3. What does Beauvoir mean when she writes, "...festivals whose role is to stop the movement of transcendence?"

4. What three considerations an individual make before acting are abstract, according to Beauvoir?

5. If an individual does not inform a slave of his oppression, what does Beauvoir suggest of their position regarding tyranny?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the example of the conservative that Beauvoir uses to illustrate how tyrants will attempt to prevent revolt?

2. What does Beauvoir claim becomes of those who adopt the Aesthetic Attitude?

3. How does Beauvoir dispute the idea that individual freedom does not lead to anarchy?

4. How does Beauvoir define the Aesthetic Attitude?

5. How does Beauvoir claim living as an existentialist would affect men?

6. How does Beauvoir claim that science can find truth?

7. What is an example that Beauvoir uses to illustrate the "Antinomies of Action"?

8. What does Beauvoir mean with the phrase "Antinomies of Action"?

9. How does Beauvoir claim that we can best secure our personal freedom?

10. How does Beauvoir characterize freedom that is won through denying freedom to others?

(see the answer keys)

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