View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. For whom do Beauvoir and Marx agree that the cause of freedom is most urgent?

2. How does Beauvoir claim failure affects art and science?

3. Since human life is finite, with what does Beauvoir suggest the individual should concern himself?

4. How does Beauvoir suggest an individual can find tranquility of the serious?

5. Why does Beauvoir claim one cannot assert that everything may be the object of contemplation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the contradiction that Beauvoir states regarding the difficulty of living the in the modern age?

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

3. What is the main criticism that Beauvoir makes of the Aesthetic Attitude?

4. What are the two meanings that Beauvoir gives for the future?

5. How does Beauvoir characterize the world at the beginning of Section III?

6. How does Beauvoir relate death to life?

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

8. How does Beauvoir criticize the claim that life is absurdity?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Are Beauvoir's writings on accepting the ambiguous nature of life practical today? Identify three principles she articulates in "The Ethics of Ambiguity" that you consider to be important to preserving freedom today. Write why you consider them to be important, what sort of affect the application of these principles on a broad basis would have on freedom and general society, and how you plan to implement these principles in your life.

Essay Topic 2

In the "Antinomies of Action", Beauvoir shows how actions can both work to achieve and work against a cause. Identify one of Beauvoir's examples of actions achieving a cause and working against a cause and prove Beauvoir's explanation with an example from history or current events.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the "adventurer" from the "passionate man" and give historical examples for each. Which lives freely and which has the greatest influence on general freedom? Which one does Beauvoir seem to favor? Use her comments to support your view.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 766 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample