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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. What philosopher and statesman does Francis Bacon aspire to be like?

2. Who suggests that men are at fault because they chose to live in houses in cities?

3. What does Bacon suggest should be observed similar to Machiavellian philosophy?

4. What does Spinoza say the language of the Bible is?

5. At first, what medium does Voltaire use to give humorous expression to his ideas?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the scope of Bacon's philosophy miss his goal?

2. Why is Aristotle's philosophy often criticized as dry and uninteresting?

3. What is a common criticism of Voltaire?

4. Who are the students of Socrates?

5. Describe Voltaire's The Essay on Morals.

6. Explain the reasons for a break between Plato and Aristotle.

7. Describe the mathematical form of Spinoza's approach to his philosophy.

8. Briefly describe Plato's ideal rulers.

9. How does Bacon's reconstruction exceed the work of Aristotle?

10. How does Durant see the evolution of stoicism into the Christian religion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on Santayana's concept of Animal Faith which he says he lives by. Express your opinion about his assertion that Animal Faith may be faith in a myth but it is a good myth. Include the idea of being skeptically strict to justify a certain amount of Animal Faith to live by. Show how Santayana suggests that transcendentalism leaves room for a need for Animal Faith.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on Spinoza's idea that one thing may be good, bad, or indifferent all at the same time which he illustrates by music. In your essay identify and explain how something like modern electronics may be good, bad, or indifferent all at the same time.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on aesthetics, the theory of beauty and art. Include your assessment of why aesthetics is such an important part of philosophy. Discuss the various ways of looking at beauty and art from the study of THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 737 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample