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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is included in the four considerations of man's view of rationality that Rand describes?
(a) Responsibility.
(b) Reality.
(c) Effort.
(d) Plausibility.

2. In Rand's essay on "The 'Conflicts' of Men's Interests," what are the two ways she claims that goals can be met?
(a) Complete and Incomplete.
(b) Purely and Directly.
(c) Directly and with proper intent.
(d) Directly and Indirectly.

3. From the objectivist perspective, what should the risk on committing an act of good will be proportionate to?
(a) One's happiness.
(b) Public recognition.
(c) A reward.
(d) Nothing, it should be a selfless act.

4. According to Ayn Rand, one must pass moral judgment in order to live what kind of life?
(a) Rational.
(b) Good.
(c) Evil.
(d) Irrational.

5. If a person saves a stranger from a burning building at the risk of their own life, then that person is acting upon which principles?
(a) Self interest.
(b) Altruistic.
(c) Objectivist.
(d) Compromise.

6. According to Branden, what must human beings have in order to have pleasure?
(a) Happiness.
(b) Enlightenment.
(c) A sense of purpose.
(d) Self esteem.

7. What was Ayn Rand's last work of fiction?
(a) Atlas Shrugged.
(b) The Objectivist Ethics.
(c) The Virtue of Selfishness.
(d) The Fountainhead.

8. What type of scheme does Branden's essay on Mental Health versus Mysticism attempt to illustrate?
(a) Pros and cons.
(b) Likert.
(c) Cause and effect.
(d) Manipulation.

9. From the altruist perspective, saving the life of a stranger is equivalent to saving the life of _________.
(a) God.
(b) Yourself.
(c) All humans.
(d) A loved one.

10. Which of the following does not fall into the category of what Branden would consider a proper avenue for seeking pleasure?
(a) Working on a project.
(b) Writing a song.
(c) Painting.
(d) Watching television.

11. Complete the sentence. A _________ person's desire for pleasure is the desire to escape reality.
(a) Neurotic.
(b) Irrational.
(c) Rational.
(d) Selfish.

12. What is necessary for the existence of self-esteem according to Branden?
(a) Happiness.
(b) Avarice.
(c) Pride.
(d) Confidence.

13. According to Ayn Rand, human error is _______________.
(a) Unacceptable.
(b) Avoidable.
(c) Unavoidable.
(d) Acceptable.

14. Which German philosopher does Rand oppose within her own philosophical theory?
(a) Nietzche.
(b) Sartre.
(c) Kafka.
(d) Aristotle.

15. In which publication did "The Virtue of Selfishness" first appear?
(a) The Objectivist Quarterly.
(b) The Times.
(c) The Objectivist Newsletter.
(d) The Journal of Behavioral Psychology.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what year did Ayn Rand write, "How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?"

2. Which of the following is not included in Branden's list of avenues where people find pleasure?

3. According to Branden, what determines a person's individual pleasures?

4. Which of the following is not included in the hierarchy Rand gives in the objectivist evaluation of committing an act of good will?

5. What must the goals one chooses to pursue be in order to be a rational thinker?

(see the answer keys)

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