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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 value does money articulate for workers?

2. Who is the audience for "The Practice of Joy before Death"?

3. What does Baumler call revolution?

4. What does Bataille say is the only virtue for fascists?

5. Why is classical utility theory inadequate, in Bataille's opinion?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Bataille's interpretation of Veblen's theory of conspicuous consumption?

2. What pattern for self-discovery does Bataille offer in "The Sacred"?

3. What is the essence of Bataille's essay "The Practice of Joy before Death"?

4. When does Bataille date the origin of the Popular Front to?

5. Summarize Nicolai Hartmann's interpretation of Hegel.

6. What flaw does Bataille identify in dialectic philosophy in "The Critique of the Foundations of the Hegelian Dialectic"?

7. How do Fascists define God, in Bataille's account in "Propositions"?

8. What is Bataille's theme in "The Labyrinth"?

9. How does Bataille portray Engels' interpretation of Hegel's philosophy in "The Critique of the Foundations of the Hegelian Dialectic"?

10. What does contemporary society offer men in "The Sacred Conspiracy", and what does man demand for himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Assess the claim that Bataille's thinking cannot be reduced to a particular theme or set of values. What is the role of multiplicity and contradiction in Bataille's writing?

Essay Topic 2

How has the importance of obscenity in literature changed since Bataille's time? Research the reactions to Bataille and to other writers who used disorienting or profane language during Bataille's time, and describe the changes that have taken place in readers' response to obscene or profane or sacrilegious material.

Essay Topic 3

In what ways is Bataille a sacrificial victim? Analyze his essays where sacrifices appear, in addition to the essays where he talks about his role as an author, and describe him as either the sacrificing priest or the sacrificial victim himself.

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