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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 creatures' 'being' does Bataille compare in "The Labyrinth"?

2. Under whom does fascism unite society, in Bataille's account?

3. What happens when political action leads to nothing, in "The Sacred Conspiracy"?

4. What does Bataille say about meaning in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"?

5. Under what conditions can a state be democratic, in Bataille's opinion?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bataille describe the individual in "The College of Sociology"?

2. How does Bataille reconcile the opposition between self and world in "Sacrifices"?

3. How does the artist give meaning in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"?

4. Judging by "The Critique of the Foundations of the Hegelian Dialectic" and his other essays, what does Bataille see as the value of dialectics?

5. What does Bataille see as the value of Christianity of in "The Notion of Expenditure"?

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

7. How does a man find himself in "The Labyrinth"?

8. Briefly describe the theory of conspicuous consumption.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What exactly is it that Bataille wants people to see about reality and human experience? Describe the value of pornographic or chaotic or revolutionary things in Bataille's work.

Essay Topic 2

How did the Popular Front fulfill Bataille's ideal of heterogeneity? Analyze his description of the organization in relation with his other essays about revolution and order.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Bataille's writing style to comment on his literary personality and temperament.

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This section contains 711 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample