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

2. What does Bataille describe as the result of individuals asking critical questions, in "Nietzschean Chronicle"?

3. When does being become undefined, according to Bataille?

4. What are the two forms of heterogeneity Bataille introduces in "Psychological Structure of Fascism"?

5. What was the essay "Sacrifices" used as?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy did the Fascists appropriate, in Bataille's account in "Nietzsche and the Fascists"?

3. Summarize Nicolai Hartmann's interpretation of Hegel.

4. How did Nietzsche respond to the decay of his culture, according to Bataille's essay "Nietzschean Chronicle"?

5. What do Masson's drawing symbolize for Bataille?

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

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

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

9. What is the difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous culture as Bataille defines them in "Psychological Structure of Fascism"?

10. What does Bataille say is the only true liberating act, in "Propositions"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Assess the value of Andre Breton's claim that Bataille was an 'excremental philosopher'. Is this a fair characterization of Bataille's work, or is Breton missing the point?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Research Andre Breton's personality and his effect on surrealism, and assess the value of the proposition that Bataille was better off with Breton as an enemy than he would have been with him as a friend.

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