Question 1

Kurt Baier argued that the theist response to the question of whether life has meaning is morally repugnant.

Accepted Answer

Baier argued that the theist response to the question of whether life has meaning is morally repugnant because it implies that God has imposed a value on human life without regard for individuality or personal choice. This, Baier believes, undermines the idea of morality and reduces human beings to mere tools of God's will.

Question 2

Oswald Spengler believed that the West was in decline.

Accepted Answer

Oswald Spengler was a German philosopher and historian who wrote the book "The Decline of the West". He believed that the Western civilization was in decline and would eventually be replaced by another culture.

Question 3

Tolstoy believed that if death was simply annihilation then life had no meaning.

Accepted Answer

Tolstoy believed that the fear of death stems from the fear that life is meaningless, and if death is simply annihilation then life has no ultimate purpose or value.

Question 4

Carnap attempted to answer the question of whether life had meaning.

Accepted Answer

Carnap was a logical positivist who believed that statements about meaning and value were neither true nor false, but instead were simply expressions of personal preference or emotion. He argued that there was no objective meaning to life, only subjective meanings that individuals imbued onto their experiences. Therefore, he did not attempt to answer the question of whether life had meaning.

Question 5

Sartre was a theist.

Accepted Answer

Sartre was an existentialist philosopher and famously wrote that "God does not exist" in his work "Existentialism is a Humanism." Therefore, he was not a theist.

Question 6

Kierkegaard held that life could only have meaning if we commit ourselves to a cause or ideal that we know is worth pursuing.

Accepted Answer

Kierkegaard believed in the importance of committing oneself to a cause or ideal, which he called a "teleological suspension of the ethical," in order to find meaning in life.

Question 7

Tolstoy was a theist.

Accepted Answer

Tolstoy believed in God, and his writings often reflect his religious beliefs.

Question 8

Rudolf Carnap endorsed:
A) Pragmatism
B) Idealism
C) Antirealism
D) Logical positivism

Accepted Answer

Rudolf Carnap was a major proponent of logical positivism, which aimed to clarify and formalize scientific language and reject metaphysical or nonsensical claims.

Question 9

Hegel believed that history showed progress.

Accepted Answer

Hegel believed in the concept of "dialectical progression" which asserts that history moves forward through a series of conflicts and resolutions, which ultimately leads to a higher level of development and understanding. This idea of progress is a central theme in Hegel's philosophy.

Question 10

R. M. Hare argues that nihilism is mistaken.

Accepted Answer

R. M. Hare argues that nihilism is mistaken in his book "The Language of Morals", where he proposes his ethical theory of universal prescriptivism. He believes that moral disagreements can be resolved by examining the underlying principles behind moral statements, rather than resorting to nihilism, which denies the existence of any moral values.

Question 11

Who claimed that "the one serious question in philosophy" is that of whether life has meaning?
A) Camus
B) Sartre
C) Heidegger
D) Plato

Accepted Answer

Albert Camus famously said, "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy." In other words, the question of whether life has meaning is the most important and fundamental question in philosophy.

Question 12

For Kierkegaard, the meaning of life is objective.

Accepted Answer

Kierkegaard's philosophy emphasizes subjective experience and individual subjective truth rather than objective meaning. He believed that individuals must create their own meaning in life through personal choices and commitments.

Question 13

One proponent of the theistic response to the question of whether life has meaning is
A) Sartre
B) Heidegger
C) Aquinas
D) Aristotle

Accepted Answer

Aquinas, a Christian philosopher and theologian, argues that life does have meaning in the context of a relationship with God. He believes that God gives human life meaning by providing a purpose and a telos (ultimate end) for human beings to strive towards. Aquinas argues that this telos can be achieved through fulfilling God's will and living a life of virtue, ultimately leading to the attainment of eternal happiness in heaven.

Question 14

Most philosophers today endorse logical positivism.

Accepted Answer

Logical positivism was a popular philosophical movement in the early 20th century, but it has largely fallen out of favor among contemporary philosophers. While some philosophers may still hold positivist views, most do not endorse logical positivism as a comprehensive philosophical framework.

Question 15

Kierkegaard described three lifestyles.

Accepted Answer

Kierkegaard described three lifestyles: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious.

Question 16

Kai Nielsen claims that
A) The theistic response makes an illogical jump.
B) The theistic response is correct
C) The theistic responses affirms the consequent
D) The theistic response needs modification only

Accepted Answer

Kai Nielsen's argument is that the theistic response to the problem of evil makes an illogical jump. He argues that the theist starts with the assumption that God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent, then concludes that God must have a morally sufficient reason for allowing evil. However, Nielsen argues that this is an illogical jump, as there is no logical connection between the attributes of God and the existence of evil. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 17

Richard Taylor believes that life has no meaning.

Accepted Answer

Richard Taylor was a philosopher who held the belief that life has no inherent meaning or purpose.

Question 18

Karl Marx denied that history showed progress.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that history progressed through class struggle, leading towards a communist society where class distinctions would disappear. This view inherently suggests a form of progress through historical development.

Question 19

Schopenhauer believed that everything passes away.

Accepted Answer

Schopenhauer was a philosopher who believed in the impermanence of everything. He saw life as a constant cycle of birth, growth, decay, and death, and believed that nothing was permanent or eternal.

Question 20

Ayer believed that the question of whether life has meaning was meaningless.

Accepted Answer

Ayer was a logical positivist, which means he believed that philosophical questions that cannot be verified through empirical evidence are meaningless. Therefore, he believed that the question of whether life has meaning was meaningless.

Quiz 9: Postscript: the Meaning of Life