Question 1

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-According to Gaunilo,to grant real existence to anything would be foolish without

Accepted Answer

Gaunilo argues in his objection to Anselm's ontological argument that just because one can imagine something, it doesn't mean it actually exists. He suggests that there must be convincing and certain proof of actual existence before one can grant it real existence.

Question 2

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-Gaunilo uses his "Lost Island" argument to show that

Accepted Answer

Gaunilo's "Lost Island" argument is a reductio ad absurdum that uses Anselm's own reasoning to show that his argument leads to absurd conclusions. Gaunilo's argument shows that using Anselm's logic, one could prove the existence of any imaginary object, including a lost island, a perfect city, or a most perfect pizza. Therefore, Gaunilo's argument challenges the validity of Anselm's reasoning and shows that it does not necessarily lead to the existence of God, but can be used to prove anything that one can imagine.

Question 3

Augustine
-Augustine concludes that time is ultimately

Accepted Answer

Augustine concludes that time is a form of "tension" in his Confessions, particularly in the context of his extensive meditation on the nature of time in Book XI. He explores the concept of time as being a tension of consciousness, rather than a physical entity or a simple linear progression.

Question 4

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-Anselm asserts that God,the being-than-which-none-greater-can-be-conceived,cannot even be thought to not exist because

Accepted Answer

Anselm's argument centers on the idea that God is the being-than-which-none-greater-can-be-conceived. If such a being could be thought to not exist, then it would not be the greatest conceivable being, since a greater being would be one that existed both in reality and in thought. Therefore, the concept of God necessarily includes the idea of existence, and it would be a contradiction to try to conceive of God as not existing.

Question 5

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-According to Gaunilo's Lost Island case,if one purports to think of the greatest conceivable island,along the lines of Anselm's ontological argument,yet the island does not exist,then it cannot be the greatest conceivable island.Why is this?

Accepted Answer

Gaunilo argues that existence is a necessary characteristic of greatness. To say that something is the greatest conceivable island, yet it does not exist, would be contradictory. This is because any existent island would be greater than an imaginary one. Therefore, the greatest conceivable island must necessarily exist in reality. Option B is incorrect as it is a general statement about existence and does not specifically address the argument put forth by Gaunilo. Option C is also incorrect as one can conceive of an imaginary island without its actual existence being assumed; the argument revolves around the concept of the island's greatness rather than its mere conception. Option D is incorrect as only option A provides a sufficient explanation.

Question 6

Boethius 
-"Philosophy" also states that "all things will happen which God knows will happen"

Accepted Answer

This choice acknowledges the concept of free will and suggests that God's knowledge of all things includes the choices that individuals will make. It also suggests that individuals have the ability to choose differently if they so desire.

Question 7

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-Instead of saying that it is inconceivable that the highest thing of all should not exist,Gaunilo suggests that it may be better to identify statements about its nonexistence and/or possible nonexistence as

Accepted Answer

Gaunilo suggests that it may be better to identify statements about the nonexistence of the highest thing as unintelligible rather than false or likely true. This implies that such statements do not make sense and cannot be rationally understood.

Question 8

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-Anselm's ontological argument and Gaunilo's Lost Island Argument pertain to different issues,but are structured in the same way.How can the Lost Island Argument,according to Gaunilo,illustrate that Anselm's ontological argument-which is structured with the same logic- is flawed?

Accepted Answer

Gaunilo's Lost Island argument uses the same structure as Anselm's ontological argument but reaches a clearly false conclusion. This calls into question the validity of the structure of the argument itself, suggesting that perhaps it is flawed and cannot be used to prove the existence of God. Option A is incorrect because the Lost Island argument does not evaluate the truth of any of Anselm's premises. Option C is incorrect because only option B accurately describes the problem with the structure of the ontological argument as demonstrated by the Lost Island example. Option D is incorrect because the Lost Island argument does indeed challenge the logic of Anselm's ontological argument.

Question 9

Hildegard of Bingen
-What is the difference between the intellect and the will?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hildegard of Bingen
-What is the difference between...

Question 10

Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus 
-As described by Sextus Empiricus,what is the means by which the skeptic arrives at a suspension of judgment and,as a result,tranquility?

Accepted Answer

According to Sextus Empiricus, the skeptic arrives at a suspension of judgment and tranquility by setting things (i.e., appearances or objects of thought) in opposition. This means that the skeptic considers arguments and evidence for and against a belief or proposition and ultimately suspends judgment on it, leading to a state of tranquility or peacefulness. This approach is known as epoché.

Question 11

Augustine
-The primary purpose of Augustine's treatment of the concept of time is to

Accepted Answer

Augustine's exploration of time, particularly in his "Confessions," emphasizes the contrast between human beings, who are constrained by time, and God, who exists outside of time and is eternal. This distinction highlights human limitations and the divine nature of God's eternity.

Question 12

Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-How does Gaunilo suggest that one go about arguing for the existence of some superior being?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Anselm (and Gaunilo)
-How does Gaunilo suggest that...

Question 13

Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus 
-According to Sextus Empiricus,the skeptic is not guilty of the dogmatizing that other philosophers commit.He claims that this is because

Accepted Answer

Sextus Empiricus argues that skepticism does not commit the error of dogmatizing because skeptics do not positively assert anything. Instead, they state what appears to them and announce their impression of certain affairs. In other words, skeptics do not claim to have knowledge or certainty about anything, but rather acknowledge their own limited perspective and lack of definitive answers. This is in contrast to other philosophers who may claim to have certain knowledge or dogmatic beliefs.

Question 14

Augustine
-According to Augustine,which of the following things are completely evil?

Accepted Answer

According to Augustine, nothing is completely evil. He believed that evil is a corruption or lack of good, but since everything created by God has some good in it, nothing can be entirely devoid of good.

Question 15

Augustine
-All natures which are contrary to God

Accepted Answer

According to traditional Christian theology, God is considered the ultimate Good, and therefore nothing can be contrary to Him. The concept of sin arises from humans' willful disobedience to God's will, rather than from any inherent nature opposed to God. While there may be dualities and opposing forces within the universe, they are still ultimately created and sustained by God, and therefore cannot be contrary to Him.

Question 16

Plotinus 
-According to Plotinus,why do we recognize some things as beautiful?

Accepted Answer

Beauty is good and we desire goodness.

Question 17

Boethius 
-According to "Philosophy," divine foreknowledge

Accepted Answer

According to philosophical beliefs, divine foreknowledge does not disturb the nature of things, as it does not impact human free will or actions. This belief is also known as compatibilism, which seeks to reconcile divine foreknowledge with human free will. Boethius, a philosopher, was imprisoned for his beliefs, but not strictly due to his views on divine foreknowledge.

Question 18

Plotinus 
-How do we come to know beauty?

Accepted Answer

Beauty is often perceived through intuition or a gut feeling. It is a subjective experience that cannot be objectively quantified or measured. Therefore, intuitive insight is the best choice for how we come to know beauty. While studying and comparing instances of particular beautiful things and becoming an artist may offer further insight into beauty, they are not necessary for our initial perception of it. Plato's writing on beauty is also not necessary for coming to know beauty, as beauty is not solely a philosophical concept.

Question 19

Augustine
-The will chooses evil because

Accepted Answer

There is no clear reason or cause for why some individuals choose to do evil over good. It cannot solely be attributed to predestination or the inherent nature of the will being evil. Therefore, choice B is the best answer as it acknowledges the mystery and complexity of human behavior when it comes to making moral decisions.

Question 20

Augustine
-At the beginning of the Confessions,the root of Augustine's spiritual conflict is the struggle between

Accepted Answer

Throughout the Confessions, Augustine describes his ongoing struggle between his "will to sin" and his "will to serve God." This conflict encompasses his desires, actions, and even his understanding of the nature of God. Augustine confesses to being trapped by his own sinful nature and unable to overcome it without divine intervention.

Quiz 1: Ancient Greek Philosophy

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -According to Gaunilo,to grant real existence to anything would be foolish without

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -Gaunilo uses his "Lost Island" argument to show that

Augustine -Augustine concludes that time is ultimately

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -Anselm asserts that God,the being-than-which-none-greater-can-be-conceived,cannot even be thought to not exist because

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -According to Gaunilo's Lost Island case,if one purports to think of the greatest conceivable island,along the lines of Anselm's ontological argument,yet the island does not exist,then it cannot be the greatest conceivable island.Why is this?

Boethius -"Philosophy" also states that "all things will happen which God knows will happen"

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -Instead of saying that it is inconceivable that the highest thing of all should not exist,Gaunilo suggests that it may be better to identify statements about its nonexistence and/or possible nonexistence as

Hildegard of Bingen -What is the difference between the intellect and the will?

Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus -As described by Sextus Empiricus,what is the means by which the skeptic arrives at a suspension of judgment and,as a result,tranquility?

Augustine -The primary purpose of Augustine's treatment of the concept of time is to

Anselm (and Gaunilo) -How does Gaunilo suggest that one go about arguing for the existence of some superior being?

Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus -According to Sextus Empiricus,the skeptic is not guilty of the dogmatizing that other philosophers commit.He claims that this is because

Augustine -According to Augustine,which of the following things are completely evil?

Augustine -All natures which are contrary to God

Plotinus -According to Plotinus,why do we recognize some things as beautiful?

Boethius -According to "Philosophy," divine foreknowledge

Plotinus -How do we come to know beauty?

Augustine -The will chooses evil because

Augustine -At the beginning of the Confessions,the root of Augustine's spiritual conflict is the struggle between