Unit 2 Test Question Pool

Directions: Choose the BEST answer from among the four answer options.
Chapter 4
1. According to the cosmology of atomism (HINT: see pages 47-48, and 51 of chapter
4!)
A)
B)
C)
D)

nothing is created out of nothing, nor can something be reduced to nothing.

compounds of atoms are eternal because the atoms that comprise them are eternal.
some things are created out of nothing, and some things can be reduced to nothing.
nothing is created out of nothing, and everything can be reduced to nothing.

2. Death, according to Epicurus, (HINT: see pages 48 and 52 of chapter 4!)

A)
B)
C)
D)

is either a dreamless sleep or a journey to another world.

is deprivation of sensation.
is a journey to another world
remains a mystery to us.

3. If the fundamental claims of atomism are true, then

A)
B)
C)
D)

the cosmos is devoid of spiritual or incorporeal beings.

the only truly divine things are the eternal, indestructible atoms.
there is no afterlife.
All of the above.

4. If the impious man is not he who denies the gods of the many, but he who attaches to
the gods the beliefs of the many, then
(HINT: see pages 48-49, 53-54!)
A)
B)
C)
D)

believers in personal immortality and divine providence are impious.

believers in atomism are impious, and believers in personal immortality are pious.
believers in atomism are pious.
Both A and C

5. According to Epicurus, the human soul

A)
B)
C)
D)

is made up of atoms
cannot survive the death of the body
is the organ of sensation
All of the above.

6. According to Epicurus,
(HINT: see pages 54-55 of chapter 4!)
A) One ought to pursue wealth, as it can afford us a greater number of short, but
intense bodily pleasures

B) Not all pleasures are to be chosen

C) The happy life requires that one pursue only the vain desires
D) No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of evils
7. Which of the following BEST describes the logical connection(s) between atomism
and hedonism in Epicurus thought? Read each answer option very carefully!
A) Atomism denies the existence of incorporeal beings, such as immortal souls. If the
human soulthe organ of perception and thoughtis made up of atoms which disperse
back into nature at lifes end, then death would be nothing more than a dreamless, eternal
sleep and not a journey into another, potentially wretched, world. The Epicurean,
knowing this, thereby achieves a reassuring calmness of mind, a tranquility of soul.
B) According to atomism, the universe is made up exclusively of atoms and void, and
there are immortal gods which are highly complex compounds of atoms. These gods
direct the course of human events, and reward individuals who avoid overindulgence in
sensual pleasures, and punish with infirmity and disease those who do not.
C) According to atomism, the universe is made up exclusively of atoms and void, having
been created this way by the gods. In order to live a good and happy life, the human
being must practice moderation and self-restraint with regard to the bodily pleasures, and
concentrate all of his energies on knowing the truth about god. Only when he
understands that mankind was designed to live according to the universal moral law
established by his Maker can he enjoy the tranquility of soul which constitutes the very
highest kind of pleasure.
D) According to atomism, the universe is made up atoms as well as spiritual beings, and
the human being is a combination of body and spiritual soul. The very BEST life will be
one dedicated exclusively to caring for our immortal soul so as to be rewarded in the
afterlife by the gods.
8. A man brutally murders an innocent victim. According to Epicurus, in what way would
this act rightly be considered evil? (HINT: see pages 55-56 of chapter 4!)
A) Such an act is a direct violation of the divine commandment: Thou shalt not kill.
B) Such an act is a direct violation of the victims unalienable right to life.
C) The criminal is doing irreparable harm to his own soul.
D) Such an act is evil insofar as it engenders a fear in the mind of the criminal of
eventually being caught and punished severely by the civil authorities.
9. Which of the following arguments against vulgar hedonism does Epicurus NOT make?
(HINT: see pages 54-55 of chapter 4!)
A) Even though every pain is an evil, not all pains are to be avoided.
B) Vulgar hedonism undermines traditional morality.
C) The pains consequent upon over-indulgence either cancel the pleasures or leave a
balance of pain.
D) The vulgar hedonist fails to discriminate properly among the various desires and the
different pleasures that come from their satisfaction.

10. Each of the following is, according to Epicurus, an essential ingredient to living well
EXCEPT:
A) Friendship
B) Equanimity
C) Health
D) Wealth
Chapter 5
1. Each of the following is an essential feature of law EXCEPT:
a. It must be rational.
b. It must be made known.
c. It aims at the good of certain individuals only.
d. It must be made by whoever has care of the community.
2. Law is more concerned with protecting property rights than with making human beings
good.
T/F
3. Each of the following is a type of law discussed by St. Thomas in our reading
EXCEPT:
a.
b.
c.
d.

divine law
eternal law
human law
none of the above

4. If a law is not promulgated, then

a.
b.
c.
d.

It is not a legitimate law.

Everyone has a duty to search for and discover it.
It is binding only on those who are able to discover it.
None of the above.

5. A law whose effect is to diminish the common good would, according to St. Thomas,
be
a. Legitimate, so long as its made by him who has care of the community.
b. An ordinance of reason.
c. Legitimate, so long as its promulgated.
d. Tyrannical.

6. Which of the following statements about the eternal law is correct?

(HINT: see page 64!)
a.
b.
c.
d.

It is Gods rule over the cosmos

It is identical with Gods essence, and as such cannot be known in itself.
It is identical with Divine Reason
All of the above

7. Divine law is necessary because

(HINT: see pages 62-63!)
a. Of the restricted scope of the human law.
b. Of mans inability to judge other mens motives and intent.
c. Mans ultimate end is not discoverable by human reason.
d. All of the above.
8. Each of the following statements is consistent with St. Thomas natural law theory
EXCEPT:
a. The good is that which is consistent with mans nature.
b. All lifestyles are perfectly natural, and hence good.
c. The purpose of law is to make men good.
d. That which runs contrary to mans nature is evil.
9. Each of the following is a natural human inclination enumerated by Thomas Aquinas
EXCEPT:
a.
b.
c.
d.

To know the truth about God

To procreate
To live in society
None of the above.

10. According to Thomas Aquinas concept of Natural Law, all of the following would be
deemed immoral EXCEPT:
a.
b.
c.
d.

Suicide
Homosexuality
Willful ignorance
None of the above

11. According to St. Thomas Natural Law teaching, (HINT: see pages 59, 61-63, 65-68!)
i. God is the author of the natural law
ii. man-made laws are always grounded in the natural law
iii. Nobody can have any understanding of the natural law if they lack access to the Bible
and its teachings
iv. morality is inseparable from human nature

v. Mans natural inclinations in one society may be completely different in another

society
vi. killing innocents is wrong only because in the Bible God said Thou Shalt Not Kill,
i.e., there is no other standard of good and bad that can be known independently of the
Bible.
vii. Philosophy (the love of wisdom) is natural, and hence good.
a. i, ii, iii.
b. i, v, vi.
c. i, iv, vii.
d. iii, vi, vii.
12. Human law
a. Is man-made.
b. Is the application of natural law
c. Is valid only if it aims at the common good
d. All of the above
Chapter 6
1. According to Hobbes, which two needs drive human action?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Personal gain and love of others

Personal gain and survival
Love of others and survival
Love of others and desire for peace

2. Why, according to Hobbes, do human beings enter into a commonwealth?

(HINT: see page 78, paragraph 30!)

a. Self-preservation
b. Commodious living
c. Stability
d. All of the above
3. According to Hobbes Leviathan, human life without government would be characterized by
each of the following EXCEPT:

(HINT: see page 76, paragraph 17!)

a. no agriculture
b. no technology
c. no clocks
d. all of the above

4. But though the benefits of this life may be much furthered by

mutual help; since yet those may be better attained to by dominion,
than by the society of others, I hope no body will doubt, but that men

would much more greedily be carried by nature, if all fear were

removed, to obtain dominion, than to gain society.
What is Hobbes main argument in this passage?
a. Most people would prefer to achieve comfortable self-preservation
through entering into collaborative associations
b. The life of a tyrant is preferable to that of a mere citizen
c. The life of a citizen is preferable to that of a greedy tyrant
d. Without law and order, life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and
short.
5. Drive safely: the life you save may be your own.
This would be an example of:
(HINT: see page 80!)
a. Psychological realism
b. Christs Golden Rule
c. Hobbes Golden Rule
d. A and B
6. According to Hobbes, government censorship is necessary
(HINT: see page 81, paragraph 46!)
a. because some opinions might incite people to rebellion
b. In order to promote concord
c. Because peace, stability, and security are more important than free
speech rights
d. All of the above
7. In Hobbes, good and evil refer in the State of Nature to:
(HINT: see page 74!)
a. Pleasure and pain
b. Virtue and vice
c. The object of love, the object of aversion
d. A and C
8. Each of the following is a characteristic of the state of nature EXCEPT:
a. It is a war of every man against every man
b. Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short
c. There are abundant resources available for human consumption
d. There are no property rights
9. For Hobbes, the greatest good and the greatest evil, respectively, for a human being
are:
a. Glory and disgrace

b. Comfortable self-preservation and violent death

c. Salvation of ones soul and eternal damnation
d. Virtue and vice
10. St. Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Hobbes would agree on which of the following?
a. Commodious living is the highest object of human aspiration
b. Man is by nature a political animal
c. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
d. None of the above
11. Each of the following is true about Hobbes social contract theory EXCEPT:
a. It is the most viable means of escaping the horrors of the state of nature
b. It stipulates that one must be willing to sacrifice ones life on behalf of the
commonwealth
c. It forbids private men the freedom to be the judge of good and evil actions.
d. It exists for the sake of preventing men from harming one another and being harmed
by one another
12. Which of the following BEST captures the difference between Hobbes Law of nature
and St. Thomas Aquinas Natural law?
a. The former induces you to treat others as you would want to be treated, whereas the
latter induces you not to treat others as you would not want to be treated
b. The former seeks the good of the body only, whereas the latter seeks the good of both
body and soul
c. The former promotes charity and self-sacrifice, whereas the latter promotes hedonism
d. The former sees justice ultimately as the product of divine legislation, whereas the
latter sees justice strictly as a product of human legislation