1. Philosophy is related to many other fields of study. True or False 2. One’s ordinary beliefs are philosophical beliefs. True or False 3. Philosophical beliefs support many of one’s ordinary beliefs. True or False 4. A reasonable belief is justified by reasons. True or False 5. Philosophical thinking is a. about familiar topics b. about a highly specialized subject matter c. only for professional philosophers d. irrelevant to physics 6. A reasonable belief a. is a belief that many people have b. is a belief that no one else has c. is a belief that supports many other beliefs d. is a belief for which a good reason can be given 7. According to Socrates, moral questions can and should be settled by reason. True or False 8. Before the Greeks there were no Philosophy attempts in the world. True or False 9. Plato believed that ideas, and the material world come from nowhere. True or False 10. In what does happiness consist, according to Aristotle? a. experiencing pleasure and not experiencing pain b. achieving one’s goals and being honored by one’s community for having done so c. the excellent activity of the rational part of the soul d. health, wealth, and time to enjoy them 11. Which of the following bits of practical advice does Aristotle give for becoming more virtuous? a. undertake a careful study of moral philosophy b. aim away from the extreme you feel yourself naturally drawn toward c. before performing any action, consider how you would feel if someone did the same thing to you d. refrain from all sensual pleasures to devote yourself more completely to the life of the mind 12. In what sense is moral virtue a “mean,” according to Aristotle? a. it occupies the middle ground between excessive and deficient possibilities of feeling and acting b. it corresponds to what the average person ought to do in any given situation c. it corresponds to what ordinary common sense recommends in any given situation d. it is not incompatible with moderate amounts of vice 13. The pre-Socratics were mostly concerned with a. art, music, culture b. ethics, morality and the good life c. how to understand the world through questions about the matter of reality d. society and politics 14. The Sophists a. were philosophers that believed you could prove almost anything with a good argument b. thought that Philosophy was a useful, practical tool for personal gain c. where somewhat skeptical about absolute knowledge d. all of the above ESSAY QUESTIONS – Choose 3 out of 5. Your answer should be between 100-250 (anything between is acceptable) words. Not more!(30%, 10 points each) 1. Would it have been unjust for Socrates to escape? If you think it would have been, explain your position on whether it is ever morally appropriate to disobey the law. If you think Socrates could have escaped without committing an injustice, explain why. Is there some argument Crito could have made but didn’t? 2. Your nation is at war, and your number in the recently reinstated military dra.

1. 1. Philosophy is related to many other fields of study.
True or False
2. One’s ordinary beliefs are philosophical beliefs.
True or False
3. Philosophical beliefs support many of one’s ordinary beliefs.
True or False
4. A reasonable belief is justified by reasons.
True or False
5. Philosophical thinking is
a. about familiar topics
b. about a highly specialized subject matter
c. only for professional philosophers
d. irrelevant to physics
6. A reasonable belief
a. is a belief that many people have
b. is a belief that no one else has
c. is a belief that supports many other beliefs
d. is a belief for which a good reason can be given
7. According to Socrates, moral questions can and should be settled by reason.
True or False
8. Before the Greeks there were no Philosophy attempts in the world.
True or False
9. Plato believed that ideas, and the material world come from nowhere.
True or False
10. In what does happiness consist, according to Aristotle?
a. experiencing pleasure and not experiencing pain
b. achieving one’s goals and being honored by one’s community for having done so
c. the excellent activity of the rational part of the soul
d. health, wealth, and time to enjoy them
11. Which of the following bits of practical advice does Aristotle give for becoming more
virtuous?
a. undertake a careful study of moral philosophy
b. aim away from the extreme you feel yourself naturally drawn toward
c. before performing any action, consider how you would feel if someone did the same thing to
you

2. d. refrain from all sensual pleasures to devote yourself more completely to the life of the mind
12. In what sense is moral virtue a “mean,” according to Aristotle?
a. it occupies the middle ground between excessive and deficient possibilities of feeling and
acting
b. it corresponds to what the average person ought to do in any given situation
c. it corresponds to what ordinary common sense recommends in any given situation
d. it is not incompatible with moderate amounts of vice
13. The pre-Socratics were mostly concerned with
a. art, music, culture
b. ethics, morality and the good life
c. how to understand the world through questions about the matter of reality
d. society and politics
14. The Sophists
a. were philosophers that believed you could prove almost anything with a good argument
b. thought that Philosophy was a useful, practical tool for personal gain
c. where somewhat skeptical about absolute knowledge
d. all of the above
ESSAY QUESTIONS – Choose 3 out of 5. Your answer should be between 100-250 (anything
between is acceptable) words. Not more!(30%, 10 points each)
1. Would it have been unjust for Socrates to escape? If you think it would have been, explain
your position on whether it is ever morally appropriate to disobey the law. If you think Socrates
could have escaped without committing an injustice, explain why. Is there some argument Crito
could have made but didn’t?
2. Your nation is at war, and your number in the recently reinstated military draft has just come
up. The problem is that, after serious reflection, you have concluded that the war is unjust. What
advice might Socrates give you? Would you agree? What might you decide to do?
3. Is it possible to be moral without believing in God? Why or why not?
4. If a friend asked you, “What is Philosophy?” what would you answer?
5. A friend of yours is looking for a moral philosophy to live by. You think that Virtue Theory
morality is the way to go. How would you explain it?
Solution
Aswer 1.True
Answer 2False
Answer 3True

3. Answer 4True
Answer 5(D)
Answer 6(D)
Answer 7True
Answer 8 True
ncient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued throughout the Hellenistic
period and the period in which Ancient Greece was part of the Roman Empire. It dealt with a
wide variety of subjects, including political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, ontology, logic,
biology, rhetoric, and aesthetics.
Many philosophers today concede that Greek philosophy has influenced much of Western
culture since its inception. Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "The safest general
characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes
to Plato."[1] Clear, unbroken lines of influence lead from ancient Greek and Hellenistic
philosophers to Early Islamic philosophy, the European Renaissance and the Age of
Enlightenment.
Some claim that Greek philosophy, in turn, was influenced by the older wisdom literature and
mythological cosmogonies of the ancient Near East. Martin Litchfield West gives qualified
assent to this view, stating, "contact with oriental cosmology and theology helped to liberate the
early Greek philosophers' imagination; it certainly gave them many suggestive ideas. But they
taught themselves to reason. Philosophy as we understand it is a Greek creation."[2]
Answer 9False
Answer 10 (B)
Answer 11(A)
Answer 12(A)
Answer 13(C)
Answer 14(D)
Answer 3
What Is Ethics Without God?
From the time of the Greeks, there have been many philosophers who have sought to prove that
it is possible to have a universal morality without God. There have been many arguments
presented to support this position, and in theory they may be right, depending on what one means
by the word universal. They would say, all you have to have is a consensus on what is considered
right and wrong behavior. Their position, with which I disagree, goes something like this:
First: If God is necessary for morality, then whatever God deems moral is moral. Therefore, why
praise God for what He has done if He could have just as likely done the opposite, and it would
have been equally moral. If whatever God says goes, then if God decreed that adultery was

4. permissible, then adultery would be permissible. If things are neither right nor wrong
independently of God's will, then God cannot choose one thing over another because it is right.
Thus, if He does choose one over another, His choice must be arbitrary. But a being whose
decisions are arbitrary is not worthy of worship.
Second: If goodness is a defining attribute of God, then God cannot be used to define goodness.
If we do so, we are guilty of circular reasoning. That is, if we use goodness to define God, we
can't also use God to define goodness.
Third: If one doesn't believe in God, being told that one must do as God commands will not help
one solve any moral dilemmas.
Some philosophers, therefore, come to the following conclusion: the idea that a moral law
requires a divine lawgiver is untenable.(1)
What should be our response as Christians? We should point out to people who side with the
preceding position their lack of understanding concerning both God and the nature of man.
God is the creator and sustainer of all things. We would not even be self aware, let alone aware
of right and wrong, if God had not created within us His image, and therefore the ability to make
moral distinctions. The truth is we have no reference point for all this discussion about morality
except as God reveals it. For us to argue with the source of morality is for the clay to argue with
the potter.
Some philosophers say that for God to define what is right or wrong is arbitrary. God is not
arbitrary; He is the source of all life and therefore the source of all truth. We have no basis to
even understand the concept of being arbitrary except in reference to an unchanging God. That
which would be circular reasoning or arbitrary in discussions about ourselves comes into perfect
focus as we bring the dilemma close to the universal, absolute focal point for all creation, God
Himself.
The second problem with these arguments is that they fail to recognize the nature of man. If man
were not fallen, i.e., not corrupted by sin, we would have limitless potential to create from within
ourselves a universal moral code. But, we are a fallen lot, every last one of us, and therefore
incapable of fully knowing what is good (Rom. 3:23). We are even incapable of carrying out
what we do know to be good (Rom. 7:18-21).
Answer 4hilosophy is an academic discipline that exercises reason and logic in an attempt to
understand reality and answer fundamental questions about knowledge, life, morality and human
nature. The ancient Greeks, who were among the first to practice philosophy, coined the term,
which means “love of wisdom.” Those who study philosophy are called philosophers. Through
the ages, philosophers have sought to answer such questions as, what is the meaning and purpose
of life? How do we know what we know? Does God exist? What does it mean to possess
consciousness? And, what is the value of morals?

5. Philosophers attempt to answer such questions through the philosophical method. The method
usually begins when a philosopher examines his own beliefs and begins to doubt their validity.
From his doubt, questions emerge. Before answering a question, the philosopher thoroughly
analyzes it to ensure it is clearly and properly defined. This helps narrow the path to the most
precise answer. Next, the philosopher proposes possible answers to the question and provides
reasoned arguments to support each one. The arguments are then critiqued by other philosophers,
who may give rebuttals. Through this process of criticism and judgment, known as dialectic,
philosophers attempt to prove the rationality of their beliefs and discover fundamental truths.
It’s no coincidence that the philosophical method has much in common with the scientific
method. Indeed, early science was known as “natural philosophy.” Philosophers like Aristotle
developed the concepts of inductive and deductive reasoning that form the basis of modern
scientific study. The roots of the physical sciences like physics and geology can be traced back to
ancient philosophy.
Philosophy itself is generally considered a type of social science, like sociology or psychology.
That’s because early philosophy was primarily concerned with describing the best way to live
and organize society. From that spawned many other disciplines: economics, political science,
law, linguistics, literary and art criticism, and theology—along with sociology and psychology.
Though many of philosophy’s original topics have evolved into other fields of study over time,
the discipline remains rich and varied. Modern philosophy contains six main branches of
thought, each with their own unique focus:
Metaphysics: the nature of reality and the universe.
Epistemology: the study of knowledge and how it is acquired.
Logic: how to develop valid arguments; includes mathematical logic.
Ethics: the study of right and wrong and how people should live.
Politics: the study of government, citizen rights and political obligations.
Aesthetics: beauty, art and artistic perception.
At first glance, it would appear that such study has little application in the real world. Yet,
philosophy shapes modern existence. Unlocking the secrets of knowledge acquisition is the
primary concern of passionate educators of young people around the globe. Logic forms the
basis of all computer technology, as more precise programming commands increase computing
speed and efficiency. Ethics plays a major role in medicine, law and foreign policy. Indeed, the
hottest debates surrounding the issues of our time—abortion, capital punishment, welfare,
environmentalism, torture and end-of-life care—all stem from philosophical questions.
However, the study of philosophy is not necessarily about discovering all of the answers to life’s
toughest questions. Skepticism lies at the heart of philosophy. Therefore, asking a question is
more fundamentally important than answering one. In philosophy, questioning a deeply held

6. belief or social practice sets one onto the path of true understanding, and it’s this understanding
that leads to meaningful personal and social change. A good philosopher recognizes the danger
of accepting knowledge at face value. Social or scientific theories may be untested or contain
personal bias; trusting them immediately could result in terrible consequences.
Today, philosophers can be found working in nearly every career field. Some are scientists
developing ways to test household products without using animals. Some are politicians and
human rights activists fighting for changes in foreign policy that will alleviate war and poverty
for millions of Third World citizens. Some are economists seeking practical solutions to
economic inequality. Still others are programmers working on the cutting edge of technology to
develop faster and more efficient computer software.
Those who study philosophy also tend to lead fulfilling and successful lives. Some of history’s
most well-known figures were philosophers: Socrates, Plato, John Locke, Friedrich Nietzsche,
John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Noam Chomsky, to name a few.
Answer 5Unlike any intellectual capacity, virtues of character are dispositions to act in certain
ways in response to similar situations, the habits of behaving in a certain way. Thus, good
conduct arises from habits that in turn can only be acquired by repeated action and correction,
making ethics an intensely practical discipline.
Each of the virtues is a state of being that naturally seeks its mean {Gk. [mesos]} relative to us.
According to Aristotle, the virtuous habit of action is always an intermediate state between the
opposed vices of excess and deficiency: too much and too little are always wrong; the right kind
of action always lies in the mean. (Nic. Ethics II 6) Thus, for example:
with respect to acting in the face of danger,
courage {Gk. [andreia]} is a mean between
the excess of rashness and the deficiency of cowardice;
with respect to the enjoyment of pleasures,
temperance {Gk. [sophrosúnê]} is a mean between
the excess of intemperance and the deficiency of insensibility;
with respect to spending money,
generosity is a mean between
the excess of wastefulness and the deficiency of stinginess;
with respect to relations with strangers,
being friendly is a mean between

7. the excess of being ingratiating and the deficiency of being surly; and
with respect to self-esteem,
magnanimity {Gk. &alpha [megalopsychia]} is a mean between
the excess of vanity and the deficiency of pusillanimity.
Notice that the application of this theory of virtue requires a great deal of flexibility: friendliness
is closer to its excess than to its deficiency, while few human beings are naturally inclined to
undervalue pleasure, so it is not unusual to overlook or ignore one of the extremes in each of
these instances and simply to regard the virtue as the opposite of the other vice. Although the
analysis may be complicated or awkward in some instances, the general plan of Aristotle's
ethical doctrine is clear: avoid extremes of all sorts and seek moderation in all things. Not bad
advice, surely. Some version of this general approach dominated Western culture for many
centuries.