PH study

Question 1

What is the main setting of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave?

Answer 1

A dark cave where prisoners are chained and watch shadows on the wall

The shadows represent the prisoners’ limited perception of reality.

Question 2

What does the freed prisoner in the Allegory of the Cave come to realize?

Answer 2

The shadows are mere illusions and he sees the true forms of objects

This signifies the journey towards enlightenment.

Question 3

What does Plato’s Allegory of the Cave illustrate?

Answer 3

Plato’s theory of forms, the process of enlightenment, and the philosopher’s role in society.

Question 4

In the dialogue Euthyphro, what is Socrates questioning?

Answer 4

The nature of piety and Euthyphro’s understanding of it.

Question 5

What is the Socratic method?

Answer 5

A form of questioning that encourages critical thinking and self-examination.

Question 6

What is Socrates accused of in Plato’s Apology?

Answer 6

Impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens.

Question 7

What does Socrates argue about his mission in the Apology?

Answer 7

He believes he is following a divine mission to encourage critical thinking and self-examination.

Question 8

What is Socrates’ famous statement about life in the Apology?

Answer 8

‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’

Question 9

What moral concept does the article ‘What’s the Point of Moral Outrage?’ explore?

Answer 9

The psychological and social functions of moral outrage.

Question 10

According to the article, what dual role does moral outrage serve?

Answer 10

It enhances individual reputation while signaling trustworthiness and commitment to moral norms.

Question 11

What does Crito urge Socrates to do?

Answer 11

Escape from prison before his execution.

Question 12

What is Socrates’ stance on escaping from prison in Crito?

Answer 12

He believes it would be wrong to violate the laws of Athens.

Question 13

What philosophical belief does Socrates express in Phaedo about death?

Answer 13

Death is a transition to a better existence for the soul.

Question 14

What does Aristotle identify as the highest good for man in Nicomachean Ethics?

Answer 14

Happiness (eudaimonia).

Question 15

What is the doctrine of the mean in Aristotle’s moral virtue?

Answer 15

Virtues are habits that lie at the mean between two extremes.

Question 16

In Book 3 of Nicomachean Ethics, what does Aristotle focus on?

Answer 16

Voluntary action and moral responsibility.

Question 17

What are the three types of friendship identified by Aristotle?

Answer 17

• Friendship of Utility
• Friendship of Pleasure
• Friendship of Virtue

Question 18

What is the highest form of friendship according to Aristotle?

Answer 18

Friendship of Virtue.

Question 19

What does Aristotle argue about pleasure in relation to happiness?

Answer 19

Pleasures accompanying virtuous activities are essential to happiness.

Question 20

What philosophical concept does David Brooks advocate for in ‘Read Buber, Not the Polls!’?

Answer 20

Genuine human connections over impersonal political strategies.

Question 21

What does Rousseau argue marks the beginning of inequality in human societies?

Answer 21

The introduction of private property.

Question 22

What are the five forms of oppression identified by Iris Marion Young?

Answer 22

• Exploitation
• Marginalization
• Powerlessness
• Cultural imperialism
• Violence

Question 23

What does Karl Marx argue about workers in ‘Alienated Labor’?

Answer 23

Workers are alienated from the products of their labor, the process of production, others, and themselves.

Question 24

What event triggered the mass resignation at Deadspin?

Answer 24

The firing of interim editor-in-chief Barry Petchesky for refusing to ‘stick to sports.’

Question 25

What does Immanuel Kant define as enlightenment?

Answer 25

The process of individuals emerging from self-imposed immaturity.

Question 26

What is the definition of Enlightenment according to Kant?

Answer 26

The process of emerging from self-imposed immaturity, which is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another.

Question 27

What does the Latin phrase 'Sapere Aude' mean?

Answer 27

'Dare to know.'

Question 28

Why is freedom essential for enlightenment according to Kant?

Answer 28

It allows individuals to publicly use their reason in all matters, facilitating the exchange of ideas and advancement of knowledge.

Question 29

What obstacles to enlightenment does Kant identify?

Answer 29

* Laziness * Cowardice * Reliance on external authorities

Question 30

What is the difference between public and private use of reason according to Kant?

Answer 30

Public use involves expressing thoughts openly in society, while private use refers to fulfilling duties within a specific role.

Question 31

What does Kant assert is the only thing that is good without qualification?

Answer 31

A good will.

Question 32

What distinguishes actions done in accordance with duty from actions done from duty according to Kant?

Answer 32

Only actions performed from a sense of duty have true moral worth.

Question 33

What is a maxim in Kant's philosophy?

Answer 33

Subjective principles of action that should be capable of being universalized to be morally right.

Question 34

How does Kant define moral law?

Answer 34

Moral law is binding on rational beings and derived from reason, not contingent on external factors.

Question 35

What concept does Hannah Arendt introduce in 'Eichmann in Jerusalem'?

Answer 35

The 'banality of evil,' suggesting that evil can arise from ordinary individuals who follow orders without moral reflection.

Question 36

What does Arendt argue about personal responsibility under dictatorship?

Answer 36

Individuals have the capacity to make moral choices and should be held accountable for their actions.

Question 37

What is structural injustice according to Iris Marion Young?

Answer 37

Systemic issues that cannot be traced to individual actions or policies.

Question 38

What critique does Young offer regarding traditional concepts of guilt?

Answer 38

Traditional notions of guilt and blame are inadequate for addressing structural injustice.

Question 39

What is the social connection model of responsibility proposed by Young?

Answer 39

All individuals who contribute to structural processes with unjust outcomes share responsibility for addressing these injustices.

Question 40

What does Young argue about responsibility across borders?

Answer 40

Individuals have responsibilities to address injustices that transcend national boundaries.

Question 41

What is Gardiner's concept of the 'perfect moral storm'?

Answer 41

Climate change as a convergence of global, intergenerational, and theoretical problems complicating ethical decision-making.

Question 42

What ethical challenge does Gardiner highlight regarding climate change?

Answer 42

The intergenerational aspect, where current generations impose burdens on future generations.

Question 43

What does Kendi emphasize about being an antiracist?

Answer 43

It is a lifelong journey that involves continuous support for antiracist policies and self-reflection.

Question 44

What is the distinction King makes between just and unjust laws?

Answer 44

Just laws uplift human dignity, while unjust laws degrade it.

Question 45

What critique does King offer regarding white moderates?

Answer 45

He believes they prioritize order over justice and fail to support the urgent need for civil rights.

Question 46

What strategy does King defend in his letter?

Answer 46

Nonviolent direct action, which creates tension to confront racial injustice.

Question 47

What does King mean by the interconnectedness of all communities?

Answer 47

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Question 48

What is the moral urgency expressed by King in his letter?

Answer 48

African Americans have waited long enough for their rights and cannot afford to be patient.