Semester 1

Question 1

According to Matson, what remark “counts as the most stupendous intellectual revolution recorded in history”

Answer 1

Everything is made of water - Thales

Question 2

According to Matson, a socially high belief will survive only if it is true
T OR F?

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to Matson, a belief can be adaptive and still be false

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to Matson, What does a myth do?

Answer 4

Edify, Explain and Give Meaning

Question 5

What contains the “Babylonian Genesis”?

Answer 5

Enuma Elish

Question 6

Who is Marduk?

Answer 6

The main Babylonian Deity

Question 7

In the Babylonian Genesis who created humans

Answer 7

Ea/Earth

Question 8

In the Babylonian Genesis, humans are created to serve the gods

Answer 8

True

Question 9

According to Matson, what is the real point of the creation myth?

Answer 9

To make a moral point. To answer a why question.

Question 10

According to Matson, mythological explanations are

Answer 10

Modeled on human intentionality

I.e. Are teleological and purposive

Question 11

According to Matson, mythological explanations are false

True or false

Answer 11

False

Question 12

According to Matson, one of the contrasts between mythological explanation and naturalistic explanation is that mythological explanations are false and fanciful while naturalistic are true and empirical
T OR F

Answer 12

True

Question 13

One of the contrasts between mythological explanations and naturalistic explanations is that naturalistic explanations are based on observation while mythological explanations are not

Answer 13

False

Question 14

According to Matson, the bible eliminates magical elements from its mythical explanation
T OR F

Answer 14

False

Question 15

Who is earlier of Hesiod and homer?

Answer 15

Hesiod

Question 16

Mythological explanations, as opposed to scientific explanations, are teleological
T OR F

Answer 16

True

Question 17

According to Matson, the Theogony eliminates the magical elements from its mythical explanation

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Greek gods are omnipotent?

T OR F

Answer 18

False

Question 19

How are Greek gods generated in the Theogony?

Answer 19

Sexually

Question 20

What did Kronos do to his father Ouranous?

Answer 20

Castrated him

Question 21

Why did Zeus create women?

Answer 21

As an evil punishment for men

Question 22

According to Matson one of the contrasts between mythical and natural explanations is the degree of revisibility
T or f

Answer 22

True

Question 23

What does Matson mean when he says that the modes of mythical explanation are anthropomorphic?

Answer 23

They are modeled on human ways of explaining.

Question 24

From watership down, why do rabbits have so many enemies and the physical features they do?

Answer 24

It was a consequence of the blessing and punishment from the Creator’s response to the original rabbit smarting off to him.