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Quizzes > Society & Culture > Philosophy & Ethics

Ready for a Philosophy Test? Prove Your Wisdom Now!

Dive into Philosophy Exam Questions and Practice Problems - Challenge Yourself Today!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art brain and question marks floating over teal background symbolizing a philosophy quiz

This philosophy test helps you practice exam-style questions across ethics, logic, and metaphysics so you can spot gaps before a test. Work through each item, see where you're strong, and when you're warmed up, take on the toughest questions to push your thinking.

Which branch of philosophy studies the nature and scope of knowledge?
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Aesthetics
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge, including its sources, justification, and limits. It examines how we know what we know and what counts as knowledge. Other branches like metaphysics and ethics focus on different aspects of reality and moral action. .
Who is the author of the philosophical work 'The Republic'?
Xenophon
Plato
Socrates
Aristotle
'The Republic' is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 375 BCE, exploring justice, order, and the character of the just city-state and the just individual. Although Socrates is the main speaker in the dialogue, the work itself was authored by his student Plato. .
Utilitarianism is primarily concerned with which of the following?
Cultivation of virtuous character traits
Maximizing happiness or pleasure
Adherence to moral duty
Achieving self-actualization
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory which holds that the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure for the greatest number. This consequentialist approach evaluates actions by their results rather than by inherent duties or virtues. .
Which philosopher famously stated 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am')?
John Locke
Immanuel Kant
René Descartes
David Hume
René Descartes introduced the statement 'Cogito, ergo sum' in his 17th-century work as an indubitable foundation for knowledge. By doubting everything, he found that the very act of doubt confirmed his existence as a thinking being. .
What is the primary focus of the branch of ethics in philosophy?
The study of knowledge
The fundamental nature of reality
The principles of right and wrong conduct
The nature of beauty and art
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that investigates questions about morality, including concepts of right and wrong, virtue and vice, and moral duty. It explores what actions people ought to perform and what kind of person they should be. .
What subject does metaphysics in philosophy primarily examine?
Existence and reality
Aesthetic experience
Mathematical logic
Language and meaning
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with exploring the fundamental nature of reality, including concepts such as being, existence, time, and causality. It asks what kinds of things exist and how they relate. .
Who is often referred to as the 'Father of Modern Philosophy'?
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Immanuel Kant
René Descartes
René Descartes is widely called the 'Father of Modern Philosophy' for his break with scholastic Aristotelianism and his development of new methods based on reason and doubt. His work set the tone for subsequent modern thought. .
In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the shadows on the wall represent what?
Mathematical truths
Divine forms
Illusions or sense perceptions
The realm of Forms
In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato uses the shadows cast on the wall to illustrate how people can mistake sensory perceptions for reality. The shadows represent illusions or unexamined beliefs. True knowledge comes from understanding the Forms outside the cave. .
What term does Immanuel Kant use for the intrinsic moral principle that commands actions unconditionally?
Prudential Maxim
Heteronomy
Categorical Imperative
Hypothetical Imperative
Kant's Categorical Imperative is the fundamental moral principle that applies universally and unconditionally, requiring that one act only on maxims that could be willed as universal laws. It contrasts with hypothetical imperatives, which are conditional. .
Which logical fallacy assumes a proposition is true because many people believe it?
Ad Hominem
Straw Man
Post Hoc
Argumentum ad Populum
Argumentum ad Populum, or the appeal to popularity, is a fallacy that asserts a belief is true simply because many people accept it. Popular opinion is not a reliable indicator of truth. .
What is the purpose of Descartes' hypothetical 'evil demon' in his Meditations?
To establish God's benevolence
To introduce radical doubt about beliefs
To prove the existence of other minds
To demonstrate the reliability of the senses
Descartes invokes the evil demon as a thought experiment to bring even his most basic beliefs into doubt. By imagining a deceiver of utmost power, he seeks an indubitable foundation for knowledge. .
The Gettier problem in epistemology challenges which traditional analysis of knowledge?
Knowledge is coherent belief systems
Knowledge is an innate idea
Knowledge is justified true belief
Knowledge is reliable processes
The Gettier problem presents cases where someone has a belief that is justified and true but widely considered not to be knowledge, showing that justified true belief is not sufficient for knowledge. .
What does Nietzsche mean by the term 'will to power'?
A biological instinct for survival
A spiritual unity with God
A moral obligation to the community
An underlying drive for achievement and dominance
Nietzsche's 'will to power' refers to the fundamental drive he sees in all living things to assert and enhance their strength, influence, and creativity. It underlies human ambitions and cultural developments. .
Which formulation is the first version of Kant's Categorical Imperative?
Act only if your action can be legislated by the sovereign
Act to treat humanity as a means only
Act only according to maxims that you can will to become universal law
Act so that you promote the greatest happiness
Kant's first formulation of the Categorical Imperative instructs us to act only on maxims which we could consistently will to be universal laws. This underscores the universality and necessity of moral obligations. .
In Aristotle's doctrine of the Four Causes, which cause explains what something is made of?
Material cause
Final cause
Formal cause
Efficient cause
Aristotle's material cause identifies the substance or matter that constitutes a thing, for example, the bronze of a statue. The formal cause is the form or pattern, the efficient cause is the agent, and the final cause is the purpose. .
According to David Hume's bundle theory, the self is best described as what?
A rational substance
A bundle of perceptions
An unchanging soul
A moral agent
Hume argued that what we call the 'self' is nothing but a collection or bundle of different perceptions that succeed each other rapidly, without any underlying substance. There is no permanent self beyond these impressions. .
Which theory in the philosophy of language holds that meaning is determined by how words are used in practice?
Meaning-as-use theory
Truth-conditional theory
Referential theory
Speech act theory
Wittgenstein's later philosophy introduced the idea that the meaning of a word is its use in the language. This rejects the notion that meaning is solely about reference or truth conditions. .
What is the primary distinction between moral internalism and moral externalism?
Whether rights or duties are fundamental
Whether moral truths are relative or absolute
Whether moral obligations depend on internal motivations or external facts
Whether ethics is a science or an art
Moral internalism holds that moral judgments necessarily motivate those who make them, linking reasons to act with internal states. Externalism denies this, claiming moral reasons can exist independently of an agent's motivations or desires. .
Which of the following is an example of a 'category mistake' as described by Gilbert Ryle?
Calling a cat a dog
Describing a color as a number
Saying 'The sun is green' about the sky
Asking 'Where is the university?' after describing all its colleges
Ryle's classic example involves someone shown all the buildings of a university who then asks, 'But where is the university?' The mistake is treating the university as if it were an object in the same category as its buildings. .
What paradox arises when a statement declares of itself that it is false?
Sorites Paradox
Ship of Theseus
Liar Paradox
Russell's Paradox
The Liar Paradox arises when someone says 'This sentence is false.' If the sentence is true, then it is false, and if it is false, then it is true. It challenges basic principles of truth. .
How does Martin Heidegger characterize 'Dasein' in Being and Time?
A purely rational subject
The being for whom Being is a question
An object among objects
An abstract linguistic entity
Heidegger uses 'Dasein' ('being-there') to refer to human existence, the entity for whom the question of Being is meaningful. Dasein is defined by its engagement with the world and its own potentiality. .
The Frankfurt cases are intended to challenge which principle in moral responsibility?
The principle of alternative possibilities
The principle of universalizability
The principle of double effect
The principle of utility
Frankfurt cases present scenarios in which a person appears morally responsible despite lacking the ability to do otherwise, challenging the view that responsibility requires alternative possibilities. .
According to Heidegger in Being and Time, what is the ontological role of temporality for Dasein?
Temporality is an external measure unrelated to being
Temporality is identical to clock time
Temporality is the horizon for the understanding of Being
Temporality is a symbolic construct
Heidegger argues that temporality is not merely successive clock time but the fundamental horizon that makes the understanding of Being possible for Dasein. Past, present, and future are interconnected in Dasein's existential structure. .
In John Rawls' theory, what is the purpose of the 'veil of ignorance' in the original position?
To promote random chance in choosing principles
To separate economic considerations from political ones
To guarantee fair and impartial agreement on justice principles
To ensure decisions are made with full knowledge of one's social status
Rawls' veil of ignorance ensures that decision-makers in the original position do not know their own talents, social status, or conception of the good, promoting unbiased principles of justice that are fair to all. .
What does the Principle of Double Effect state in moral philosophy?
Outcomes alone determine the morality of actions
Any action with a bad side-effect is always wrong
An action with both good and bad effects is permissible if the bad effect is not intended and there is a proportionately grave reason
Intentions are irrelevant to moral evaluation
The Principle of Double Effect holds that performing an action that has two effects - one good and one bad - is permissible if the bad effect is not intended, the action itself is good or neutral, and there is a proportionately serious reason. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand core philosophical theories -

    Grasp key ideas from major philosophers and schools of thought to build a solid foundation for further exploration.

  2. Analyze philosophy exam questions -

    Break down complex arguments and identify underlying premises, helping you tackle exam-style prompts with confidence.

  3. Apply critical thinking to philosophy practice problems -

    Use logical reasoning and analytical skills to solve scenarios that challenge your comprehension and creativity.

  4. Evaluate philosophical positions -

    Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different viewpoints, refining your ability to form well-supported judgments.

  5. Identify knowledge gaps -

    Pinpoint areas where you need further study or review, enabling targeted improvement in your philosophical understanding.

  6. Reflect on personal beliefs -

    Connect philosophical concepts to your own perspectives, fostering deeper self-awareness and intellectual growth.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Socratic Method & Critical Inquiry -

    Master the art of asking and answering questions to expose assumptions and refine arguments, as detailed by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Use the "Five Whys" mnemonic - keep asking "Why?" up to five times to drill down to core premises. This technique is a staple in philosophy exam questions and philosophy practice problems related to argument analysis.

  2. Cartesian Doubt & Cogito Ergo Sum -

    Review René Descartes' method of systematic skepticism leading to the indubitable truth "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum). Recall the mnemonic C²: Cartesian Critique and Cogito Certainty to remember both the process of doubt and the foundational self-awareness conclusion. This concept is often tested in questions on epistemology and philosophical health checks.

  3. Kant's Categorical Imperative -

    Understand Immanuel Kant's principle: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." A handy formula is KU = Kant's Universalization rule. Practice by evaluating real-life scenarios - like whether lying to protect a friend can be universalized - to sharpen your ethical reasoning for philosophy test scenarios.

  4. Utilitarianism & Greatest Happiness Principle -

    Familiarize yourself with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill's calculus: maximize overall pleasure and minimize pain. Use the simple equation U = Σ (Happiness) - Σ (Pain) to score choices in practice problems. Academic sources like Oxford's utilitarianism entries provide case studies to practice quantifying utility in exam-style questions.

  5. Logical Fallacies & Argument Structure -

    Distinguish between formal fallacies (e.g., Affirming the Consequent: "If P then Q; Q; therefore P") and informal ones (e.g., Straw Man). The FACA mnemonic - Formal Affirmation, Contradiction, and Analogies - helps you spot errors quickly. Review the Toulmin model (claim, grounds, warrant) for constructing solid responses in philosophy exams and practice problems.

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