Philosophy 101:
Sample Exam Questions
 

Here are some sample exam questions to familiarize you with the format of the exams. The answers are given below.


Short Answer:

1. (a) Explain subjectivism about truth and (b) explain the two objections to subjectivism about truth given in class (do NOT just give their names!).

2. (a) What is an empirical claim? and (b) Explain the three criteria for evaluating appeal to experts arguments.


Multiple Choice:

1. As defined in class, a statement is true when

a. most people believe it to be true

b. it matches up with the way things are

c. it is logically consistent

d. all of the above

2. One of the reasons for valuing objective truths given in class was that

a. rationality is a prerequisite for studying philosophy

b. objective truths are a kind of wealth to be accumulated

c. you are less likely to be unfair to people if you are rational

d. objective truths are always the result of deductive arguments

3. For a deductive argument to be conclusive, the argument must be

a. strong

b. weak

c. true

d. valid

4. Which best describes the form of the following argument?

P1. If I am coming up, then you had better get this party started.

P2. I am coming up.

C. You had better get this party started.

a. affirming the consequent

b. modus tollens

c. modus ponens

d. hypothetical syllogism

5. Jackie thinks that Donald Trump’s economic policies are the correct ones, and thinks that economists who disagree are all communists or socialists. Jackie has never graduated high school and never read a book or professional article on economics. Jackie’s thinking is best described as an example of

a. the Dunning-Kruger Effect

b. the backfire effect

c. pseudo-profundity

d. slippery slope fallacy

6. Which best describes the following passage?

Myth: Religion has led to violent intolerance. Undoubtedly, far too many religious people have been violent and intolerant. But if you look at the facts about such notorious incidents as the Inquisition and the witch hunts...you'll find that the crimes of the Church have been greatly exaggerated. Meanwhile, atheist communists in the 20th century killed more people that the Church was ever even accused of killing."  - editorial, "Six Myths of Atheism", National Catholic Register, Nov. 18, 2007, vol. 83, no. 45, p. 8.

a. slippery slope

b. appeal to tradition

c. tu quoque

d. fallacious appeal to experts

7. Which best describes the following passage?

"You are either for America's traditions or you are against America. So, we must be for America's traditions."

a. fallacious appeal to experts

b. appeal to tradition

c. false dilemma

d. no fallacy

 

Answers:


Short Answer:

1. (a) Subjectivism about truth is the view that if a person believes something is true, then it is. (b) One of the objections to subjectivism about truth given in class was the Appeal to the Best Explanation Objection which begins with the fact that we are often surprised when things happen that we were not thinking about. For example, if subjectivism abut truth were true and I believed that I left my car keys in the bowl, it would have to be true that they are there. Yet sometimes I discover that I was mistaken. If subjectivism about truth were true, that would be impossible. The second objection was the objection that subjectivism about truth is self-refuting. If subjectivism about truth were true, and I believed that subjectivism about truth were false, then subjectivism about truth would have to be both true and false at the same time. This is a self-contradiction and self-contradictions cannot possibly be true.

2. (a) An empirical claim is one that requires observation (sense experience) to be known. (b) One of the three criteria for evaluating appeals to experts arguments was that the persons appealed to must be experts in the relevant field. The second criterion was that the consensus of experts must agree on the issue. A consensus consists of roughly 80% or more of all current experts agreeing on the issue. The third criterion was that the experts must be honest, sincere, and relatively unbiased.


Multiple Choice:

1. b
2. c
3. d
4. c
5. a
6. c
7. c