Question 1

The process of examining the question of life's meaning is a task for one's community.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

What is the difference between internal and external meaning? Why is it important to get the distinction right?

Accepted Answer

The difference between internal and exte

Question 3

Meaning in life does not necessarily accompany

Accepted Answer

A)  life. 
B)  time. 
C)  attitudes. 
D)  moral rightness. 
A)  life. 
B)  time. 
C)  attitudes. 
D)  moral rightness.

Question 4

_______ asked, "Is it better to be slaves [of God] with a role in the universe or to be free people left to create a role for ourselves?"

Accepted Answer

A)  Darrow 
B)  Edwards 
C)  Baggini 
D)  Camus 
A)  Darrow 
B)  Edwards 
C)  Baggini 
D)  Camus

Question 5

There are many people who seem to lead meaningful lives without relying on belief in an external being or force to confer meaning.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

_______ said, "Most of us would say without hesitation that a person's life had meaning if we knew that he devoted himself to a cause."

Accepted Answer

A)  Baggini 
B)  Tolstoy 
C)  Camus 
D)  Edwards 
A)  Baggini 
B)  Tolstoy 
C)  Camus 
D)  Edwards

Question 7

For objectivists, meaning is mind-dependent.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Life's value or meaning must be distinguished from

Accepted Answer

A)  internal meaning. 
B)  external meaning. 
C)  happiness and moral rightness. 
D)  feelings. 
A)  internal meaning. 
B)  external meaning. 
C)  happiness and moral rightness. 
D)  feelings.

Question 9

Many philosophers in the 20th century claimed that the question "What is the meaning of life?" was non-sensical because

Accepted Answer

A)  there is no God. 
B)  "meaning" applies to words and sentences, not activities and lives. 
C)  in the grand scheme of things, human lives are utterly insignificant. 
D)  the answer is beyond the limits of human knowledge. 
A)  there is no God. 
B)  "meaning" applies to words and sentences, not activities and lives. 
C)  in the grand scheme of things, human lives are utterly insignificant. 
D)  the answer is beyond the limits of human knowledge.

Question 10

Most philosophers today think that asking the question "What is the meaning of life?" is like asking "How much does the color blue weigh?"

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Which of the following examples supposedly shows that happiness and meaningfulness are distinct?

Accepted Answer

A)  The lives of moral monsters such as Stalin 
B)  The lives of artists who abandon their families to create art 
C)  The lives of scientists with deeply troubled personal lives 
D)  The lives of philosophers who accept pluralistic accounts of meaning 
A)  The lives of moral monsters such as Stalin 
B)  The lives of artists who abandon their families to create art 
C)  The lives of scientists with deeply troubled personal lives 
D)  The lives of philosophers who accept pluralistic accounts of meaning

Question 12

It's possible someone could hand you the meaning of life as a gift.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Schopenhauer's attitude toward life was that

Accepted Answer

A)  life was uncertain but worthwhile. 
B)  life was bereft of meaning. 
C)  life was hard but ultimately hopeful. 
D)  an afterlife would erase all misery. 
A)  life was uncertain but worthwhile. 
B)  life was bereft of meaning. 
C)  life was hard but ultimately hopeful. 
D)  an afterlife would erase all misery.

Question 14

Consider this argument against subjectivism: It's intuitively obvious that sometimes objective standards apply. If satisfying our strongest desires leads to obviously immoral or trivial acts, subjectivism is implausible. Things aren't meaningful just because we say they are. Is this a good argument? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

This argument against subjectivism is no

Question 15

Most who have thought about it believe that questions concerning the meaning of human existence are

Accepted Answer

A)  not at all relevant. 
B)  meaningful only for the religious. 
C)  extremely important and relevant. 
D)  irrelevant. 
A)  not at all relevant. 
B)  meaningful only for the religious. 
C)  extremely important and relevant. 
D)  irrelevant.

Question 16

Before his conversion, Tolstoy was surrounded by

Accepted Answer

A)  what is considered complete happiness. 
B)  things that no one would want. 
C)  what is considered heavenly bliss. 
D)  what is considered deep insight. 
A)  what is considered complete happiness. 
B)  things that no one would want. 
C)  what is considered heavenly bliss. 
D)  what is considered deep insight.

Question 17

For many people, life can be meaningful if they come to see their goals or purposes as inherently valuable or worthwhile.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Most philosophers accept a pluralistic account of meaning in life, which claims that

Accepted Answer

A)  what makes for a meaningful life is entirely subjective. 
B)  there are many things that make for a meaningful life. 
C)  what makes for a meaningful life is not entirely subjective. 
D)  a happy life is distinct from a meaningful one. 
A)  what makes for a meaningful life is entirely subjective. 
B)  there are many things that make for a meaningful life. 
C)  what makes for a meaningful life is not entirely subjective. 
D)  a happy life is distinct from a meaningful one.

Question 19

For most people, the term meaning in "meaning of life" refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  internal meaning. 
B)  external meaning. 
C)  philosophy. 
D)  the Bible. 
A)  internal meaning. 
B)  external meaning. 
C)  philosophy. 
D)  the Bible.

Question 20

Internalists say that no one can have a meaningful life without relying on the concepts of God or transcendent realms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The process of examining the question of life's meaning is a task for one's community.

What is the difference between internal and external meaning? Why is it important to get the distinction right?

Meaning in life does not necessarily accompany

_______ asked, "Is it better to be slaves [of God] with a role in the universe or to be free people left to create a role for ourselves?"

There are many people who seem to lead meaningful lives without relying on belief in an external being or force to confer meaning.

_______ said, "Most of us would say without hesitation that a person's life had meaning if we knew that he devoted himself to a cause."

For objectivists, meaning is mind-dependent.

Life's value or meaning must be distinguished from

Many philosophers in the 20^th century claimed that the question "What is the meaning of life?" was non-sensical because

Most philosophers today think that asking the question "What is the meaning of life?" is like asking "How much does the color blue weigh?"

Which of the following examples supposedly shows that happiness and meaningfulness are distinct?

It's possible someone could hand you the meaning of life as a gift.

Schopenhauer's attitude toward life was that

Most who have thought about it believe that questions concerning the meaning of human existence are

Before his conversion, Tolstoy was surrounded by

For many people, life can be meaningful if they come to see their goals or purposes as inherently valuable or worthwhile.

Most philosophers accept a pluralistic account of meaning in life, which claims that

For most people, the term meaning in "meaning of life" refers to

Internalists say that no one can have a meaningful life without relying on the concepts of God or transcendent realms.

Philosophy and You

God and Religion

Morality and the Moral Life

Mind and Body

Free Will and Determinism

Knowledge and Skepticism

Aesthetics

The Just Society

Filters

Exam 9: The Meaning of Life

The process of examining the question of life's meaning is a task for one's community.

What is the difference between internal and external meaning? Why is it important to get the distinction right?

Meaning in life does not necessarily accompany

_______ asked, "Is it better to be slaves [of God] with a role in the universe or to be free people left to create a role for ourselves?"

There are many people who seem to lead meaningful lives without relying on belief in an external being or force to confer meaning.

_______ said, "Most of us would say without hesitation that a person's life had meaning if we knew that he devoted himself to a cause."

For objectivists, meaning is mind-dependent.

Life's value or meaning must be distinguished from

Many philosophers in the 20th century claimed that the question "What is the meaning of life?" was non-sensical because

Most philosophers today think that asking the question "What is the meaning of life?" is like asking "How much does the color blue weigh?"

Which of the following examples supposedly shows that happiness and meaningfulness are distinct?

It's possible someone could hand you the meaning of life as a gift.

Schopenhauer's attitude toward life was that

Most who have thought about it believe that questions concerning the meaning of human existence are

Before his conversion, Tolstoy was surrounded by

For many people, life can be meaningful if they come to see their goals or purposes as inherently valuable or worthwhile.

Most philosophers accept a pluralistic account of meaning in life, which claims that

For most people, the term meaning in "meaning of life" refers to

Internalists say that no one can have a meaningful life without relying on the concepts of God or transcendent realms.

Philosophy and You

God and Religion

Morality and the Moral Life

Mind and Body

Free Will and Determinism

Knowledge and Skepticism

Aesthetics

The Just Society

Filters

Many philosophers in the 20^th century claimed that the question "What is the meaning of life?" was non-sensical because