Philosophy Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 41
What did Heraclitus believe was the primordial source of matter instead of earth, air, or water?
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fire
What is said to 'make all men equal' and 'make the world go round' according to proverbs?
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love
Who was the student of Socrates and author of 'Apology' who wasn't present at Socrates' death?
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plato
What Chinese philosopher, also known as K'ung Fu-Tzu, has temples in China dedicated to him despite being a teacher and not divine?
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confucius
According to Protagoras, how many sides are there to every question?
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2
Which philosopher, known for his teachings compiled in the 'Analects', profoundly influenced Chinese society and died a few years prior to the birth of Socrates?
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confucius
Leibniz was a noted philosopher of optimism; Schopenhauer was a noted philosopher of which opposite view?
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pessimism
Which philosopher's 'Republic' is narrated by Socrates?
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plato
What influential philosopher is called K'ung Fu-Tzu in Chinese?
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confucius
Which Chinese philosopher's central idea is Jen, the ideal relationship among people?
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confucius
In Plato's allegory that illustrates the ignorance of the unenlightened, what specific place are people chained up in while looking at shadows?
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cave
Whose 'Analects' does not mention the concept of yin & yang, unlike the 'I Ching'?
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confucius
Carneides, a skeptic who believed that knowledge is impossible, served as a head of which school founded by Plato?
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academy
Which philosopher authored 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' that describes the world as presenting itself as a 'golden apple with a... velvety skin'?
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friedrich nietzsche
In John Rawls' influential work, 'A Theory of' what concept is equated with fairness?
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justice
Who was the leading rationalist whose philosophy became known as Cartesianism?
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rené descartes
Which religion includes the 6 schools of philosophy known as nyaya and yoga?
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hinduism
Who did Alfred North Whitehead claim European philosophy is a series of footnotes to?
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plato
What is the branch of philosophy concerned with conduct and character, also known as moral philosophy?
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ethics
Which ancient philosopher's dialogue includes the saying, 'Friends have all things in common'?
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plato
In philosophy, empirical and a priori are two types of what, which is the focus of epistemology?
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knowledge
Which branch of philosophy deals with the rules of correct reasoning in the form of arguments?
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logic
Which famous Greek philosopher is known for his method, with the earliest Greek philosophers being called 'Pre-' him?
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socrates
According to Spinoza in 'The Ethics,' what does nature abhor?
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vacuum
What philosopher, originally named Kong Qiu, was born around 551 B.C. in the Chinese state of Lu?
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confucius
What is the term for the belief that denies free will and asserts that all events and choices are the result of earlier causes?
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determinism
In which Chinese sage's philosophy does 'Gen' represent the ideal relationship between individuals?
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confucius
What principle, famously stated by Confucius around 500 years before the Sermon on the Mount, advocates treating others as you would like to be treated?
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golden rule
What philosophical movement associated with Sartre inspired a form of psychotherapy?
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existentialism
In which country did Stoicism, a philosophy teaching a form of naturalistic monotheism, originate around 300 B.C.?
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greece
What term, derived from Greek for 'pleasure,' describes the belief that pleasure is the highest good in life?
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hedonism
Who is the influential philosopher who lived his entire life from 1724 to 1804 in Konigsberg, East Prussia?
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immanuel kant
Who is the German philosopher known for writing, 'I teach you the Superman. Man is something that is to be surpassed'?
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friedrich nietzsche
What did Heraclitus refer to when he said, 'You cannot step twice into the same' one of these?
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river
What is the branch of philosophy that focuses on the study of beauty, which is considered the newest branch with its own name?
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aesthetics
Which 18th-century Scottish skeptic did Kant credit with waking him from his dogmatic slumber?
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david hume
What Chinese sage's life and teachings are most reliably recorded in the Lun Yu, or 'Analects'?
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confucius
What type of analysis did Jacques Derrida originate that involves 'tearing down' its subject?
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deconstruction
What doctrine, founded by Jeremy Bentham and whose name derives from the Latin word 'utilis' meaning 'useful', is focused on the greatest happiness principle?
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utilitarianism
Who began teaching philosophy at Harvard in 1889 and is known for writing 'The Life of Reason'?
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george santayana
Which 8-letter philosophical approach is known for being opposed to hedonism and likely resulted in its followers having less fun?
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stoicism
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