Thirst for Knowledge

Western

100

What is the famous three-word phrase Descartes used to prove his existence?

A) "I am" 

B) "Cogito ergo sum" 

C) "To be" 

D) "In existence"

"Cogito ergo sum" (I think, Therefore I Am)

200

What story in Plato’s Republic explains how people perceive reality?

A) The Allegory of the Cave

B) The Ship of State 

C) The Golden Mean 

D) The Chariot Analogy

The Allegory of the Cave

300

Who is the philosopher behind the utilitarian principle "the greatest happiness for the greatest number"?

A) Immanuel Kant 

B) Jeremy Bentham 

C) John Stuart Mill 

D) David Hume

Jeremy Bentham

400

Which philosopher is known for the concept of "the will to power" and his critique of traditional morality?

A) Søren Kierkegaard 

B) Friedrich Nietzsche

C) Jean-Paul Sartre 

D) Sigmund Freud

Friedrich Nietzsche

500

Which philosopher is known for developing the theory of "tabula rasa," the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth?

A) Thomas Hobbes 

B) John Locke

C) Immanuel Kant 

D) René Descartes

John Locke

Non-Western & Asian

100

What is the central concept of Taoism that refers to the "way" or "path"?

A) Qi 

B) Tao

C) Yin 

D) Yang

Tao

200

Who is the Japanese philosopher known for popularizing Zen Buddhism in the West?

A) D.T. Suzuki

B) Shunryu Suzuki

C) Kitaro Nishida

D) Nagarjuna

D.T. Suzuki

300

What Buddhist term refers to the ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth?

A) Samsara 

B) Nirvana

C) Bodhi 

D) Dukkha

Nirvana

400

What is the name of the ancient Indian text that is a key source for Hindu philosophy and is part of the Mahabharata?

A) Rig Veda 

B) Upanishads 

C) Bhagavad Gita

D) Ramayana

Bhagavad Gita

500

Who is the Buddhist philosopher known for founding the Madhyamaka school and emphasizing the concept of emptiness (śūnyatā)?

A) Nagarjuna

B) Asanga 

C) Vasubandhu 

D) Dogen

Nagarjuna

Ethics

100

What ethical principle requires that we treat others as we would like to be treated?

A) The Harm Principle 

B) The Golden Rule

C) The Veil of Ignorance 

D) The Principle of Utility

The Golden Rule

200

What is the study of morality and the principles that govern right and wrong behavior called?

A) Metaphysics 

B) Aesthetics 

C) Ethics

D) Logic

Ethics

300

What is the ethical theory that focuses on the consequences of actions to determine their morality?

A) Deontology

B) Virtue Ethics 

C) Utilitarianism

D) Existentialism

Utilitarianism

400

Which ethical theory asserts that moral truths are relative to cultural, societal, or individual perspectives?

A) Objectivism 

B) Relativism

C) Emotivism 

D) Pragmatism

Relativism

500

What is the principle in medical ethics that refers to "do no harm"?

A) Justice 

B) Beneficence 

C) Nonmaleficence

D) Autonomy

Nonmaleficence

Art & Aesthetics

100

In Aristotle’s Poetics, what term describes the purging of emotions experienced by the audience of a tragedy?

A) Anagnorisis

B) Catharsis

C) Mimesis

D) Pathos

Catharsis

200

Which philosopher argued that beauty is subjective but also involves a shared sense of taste?

A) David Hume

B) Immanuel Kant

C) Friedrich Nietzsche

D) John Locke

Immanuel Kant

300

What does the term mimesis, central to many aesthetic theories, mean?

A) Abstract expression

B) Imitation or representation

C) Harmony and proportion

D) Emotional resonance

Imitation or representation

400

Which 20th-century philosopher argued that art is a form of communication in his work Art as Experience?

A) John Dewey

B) Ludwig Wittgenstein

C) Martin Heidegger

D) Maurice Merleau-Ponty

John Dewey

500

What does the concept of rasa in Indian aesthetics refer to?

A) Artistic materials

B) Emotional flavors or moods evoked by art

C) Technical mastery in art

D) Religious devotion

Emotional flavors or moods evoked by art

Indigenous

100

What is the term in Māori thought for the principle of kinship and connectedness with all living and non-living things?

A) Tapu

B) Whakapapa

C) Rangatiratanga

 D) Kaitiakitanga

Whakapapa

200

In many Native American traditions, what does the concept of the Sacred Circle represent?

A) A symbol of hierarchy and authority

B) The interconnectedness and cyclical nature of life

C) A place for storing sacred objects

D) The boundary between humans and nature

The interconnectedness and cyclical nature of life

300

What role do magic and sorcery often play in Micronesian spiritual beliefs?

A) They are used exclusively for healing and protection

B) They are seen as tools for both beneficial and harmful purposes

C) They are rejected in favor of ancestor worship

 D) They are forbidden by traditional laws

They are seen as tools for both beneficial and harmful purposes

400

What is the primary goal of comparative philosophy?

A) To create a single, universal philosophical system

B) To compare and contrast philosophical traditions to foster mutual understanding

C) To prove the superiority of one tradition over others

 D) To preserve ancient texts in their original languages

To compare and contrast philosophical traditions to foster mutual understanding

500

Which African philosophical concept emphasizes communalism and the idea that "a person is a person through other persons"?

A) Ubuntu 

B) Harambee 

C) Sankofa 

D) Ujamaa

Ubuntu