Philosophy Of Religion

Front 1

Which of the arguments for the existence of God is an a priori argument?

The Cosmological ArgumentThe Teleological ArgumentThe Ontological ArgumentThe Fideist Argument

Back 1

ontological

Front 2

All versions of the cosmological argument contain the claim that the universe is not self-explanatory.

Back 2

true

Front 3

Consider the following claims. Which does not directly attack Aquinas's causal version of the Cosmological Argument for God's existence? Uncaused beings or events are possible.The first cause of the universe may well have been the Big Bang.The idea of an infinite series of causes and effects is strange but logically possible.The idea of an uncaused event is absurd.

Back 3

The idea of an uncaused event is absurd.

Front 4

A criticism of the cosmological argument mentioned in the text is it seems possible that there could be an infinite series of causes.the uncaused cause of the universe could be matter and energy.it makes no sense to say the existence of something is necessary.all of the above.

Back 4

all of the above

Front 5

Which of the following best characterizes the difference between a posteriori and a priori arguments for the existence of God?

Back 5

A posteriori arguments rely on our experiences while a priori arguments do not.

Front 6

Proponents of Natural Theology consider faith to be an appropriate source of evidence in the attempt to prove the existence of God.

Back 6

falso

Front 7

The cosmological argument for God is a type of a posteriori argument.

Back 7

true

Front 8

Based on the definitions offered in the text, it is possible for an atheist to be an evidentialist.

Back 8

true

Front 9

Another name for agnosticism is

Back 9

religious skepticism

Front 10

A priori arguments are based on reason alone and not data obtained from experience.

Back 10

true

Front 11

An evidentialist is one who claims that belief in God must be supported by objective evidence.

Back 11

true

Front 12

The principle of sufficient reason states that

Back 12

everything that exists must have a reason that explains its existence and its properties.

Front 13

To be an agnostic is, by definition, to be a nonevidentialist.

Back 13

false

Front 14

Which of the following does not play a central role in Aquinas' "first cause" version of the cosmological argument? the notion of God being (among other things) an uncaused first causethe impossibility of an infinite regress of causesthe existence of things that were causedthe idea that existence in reality is greater than existence just in the understanding

Back 14

he idea that existence in reality is greater than existence just in the understanding

Front 15

The opposite of a contingent being is a necessary being.

Back 15

true

Front 16

It is an essential claim of all atheists that it can be proven that God does not exist.

Back 16

false

Front 17

What does Richard Taylor believe would be the case if we supposed the world had no beginning?

Back 17

It would still be reasonable to ask why such a world existed at all.

Front 18

Which of the following most accurately completes the statement? According to the Cosmological Argument from contingency,

Back 18

their are both contingent and necessary beings

Front 19

Natural theology is

Back 19

the attempt to prove God's existence on the basis of reason and experience alone.

Front 20

Which of the statements below would a nonevidentialist be most likely to reject? It is not rationally required to have objective, rational evidence for our basic beliefs and stance toward life.We must often base our ultimate commitments on personal grounds.Belief in God must be supported by objective, rational arguments.There is a warranted grounding for religious belief besides rational argument.

Back 20

Belief in God must be supported by objective, rational arguments.

Front 21

Fideism is one form of nonevidentialism.

Back 21

true

Front 22

With which of the following claims would both a believer in natural theology and an atheistic evidentialist agree? Objective evidence is required for religious belief.Objective evidence for religious belief is available.We cannot know if God does or does not exist.Belief in God must be based on faith alone and not on reasons.

Back 22

Objective evidence is required for religious belief.

Front 23

. Thomas Aquinas believed that it was logically impossible for the world to have always existed without a beginning.

Back 23

false

Front 24

A pragmatic nonevidentialist theist and a fideist theist are most likely to give different answers to which of the yes/no questions below? Does God exist?Is objective evidence required for religious belief?Is sufficient objective evidence for belief in God available?Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

Back 24

Must belief in God be based on faith alone and not on reasons, whether objective or subjective?

Front 25

An essential premise of the cosmological argument is the claim that everything has a cause for its existence.

Back 25

false

Front 26

In his argument for God, William Paley uses the analogy of

Back 26

a watch

Front 27

Which of the following claims does not directly attack Anselm's Ontological Argument for God's existence? Existence is not a property to be listed among other properties, as though adding existence to its list of attributes would make something greater.There may in fact be entities which exist that are greater than God.Arguments of the same structure as Anselm s can also prove the existence of absurd things like perfect islands.The argument tells us only about how our ideas of God and existence are related analytically, but it does not allow us to infer a factual (synthetic) statement about the world.

Back 27

There may in fact be entities which exist that are greater than God.

Front 28

In his refutation of the teleological argument, David Hume argues that the analogy between human creations and the universe is weak.we have no other universe with which to compare this one.it supports the conclusion that God has all the limitations of human creators.all of the above.

Back 28

all of the above

Front 29

The ontological argument is an example of an a priori argument.

Back 29

true

Front 30

Anselm assumes that existence is a property that makes a being greater.

Back 30

true

Front 31

The teleological argument claims that the existence of God is needed to account for

Back 31

the apparent design of the universe

Front 32

Which of the claims below is not an objection made by Philo (a character in Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion) to the argument from design? Even if we accept the basic structure of the design argument, it wouldn't license belief in an infinite, perfect, omniscient God but only belief in a much more limited creator.The great differences between human artifacts and the universe make the analogy between the two weak.Although the notion of an infinite regress of causes is puzzling, it's not logically incoherent.It's problematic to reason from the part to the whole.

Back 32

Although the notion of an infinite regress of causes is puzzling, it's not logically incoherent.

Front 33

Three of the following four concepts are directly related to the Ontological Argument for God's existence. Which concept does not belong? The idea of a greatest conceivable beingA reductio ad absurdum argumentExistence as a great-making propertyThe concept of cause and effect

Back 33

cause and effect

Front 34

Anselm believed that God was so far beyond human reason that it was impossible for the mind to conceive of him.

Back 34

false

Front 35

Gaunilo's point concerning the island is that

Back 35

the ontological argument could be used to prove the necessary existence of a perfect island.

Front 36

The teleological argument is a type of a priori argument.

Back 36

false

Front 37

Which of the following is\are a premise in Anselm's argument? Everything that came into existence had a cause.There cannot be an infinite regress of causes.Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone.all of the above.

Back 37

Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone.

Front 38

Of the three main arguments that attempt to prove God's existence, only the Ontological does not rely on sense experience.

Back 38

true

Front 39

Anselm's critic, Gaunilo, rejected the ontological argument because he was an atheist.

Back 39

false

Front 40

he teleological argument argues for the existence of God on the basis of

Back 40

the evidence of design in the universe

Front 41

Anselm's argument may be viewed as a reductio ad absurdum argument because

Back 41

he begins with a premise that is the opposite of what he wants to prove and shows that it leads to a contradiction.

Front 42

Three of the following, if true, serve as criticisms of Pascal's Wager. Which one is not a criticism? Christianity is not the only viable religious choice.It is impossible to force yourself to believe something just because you want to.God would not punish an agnostic for her beliefs if they were based on the best available objective evidence.It is impossible to rationally prove that God exists.

Back 42

It is impossible to rationally prove that God exists

Front 43

Pascal's discussion of gambling and religious belief is intended to show that

Back 43

there is more to gain and less to risk in believing in God.

Front 44

William James's essay "The Will to Believe" was an attempt to defend W.K. Clifford's position.

Back 44

false

Front 45

W.K. Clifford's argument rejects the notion of basing beliefs on faith alone.

Back 45

true

Front 46

In his parable about the two worshipers, Kierkegaard says that the worshiper who is genuinely in the truth is

Back 46

the one who prays passionately to the idol

Front 47

Which of the following adjectives would Kierkegaard have been least likely to use to describe belief in God?

SubjectiveReasonableAbsurdObjectively uncertain

Back 47

reasonable

Front 48

For Kierkegaard, we can gain a sense of our authentic self only when

Back 48

we stand before god

Front 49

Pascal's, James', and Kierkegaard's position on faith and reason could be best described as

Back 49

nonevidentialism.

Front 50

. Which one of the following philosophers is best described as a fideist?

Back 50

Kierkegaard

Front 51

W.K. Clifford's story of the shipowner was intended to make the point that

Back 51

it is always wrong to believe anything on insufficient evidence.

Front 52

According to the text, Blaise Pascal and William James believed that there was no practical difference between being an atheist and being an agnostic.

Back 52

true

Front 53

Pascal assumes that the only options are belief or disbelief in the Christian God, but he does not consider other religious options.

Back 53

true

Front 54

Blaise Pascal believed that faith could be proven by reason.

Back 54

false

Front 55

According to William James, an essential condition for an act of faith to be a reasonable option is when the rational evidence is overwhelming in its favor.no doubts are at all possible.the decision one way or the other is unavoidable.all the abo

Back 55

the decision one way or the other is unavoidable.

Front 56

Soren Kierkegaard believed that faith should never go beyond what can be proven on the basis of reason.

Back 56

false

Front 57

According to Pascal, deciding whether or not to believe in God is not an optional decision.

Back 57

true

Front 58

Kierkegaard's view on the relationship between faith and reason is that

Back 58

when faith and reason conflict, faith should be given the priority over reason.

Front 59

Which of the following claims is the most likely to be rejected by both Pascal and James? When reason cannot guide us in making an unavoidable decision, it is legitimate to appeal to subjective justifications in deciding what to believe.Reason is insufficient to provide rational grounds for belief in God's existence.It is impossible to take a neutral standpoint with respect to God's existence.It is possible to demonstrate the existence of God on the basis of sense experience.

Back 59

It is possible to demonstrate the existence of God on the basis of sense experience.

Front 60

According to Kierkegaard, there is a difference between knowing about God and having faith in him.

Back 60

true

Front 61

C. S. Lewis's Natural Order defense claims that

Back 61

suffering results from the laws of nature, which are necessary if there is to be human freedom at all.

Front 62

Which of the following is not a criticism of the Free Will Defense? God could allow people to be free to commit minor evils while preventing them from committing major evils.The value of having the amount of freedom we have does not justify the amount of moral evil that results.It seems possible that God could make us so that we always freely choose the good.There is nothing wrong, in theory at least, with the idea of an infinite chain of determining causes.

Back 62

There is nothing wrong, in theory at least, with the idea of an infinite chain of determining causes.

Front 63

According to your text, John Hick's critics, Edward Madden and Peter Hare, argue that

Back 63

Hick assumes that the only choice God had was between the present amount of evil and no evil at all.

Front 64

Natural evil consists of

Back 64

terrible events such as tornadoes that are produced by nature.

Front 65

The free will defense assumes that

Back 65

there are some things that are logically impossible for God to do.

Front 66

Everyone who believes in God agrees with the premise that he is all-powerful.

Back 66

false

Front 67

Which of the following criticisms of the free will defense is/are mentioned in the text? It seems possible that God could make us so that we always freely choose the good.God could allow people to be free to commit minor evils while preventing them from committing major evils.The value of having the amount of freedom we have does not justify the amount of moral evil that results.all of the above.

Back 67

all of the above

Front 68

The "greater goods defense" is an argument that concludes that evil is an illusion.

Back 68

false

Front 69

John Hick's theodicy maintains that

Back 69

Even an all-powerful God could not make free persons into ready-made, perfected moral agents.

Front 70

Which of the following propositions, if true, offers a solution to the Problem of Evil? God is not perfectly good.God's power has limits.God's knowledge has limitsa, b, and c are all adequate to resolve the problem of evil.

Back 70

all the above

Front 71

Which of the following claims would not be accepted by a supporter of the greater goods defense? Some evils are necessary to achieving certain good ends.The good that is achieved in the world outweighs the evil.God could have made the world less evil while still achieving the same goods.The same or greater amount of good in the world could not have been attained by any means that did not involve the presence of these evils.

Back 71

God could have made the world less evil while still achieving the same goods.

Front 72

John Hick argues that God made the world a paradise in which we could experience nothing but pleasure, thus human moral wickedness is the cause of all suffering.

Back 72

false

Front 73

The greater good defense claims that some evils are necessary in order to achieve certain good ends.

Back 73

true

Front 74

Which of the following premises in the Problem of Evil does the Greater Goods defense attack?

Back 74

If God exists and is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, then evil would not exist.