The final exam is comprised of 50 questions covering course content from all assigned modules.

Concepts relevant to the exam include:

the meaning of the Humanities, including the various sub-disciplines within it, and its
relationship to Liberal Arts four approaches to studying the Humanities
Answer: The study of the myriad ways in which people from every period of history and from
every corner of the globe, process and document the human experience, visual arts, language
arts, performing arts, religion, and philosophy, humanities are the cornerstone in broader
category of education for Liberal arts, liberal arts consists of: anthropology, sociology,
psychology, and history
The value and purpose of philosophy according to the School of Life
Answer: 1) It helps us ask big questions
2) It helps us use common sense
3) It helps us be less confused
4) It helps us know ourselves better
Benton and DiYanni’s explanation of the various aspects and function of the humanities
Answer: The humanities represent the most significant and vital of human accomplishments--
they reflect our achievements from the beginning of human life in prehistory. Included are the
most important developments in the history of civilization: various forms of art--painting,
sculpture, and architecture; the emergence of literature, drama, and music; the creation of
philosophies and religions that have modeled the thoughts and actions of countless people
worldwide; and the historical study of these occurrence
Jewell's explanation of the ways we can “actively engage” or participate in the humanities
Answer: -See a play, concert, or dance.
-Attend an art or sculpture exhibition.
-Go to an historical museum.
-Describe one's own philosophy of life.
-Create a work of art.
-Study the basis of other world religions.
-Experience a foreign culture for a day.
-Write about such experiences before and after.
-Discuss such experiences with each other.
-Compare, compare
Benton and DiYanii's explanation of the ways we experience the humanities
We experience the humanities through art, dance, history, religion, philosophy, literature, film,
drama
Meaning of "culture" as per Stuart Hall, Stephen Duncombe, and posted lecture; and meaning
of cultural studies as per UCF and UNC websites
Answer: UNC: Cultural studies is an innovative interdisciplinary field of research and teaching
that investigates the ways in which 'culture' creates and transforms individual experiences,
everyday life, social relations and power
UCF: interdisciplinary study of cultures and meanings. Included is studying how human cultures
have produced meaning in the past and continue to do so
Stephen Duncombe: the culture we enjoy and the culture in which we live provide us with ideas
of how things are and how they should be, frameworks through which to interpret reality and
possibility
meaning of "cultural hegemony" as per Dr. Nall's lecture
Answer: Influence of culture shapes the conceptual framework that, in turn, shapes the way we
perceive and make sense of the world
know what Gramsci means when he writes that self-knowledge--"knowing thyself"--requires
knowing ourselves "as a product of the historical process to date which has deposited in you an
infinity of traces, without leaving an inventory" (see "Self-knowledge through Culture" video
presentation)
Answer: we are all molded by others, made through the interactions of people around us, we
are shaped in the social environments, our interactions with media, religious institutes, or our
general social environment, no one is self made
meaning of common sense, from the view of philosophers such as Gramsci
Answer: a social group's dominance in determining the beliefs, values, assumptions and
practices rendered "ordinary," "normal," "unquestionable" or "commonsensical" in the culture
meaning of background beliefs, inferences, fallacy and conceptual frameworks, as explained in
Dr. Nall's "Conceptual Frameworks and Culture: Basis of Our Inferences" Presentation
Answer: hidden aspects of belief and assume knowledge
Know Stuart Hall's approach to understanding "representation"
Answer: representation is the ability to describe or imagine
Noam Chomsky’s view on reading and books including electronic books
Answer: You have half a dozen books you can read on an airplane trip. On the other hand, when
I read a book I care about, I want to make comments in the margins, I want to underline things.
I want to make notes on the flyleaf. Otherwise, I don't even know what to go back to. You can't
do that the same way with an electronic book. Words just pass into your eyes. Maybe they
don't even stay in your brain.
Erich Fromm's assessment of learning, remembering, and reading in the "being" compared to
"having" mode
Answer: having mode- memorizing details temporarily, superficial, sifting through a junk
drawer, being mode- Idea, which relates to our life's, we take time to reflect, relating to a
deeper level, easier to grasp
Value of the humanities as per Mark Edmundson, David Behling, Judith Butler, Martha
Nussbaum, and S.A. Dance
Answer: Mark Edmundson - it's not about success, its about questioning success and every
important social value. It is learning how to live one's life
David Behling - The humanities are at the core of a Liberal Arts education because they are
about understanding how people are active creators of culture, not just passive recipients of
tradition
Judith Butler – thinks humanities allows us to learn how other's experiences that we haven't
really dealt with ourselves
Martha Nussbaum – we are pursuing the possessions that protect, please, and comfort us....
but we seem to be forgetting about the soul, about what it is for thought to open out of the
soul and connect person to world in a rich, subtle, and complicated manne
S.A. Dance - To explore the meaning of life which leads to a greater understanding of virtue and
justice and observe contemporary politics in the light of eternal truths
what is philosophy, according to Elliot Cohen, Solomon and Higgins
Answer: Cohen - a body of ideas of a given philosopher or thinker
Solomon - coordinate a number of different ideas into a single viewpoint
Higgins - defend what you believe in against those who disagree
What are primary and secondary sources?
Answer: primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or
work of art.
Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize,
and process primary sources
Three theories of truth: correspondence, Coherence, and Pragmatic
Answer: *The correspondence theory of truth states that the theory of truth which holds a
belief to true (false) if, and only if, it corresponds (does not correspond) to objective reality or
fact
*Coherence theory of truth holds a belief to be true if it harmonizes (coheres) with larger body
of beliefs or other facts that have already been accepted as true
*A pragmatic theory of truth states: A belief is true if it works and can be put to use
Howard Zinn’s criticism of historians and view of objectivity
Answer: *Historians tended to emphasize heroism of Columbus; deemphasized their
destruction of innocent human life
• The decision to emphasize one element and not another is shaped by one's worldview
• Highlights that history has been told from particular vantage points
the meaning and significance of conceptual frameworks according to Dr. Nall's lecture and
Solomon and Higgins' reading
Answer: Conceptual framework is a network of basic values, attitudes, and beliefs that form an
interpretive lens through which we see and understand the world
According to Solomon, what role does philosophy play in shaping our conceptual framework?
Answer: with philosophy become clear about what they believe and why they believe it.
Know the aspects of “doing philosophy” as per Robert Solomon: reflection, articulation,
argument (justification), analysis, and synthesis
Answer: reflection - •We are always "thinking," but we're not always being reflective, Being
reflective or contemplative involves critically and/or creatively examining your
ideas, Then comparing them to others' ideas
*Articulation - challenges us to put our insights and convictions into words, whether it be
through the written or spoken word, explaining "as clearly and as convincingly as possible, what
we believe and what we believe in, and putting your ideas in clear, concise, readily
understandable language
*Argument (justification) – Defending your stated beliefs/ideas with reasons, observations, and
principles to establish your conclusions and overcome
objections to justify yourself is to craft an argument for a particular position or
belief by giving supporting reasons for the validity of said belief
*Analysis - identifying the various components of an idea or argument, attempting to identify
any unstated underlying assumptions in the argument, determining whether or not these ideas
are logically compatible, asking yourself if you can think of examples that undermine a given
argument "understanding an idea by distinguishing and
clarifying its various components, through analysis we get closer to clarification or
defining important terms
*Synthesis - Involves organizing our various ideas/concepts/ beliefs into a coherent, unified
framework, this is the ultimate aim for philosophers, understood as a "thinking activity,"
philosophy
What is applied philosophy? What are the two ways in which philosophy can be applied to solve
problems?
Answer: A practical problem that Aims to affect change as well as engaging in determining what
ought to be believed
1.Utilizing philosophy's basic thinking activities—as reflection, articulation, analysis, and
clarification—in order to solve or facilitate the solving of a practical problem
2.Applying the theories of philosophy to solve problems -involves taking action and governing
human activity
the meaning of argument and Socratic dialogue as per Dr. Nall's dialogue
Answer: socratic dialogue embodies and acts as an example of this philosophy of education
Know the difference between means and ends
Answer: Means- how to get there, only has value as it gets it, objects, things in the world you
use to live
Ends - self justified, valued for it's sake, last goal actually striving to experience
Martin Luther King's main points from "Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool";
Answer: just because man has wealth, does not make him rich.
Know the different branches of philosophy including Axiology, Epistemology, Logic, Ethics, and
Metaphysics
Answer: Axiology – theory of value
Epistemology – study of knowledge
Logic – deals with methods of good reasoning; two general divisions: deductive logic
and inductive logic
Ethics – moral from right or wrong, good or bad
Metaphysics - Concerns the nature of reality itself or the ultimate nature of all things
Why Abraham Maslow believes a complete education cannot be "value-free"
Answer: criticized the diminishment of values in objective analysis including scientific research,
educational institutions, and the broader society
Know the basics of Plato's "allegory of the cave"
Answer: The allegory delves into the philosophical thought of truth, and how those with
different experiences or backgrounds may perceive it
Know the basics of Plato's "Apology" including Socrates' view of the unexamined life, why he
believes the Oracle of Delphi viewed him as wise, and his view of focusing on money over virtue
Delphi viewed him as wise, and his view of focusing on money over virtue
Answer: the allegory of the cave aims to help us understand how mistaken ideas
can produce, misinterpretations of our experiences, and false beliefs about the world
•Plato and Socrates believe that many of us are like these prisoners-slaves to misconceptions of
the world that lead to false beliefs
the branches of philosophy
Answer: Logic
Epistemology
Metaphysics
Axiology
meaning of buzzwords according to Solomon and Higgins
Answer: admirable words that sound specific and concrete but are difficult to explain and
understand
meaning of "philosopher"
Answer: a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment
intrinsic vs extrinsic value
Answer: Intrinsic - we value some things—ideas, experiences, or objects— for themselves,
alone: - as ends unto themselves - as the "whole point," for their "own sake"
Extrinsic - to value something is to deem it important, significant, meaningful
• We value some things— determine them to be important—as means to an end
the meaning of axiology, ethics, aesthetics
Answer: Axiology - Theory of value
Ethics – moral of right from wrong
Aesthetics – study of beauty and arts
Erich Fromm's understanding of "total" human liberation and his recommendation for how to
live well
Answer: *liberation from outside forces of domination
*liberation from inner force including greed, illusions and irrational places
What ways of presenting lethal violence can, according to Bok, lower people's natural, intuitive
resistance to doing such violence?:
- Authorization: Deeming a behavior
"legitimate, authorized, commanded"
- Glamorization: When an otherwise
objectionable behavior is exalted as
noble, "admirable, heroic, and
deserving of imitation"
- Dehumanization: Inducing pitilessness for the targets
of oppression; identifying them as "unworthy of
ordinary concern and respect, perhaps less than
human...."
Know the meaning of catharsis and entertainment violence according to Sissela Bok?:
The concept of catharsis is crucial to our understanding of when works of art contribute to an
enlargement or a stabbing of the soul. But when this concept is bloated to encompass the
effects of all entertainment violence, whether among the Romans or in today’s media culture, it
becomes useless for making such distinctions.
Know the effects of media violence on society, according to Bok:
Reenacted violence in our lives are crucial to our learning to understand and to deal with
violence, however, portrayals of violence can transform the viewers themselves, not simply
their perception of the violence depicted, and that this transformation can act upon viewers in
such a way as to cleanse their emotions, especially in children as a result of their inability to
differentiate reality from unreality
Know what involvement the U.S. military plays in Hollywood film
Key concepts and questions from Terry Eagleton’s treatment of the meaning of life (from
reading and lecture):
tragedy is the one that confronts the meaning-of-life question most searchingly and
unswervingly, intrepidly prepared as it is to entertain the most horrific of responses to it.
Tragedy at its finest is a courageous reflection on the fundamental nature of human existence
Know Robert Solomon’s explanation of how best to understand the meaning of life
question/topic:
• The correct answers to these questions will
depend upon
- How one conceptualizes the meaning of
"meaningful"?
- What our frame of reference or fundamental
beliefs and commitments ought to be
Study Dr. Nall's explanation of the "meaning of life" question as per lecture
Know the key aspects of Ecclesiastes from the Hebrew Bible as identified in Dr. Nall's "meaning
of life" lecture:
"All is vanity."
What Virginia Woolf’s work teach us, as per The School of Life
1) notice everything
2) accept the everyday
3)be a feminist:object to rigid gender roles
Plot and presented interpretations of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; also be
prepared to apply key concepts to analyze film
Epicurean (Epicurus) and Stoic (Seneca) thinkers ideas about the good life:
Seeking a Friend interpretation:
Offers a metaphor for death, for which there is no cure since life and death are different sides
of the same coin
Epicurean (Epicurus):
- "We must not spoil our present
estate by longing for what is
absent but realize that this, too,
was one of the things we hoped
for" (Epicurus, Vatican Sayings no.35)
- Noting is sufficient "for the man to
whom the sufficient is too little"
(Epicurus, Vatican Sayings no.68)
Stoic (Seneca):
-believed that happiness required reducing desires
Pleasure
True human beings, and certainly true men, cannot make pleasure their primary good
-Higher aim is living in accordance with reason
for the benefit of the soul
Siduri’s advice and the basics of Gilgamesh as per lecture and reading (Literature and Meaning
of Life)
Siduri’s advice:
she says he should give up his futile quest for eternal life and make the most of the life he's
living now
Basics of Gilgamesh:
-a heroic king, Gilgamesh, who seeks to find a cure for death because he fears death after the
lost of his friend and brother
-Gilgamesh seeks advice from Utnapishtim , a likely precursor of Noah from the Old
Testament/Hebrew Bible , who survived a great flood
-Utnapishtim and his (unnamed) wife were granted immortality for
building a great "life-saving" boat
-Gilgamesh was told that a plant at the bottom of the ocean would
give him eternal life; discovered it only to have it eaten by a snake
Study Dr. Nall's objections to those who dismiss contemplating the existence of God:
Since our lives are guided by our beliefs, only those engaged in contemplating and evaluating
such beliefs could lead a good life
Know Erich Fromm and Rollo May's perspective on "courage" and "faith," as outlined in Dr.
Nall's opening philosophy of religion lecture:
" To live into the future means to leap into the future means to leap into the unknown, and this
requires a degree of courage for which there is no immediate precedent and which few people
realize" - Rollo May
-courage is vital to the unknown, pursue connection with the world. Genuine courage - Rollo
May
- "to live in the future we must develop virtue"- Rollo May
Faith
Know Pascal's Wager, Mark Twain's understanding of the implication of God's having designed
the world; and meaning of Natural Selection
Pascal’s Wager:
1.If He does, we gain eternal salvation
2.If He doesn't, we lose nothing
Mark Twain’s understanding of the implication of God’s having designed the world:
Thinks God intentionally designed a horror brutal world because if she is all knowing and all
powerful & it is so common to see evil in the natural world that means he has to intentionally
made it this way
Meaning of natural selection:
- Theory that those most suited to the present
environment survive while others that are not die
- The best suited procreate and pass the its genes to future generations
- Survival of the fittest
Know the basics of the arguments for God's existence: the cosmological argument, ontological
argument, and argument from design (teleological argument):
Cosmological argument:
1. Everything has to be caused by or created from
something else.
2. Therefore, there must have been a first cause, or
what Aristotle called a 'prime mover,' and this is
God
Ontological argument:
-Claims God must exist because he is the Greatest Conceivable Being
-States The definition of "God" requires God's existence
Teleological argument:
- the universe is filled with
coherent intricacies that signal
forethought and intentionality
- Food to eat, water to drink;
complex eye allowing sight, oxygen to breathe
Know the concepts surrounding the problem of evil: the Argument from Evil; John Hick’s idea of
soul building; John Hick’s explanation of why God allows evil; Hick’s distinction between moral
and natural (nonmoral) evil:
The Argument of evil:
1. If there were an all-powerful, all-knowing, allgood
being (p), there would be no
unnecessary evil in the world (q)
2. There is unnecessary evil in the world (not q)
3. Therefore, there is no all-powerful, allknowing,
all-good being (not p)
John Hick’s idea if soul building:
• Also called the Ideal-Humanity defense
• Contends that natural evil is necessary to
- give individual human beings the opportunity to
improve themselves
• Views world is a place of soul-building
John Hick’s explanation of why God allows evil:
Hick holds that evil can be justified on grounds
that it builds character such as courage etc
Moral Evil:
the evil caused by human actions in the world (90% of it)
Non - Moral Evil:
"natural Evils" like: Earthquakes, Tornados, El Nino‟, Diseases, viruses and germs.
Know Dr. Nall's "complacency critique" of the free will defense:
valuing freedom doesn't require absolute
complacency—doing nothing about evil
• It is logically possible for a person (and God)
- to support (a reasonable measure of) freedom
while at the same time placing constraints on
absolute freedom
- Respect individual human freedom and refuse to
tolerate evil
Know Twain’s critique of God’s goodness:
Mark Twain argued that "creation" was more an indication of a malicious creator - Since God is
all-powerful and all-knowing, whatever is is a result of his will and intent.
2. Cruelty is common place and
essential to the workings of the natural world
3. Therefore, God-knowingly designed a
horrifyingly brutal world
Nietzsche’s idea of Eternal recurrence or eternal return:
a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue
to recur, in a self-similar form an infinite number of times across infinite time or space
know how Soren Kierkegaard described God in The Sickness Unto Death (1849), as explained in
Dr. Nall's video lecture on the philosophy of religion
Know the critiques of Pascal's wager including the "Green Critique" as explained in Dr. Nall's
lecture:
-we should believe in god to avoid hell
- we have the eternal salvation to benefit from it