Logo Philosophy Quiz  

Home
Biological Evolution
Cultural Evolution
Languages
Philosophy
History of Evolution
Interactivities
Evolution FAQ's
Replicators Forum
Guestbook
About Us

Replicators List (disabled by ThinkQuest)

subscribe
unsubscribe

Philosophy Quiz

Welcome to the Philosophy Quiz! This quiz will test your memory and comprehension of the topics presented in the Philosophy section of the site, which analyzes the implications of evolutionary theory, as applied to biology and to culture, on the study and principles of philosophy. Please read the following questions carefully and choose the most appropriate answer. When you are finished, click the button at the bottom of the page that says "Take the Quiz!" Your results will appear in a new window, accompanied by detailed explanations of the correct answers. Good luck!

Who needs philosophy?
Philosophers
Scientists
No one
Everyone

Which philosophical premise does not support scientific inquiry?
Reality is objective
Group awareness is an integral part of knowledge
Human perceptual systems correctly perceive reality
Rational explanations exist for real-world phenomena

What is the scientific method?
The process of observing an experiment
The process of finding social norms
The process of debunking false claims
The process of testing hypotheses against reality

Which is a scientific theory of consciousness?
Human souls are entirely separate from the brain
Minds result from divine interference
Minds result from the interactions of brains and memes
The human mind is a fundamentally unsolvable problem

Suppose you see water "leap" unexpectedly from one position to another. Which explanation is most scientific (ie, is best supported by current knowledge)?
Divine forces caused the water to move the way it did
Random forces caused the water molecules to move in the same direction simultaneously
The water molecules decided to move
Telekinesis moved the water

Which statement follows from evolutionary theory?
Human intelligence is an adaptation
Humans, like their genes, are doomed to be selfish
Kindness and tolerance are futile
Nature is cold, impersonal, and bleak

Which is a true statement about human nature?
Human minds are entirely shaped by cultural forces
Human minds are entirely reliant on genes for their development
What we call "human nature" is really a set of adaptations
All human behavior is adaptive

Which is most genetically adaptive in the greatest number of situations?
Possessiveness
Undiscriminating generosity
Severe cruelty
Risk-taking behavior

Why do men and women generally differ in their basic reproductive strategies?
Men have a more difficult time communicating
Men want many mates and women want a few
In general, women are more agile than men and men are stronger than women
Biologically, women invest more in their offspring than men do

Toward whom is empathy most commonly felt?
All other humans
All suffering beings
Those with genes similar to the empathizer
Those who advertise memes similar to the empathizer

Which is the most accurate measure of a meme's truthfulness?
Its popularity
The amount of time it has existed
Its consistency with observed fact
Its overall success as a replicator

Which assertion is not in obvious contradiction with observed fact?
The fossil record was created by hydrodynamic sorting
A divine hand invisibly guided evolution towards intelligent life forms
The earth is 10,000 years old
Mutation cannot account for differences between species

What is "irreducible complexity"?
An analysis that takes into account the most fundamental units of an object
An argument stating that the human mind cannot be understood through materialism
The assertion that all a system's parts must be in order before the system could be effective
The claim that no two complex systems are exactly alike

Which is a logical argument against divine intervention in the universe?
Divine intervention would confirm religion
The universe contains things detrimental to human survival
Some people don't like the idea of divine intervention
Postulating divine intervention to explain complexity is invoking the phenomenon being explained

Which is a basic premise of scientific creationism?
Evidence is less important than dogma
Dissension among adherents of a theory is a sign of robustness
Human reason is the highest authority on questions of truth
Reality is objective and does not deliberately deceive humans

Which assertion is illogical?
Evolution must be false because the evidence does not support it
Evolution is supported by biological, geological, and genetic evidence
Evolution is false because it has caused social evils
Evolution is both a theory and a fact

Which idea contradicts the concept of free will?
Evolutionary theory
Creationism
Memetics
Biological determinism

Which popular metaphor gives a false impression of the relationship between genes and phenotypes?
We dance to the music of the genes
Genes are blueprints for bodies
The phenotype is the expression of the genotype
The genes build the humans knobs and the environment tunes the knobs

Which popular impression is false?
The phenotype is the expression of the genotype
Like species, cultures evolve
A clone of Hitler would behave as Hitler did
Not all successful memes are true

Which philosophical ideal is seen to be threatened by determinism?
Liberalism
Social Darwinism
Christianity
Egalitarianism

BackTopNext

Biological Evolution | Cultural Evolution | Languages
Philosophy | History of Evolution | Interactivities
FAQ | Forum | Guestbook | References | About Us
Home | Search | Index | Features | Newsflash!
Site News | Our Awards | New!  Featured Links
ThinkQuest