PHIL 201 First Exam Review Question
and answers verified to pass 2025
1. What does philosophy originally mean? How does Pythagoras characterize
a philosopher's activity in contrast with the activities of an athlete and a
businessperson? - correct answer ✔Philosophy - lover of wisdom
Athletes hone a skill for fame/recognition
Businessmen hone practicality for tangible profit
Philosophers contemplate to find truth
2. What way of thinking can we learn from Zeno's argument against motion? -
correct answer ✔Zeno argues motion is impossible, because in order to
cross from A to B, you have to cross halfway, but there is an infinite amount of
halves in any given space.
Way of thinking:
- Not to believe what you see is truth
- To believe what you can contemplate and reason through
1. What is Russell's targeted view regarding philosophy in this chapter? -
correct answer ✔Russell's target = practical view, by explaining the value of
philosophy and why we ought to study it.
Practical view: if there is no concrete results it's not valuable, concerns only
bodily needs
2a. How does Russell differentiate physics from philosophy in terms of their
goods for people's lives? - correct answer ✔Physics still influences those
who don't study it.
, Philosophy can only benefit those who study it directly, then philosophers go
on to impact the broader world.
2b. Does the value of philosophy lie in the goods of the body or in the goods
of the mind? Why? - correct answer ✔Goods of the mind because it asks
questions with no finite answers and creates independent thinkers who
examine what is taken for granted.
2c. Why do practical people find philosophy a waste of time? - correct answer
✔The practical view stems from 2 misconceptions: goods only for the body,
and what is good for self. Philosophy goes beyond the self, and involves
goods of the mind.
3. What kind of knowledge does philosophy seek to obtain? What are the
characteristics of philosophical knowledge in comparison with scientific
knowledge? - correct answer ✔Philosophical knowledge
- seeks impartial truth,
- no definite answers to its questions
- mother of sciences.
- Gives unity to body of sciences (a worldview)
Scientific knowledge has finite and definite answers
4a. Why does Russell think that without studying philosophy, one's life is
imprisoned in prejudices? What specific prejudices does he refer to? - correct
answer ✔Mentally imprisoned because their world is finite, definite, obvious
Prejudices:
1. Common sense
2. Habitual beliefs of person's age and nation
and answers verified to pass 2025
1. What does philosophy originally mean? How does Pythagoras characterize
a philosopher's activity in contrast with the activities of an athlete and a
businessperson? - correct answer ✔Philosophy - lover of wisdom
Athletes hone a skill for fame/recognition
Businessmen hone practicality for tangible profit
Philosophers contemplate to find truth
2. What way of thinking can we learn from Zeno's argument against motion? -
correct answer ✔Zeno argues motion is impossible, because in order to
cross from A to B, you have to cross halfway, but there is an infinite amount of
halves in any given space.
Way of thinking:
- Not to believe what you see is truth
- To believe what you can contemplate and reason through
1. What is Russell's targeted view regarding philosophy in this chapter? -
correct answer ✔Russell's target = practical view, by explaining the value of
philosophy and why we ought to study it.
Practical view: if there is no concrete results it's not valuable, concerns only
bodily needs
2a. How does Russell differentiate physics from philosophy in terms of their
goods for people's lives? - correct answer ✔Physics still influences those
who don't study it.
, Philosophy can only benefit those who study it directly, then philosophers go
on to impact the broader world.
2b. Does the value of philosophy lie in the goods of the body or in the goods
of the mind? Why? - correct answer ✔Goods of the mind because it asks
questions with no finite answers and creates independent thinkers who
examine what is taken for granted.
2c. Why do practical people find philosophy a waste of time? - correct answer
✔The practical view stems from 2 misconceptions: goods only for the body,
and what is good for self. Philosophy goes beyond the self, and involves
goods of the mind.
3. What kind of knowledge does philosophy seek to obtain? What are the
characteristics of philosophical knowledge in comparison with scientific
knowledge? - correct answer ✔Philosophical knowledge
- seeks impartial truth,
- no definite answers to its questions
- mother of sciences.
- Gives unity to body of sciences (a worldview)
Scientific knowledge has finite and definite answers
4a. Why does Russell think that without studying philosophy, one's life is
imprisoned in prejudices? What specific prejudices does he refer to? - correct
answer ✔Mentally imprisoned because their world is finite, definite, obvious
Prejudices:
1. Common sense
2. Habitual beliefs of person's age and nation
