Quiz Feb.19

1. (T/F) Anselm said God, "the being than which none greater can be conceived," must exist because otherwise He'd be imperfect (and not The Greatest). LH 47

2. (T/F) An objection to Aquinas' argument against an infinite regress of causes is that an Uncaused Cause is not necessarily God-like in relevant respects (power, knowledge, goodness). LH 50

3. In contrast to utilitarians like Bentham, says Anthony Kenny, Aquinas agreed with Aristotle that happiness is not a _______ but an activity or way of life. PB 31

4. Because political philosophers typically write in response to the actual situations they find themselves in, knowledge of _______ is especially important when studying political philosophy. P 78 

5. ________, author of Anarchy, State, and Utopia, argued that ______ always trump every other consideration including utililty. (Fill in one blank for full credit.) P81

6. Name a philosopher critical of democracies for not fostering genuine popular participation. P 86

BONUS: What kind of conflict or paradox confronts anyone committed to democratic principles? P 88

BONUS+: Who's the most important political philosopher of the 20th century, strangely omitted from our chapter? U@d



DQ:

1. Do you think not existing is an imperfection? What, exactly, is made less perfect by its failure to actually exist? Can we think our way to an understanding of what must be real, and what is merely imaginary?

2. Can you infer from a (hypothetically-) necessary First Cause to an omnipotent, omniscient, omni-benevolent God? Can you rule out the possibility that a First Cause might be malevolent or Satanic?

3. What is the relevance of feelings to happiness? If you never feel good, can you still be happy?

4. What is politics for? What does it accomplish? (If you watched The Roosevelts: what did TR, FDR, & ER accomplish?)

5. Does anything trump utility?

6. Is American democracy really inclusive? Does your vote matter? Can one citizen make a difference