Chapter 13 Quiz: The Meaning of Life
Part I — Multiple Choice (2 points each)
1. The Euthyphro dilemma challenges the religious account of meaning by arguing that:
a) God does not exist, so meaning cannot be grounded in God
b) Either meaning is arbitrary (if God simply commands it) or it is independent of God (if God commands it because it's good)
c) Meaning based on religious belief is merely subjective
d) Religion has historically been used to oppress people, so its account of meaning is suspect
2. Sartre's phrase "existence precedes essence" means:
a) Human beings exist before they develop personalities
b) Physical existence is more real than abstract essence
c) Human beings have no fixed built-in nature or purpose — we define ourselves through our choices
d) Existence is more important than meaning
3. Sartre's concept of "bad faith" refers to:
a) Religious hypocrisy — believing in God without following his commands
b) Self-deception about one's freedom — pretending you have no choices to avoid responsibility
c) Inauthenticity in relationships — pretending to care when you don't
d) Acting in ways that contradict your stated beliefs
4. Camus's "absurd" refers to:
a) The meaninglessness of human existence
b) The collision between human longing for meaning and the universe's silence
c) The ridiculous nature of traditional religious beliefs
d) The impossibility of rational certainty
5. Camus rejects "philosophical suicide" because:
a) Adopting a belief system that resolves the absurd is intellectually dishonest
b) Philosophy cannot provide genuine comfort
c) All belief systems are equally valid
d) Only physical action, not belief, can address meaninglessness
6. When Camus says "we must imagine Sisyphus happy," he means:
a) Pretending something is meaningful makes it meaningful
b) Physical suffering does not affect psychological wellbeing
c) Full consciousness of one's situation, combined with the choice to continue, is its own form of human triumph
d) Mythology provides consolation that philosophy cannot
7. The Buddhist doctrine of anatta (no-self) claims that:
a) The self does not exist and nothing matters
b) There is no fixed, unified, permanent self — what we call "self" is a constantly changing process
c) Individuals should have no attachment to personal identity
d) Selflessness is the highest moral virtue
8. Viktor Frankl's three paths to meaning are:
a) Work, prayer, and community
b) Pleasure, virtue, and contemplation
c) Work, love, and unavoidable suffering
d) Creation, relationship, and transcendence
9. Susan Wolf's "fitting fulfillment" account holds that meaningful activities must have:
a) Cosmic significance and divine approval
b) Both subjective engagement and objective worth
c) Social recognition and personal satisfaction
d) Long-term consequences and immediate enjoyment
10. According to the three-component model of meaning (Martela and Steger), the three components are:
a) Purpose, happiness, and achievement
b) Coherence, purpose, and significance
c) Connection, contribution, and continuity
d) Love, work, and creativity
Part II — True/False (1 point each)
11. The chapter argues that Camus's position and Sartre's position on meaning are essentially the same.
12. Beauvoir's contribution to existentialism emphasizes that authentic freedom is intersubjective — that your freedom depends partly on the freedom of others.
13. Frankl's "meaning through suffering" path applies to all suffering, including injustice that could be fought and changed.
14. The chapter distinguishes between the cosmic meaning question, the species meaning question, and the personal meaning question.
15. Empirical research shows that meaningful lives and maximally comfortable lives are always the same thing.
Part III — Short Answer (10 points each)
16. Explain in 3–5 sentences why the Euthyphro dilemma is a challenge for the religious account of meaning — not merely as a logical puzzle but as a substantive philosophical problem.
17. A student says: "I find existentialism depressing. It says there's no meaning, just this lonely freedom to choose." Write a response, in 4–6 sentences, that explains why Sartre considers his view liberating rather than depressing — and also raise one genuine limitation of Sartre's account.
18. Describe Frankl's third path to meaning (through unavoidable suffering) in 3–5 sentences. Then explain one genuine objection to this path and how Frankl might respond to it.
Part IV — Essay (25 points)
Choose ONE of the following prompts. Write 400–600 words.
Option A: Compare and contrast Sartre's existentialist account of meaning with Camus's absurdist account. What is the key difference between them? Which account do you find more honest, and why? Be sure to engage with specific ideas from each position.
Option B: A friend tells you: "I've achieved everything I planned — the career, the house, the relationship — but I feel completely empty. What's the point?" Using at least three of the frameworks from this chapter, write the most philosophically useful response you can. Don't just summarize the frameworks — apply them to your friend's actual situation.
Option C: The Buddhist dissolution of the meaning-of-life question is either profoundly wise or a philosophical evasion that dodges a genuine problem. Argue for one of these positions, engaging seriously with the strongest version of the opposing view.
Answer Key (Instructor)
1-b, 2-c, 3-b, 4-b, 5-a, 6-c, 7-b, 8-c, 9-b, 10-b
11-False, 12-True, 13-False, 14-True, 15-False