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WorksheetsRené Descartes - Discourse on the Method
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 13mins
Why does Descartes think we are all equally equipped with reason?
Because we all evolved from the same species
He's just being modest—he actually thinks his reason is far superior
Reason is an essential property of being human, and we're all equally human
Our brains are all roughly the same size
Why, according to Descartes, do different people have different levels of success in pursuing the truth?
Some people are more rational than others
Different people apply their faculty of reason in different ways
"Truth" is a matter of convention and custom, not of reason
As we grow older we grow wiser, so older people are necessarily smarter
Which of the following subjects did Descartes most admire as a student?
Mathematics
Philosophy
Poetry
Science
What did Descartes learn in his travels abroad?
There's no place like home
The world is round
Different people have different customs
Everybody everywhere is pretty much the same
On what date did Descartes most likely spend the entire day in a stove-heated room developing his philosophy?
November 10, 2000
December 25, 1619
April 1, 345 B.C.
November 10, 1619
Which of the following can be completely demolished and rebuilt from scratch?
Governments
A single person's opinions
Science
Everybody's opinions
Which of the following is NOT one of the four rules Descartes adopted to guide him through his methodological doubt?
Try to make all knowledge internally consistent
Start with the simplest propositions and build up
Don't accept something as true unless it's very evidently true
Constantly check results to be sure that no slip-up has occurred
What two fields were combined to form analytic geometry?
Algebra and geometry
Calculus and geometry
Physics and geometry
History and literature
Which of the following is NOT one of the moral maxims adopted by Descartes in part three?
Remain true to the customs and morality of Catholic France
Do nothing to harm others, unless it is absolutely necessary
Act decisively, even in cases of uncertainty
Learn to control desires rather than achieve them
How long did Descartes spend traveling the world after he had adopted his four maxims?
One month
One year
Nine years
Twenty-three years
Where did Descartes eventually settle?
The Netherlands
France
Germany
Spain
Which of the following is one of the moral maxims Descartes adopts in part three?
Be generous with others
Share his wisdom with everyone he meets
Not to act unless he is duty bound to do so
To pursue a life of philosophical inquiry
Which of the following doubts does Descartes not entertain in the Discourse?
He can't trust his senses because they can be deceived.
He can't trust demonstrative reasoning because he could make an error in his reasoning.
He can't trust what he thinks the world is like because he could be dreaming.
He can't trust his thoughts because he could be insane.
On what grounds does Descartes claim to know "I am thinking, therefore I exist"?
Logical deduction
Clear and distinct perception
Process of elimination
Inference from observed facts
Which faculty is most likely to guide us to the truth?
Imagination
Sensory experience
Reason
Will
What properties of God does Descartes use in his two proofs of God's existence?
Existence and perfection
Perfection and holiness
Goodness and existence
Goodness and holiness
What made Descartes decide to suppress The World?
He changed his mind regarding his theories
Galileo's condemnation by the Inquisition made him worry that he'd also face prosecution
Newton's physics convinced him his theory needed further work
He was unable to find a publisher
What is the initial object of study for The World?
Matter
Mind
Energy
Light
What natural phenomenon does Descartes explain in great detail in the Discourse?
The rotation of planets around the sun
The circulation of blood
The motion of water
The refraction of light
Which of the following does Descartes take to be outside the scope of his physics?
The nature of matter
The rotation of planets around the sun
The human intellect
The circulation of blood
What is Descartes's main reason for wanting to make his findings public?
Fame
Benefit to mankind
Money
Chicks will dig him
What is Descartes's main reason for NOT wanting to make his findings public?
He wants to stay free of controversy
He's not sure they're correct
It costs a lot to publish
He doesn't think he'll be understood
In what language was the Discourse written?
Latin
French
English
Dutch
Which of the following is NOT a topic of one of the essays Descartes appends to the Discourse?
Meteorology
Optics
Astronomy
Geometry
Which of the following discoveries had NOT been made by Descartes's time?
Heliocentric theory (the earth rotates around the sun)
The theory of the circulation of the blood through the veins and arteries
The theory of universal gravitation
The theory that the earth is round
