Tag Archives: heraclitus

Quiz up to Socrates

Short Answer(answer in as few words as possible):

  1. What was written in the first letter?
  2. Two clues link Hilde and Sophie. Which clue is the more mysterious? 
  3. Recall the analogy of the magic trick. What do the rabbit fur, the insects, and the magician symbolize?
  4. Why was the offering the most significant religious ceremony in Norse time?
  5. What did Thrym steal from Thor?
  6. What does Thales say all things are made of?
  7. Name the three philosophers from Miletus.
  8. Name the philosopher associated with the term “boundless”?
  9. What is the source of all things according to Anaximenes?
  10. Where did Parmenides think stuff comes from?
  11. Who first stated that fire was “rarefied air”?
  12. Thales and Anaximenes came to the same conclusion about substance, what?
  13. What is rationalism and who first suggested it?
  14. Who believed that you cannot step into the same river twice?
  15. How does Heraclitus explain God as a duality?
  16. What are the two major differences between Parmenides and Heraclitus?
  17. According to Empedocles, what are the four elements?
  18. According to Empedocles, what binds and separates things?
  19. Who first suggests that nature is built up of an infinite number of minute particles?
  20. Who beleived “something of everything was in everything”?
  21. How did Anaxagoruas describe the sun?
  22. What did Democritus believe bound atoms together?
  23. The word “a-tom” means “__-_________.”
  24. According to Democritus, what is a materialist?
  25. Who first said, “I would rather discover a new cause of nature than be the king of Persia”?
  26. What is fatalism?
  27. What character from a famous Greek tragedy was a slave to fate?
  28. What is the translation of the sign at Delphi?
  29. Who founded Greek medicine?
  30. What is the origin of the word “influenza”?

More Short Answer (or multiple choice or T/F):
Chapter 1, The Garden of Eden

  1. How old is Sophie when the novel opens?
  2. What is Albert Knag’s occupation?
  3. Where does Sophie live?
  4. What does the note say inside Sophie’s first envelope?
  5. What does Joanna say human beings are like?
  6. What question does Sophie ask herself as she looks in the mirror after she reads her first note?
  7. What does the note say inside Sophie’s second envelope?
  8. What do the envelopes have in common?
  9. What does Sophie call her secret spot?
  10. What does Sophie’s dad do for a living?
  11. How often does Sophie see her father?
  12. What does Sophie find in the regular mail as the story opens?

Chapter 2: The Top Hat

  1. How does Sophie surprise Joanna after they finish classes?
  3. What does the introductory letter to Philosophy say?
  4. What do philosophers keep that babies have and adults lose?
  6. How does Sophie feel toward drug use?

Chapter 3: The Myths

  1. Ancient people used myths to explain what?
  2. What tool does the God Thor use?
  3. Why is Thor a powerful God?
  4. How does Thor dress to fool the giants?
  5. What is the Greeks’ criticism of Nordic Gods?
  6. What comprises Sophie’s myth?

Chapter 4, the Natural Philosophers

  1. What does Sophie’s mother think of the letters she receives?
  2. What does Anaximenes believe that everything comes from?
  3. What does Parmenides believe?
  4. How does Empedocles try to organize the world?
  6. According to Anaxagoras, what are seeds?

Chapter 5, Democritus and Chapter 6, Fate

  1. When do white envelopes arrive for Sophie?
  2. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?
  3. What do the big brown envelopes that arrive for Sophie contain?
  4. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?
  5. What does Sophie build with Legos?
  6. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?
  7. When Sophie’s mother sees her playing with Legos, what does Sophie tell her mother?
  8. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?
  9. After Sophie first tries to find her philosopher, how does Sophie’s philosopher avoid her seeing him?
  10. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?
  11. What does Sophie find in her room with the name “Hilde” written on it?
  12. What does Empedocles believe plays a role in bringing things together?

Longer Answers:

  1. Sophie receives mail addressed to Hilde. Is she silly or foolish for opening this mail? Why?
  2. Why does Sophie continue to do this homework, even though it is not required of her?
  3. Sophie immediately thinks about the first question, “Who are you?” How does this indirectly characterize her?
  4. What is Sophie’s den symbolic of? How?
  5. Why would Sophie not go with Joanna after classes?
  6. Is Sophie’s mother’s reaction to her daughter’s studies and new attitude realistic? Why?
  7. Why would ancient people make up such elaborate stories to explain how their world works?
  8. Why is it important that Sophie designed her own myth?
  9. What would be an example of Parmenides’ beliefs in Sophie’s life?
  10. What kind of teacher is Alberto? Why?
  11. What did Sophie learn from working with Legos in connection to Democritus?
  12. Do people today, as the Greeks did, believe in fate or predestination? What are examples?

Essay Questions:

Choose one of the following topics to develop into an essay.

  1. What ideas have you always wondered about that philosophy might explore. Be specific. For instance, Sophie wonders if something has always existed. Do you every think about why some people are tall and others short? Why some people go to jail and others don’t?
  2. Have you explored philosophy in your life without knowing that you actually were? Do you wonder about your existence often?
  3. Do you have any philosophical questions like Sophie? What are they? Do you think you’ll ever find the answers? Why or why not?
  4. Can anyone be a philosopher? What qualities does a philosopher need?
  5. Why does man have a need to figure out how the world is organized and how it came into being? Is this why Sophie continues with her coursework?
  6. Which philosopher stands out to you? Why?
  7. Choose one philosopher and explain how your chosen philosopher’s beliefs are still prevalent today.