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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the Veil of Ignorance in Rawls' argument?
(a) A garment worn by politicians.
(b) A metaphor to describe different types of citizens.
(c) A metaphor for not being able to tell what kind of society one will later be in.
(d) A metaphor for a different type of belief.

2. Where did the early Intuitionists believe they got their appreciation of morals, rights and wrongs or fairness?
(a) The king.
(b) God.
(c) Their parents.
(d) Nature.

3. Who should hold the greatest advantage in Rawls’ ideal society?
(a) The poor.
(b) No one.
(c) The rich.
(d) The royals.

4. What branch of philosophy is this book concerned with?
(a) Epistemology.
(b) Political.
(c) Skeptical.
(d) Metaphysics.

5. Which century was Intuitionism first developed?
(a) Sixteenth.
(b) Seventeenth.
(c) Eighteenth.
(d) Fifteenth.

6. Whom of the following was a leading 'Intuitionist'?
(a) John Locke.
(b) J.S. Mill.
(c) Socrates.
(d) John Hurt.

7. What is the maxim of Utilitarian philosophy?
(a) The greatest good to the wealthiest.
(b) Might makes right.
(c) The greatest good to the deserving.
(d) The greatest good for the greatest number.

8. What does the Individual gain out of the Social Contract?
(a) Money and wealth.
(b) Protection and security.
(c) Power and glory.
(d) Military might.

9. What defines a good society, according to Rawls?
(a) A society that owns the most land.
(b) A wealthy society.
(c) A strong society.
(d) A just society.

10. What is the first virtue of social institution, according to Rawls?
(a) Justice.
(b) Wealth.
(c) Strength.
(d) Militarism.

11. What does Rawls think a person would decide about their society if they had any choice?
(a) That it be at least a wealthy society.
(b) That it would be at least a strong society.
(c) That it be at least a beautiful land.
(d) That it would be at least fair.

12. What is John Stuart Mill's Theory of Higher Pleasures?
(a) The belief that feelings are better pleasures than stability, wealth or objects.
(b) The belief that one should spend the most money on the finest things in life.
(c) The belief that intellectualism, refinement and poetry are better pleasures that dancing, lust or wealth.
(d) The belief that going to church is the highest form of pleasure.

13. Why is the argument called the Original Position?
(a) Because it is about the first thing that a person sees when they wake up.
(b) Because it comes before everything else.
(c) Because it was the first argument Rawls thought of.
(d) Because it was a very early argument that Rawls revived.

14. In what era was the theory of the Social Contract in favor?
(a) The Enlightenment.
(b) The Renaissance.
(c) The Modern Era.
(d) The Dark Ages.

15. What does Rawls accept about his own theory?
(a) That it is quite socialist.
(b) That there is a certain amount of Intuitionism present in 'fairness'.
(c) That it might be hard to apply to the real world.
(d) That there is a degree of Marxism within it.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does the ignorant chooser know what is fair and what is not, according to Rawls?

2. What does Rawls believe is the dominant theory of political philosophy throughout the 20th Century?

3. What does the Individual lose from the Social Contract?

4. Who was the father of Utilitarianism?

5. What do Intuitionist' believe in?

(see the answer keys)

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