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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to his criticism in Letter CVIII, what does Seneca say literary scholars should do with philosophical theories?

2. Who says there are five causes?

3. What does Scipio volunteer to do?

4. Which line of studies does Seneca say tends to have a special temptation to vanity?

5. What does Seneca consider to be the gift of gods?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Seneca's criticism of the typical liberal arts scholar?

2. What does Seneca say about people who have an excessive concern with pain?

3. Why does Seneca say the Stoic account of causation is better than both Aristotle's and Plato's?

4. What lesson can be learned from the city that burned?

5. Why does Seneca believe only a philosopher can appreciate wisdom?

6. What is Zeno's logic that a drunk man is not a good man?

7. What advice does Seneca give for staying safe?

8. How, according to Letter LXXXIII, does Seneca spend his day?

9. What does Plato add to Aristotle's theory of causation?

10. List and explain three types of people who, according to Seneca, find philosophy attractive for the wrong reasons.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Outline the history of Stoicism.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Zeno's life and his importance to Stoicism.

Essay Topic 3

What is philosophy? What are ethics and what is the importance of ethics in philosophy?

(see the answer keys)

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