View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. _________ was a Vermont Transcendentalist born in 1859 and was close to being socialist in viewpoint.

2. _________ believed there could be no individual without society.

3. In the North, people were split between the Abolitionists and the _________.

4. Unlike Darwin, Charles Pierce did not believe that randomness __________.

5. Due to Henry James Sr.'s religious beliefs, his wife Mary Walsh had to resign her membership at the _________ church before their marriage.

Short Essay Questions

1. How was is said that Swedenborn created his religion, later becoming a religious leader?

2. Why did Ernest Holmes join the army in the first place, according to the book?

3. Though John Dewey was often considered to be a liberal, what were some of his true views?

4. What are some examples of the ways that Ernest Holmes changed the tone of the Harvard Magazine as the editor?

5. What happened with the job that Wright had with the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac?

6. What was in the essay that James read by a French philosopher which helped him to gain insight into two things?

7. How did Dr. Samuel Cartwright help to integrate polygenism in the South?

8. Define Charles Darwin's idea of natural selection in conjunction with the theory of evolution.

9. How did Benjamin Pierce view mathematics and its place within the scientific community?

10. What did James think about the relationship between science and society?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Charles Pierce decided that he wanted to found the Metaphysical Club in order to get the help he needed with a law he was trying to complete.

Part 1: Do you think it's better to get input from others on work you do or to do work on your own? Why?

Part 2: Do you think it's fair to ask others to contribute to your theory and the story of your theory? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think the idea of the Metaphysical Club was a good one? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

While many people do not realize this, the North was not united in its views before the start of the Civil War with the South.

Part 1: Why didn't the Unionists and the Abolitionists get along during this time?

Part 2: Why do you think the North still decided to take up arms and fight the South during the war?

Part 3: Do you think the North or South should have seceded as a result of the war? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the great thinkers in this book worked on ideas about probability and the laws of errors.

Part 1: Why do you think probability was such a hot topic in those days?

Part 2: Why do you think society wanted to learn more about probability? How would these findings influence their lives?

Part 3: Do you think probability is an important topic of study? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 711 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample