View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What concept is mentioned once in the book that according to Rand, largely influences collectivist, Western thought?
(a) Epistomology.
(b) Religion.
(c) Government.
(d) God.

2. What does Rand claim about the existence of compromise?
(a) That it paves the way toward human reason.
(b) That it is possible.
(c) That it can only exist with very rational people.
(d) That there is no compromise.

3. Branden's notion of pleasure being a psychological need also fits into which of his other notions?
(a) Mental health.
(b) Mysticism.
(c) Happiness.
(d) Morality.

4. On what principle is a person who steals something they want acting on?
(a) Libertarianism.
(b) Whim.
(c) Rational thought.
(d) Self-interest.

5. In Branden's essay on "The Psychology of Pleasure" he lists five avenues upon which ________ people find pleasure.
(a) Egotistical.
(b) Sufficient.
(c) Happy.
(d) Rational.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Rand's essay, "How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?" Rand states that people often dismiss evil around them out of what?

2. Which of the following words is not included in those Rand uses to describe desire?

3. What word does Rand state that philosophers substitute for God?

4. According to the principles of selfishness, what would be the correct route for convincing an employer that you are the proper candidate for a job?

5. Who is the noble, true, infallible judge in Western society, according to Rand?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Branden's essay, "The Psychology of Pleasure," how are a person's individual pleasures determined?

2. What is Ayn Rand's overall attempt in the writing of her essay, "The Cult of Moral Grayness?"

3. How does altruism fit into Branden's essay, "Isn't Everyone Selfish?"

4. What would Rand say about a person who searches for the good in some situations but does "the wrong thing" by mistake?

5. What does Ayn Rand believe happens in the process of a compromise?

6. According to Rand, how must people evaluate their own rational self interest in a given situation?

7. How does Rand define "context" in her explanation of the four considerations described?

8. Why does Rand reject the widely accepted views of morals and values in regard to human existence?

9. What commonly upheld principle does Rand deem evil in Western Society as stated in her essay on living a rational life?

10. Explain Rand's idea of the four considerations of a rational man's thought and their function.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 956 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample