MA Master of Liberal Arts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which philosophical tradition emphasizes that knowledge arises primarily from sensory experience?
- Rationalism
- Empiricism (Correct answer)
- Idealism
- Stoicism
Correct answer: Empiricism
Empiricism, associated with Locke, Hume, and Bacon, holds that knowledge derives from sensory experience rather than innate ideas.
Question 2: In rhetoric, which of the three Aristotelian appeals relies on the speaker's credibility?
- Logos
- Pathos
- Ethos (Correct answer)
- Kairos
Correct answer: Ethos
Ethos refers to the ethical appeal based on the speaker's character and credibility to persuade an audience.
Question 3: Which sociological concept describes the unwritten, informal norms that govern everyday social behavior?
- Folkways (Correct answer)
- Mores
- Laws
- Taboos
Correct answer: Folkways
Folkways are William Graham Sumner's term for routine social conventions whose violation causes mild disapproval rather than moral outrage.
Question 4: The Harlem Renaissance was primarily a cultural movement centered on which art form alongside literature?
- Ballet
- Jazz music (Correct answer)
- Opera
- Sculpture
Correct answer: Jazz music
Jazz music flourished alongside poetry and prose during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, defining the era's cultural identity.
Question 5: In economics, what does the term 'opportunity cost' refer to?
- The monetary price of a good
- The tax imposed on production
- The value of the next-best alternative foregone (Correct answer)
- The cost of raw materials
Correct answer: The value of the next-best alternative foregone
Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative sacrificed when a choice is made, a foundational concept in economic reasoning.
Question 6: Which literary device involves attributing human characteristics to non-human entities?
- Allegory
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Synecdoche
- Anaphora
Correct answer: Personification
Personification grants human qualities or actions to animals, objects, or abstract concepts to create vivid imagery.
Question 7: Which branch of philosophy examines the nature of knowledge, its scope, and its limits?
- Ontology
- Ethics
- Epistemology (Correct answer)
- Aesthetics
Correct answer: Epistemology
Epistemology investigates what knowledge is, how it is acquired, and the extent to which any subject can be known.
MA Master of Liberal Arts 2
Which philosophical tradition emphasizes that knowledge arises primarily from sensory experience?