Socrates Quiz

    1. What field is Socrates most famous for?
    a) Literature
    b) Philosophy
    c) Physics
    d) Music

    2. What is the philosophical method Socrates is known for?
    a) Rationalism
    b) Empiricism
    c) Socratic method
    d) Skepticism

    3. In which city did Socrates spend most of his life?
    a) Rome
    b) Athens
    c) Sparta
    d) Alexandria

    4. Which of the following philosophers was a student of Socrates?
    a) Plato
    b) Aristotle
    c) Immanuel Kant
    d) Friedrich Nietzsche

    5. What was the occupation of Socrates before becoming a philosopher?
    a) Carpenter
    b) Stonemason
    c) Teacher
    d) Soldier

    6. Which of the following is a famous quote attributed to Socrates?
    a) “I think, therefore I am.”
    b) “To be is to be perceived.”
    c) “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”
    d) “Man is the measure of all things.”

    7. What was Socrates’ stance on written works?
    a) He encouraged them
    b) He disliked them
    c) He was indifferent
    d) He preferred oral teachings

    8. How did Socrates die?
    a) Natural causes
    b) Murder
    c) Execution
    d) Suicide

    9. What was the substance Socrates was forced to drink as a punishment for his crimes?
    a) Cyanide
    b) Hemlock
    c) Arsenic
    d) Belladonna

    10. What were the charges against Socrates that led to his execution?
    a) Treason
    b) Murder
    c) Corruption of the youth and impiety
    d) Theft

    11. Which of the following dialogues was written by Plato about the trial and death of Socrates?
    a) The Republic
    b) Symposium
    c) Phaedo
    d) Apology

    12. Who were the three main accusers of Socrates during his trial?
    a) Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon
    b) Crito, Euthyphro, and Meno
    c) Alcibiades, Thrasymachus, and Glaucon
    d) Diogenes, Protagoras, and Gorgias

    13. What term did Socrates use to describe his philosophical approach, likening himself to a certain creature that stings people into awareness?
    a) The gadfly
    b) The scorpion
    c) The spider
    d) The viper

    14. Which philosopher is known for documenting Socrates’ life and philosophy in addition to Plato?
    a) Xenophon
    b) Heraclitus
    c) Parmenides
    d) Democritus

    15. Which of the following concepts is NOT associated with Socratic philosophy?
    a) Know thyself
    b) Virtue is knowledge
    c) The greatest happiness principle
    d) The unexamined life is not worth living

Answer Key:

    1. b) Philosophy
    2. c) Socratic method
    3. b) Athens
    4. a) Plato
    5. b) Stonemason
    6. c) “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”
    7. b) He disliked them
    8. c) Execution
    9. b) Hemlock
    10. c) Corruption of the youth and impiety
    11. d) Apology
    12. a) Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon
    13. a) The gadfly
    14. a) Xenophon
    15. c) The greatest happiness principle