Test Your Knowledge of Objectivism
Donovan Albanesi is a second-generation Objectivist. He is creating a series of self-tests. You can find them at The Culture of Reason Center (http://thecultureofreasoncenter.com/) under the Blog button and also from the CRC Testing button.
The tests are:
Objectivism: General Knowledge (01)
Objectivism: General Knowledge (02)
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 01
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 02
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 03
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 04
The Ominous Parallels Test 01
Be aware that the first two are long, 50 and 100 questions. That brought some complaints as the beta versions were posted on other Objectivish boards for trials. The other tests are shorter, 20 questions each.
Some people quibbled about some of the wording of the questions. A couple tried to argue the answers, but any disagreements you would have would be with Ayn Rand. The answers are all based on verbatim passages.
These are not open book tests. You could just look everything up.
You get the results emailed to you. Originally, results were posted publicly, but that also brought some complaints.
I found them to be helpful study guides. I archived mine and printed them out. Later, I went back and looked up what I got wrong.
Overall, this is a remarkable effort.
The tests are:
Objectivism: General Knowledge (01)
Objectivism: General Knowledge (02)
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 01
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 02
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 03
The Virtue of Selfishness Test 04
The Ominous Parallels Test 01
Be aware that the first two are long, 50 and 100 questions. That brought some complaints as the beta versions were posted on other Objectivish boards for trials. The other tests are shorter, 20 questions each.
Some people quibbled about some of the wording of the questions. A couple tried to argue the answers, but any disagreements you would have would be with Ayn Rand. The answers are all based on verbatim passages.
These are not open book tests. You could just look everything up.
You get the results emailed to you. Originally, results were posted publicly, but that also brought some complaints.
I found them to be helpful study guides. I archived mine and printed them out. Later, I went back and looked up what I got wrong.
Overall, this is a remarkable effort.
Libertarians claim that you have a political right to smoke marijuana and to discriminate against business customers on the basis of race. For an Objectivist, however, the irrational is immoral.
The tests are just nice exercises in how well you remember what you read. It is a cogent point, however, that you tend to remember (1) what you can understand and (2) what is important to you.
See what I mean about a catechism? That phrase originally appeared on the back cover, or inside jacket, of an early printing of AS. You duly memorized it and now recite it back — catechism-style — as if it represented knowledge.
Of course, pre-digested phrases from book covers are not knowledge but a substitute for knowledge, allowing you the luxury of NOT having to think for yourself, but nevertheless, to answer some multiple-choice questions. NOT thinking for oneself is the whole point of practicing a catechism recitation.
>>>The tests are just nice exercises in how well you remember what you read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechism
"Catechisms are doctrinal manuals often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorized, a format that has been used in non-religious or secular contexts as well."
Old doctor Albert Ellis was right: Objectivism IS a religion. That's actually what Objectivists like about it.
VOS 1 and VOS 2 are 25 questions, not 20.
I have been having trouble getting VOS 4 to load and run. I reported it.
My scores so far:
Objectivism 1 86
Objectivism 2 89
Ominous Par 85
VOS 1 80
VOS 2 92
VOS 3 95
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Took VOS 4 -- 80% (took hits on Argument from Intimidation. Need to read...)