Philosophy Quiz

I was digging up dirt on Nel Noddings (education author) and her named popped on an a National Review page, so I clicked right to it. Why, it turns out Jonah Goldberg and Rod Dreher took a philosophy quiz, so I did too. Interesting results. Aristotle 100%, Hume 91%, Aquinas 86%, Rand, Nietzsche, Sartre in the 80%'s, Plato 71%, Hobbes 62%, Stoics 57%, Cynics 51%, Noddings 31%, Kant 24%, Prescriptivism 8%. Jonah Goldberg scored high in Aristotle and Aquinas, and low in Sartre, Prescriptivism, and Noddings. Rod Dreher scored high in Augustine and Aquinas, mid-range for Plato and Aristotle, and low for Nietzsche, Noddings, Epicurians, and Hobbes.

Apparently neo-cons are all over Aquinas, and either back him up with Augustine or Aristotle; apparently the Thomist synthesis of Aristotle and Catholicism can still be teased apart. All of us rejected Noddings- surprise. Her book The Challenge to Care in Schools is a prescription for a drift towards totalitarianism, IMO. Social Reconstructionist, indeed. I was surprised how low I scored as a Stoic, but apparently when they conflict with Aristotle, Zeno takes a back seat. Fair enough. The questions which would have boosted my Cynic score I answered to the contrary because of the way they were worded. Personally I am an ascetic, but I don't think its neccesary for ethical living. I recject the accumulation of stuff, but regard it as a choice that's right for me, not an imperative. I subscribe to the Postral thesis on such matters, despite my own personal lack of a designer toilet bowl brush.

Now we just need to get Hugh Hewitt to take the quiz.