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Free Practice Questions for La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy

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Key Facts: La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy Exam

90 min

Exam Time Limit

Universidad de La Rioja

0–10

Grading Scale

Gobierno de La Rioja

4.0

Min. Access Phase Score

Universidad de La Rioja (UR)

EUR 55.43

Base Registration Fee

Gobierno de La Rioja

10 Authors

Curriculum Focus

2º Bachillerato Syllabus

The La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy exam (Historia de la Filosofía) is administered by Universidad de La Rioja (UR) and Gobierno de La Rioja for students completing 2nd Bachillerato. The exam lasts 90 minutes and is graded on a 0–10 scale (minimum 4.0 required in the Access Phase). Note that local questions on this platform are an English-language MCQ study adaptation created to help students master the underlying 2nd Bachillerato curriculum.

Sample La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Plato's philosophy, what fundamental division characterizes reality (ontological dualism)?
A.The division between the sensible world of physical objects and the intelligible world of Forms (Ideas)
B.The division between divine consciousness and demonic forces
C.The division between material atoms and empty void
D.The division between subjective perceptions and historical economic structures
Explanation: Platonic dualism divides reality into the sensible world (world of physical, changing, imperfect objects perceived through the senses) and the intelligible world (realm of perfect, immutable, eternal Forms or Ideas accessible only through reason). Atomic void belongs to Democritus, economic structures to Marx, and divine/demonic dualism to religious traditions.
2In Plato's Myth of the Cave (Republic, Book VII), what does the Sun outside the cave represent?
A.The physical star that gives light to the sensible world
B.The Form of the Good (Idea del Bien), the supreme source of truth, reality, and knowledge
C.The tyrannical power of the Athenian democracy
D.The illusory shadows cast by artificial fire inside the cave
Explanation: In the Myth of the Cave, the Sun outside the cave represents the Form of the Good (Idea del Bien), which is the highest principle in the intelligible world. Just as the physical sun enables vision and growth in the sensible realm, the Form of the Good makes truth and knowledge possible in the intelligible realm. Shadows inside represent sensory illusions, not the Sun.
3What is Plato's epistemological theory of Anamnesis (Recollection)?
A.Learning is a process of accumulating empirical observations through sensory experience
B.Learning is remembering (recollecting) knowledge that the immortal soul acquired in the World of Forms before bodily incarnation
C.Knowledge is derived entirely from logical deductions starting from arbitrary mathematical postulates
D.Truth is created by linguistic convention and political consensus
Explanation: Plato's theory of Anamnesis (Recollection) posits that the human soul is immortal and contemplated the eternal Forms in the intelligible world prior to being incarnated in a physical body. Learning is therefore not the acquisition of new external information, but the recollection (reminiscence) of truths already known by the soul. Empirical accumulation belongs to empiricism, not Plato.
4How does Plato structure the tripartite human soul and its corresponding cardinal virtues in the Republic?
A.Rational (Wisdom), Irascible (Courage), Appetitive (Temperance)
B.Sensory (Prudence), Vegetative (Fortitude), Intellectual (Justice)
C.Logical (Faith), Emotional (Hope), Physical (Charity)
D.Theoretical (Science), Practical (Art), Productive (Craft)
Explanation: Plato divides the soul into three parts: Rational (logistikon), located in the head, whose virtue is Wisdom (sophia); Irascible (thymoeides), located in the chest, whose virtue is Courage (andreia); and Appetitive (epithymetikon), located in the abdomen, whose virtue is Temperance (sophrosyne). Harmony among all three under the guidance of reason produces Justice (dikaiosyne).
5According to Plato's Theory of Forms, what is the nature of a Form (Idea)?
A.A mental concept existing only inside individual human minds
B.An objective, eternal, immutable, perfect, non-material archetype that exists independently of sensory objects
C.A temporary physical pattern shaped by biological natural selection
D.A linguistic label used to group similar material objects together for convenience
Explanation: For Plato, Forms (Ideas) are not subjective mental concepts or nominal labels; they are objective, non-material, immutable, eternal realities that exist in the intelligible realm. Sensible objects are merely imperfect, changing copies that participate in (or imitate) these transcendent Forms. Nominalism and conceptualism view ideas as mere labels or mental states, which Plato explicitly rejects.
6Why does Plato advocate for the rule of 'Philosopher-Kings' in his ideal city-state (Kallipolis)?
A.Because philosophers possess wealth and military power to command armies
B.Because only philosophers have attained genuine knowledge of the Form of the Good and can govern based on truth rather than opinion or passion
C.Because political authority should rotate randomly among all citizens by lottery
D.Because philosophers are elected by democratic majority vote
Explanation: In the Republic, Plato argues that rulers must be philosophers (or kings must study philosophy) because only those who have escaped the cave of sensory illusion and grasped the Form of the Good possess true knowledge (episteme) rather than mere opinion (doxa). Therefore, only philosopher-kings can organize society according to objective justice. Wealth, military force, or democratic lotteries produce unjust or unstable regimes.
7In the Analogy of the Divided Line (Republic VI), what are the four levels of cognitive operation from lowest to highest?
A.Eikasia (illusion/conjecture), Pistis (belief), Dianoia (thought/mathematical reasoning), Noesis (pure intelligence/understanding)
B.Sensation, Perception, Memory, Imagination
C.Doxa, Episteme, Techne, Phronesis
D.Intuition, Deduction, Induction, Abduction
Explanation: Plato's Divided Line maps four levels of cognition and reality: Eikasia (conjecture/images of shadows), Pistis (belief regarding physical objects) — which together form Doxa (opinion); and Dianoia (discursive thought/mathematical principles), Noesis (direct intellectual intuition of Forms) — which together form Episteme (knowledge).
8What is Plato's primary criticism of democratic governance in the Republic?
A.Democracy fails because it gives power to demagogues who flatter the ignorant masses, leading to anarchy and eventual tyranny
B.Democracy is too rigid and prevents citizens from enjoying personal freedom
C.Democracy relies too heavily on philosophical experts rather than practical soldiers
D.Democracy encourages economic equality, which Plato considers immoral
Explanation: Plato criticizes democracy because it treats uneducated opinions as equal to expert knowledge, allowing manipulative demagogues to sway the crowd through rhetoric. This produces a lack of order, excessive liberty degenerating into license, and eventually paves the way for tyranny when a strongman restores order.
9In Plato's cosmological dialogue Timaeus, what role is played by the Demiurge?
A.The Demiurge is a divine craftsman who shapes pre-existing chaotic matter according to the eternal blueprint of the Forms
B.The Demiurge creates the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo) through a single word
C.The Demiurge is an evil deity who traps spiritual souls inside material bodies as punishment
D.The Demiurge represents the blind force of physical evolution operating by random chance
Explanation: In Timaeus, the Demiurge is an artisan/craftsman god who looks to the perfect, eternal Forms as a model and imposes order upon pre-existing chaotic matter (chora) to create the sensible cosmos. Unlike the Judeo-Christian God, the Demiurge does not create ex nihilo (out of nothing), nor is he an evil gnostic deity.
10In Plato's Symposium, how does Diotima describe the ladder of love (Eros)?
A.As an ascent starting from love of one beautiful physical body, progressing to all beautiful bodies, beautiful souls, laws/institutions, knowledge, and culminating in the Form of Beauty itself
B.As a descent from abstract intellectual ideas down into passionate physical consumption
C.As a cycle of emotional attachment and betrayal inherent to mortal relationships
D.As an illusion generated by physical hormones that philosophers must entirely eliminate
Explanation: In the Symposium (via Socrates reporting Diotima's speech), the ascent of Eros begins with physical attraction to a single beautiful body, expands to appreciate physical beauty in general, moves upward to moral/spiritual beauty in souls, laws, and sciences, and reaches its climax in the contemplation of the eternal, absolute Form of Beauty itself.

About the La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy Exam

The La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy exam (Historia de la Filosofía 2º Bachillerato) evaluates secondary school graduates across La Rioja on major authors and philosophical developments from Antiquity through the Contemporary period: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, and Hannah Arendt. Please note: The official PAU exam features written text commentary and essay questions in Spanish; the 100 questions provided here are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation designed for self-assessment and core concept mastery.

Exam sponsor: Universidad de La Rioja (UR) / Comisión Organizadora de la PAU de La Rioja. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

90-minute written examination (text commentary, synthesis, and philosophical essay; local questions are an English-language MCQ study adaptation)

Time Limit

90 minutes (1.5 hours)

Passing Score

Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase to combine with Bachillerato GPA (60% Bachillerato + 40% PAU >= 5.0 to pass).

Exam / Certification Fees

EUR 55.43 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase set by Gobierno de La Rioja / Universidad de La Rioja.

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: High (~85-95% PAU overall pass rate in La Rioja). This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

25%

Ancient Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle

Platonic dualism (world of ideas vs sensory world), Myth of the Cave, recollection theory, tripartite soul, justice, philosopher-king. Aristotelian hylomorphism (matter and form), teleology, four causes, substance/accidents, virtue ethics (eudaimonia, golden mean), and political theory.

20%

Medieval Philosophy: Augustine and Thomas Aquinas

Augustinian synthesis of faith and Neoplatonism, divine illumination, free will and evil as privation of good, City of God vs City of Man. Thomistic synthesis of Aristotelianism and Christian theology, faith and reason relationship, Five Ways (Quinque Viae), and natural law theory.

30%

Modern Philosophy: Descartes, Locke, and Kant

Cartesian rationalism, methodical doubt, cogito ergo sum, clear and distinct ideas, mind-body dualism, proof of God. Lockean empiricism, critique of innate ideas, primary vs secondary qualities, tabula rasa, social contract. Kantian transcendental idealism, synthetic a priori judgments, categorical imperative, autonomy of the will.

25%

Contemporary Philosophy: Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, and Hannah Arendt

Marxist historical materialism, class struggle, alienation, surplus value, ideology. Nietzschean critique of metaphysics, death of God, will to power, Übermensch, nihilism. Ortega's raciovitalismo, vital reason, circumstance, perspective theory. Arendt's analysis of totalitiarianism, banality of evil, action, and the public sphere.

Preparing for the La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase to combine with Bachillerato GPA (60% Bachillerato + 40% PAU >= 5.0 to pass).
  • Assessment: 90-minute written examination (text commentary, synthesis, and philosophical essay; local questions are an English-language MCQ study adaptation)
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 55.43 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase set by Gobierno de La Rioja / Universidad de La Rioja. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the fundamental concepts and technical terminology of each of the 10 syllabus authors.
2Compare and contrast key philosophical dilemmas across epochs, such as rationalism vs empiricism or realists vs idealists.
3Understand the historical context and main texts associated with each philosopher.
4Practice articulating philosophical arguments clearly, focusing on premises, deductions, and ethical implications.
5Review past PAU text commentary models to understand how authors respond to their contemporary problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the official La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy exam?

The official La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy exam is a 90-minute written examination administered in Spanish at Universidad de La Rioja (UR), consisting of text analysis/commentary, term definitions, synthesis, and an argumentative philosophical essay. Note that the 100 questions available on this site are an English-language multiple-choice practice adaptation developed to help students test their knowledge of the official curriculum.

What is the passing score for La Rioja PAU History of Philosophy?

The exam is graded on a 0–10 scale. In the Access Phase (Fase de Acceso), a minimum score of 4.0 is required to average with the Bachillerato GPA (which counts for 60% of the final university access score, while PAU counts for 40%, requiring a total average of >= 5.0).

What is the registration fee for the PAU exam in La Rioja?

The registration fee in La Rioja is set by Gobierno de La Rioja and Universidad de La Rioja, with a base fee of EUR 55.43 for the Access Phase, with exemptions or discounts for large families (familia numerosa), disabled students, or victims of terrorism.

Which authors are covered in the 2nd Bachillerato History of Philosophy syllabus in La Rioja?

The syllabus covers ten core authors across four historical epochs: Ancient (Plato, Aristotle), Medieval (Augustine, Thomas Aquinas), Modern (Descartes, Locke, Kant), and Contemporary (Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, Hannah Arendt).

Why are the practice questions here in English and in multiple-choice format?

These questions serve as an English-language MCQ study adaptation designed for international students, bilingual program candidates, and revision learners seeking to test core philosophical concepts and arguments tested on the La Rioja 2nd Bachillerato curriculum.