- 1. Eastern philosophy encompasses a wide range of philosophical traditions originating from Asia, including but not limited to Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen. One of the key principles in Eastern philosophy is the concept of interconnectedness and harmony with nature. It emphasizes practices such as meditation, mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness as paths to enlightenment and spiritual growth. Eastern philosophy often focuses on the impermanence of life, the concept of karma, and the importance of finding inner peace and balance in a constantly changing world.
Who founded the philosophy of Taoism?
A) Sun Tzu
B) Confucius
C) Lao Tzu
D) Buddha
- 2. Which ancient Indian text is the foundation of Hindu philosophy?
A) The Bhagavad Gita
B) The Ramayana
C) The Upanishads
D) The Vedas
- 3. What does the term 'yin and yang' represent in Chinese philosophy?
A) Order and chaos
B) Good and evil
C) Dual forces that are complementary and interconnected
D) Creation and destruction
- 4. Who is considered the founder of Zen Buddhism in China?
A) Eihei Dogen
B) Dogen
C) Bodhidharma
D) Huineng
- 5. Who was the ancient Chinese philosopher known for his teachings in Confucianism?
A) Confucius
B) Mencius
C) Xunzi
D) Zhuangzi
- 6. What does the concept of 'Samsara' represent in Hinduism and Buddhism?
A) The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
B) The ultimate reality
C) The path to liberation
D) The eternal soul
- 7. What is the ultimate goal in Buddhism?
A) Rebirth
B) Nirvana
C) Enlightenment
D) Heaven
- 8. What is the term for 'impermanence' in Buddhism?
A) Dukkha
B) Anicca
C) Prajna
D) Samadhi
- 9. What is the Sanskrit term for 'non-attachment' in Eastern philosophies?
A) Vairagya
B) Prajna
C) Moksha
D) Samsara
- 10. Which term is used to refer to ancient philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent?
A) Brahmanical synthesis
B) Hindu synthesis
C) Vedic teachings
D) Sanskrit: dárśana
- 11. What is Hinduism traditionally called, meaning 'the eternal law' or 'the eternal way'?
A) Sanātana Dharma
B) Dharmashastra
C) Brahmanic Path
D) Vedanta
- 12. Which of the following is NOT one of the major traditions within Hinduism?
A) Jainism
B) Vaishnavism
C) Shaivism
D) Shaktism
- 13. Which philosophical texts are considered some of the earliest surviving from India?
A) Ramayana
B) Upanishads
C) Vedas
D) Mahabharata
- 14. Which concept refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Indian philosophy?
A) Samsara
B) Dharma
C) Moksha
D) Karma
- 15. What does 'dharma' signify in the context of Hinduism?
A) Cycle of birth and death
B) Non-violence
C) Liberation from rebirth
D) Duty or righteousness
- 16. Which Indian philosophical concept emphasizes non-violence?
A) Dharma
B) Ahimsa
C) Samsara
D) Karma
- 17. What is the term for reliable means of knowledge in Indian philosophy?
A) Atman
B) Pramana
C) Sunyata
D) Brahman
- 18. Which school of thought flourished during the early modern period under philosophers like Raghunatha Siromani?
A) Vedanta
B) Navya-Nyāya
C) Samkhya
D) Yoga
- 19. Which empire did Hindu thought spread to in Southeast Asia?
A) Srivijaya Empire
B) Mughal Empire
C) Maurya Empire
D) Gupta Empire
- 20. Which text is associated with the philosophy of love in Indian literature?
A) Ramayana
B) Arthashastra
C) Upanishads
D) Kama Sutra
- 21. Who was a philosopher that formulated a Jain response during the early modern period?
A) Yashovijaya
B) Mahadeva Punatamakara
C) Raghunatha Siromani
D) Jayarama Pancanana
- 22. Which philosophical concept involves the investigation of metaphysics, including Brahman-Atman?
A) Political philosophy
B) Ontology
C) Axiology
D) Epistemology
- 23. Which text is associated with political philosophy in Indian literature?
A) Upanishads
B) Ramayana
C) Kama Sutra
D) Arthashastra
- 24. How many major schools of orthodox Indian Hindu philosophy are there?
A) Seven
B) Six
C) Four
D) Five
- 25. Which school is known for its emphasis on meditation and liberation?
A) Nyaya
B) Vaisheshika
C) Mīmāṃsā
D) Yoga
- 26. Which text is the major work of the Yoga school?
A) Nyaya Sutras
B) Yoga sutras
C) Samkhyakarika
D) Vedanta Sutras
- 27. Which pramana is not accepted by Sāmkhya epistemology?
A) Pratyakṣa (perception)
B) Upamāṇa (comparison)
C) Śabda (word/testimony)
D) Anumāṇa (inference)
- 28. During which period was the distinction of the six orthodox schools current?
A) Medieval period
B) Vedic period
C) Gupta period
D) Maurya period
- 29. Which school survived into the 17th century as Navya Nyaya?
A) Mīmāṃsā
B) Nyaya
C) Samkhya
D) Vaisheshika
- 30. Which text is associated with the development of Sāmkhya during the medieval period?
A) Rigveda
B) Sāṁkhyapravacana Sūtra
C) Bhagavad Gita
D) Upanishads
- 31. Which school's tenets were absorbed into Yoga and Vedanta?
A) Nyaya
B) Samkhya
C) Vaisheshika
D) Mīmāṃsā
- 32. Which of the following is a heterodox school of Indian philosophy?
A) Nyaya
B) Yoga
C) Buddhist
D) Vedanta
- 33. What does the Nyāya school argue against in its philosophical debates?
A) The concept of karma
B) The authority of the Vedas
C) A creator God (Ishvara)
D) The existence of atoms
- 34. Which school of philosophy is known for its naturalist approach and atomism?
A) Mīmāṃsā
B) Yoga
C) Nyāya
D) Vaiśeṣika
- 35. Which additional category did later Vaiśeṣikas add to the original six padārthas?
A) Buddhi (intellect)
B) Chitta (mind-stuff)
C) Karma (action)
D) Abhava (non-existence)
- 36. Which Mīmāṃsā scholar is known for his work in the 7th century?
A) Kumārila Bhaṭṭa
B) Udayana
C) Prabhākara
D) Śrīdhara
- 37. Which school did Mīmāṃsā influence, known as Uttara-Mīmāṃsā?
A) Vaiśeṣika
B) Vedānta
C) Nyāya
D) Yoga
- 38. Which Vedānta sub-tradition emphasizes qualified non-dualism?
A) Vishishtadvaita
B) Bhedabheda
C) Dvaita
D) Advaita
- 39. Which Vedānta sub-tradition is associated with the bhakti movement?
A) Bhedabheda
B) Vishishtadvaita, due to its emphasis on devotion
C) Advaita
D) Dvaita
- 40. Who was a key figure in the Brahmo Samaj movement?
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Ram Mohan Roy
C) Guru Nanak
D) Swami Vivekananda
- 41. Who is considered a significant figure in the development of Jain philosophical discourse?
A) Pāṇini
B) Lakulisha
C) Mahavira
D) Utpaladeva
- 42. What is another name for Confucianism?
A) Daoism
B) Legalism
C) Ruism
D) Buddhism
- 43. What is the term for 'filial piety' in Confucianism?
A) Tiān (天)
B) Xiào (孝)
C) Rén (仁)
D) Lǐ (禮/礼)
- 44. What is the original term for 'zhexue'?
A) Tetsugaku
B) Dharma
C) Dao
D) Ziran
- 45. Which movement was initiated by Ram Mohan Roy?
A) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
B) Arya Samaj
C) Theosophical Society
D) Brahmo Samaj
- 46. Which key Buddhist concept critiques a fixed personal identity?
A) Anatta (not-self)
B) Dukkha
C) Vijnapti-matra
D) Shunyata
- 47. What is the name of the Chinese philosophical school that emphasizes harmony with the Tao?
A) Mohism
B) Confucianism
C) Daoism
D) Legalism
- 48. Which school of Pramāṇa promoted a complex form of epistemology and Buddhist logic?
A) The Vedanta school.
B) The Dignāga school
C) The Samkhya school.
D) The Nyaya school.
- 49. Which state did Shang Yang transform into the dominant power that eventually conquered China in 221 BCE?
A) Wei
B) Chu
C) Qin
D) Han
- 50. Which philosopher is reported to have said that only Greek and German languages are suitable for philosophizing?
A) Rein Raud
B) Carine Defoort
C) Martin Heidegger
D) Victoria S. Harrison
- 51. Who argues against the 'family' view of philosophy and offers a more flexible definition?
A) Rein Raud
B) Carine Defoort
C) Victoria S. Harrison
D) Ouyang Min
- 52. Which concept in Sikh philosophy emphasizes constant spiritual meditation of God's name?
A) Seva
B) Dharma
C) Advaita Vedanta
D) Simran
- 53. Jain philosophy is part of which tradition?
A) Vedic
B) Buddhism
C) Shaivism
D) Śramaṇa
- 54. Which Chinese philosophical school is known for its focus on strict laws and state control?
A) Daoism
B) Mohism
C) Legalism
D) Confucianism
- 55. What intellectual society during the Meiji period promoted European enlightenment thought?
A) Kyoto School
B) Kokugaku
C) New Confucianism
D) Meirokusha
- 56. According to the text, why is there no single unified philosophical tradition in Asia?
A) Because various autonomous traditions have come into contact with each other over time.
B) Because Asian philosophies were suppressed by Western influences.
C) As a result of geographical isolation.
D) Due to a lack of historical documentation.
- 57. Who was a modern interpreter and defender of Jainism?
A) Ram Mohan Roy
B) Swami Vivekananda
C) Virchand Gandhi
D) Mahatma Gandhi
- 58. What is the main concern of Buddhist philosophy?
A) Freedom from dukkha (unease).
B) Understanding metaphysical truths.
C) Establishing a fixed personal identity.
D) Achieving material wealth.
- 59. Which text is NOT part of the Prasthanatrayi?
A) The Ramayana
B) The Brahma Sutras
C) The Bhagavad Gita
D) The Principal Upanishads
- 60. Which form of modern Buddhism is known as 'Buddhism for Human Life'?
A) Japanese Zen Buddhism
B) Theravada Buddhism
C) Chinese humanistic Buddhism
D) Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism
- 61. Which dynasty saw the arrival of Buddhism in China?
A) Maurya Empire
B) Zhou dynasty
C) Han dynasty
D) Mughal Empire
- 62. Who is considered the founder of Sikhism?
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Guru Nanak
C) Swami Vivekananda
D) Ram Mohan Roy
- 63. What does Prakriti refer to in Vedānta?
A) Cycle of rebirth
B) The empirical world
C) Ultimate reality
D) Individual soul
- 64. Which term refers to the individual soul in Vedānta?
A) Prakriti
B) Samsara
C) Ātman
D) Brahman
- 65. Who was a key figure in the Kokugaku movement during Japan's Edo period?
A) Kitaro Nishida
B) Fukuzawa Yukichi
C) Motoori Norinaga
D) Nishi Amane
- 66. Which Chinese revolutionary leader's philosophy is known as Maoism?
A) Sun Yat-Sen
B) Hu Shih
C) Zhang Zhidong
D) Mao Zedong
- 67. Which philosophy arose from the Śramaṇic movement and denies the concept of atman?
A) Jainism
B) Buddhism
C) Cārvāka
D) Śaiva Siddhānta
- 68. What term did He Yan and Wang Bi focus on to describe the deep nature of Tao?
A) "Ziran" (naturalness)
B) "Yin-yang"
C) "Pu" (simplicity)
D) "Wu" (nothingness, non-being, negativity)
- 69. Which principle is believed to be the basis for Confucian values?
A) Dao
B) Heaven (Tiān)
C) Karma
D) Nirvana
- 70. Which East Asian Yogacara thinker contributed to new developments in Buddhism?
A) Sakya Pandita.
B) Xuanzang
C) Dharmakirti.
D) Nagarjuna.
- 71. Which scholar supports a 'family' view of philosophy that includes both Western and Asian thought?
A) Ouyang Min
B) Victoria S. Harrison
C) Rein Raud
D) Carine Defoort
- 72. Which philosopher anticipated that the Upanishads would influence Western thought?
A) Jean Gebser
B) Watsuji Tetsurô
C) Carl Jung
D) Arthur Schopenhauer
- 73. Which school is known for its focus on mercury?
A) Pratyabhijña
B) Pāṇini Darśana
C) Śaiva Siddhānta
D) Raseśvara
- 74. What concept is Mohism best known for, emphasizing care for all individuals equally?
A) Legalist pragmatism
B) Confucian ritualism
C) Taoist spontaneity
D) Impartial care
- 75. What was the main philosophical influence on New Confucianism in China?
A) Traditional Confucian thought
B) Daoism
C) Western Marxism
D) Buddhism
- 76. Which of these is not one of the Three Pillars of Sikhism?
A) Monasticism
B) Vand Chakko
C) Kirat Karo
D) Naam Japna
- 77. Which movement in China sought to incorporate Western democracy and republicanism?
A) Kyoto School
B) May Fourth Movement
C) Critical Buddhism
D) New Confucianism
- 78. What does the term 'Seva' in Sikhism refer to?
A) Ritual sacrifice
B) Meditation
C) Monastic life
D) Selfless service
- 79. Which virtue in Taoism emphasizes effortless action?
A) Wu wei
B) Spontaneity
C) Pu
D) Ziran
- 80. Which Chinese modernist was influential in the development of Buddhist modernism?
A) Laozi
B) Taixu
C) Confucius
D) Mencius
- 81. Which school of thought was founded by Mozi and his students?
A) Taoism
B) Mohism
C) Legalism
D) Confucianism
- 82. Which philosophy did Swami Vivekananda help popularize in the West?
A) Mohism
B) Confucianism
C) Legalism
D) Advaita Vedanta
- 83. What is the main sacred text of Sikhism?
A) Bhagavad Gita
B) Tripitaka
C) The Guru Granth Sahib
D) Upanishads
- 84. What philosophical tradition did Dignāga contribute to in Indian philosophy?
A) An 'epistemological turn'.
B) A spiritual awakening.
C) A metaphysical revolution.
D) A logical decline.
- 85. What is the official political ideology of North Korea known as?
A) Confucianism
B) Juche
C) Marxism-Leninism
D) Legalism
- 86. Who coined the term 'zhexue' in 1873?
A) Carine Defoort
B) Victoria S. Harrison
C) Nishi Amane
D) Martin Heidegger
- 87. What does the Vipassana movement focus on?
A) Rejection of all forms of Buddhism
B) Ritualistic ceremonies
C) Supernatural beliefs
D) Insight meditation practices
- 88. What was the main text of the Mohist school called?
A) Daodejing
B) Han Feizi
C) Mozi
D) Analects
- 89. When did early forms of Taoism begin to develop?
A) In the 4th century BCE
B) During the Tang dynasty
C) During the Han dynasty
D) In the 1st century CE
- 90. In which country did Confucianism become dominant during the Joseon dynasty?
A) Taiwan
B) Japan
C) Korea
D) Vietnam
- 91. Who was a key figure in the Legalist school known for his work as an administrator and political philosopher?
A) Shen Buhai
B) Confucius
C) Han Fei
D) Mozi
- 92. Which of the following is a concept shared by Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism?
A) Pratyabhijña
B) Raseśvara
C) Pāṇini Darśana
D) Karma
- 93. Which German philosopher's works were translated by Yan Fu into Chinese?
A) Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
B) Immanuel Kant
C) John Stuart Mill
D) Friedrich Nietzsche
- 94. Who is considered the founder of the School of Naturalists or Yin-yang?
A) Laozi
B) Zou Yan
C) Confucius
D) Mozi
- 95. The Pratyabhijña school is associated with which form of Shaivism?
A) non-dual Shaiva tantra
B) ascetic Shaivism
C) dualistic Shaivism
D) mercurial Shaivism
- 96. Which school of Shaivism was founded by Lakulisha around the 2nd century CE?
A) Pratyabhijña
B) Paśupata
C) Śaiva Siddhānta
D) Raseśvara
- 97. Which Chinese philosopher was influenced by John Dewey's pragmatism?
A) Zhang Zhidong
B) Hu Shih
C) Mao Zedong
D) Xu Fuguan
- 98. Which form of Buddhism was influenced by Western psychology?
A) Western Buddhism
B) Pure Land Buddhism
C) Zen Buddhism
D) Theravada Buddhism
- 99. What is the term for Confucianism's recent revival?
A) New Confucianism
B) Modern Confucianism
C) Classical Confucianism
D) Neo-Confucianism
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