Philosophers à la Monty Python Quiz

Answer: Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was born in Königsberg, Prussia in 1724. His philosophy of mind, epistemology, and ethics have come to be known as Kantianism - based on the concepts of duty and rationality over emotion.

In the song, the reference to Kant being rarely stable was a nod to his theory of a stable universe.

The University of Königsberg, where Kant taught, was renamed the Kaliningrad State University after Soviet annexation in 1945. In 2005, the university was again renamed, this time in honour of Kant: Immanuel Kant State University of Russia.

Answer: Martin Heidegger

Martin Heidegger happened to be the only philosopher in Monty Python's "Bruces' Philosophers Song" who was still living when it was written. Born in Germany in 1889, he lived until 1976 (the song was first released on 1973's "Matching Tie and Handkerchief" album).

Heidegger was known for his work in phenomenology (the study of the structures of subjective experience and consciousness), existentialism (everything starts with the experiences of the individual), and philosophical hermeneutics - a field that Heidegger pioneered.

Answer: René Descartes

French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) has been dubbed 'The Father of Modern Philosophy', as much of Western philosphy is based on or response to his writings. His 1641 treatise "Meditations on First Philosophy (in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated)" is still a standard text in many philosophy departments (according to Wikipedia).

Descartes' famous 'cogito ergo sum', or 'I think, therefore I am', was originally published in his 1637 "Discourse on the Method", then again later in his 1644 "Principles of Philosophy".

Answer: John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a British philosopher of the schools of empiricism, utilitarianism, and liberalism.

Mill's 1859 publication "On Liberty" (according to Wikipedia) "applies Mill's ethical system of utilitarianism to society and the state. Mill attempts to establish standards for the relationship between authority and liberty."

With Mill's writings arguing for liberty that does no harm to others, Monty Python's line 'of his own free will' in the song makes for a delicious reference.

Answer: Pythagoras (fond of his Dram)

There was a philosopher 'fond of his Dram' in the song, but it was not Pythagoras. Rather, it was Hobbes (Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679).

Pythagoras (ca 570-495 BC) predated Socrates (ca 469-399 BC), Plato (ca 428-347 BC), and Aristotle (ca 384-322 BC), and while he may not have received mention in Monty Python's song, it was not through a lack of significance. In fact, it could be argued that he was one of the most famous and controversial figures of his day.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that Pythagoras was famous "(1) as an expert on the fate of the soul after death, who thought that the soul was immortal and went through a series of reincarnations; (2) as an expert on religious ritual; (3) as a wonder-worker who had a thigh of gold and who could be two places at the same time; (4) as the founder of a strict way of life that emphasized dietary restrictions, religious ritual and rigorous self discipline."

Answer: Cricketers

Second Bruce: "Those are all cricketers!"

Fourth Bruce: "Aww, spit!"

Apart from Monty Python making the cricketing reference as a nod to Australians' love of the sport, it is interesting to note the flow of conversation in the sketch. The Bruces' subject areas were outlined as follows:

"Bruce here teaches classical philosophy, Bruce there teaches Hegelian philosophy, and Bruce here teaches logical positivism (and is also in charge of the sheep dip)."

The joke is that the Australian Bruces are teaching philosophies that perpetuate their (perceived by British Monty Python) lifestyle. Part of Hegelian philosophy is "Reality is constructed by the mind; only the mind doesn't know this at first (understanding). Mind thinks reality is "out there." Mind is therefore alienated from itself. Recognizing that reality is its own creation reconciles mind with itself." (from a summary of Hegel's philosophy at carroll.edu). As for logical positivism - by the 1970s, "Most philosophers consider logical positivism to be, as John Passmore expressed it, "dead, or as dead as a philosophical movement ever becomes."" (wikipedia)

Answer: Confucius

Confucius (551-479 BC) was a good choice by Monty Python for the role of a referee, as his teachings were centered around moral and ethical correctness, justice and sincerity.

In the sketch, the commentator describes the philosophers on the football pitch wandering around in circles contemplating their philosophies. He mentions how Confucius gives a yellow card booking to Nietszche after Nietszche accused Confucius of having no free will.

Answer: Martin Luther

Martin Luther (1483-1546) wrote his "95 Theses" in 1517 primarily as a response to abuses within the Catholic church - specifically the practice of selling 'indulgences' (remission of punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven). His efforts to reform the problems he saw with 'the system' became the catalyst for what became known as the Reformation.

Answer: False

Archimedes (ca 287-212 BC), was not primarily known for his studies in philosophy, but rather his work in mathematics and geometry. As the story goes, Archimedes was in his bathtub when the concept of determining the volume of an object through the use of water displacement came to him.

He purportedly cried "Eureka!" and ran out into public in the nude. (Eureka is Greek for 'I have found it.')

Answer: Arthur Schopenhauer

Of course, in the sketch in "The Meaning of Life", the conversation didn't go much beyond, "Oh! I never knew Schopenhauer was a philosopher!" followed by "Oh, yeah! He's the one that begins with an 'S'."

Incidentally, Schopenhauer lived from 1788 to 1860, studying in the school of Post-Kantian philosophy and idealism.

At the end of the film, the Monty Python troupe sums everything up with a final, simple answer to the question of the meaning of life:

"Well, that's the end of the film. Now, here's the meaning of life. Thank you, Brigitte. M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations, and, finally, here are some completely gratuitous pictures of penises to annoy the censors and to hopefully spark some sort of controversy, which, it seems, is the only way, these days, to get the jaded, video-sated public off their f***ing arses and back in the sodding cinema. Family entertainment bollocks. What they want is filth: people doing things to each other with chainsaws during tupperware parties, babysitters being stabbed with knitting needles by gay presidential candidates, vigilante groups strangling chickens, armed bands of theatre critics exterminating mutant goats-- Where's the fun in pictures? Oh, well, there we are. Here's the theme music. Goodnight."