Francis Bacon's Of Truth
MCQs with Answers
1. What is the main theme of Bacon’s essay “Of Truth”? (NET 2019)
A) Power
B) Morality
C) Nature
D) Truth
Ans: D) Truth
2. According to Bacon, what does Pilate’s question ‘What is truth?’ signify? (UPSC Prelims 2016)
A) Deep philosophical inquiry
B) Sincere search for truth
C) Dismissive attitude towards truth
D) A religious revelation
Ans: C) Dismissive attitude towards truth
3. Francis Bacon compares falsehood to what pleasant activity? (SSC CGL 2021)
A) Telling stories
B) Painting a face
C) Playing music
D) Reading books
Ans: B) Painting a face
4. What does Bacon describe as a “naked and open daylight” in the essay? (SLET 2017)
A) Power
B) Imagination
C) Truth
D) Poetry
Ans: C) Truth
5. What does Bacon suggest about lies, despite their immorality? (NET 2020)
A) Lies are harmless
B) Lies are inevitable
C) Lies delight the imagination
D) Lies destroy society
Ans: C) Lies delight the imagination
6. Why does Bacon say people love lies? (PGTRB 2021)
A) Because they are fun
B) Because they hate truth
C) Because lies are beautiful
D) Because lies please the imagination
Ans: D) Because lies please the imagination
7. Which figure does Bacon quote at the beginning of the essay? (SSC CHSL 2020)
A) Aristotle
B) Socrates
C) Pontius Pilate
D) Plato
Ans: C) Pontius Pilate
8. What does Bacon believe truth brings to the mind? (TRG 2019)
A) Uncertainty
B) Joy
C) Rest and calm
D) Confusion
Ans: C) Rest and calm
9. Which metaphor does Bacon use for truth in nature? (NET 2021)
A) The sun rising in the east
B) The pearl that shines in the day
C) The lion that roars in the wild
D) The tree that gives fruit
Ans: B) The pearl that shines in the day
10. Bacon states that a mixture of falsehood and truth adds what to a lie? (State PSC 2018)
A) Danger
B) Satisfaction
C) Pleasure
D) Safety
Ans: C) Pleasure
11. How does Bacon describe truth in human affairs? (UPSC Mains 2015)
A) Rare and valuable
B) Always dangerous
C) Always hidden
D) Unimportant
Ans: A) Rare and valuable
12. What does Bacon claim is the role of truth in judgment and business? (SSC CGL 2022)
A) It is not needed
B) It weakens business
C) It helps in decision making
D) It leads to loss
Ans: C) It helps in decision making
13. What does Bacon mean by “the inquiry of truth”? (NET 2018)
A) A lie detector process
B) The effort to discover truth
C) The punishment of liars
D) The rewriting of truth
Ans: B) The effort to discover truth
14. According to Bacon, what adds a lustre to truth? (SLET 2020)
A) Falsehood
B) Power
C) Hope
D) Virtue
Ans: A) Falsehood
15. Why does Bacon compare truth to daylight? (Banking Exam 2019)
A) It is hard to look at directly
B) It shows things as they really are
C) It blinds people
D) It changes colors
Ans: B) It shows things as they really are
16. Bacon claims truth is the “sovereign good of human nature” in relation to what? (TRB 2022)
A) Ethics
B) Knowledge
C) Mind
D) Soul
Ans: C) Mind
17. What does Bacon say about those who mix falsehood with truth? (NET 2022)
A) They are wise
B) They are admired
C) They are corrupt
D) They are punished
Ans: C) They are corrupt
18. What does Bacon consider a base and cowardly thing? (SSC CHSL 2019)
A) To believe lies
B) To tell the truth
C) To lie for advantage
D) To fear the truth
Ans: C) To lie for advantage
19. What does Bacon suggest about poets and lies? (UPSC Prelims 2017)
A) Poets should be punished
B) Poets hate lies
C) Poets lie for delight, not belief
D) Poets always tell the truth
Ans: C) Poets lie for delight, not belief
20. According to Bacon, what is one of the greatest pleasures in life? (State PSC 2017)
A) Revenge
B) Power
C) To find truth
D) Love
Ans: C) To find truth
21. Bacon believes a person who loves truth will be what? (NET English 2017)
A) A wise fool
B) A philosopher
C) A true lover of God
D) A poet
Ans: C) A true lover of God
22. What does Bacon suggest about truth and civil business? (SSC CGL 2018)
A) It is harmful
B) It is unimportant
C) It should be avoided
D) It should be balanced
Ans: D) It should be balanced
23. What kind of truth is “Of Truth” mainly concerned with? (SLET 2018)
A) Scientific truth
B) Artistic truth
C) Moral and philosophical truth
D) Religious doctrine
Ans: C) Moral and philosophical truth
24. What does Bacon suggest about those who enjoy lying for lying’s sake? (TRG 2020)
A) They are mentally ill
B) They are devils
C) They are clever
D) They are untrustworthy
Ans: B) They are devils
25. Which literary device is frequently used by Bacon in this essay? (PGTRB 2020)
A) Allegory
B) Hyperbole
C) Metaphor
D) Simile
Ans: C) Metaphor
26. According to Bacon, what is truth’s role in divine nature? (NET 2020)
A) It is unknowable
B) It is a secret
C) It is the sovereign good of the divine nature
D) It is rarely found
Ans: C) It is the sovereign good of the divine nature
27. Which figure from classical mythology does Bacon NOT mention in the essay? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
A) Lucian
B) Pilate
C) Heraclitus
D) None of the above
Ans: C) Heraclitus
28. What does Bacon say about those who lie without gain? (SLET 2019)
A) They are harmless
B) They lie out of habit
C) They lie like the devil
D) They are to be pitied
Ans: C) They lie like the devil
29. What emotion does Bacon associate with discovering truth? (PGTRB 2021)
A) Sorrow
B) Weariness
C) Joy
D) Anger
Ans: C) Joy
30. Bacon’s essay “Of Truth” opens with a reference to which biblical figure? (SSC CGL 2022)
A) Moses
B) Paul
C) Pilate
D) Peter
Ans: C) Pilate
31. How does Bacon define a lie that is mixed with truth? (NET 2019)
A) A harmful blend
B) A sweet and attractive falsehood
C) A necessary evil
D) A creative twist
Ans: B) A sweet and attractive falsehood
32. What does Bacon say about men’s minds when influenced by falsehood? (State PSC 2018)
A) They become sharper
B) They lose moral clarity
C) They become foolish
D) They gain poetic imagination
Ans: B) They lose moral clarity
33. Why does Bacon compare truth to a pearl? (SLET 2021)
A) Pearls are rare and hidden
B) Pearls are expensive
C) Pearls shine in daylight, like truth
D) Pearls are soft and fragile
Ans: C) Pearls shine in daylight, like truth
34. What does Bacon believe about truth and business negotiations? (Banking Exam 2020)
A) Truth should be avoided
B) Truth should always dominate
C) A mixture of truth is best
D) Lying is part of strategy
Ans: C) A mixture of truth is best
35. Bacon's tone in “Of Truth” can best be described as: (NET 2021)
A) Sarcastic
B) Ironic
C) Philosophical and reflective
D) Satirical
Ans: C) Philosophical and reflective
36. According to Bacon, why do people avoid truth? (UPSC Prelims 2016)
A) It is boring
B) It is painful and binding
C) It is outdated
D) It is complicated
Ans: B) It is painful and binding
37. Which quality of truth does Bacon admire most? (SSC CHSL 2020)
A) Its danger
B) Its sharpness
C) Its constancy
D) Its novelty
Ans: C) Its constancy
38. What is Bacon's view on poetry and truth? (SLET 2020)
A) Poetry should always be truthful
B) Poetry delights with imaginative lies
C) Poetry exposes truth
D) Poetry is superior to truth
Ans: B) Poetry delights with imaginative lies
39. What does Bacon say about the role of truth in religion? (NET English 2018)
A) It is the foundation of belief
B) It contradicts faith
C) It weakens religious emotion
D) It has no relation
Ans: A) It is the foundation of belief
40. Bacon implies that liars are like: (SSC CGL 2018)
A) Poets
B) Politicians
C) Thieves
D) Devils
Ans: D) Devils
41. What does Bacon think of people who lie for fun? (TRG 2018)
A) They are creative
B) They are evil
C) They are cursed
D) They are misunderstood
Ans: B) They are evil
42. What is the result of mixing truth with falsehood, according to Bacon? (PGTRB 2022)
A) Disrespect
B) Delight
C) Dullness
D) Confusion
Ans: B) Delight
43. Which of the following best describes Bacon's prose style? (NET 2020)
A) Ornate and flowery
B) Simple and vague
C) Aphoristic and dense
D) Rhythmic and poetic
Ans: C) Aphoristic and dense
44. How does Bacon contrast truth and lies in terms of appearance? (SSC CHSL 2021)
A) Lies are dull; truth is bright
B) Lies are beautiful; truth is plain
C) Truth is harsh; lies are smooth
D) Truth is clear; lies are distorted
Ans: B) Lies are beautiful; truth is plain
45. According to Bacon, how should men handle truth? (State PSC 2019)
A) Worship it blindly
B) Ignore it when necessary
C) Love it and seek it
D) Use it for manipulation
Ans: C) Love it and seek it
46. Bacon considers truth to be what kind of good? (SLET 2022)
A) Personal
B) Political
C) Civil
D) Divine and human
Ans: D) Divine and human
47. What does Bacon say about the nature of truth in philosophical reflection? (NET 2019)
A) It limits creativity
B) It brings satisfaction to the mind
C) It discourages morality
D) It leads to nihilism
Ans: B) It brings satisfaction to the mind
48. Which idea is central to Bacon's moral view in this essay? (UPSC Mains 2020)
A) Imagination is power
B) Lying is a necessary evil
C) Truth is both moral and spiritual
D) Truth should serve the state
Ans: C) Truth is both moral and spiritual
49. What is the meaning of the phrase “truth is the sovereign good of the human nature”? (PGTRB 2020)
A) Truth is politically useful
B) Truth is the highest moral value
C) Truth brings suffering
D) Truth is a social agreement
Ans: B) Truth is the highest moral value
50. In “Of Truth,” Bacon seems to encourage people to: (SSC CGL 2021)
A) Question all beliefs
B) Enjoy falsehood
C) Pursue truth actively
D) Trust lies in moderation
Ans: C) Pursue truth actively
51. What does Bacon say about truth in the context of love for God? (NET 2021)
A) It has no place
B) It weakens religious fervor
C) It is a form of divine worship
D) It is secondary to emotion
Ans: C) It is a form of divine worship
52. Bacon suggests that the search for truth is a: (SSC CGL 2022)
A) Waste of time
B) Joyful pursuit
C) Dangerous act
D) Useless effort
Ans: B) Joyful pursuit
53. In Bacon’s view, why do people willingly accept lies? (TRG 2020)
A) They are deceived easily
B) Lies satisfy their imagination
C) Lies make them moral
D) They hate the truth
Ans: B) Lies satisfy their imagination
54. Which figure does Bacon use to represent indifference toward truth? (UPSC Prelims 2017)
A) Socrates
B) Herod
C) Pilate
D) Cicero
Ans: C) Pilate
55. What is Bacon’s opinion of civil business in relation to truth? (PGTRB 2021)
A) It should exclude truth
B) It can ignore truth
C) It must involve truth carefully
D) It only needs truth in legal matters
Ans: C) It must involve truth carefully
56. What does Bacon suggest is the human mind's natural state regarding truth? (SLET 2018)
A) Neutral
B) Averse to truth
C) Fully truthful
D) Always questioning
Ans: B) Averse to truth
57. What effect does truth have on the soul, according to Bacon? (NET 2019)
A) Corruption
B) Freedom
C) Weight
D) Conflict
Ans: B) Freedom
58. Which of the following best reflects Bacon's attitude toward lying? (SSC CHSL 2020)
A) Strategic
B) Fun and harmless
C) Dangerous and disgraceful
D) Common but acceptable
Ans: C) Dangerous and disgraceful
59. What does Bacon believe is the greatest blessing of truth in human affairs? (State PSC 2020)
A) Confidence
B) Integrity
C) Peace of mind
D) Clarity
Ans: C) Peace of mind
60. According to Bacon, the use of truth in civil affairs requires: (NET 2022)
A) Harsh application
B) Subtle discretion
C) Complete transparency
D) Elimination of emotion
Ans: B) Subtle discretion
61. What classical belief is echoed in Bacon’s praise of truth? (UPSC Mains 2016)
A) Stoic idealism
B) Epicurean pleasure
C) Platonic realism
D) Aristotelian logic
Ans: C) Platonic realism
62. What quality of a poet does Bacon acknowledge despite criticizing lying? (PGTRB 2022)
A) Moral guidance
B) Creative delight
C) Truthfulness
D) Logic
Ans: B) Creative delight
63. How does Bacon refer to those who lie for profit? (TRG 2021)
A) Hypocrites
B) Criminals
C) Merchants of deceit
D) Cowards
Ans: D) Cowards
64. Why does Bacon consider truth vital to the scientific method? (NET 2021)
A) It helps in speculation
B) It ensures rational inquiry
C) It leads to superstition
D) It promotes belief systems
Ans: B) It ensures rational inquiry
65. What is Bacon's perspective on human nature and truth? (SLET 2020)
A) Humans are truthful by nature
B) Humans resist truth
C) Humans seek truth constantly
D) Humans ignore truth
Ans: B) Humans resist truth
66. What metaphor does Bacon use for truth’s transparency? (SSC CGL 2021)
A) A calm lake
B) A mirror
C) A pearl
D) A lantern
Ans: C) A pearl
67. How does Bacon relate truth to law and justice? (State PSC 2021)
A) Truth hinders justice
B) Truth is a burden in law
C) Truth supports justice
D) Truth complicates legal matters
Ans: C) Truth supports justice
68. What does Bacon mean by “truth is the daughter of time”? (NET 2020)
A) Truth takes time to grow
B) Truth is created by time
C) Truth is born with patience and observation
D) Truth is temporary
Ans: C) Truth is born with patience and observation
69. Bacon uses what tone when addressing the moral value of truth? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
A) Humorous
B) Reflective and sincere
C) Mocking
D) Detached
Ans: B) Reflective and sincere
70. What does Bacon mean by “truth is a naked and open daylight”? (PGTRB 2021)
A) Truth hides nothing
B) Truth is painful
C) Truth is rarely seen
D) Truth is harsh
Ans: A) Truth hides nothing
71. Bacon's comparison of truth to daylight emphasizes: (SLET 2019)
A) Its clarity and constancy
B) Its blinding nature
C) Its warmth
D) Its danger
Ans: A) Its clarity and constancy
72. Bacon states that a lie is a “wickedness,” even when: (NET 2018)
A) It is profitable
B) It is told as a joke
C) It is not harmful
D) It causes pleasure
Ans: C) It is not harmful
73. In Bacon’s philosophy, truth should be pursued through: (UPSC Mains 2015)
A) Argument
B) Faith
C) Observation and reason
D) Art
Ans: C) Observation and reason
74. Which classical ideal supports Bacon's love for truth? (NET 2019)
A) Renaissance skepticism
B) Enlightenment empiricism
C) Socratic inquiry
D) Romantic imagination
Ans: C) Socratic inquiry
75. Bacon's argument in “Of Truth” primarily appeals to which aspect of human life? (SSC CHSL 2022)
A) Emotional
B) Spiritual and rational
C) Artistic
D) Physical
Ans: B) Spiritual and rational
76. Bacon contrasts truth with which of the following literary forms? (PGTRB 2021)
A) History
B) Essay
C) Poetry
D) Dialogue
Ans: C) Poetry
77. Which phrase best captures Bacon’s overall message in “Of Truth”? (NET 2020)
A) Truth is relative
B) Truth is divine and essential
C) Truth is unknowable
D) Truth is an illusion
Ans: B) Truth is divine and essential
78. What, according to Bacon, makes falsehood attractive to people? (SLET 2021)
A) Its familiarity
B) Its color and variety
C) Its complexity
D) Its difficulty
Ans: B) Its color and variety
79. Bacon considers those who avoid truth as: (UPSC Mains 2020)
A) Wise strategists
B) Lovers of liberty
C) Enemies of morality
D) Creatures of custom and ease
Ans: D) Creatures of custom and ease
80. What does Bacon imply is needed to uncover truth? (SSC CGL 2019)
A) Faith
B) Persuasion
C) Labor and patience
D) Power
Ans: C) Labor and patience
81. What rhetorical device is frequently used by Bacon in this essay? (NET 2021)
A) Simile
B) Irony
C) Aphorism
D) Hyperbole
Ans: C) Aphorism
82. What does Bacon see as the danger of mixing falsehood with truth? (TRG 2021)
A) It creates confusion
B) It’s harmless fun
C) It strengthens arguments
D) It improves clarity
Ans: A) It creates confusion
83. According to Bacon, how should individuals treat truth in daily life? (State PSC 2020)
A) Avoid it when inconvenient
B) Be indifferent to it
C) Honour and live by it
D) Use it occasionally
Ans: C) Honour and live by it
84. What type of truth is most valuable according to Bacon? (NET 2022)
A) Legal truth
B) Scientific truth
C) Moral and divine truth
D) Personal opinion
Ans: C) Moral and divine truth
85. How does Bacon compare truth to lies in terms of human delight? (PGTRB 2022)
A) Truth always delights more
B) Lies are always preferred
C) Lies offer imaginative joy
D) Truth is too bitter
Ans: C) Lies offer imaginative joy
86. What does Bacon consider a sign of weakness in character? (SLET 2020)
A) Doubting facts
B) Disregarding poetry
C) Loving lies
D) Believing truth blindly
Ans: C) Loving lies
87. What does Bacon believe about habitual liars? (NET 2019)
A) They are harmless
B) They lose the sense of reality
C) They are successful
D) They are intelligent
Ans: B) They lose the sense of reality
88. What does Bacon state about truth in terms of religion and faith? (UPSC Prelims 2017)
A) It contradicts scripture
B) It complements and strengthens faith
C) It weakens belief
D) It’s irrelevant to religion
Ans: B) It complements and strengthens faith
89. Which of the following is not mentioned by Bacon in “Of Truth”? (SSC CHSL 2021)
A) Pilate
B) Poets
C) Lawyers
D) Historians
Ans: C) Lawyers
90. Which of these best describes Bacon’s vision of a good life? (State PSC 2021)
A) A life of passion
B) A life of clever deceit
C) A life grounded in truth
D) A life of luxury
Ans: C) A life grounded in truth
91. Bacon compares falsehood to which aesthetic art? (PGTRB 2020)
A) Sculpture
B) Painting
C) Music
D) Drama
Ans: B) Painting
92. Bacon says truth provides delight to which faculty of the soul? (NET 2020)
A) Imagination
B) Memory
C) Reason
D) Senses
Ans: C) Reason
93. Which vice does Bacon associate with pleasure in falsehood? (UPSC Mains 2016)
A) Avarice
B) Sloth
C) Pride
D) Corruption
Ans: D) Corruption
94. What makes truth supreme according to Bacon? (SLET 2021)
A) Its utility in war
B) Its clarity
C) Its connection with divinity
D) Its relativity
Ans: C) Its connection with divinity
95. What is Bacon’s position on truth and poetry? (NET 2019)
A) Truth belongs to poetry
B) Poetry enhances truth
C) Poetry is made of lies that delight
D) Poetry should always be avoided
Ans: C) Poetry is made of lies that delight
96. What literary period does Bacon’s “Of Truth” belong to? (SSC CGL 2019)
A) Romantic
B) Elizabethan
C) Victorian
D) Neoclassical
Ans: B) Elizabethan
97. Bacon’s essay “Of Truth” is mainly concerned with: (TRG 2019)
A) Science and progress
B) Morality and philosophy
C) Imagination and dreams
D) Literature and drama
Ans: B) Morality and philosophy
98. In Bacon’s time, truth was often linked with: (PGTRB 2021)
A) State politics
B) Divine understanding and natural law
C) Economic power
D) Emotional appeal
Ans: B) Divine understanding and natural law
99. Which of these best defines the structure of Bacon’s essay? (NET 2020)
A) Dialogue form
B) Storytelling
C) Logical and reflective prose
D) Rhymed verse
Ans: C) Logical and reflective prose
100. Ultimately, Bacon advocates for a life guided by: (UPSC Mains 2020)
A) Emotions
B) Practical lies
C) Artistic imagination
D) Truth and reason
Ans: D) Truth and reason" remove repeated questions
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