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Watching Lost can sometimes feel like taking a university class, what with all the allusions to literature, philosophy, music, Buddhism, Christianity, politics, comic books and countless other subjects being thrown around. And nowhere are these references more ubiquitous than in the character names. At this point, it feels like every character's name has some deep significance behind it. How much do you know about the people behind these names?

Question 1

On Lost, John Locke is the survivor who instantly buys into the island and its mystical powers. His name is directly lifted from the English philosopher who preached individual rights and reason. Which of these works was not written by the philosopher Locke?






Question 2

Danielle Rousseau was discovered in the first season after having lived on the island for 16 years. Her name is a reference to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the philosopher famous for what idea?






Question 3

Ben Linus has emerged as one of the central characters in the Lost mythology, quite a feat, considering he was initially only signed on for a few episodes. Back in those days, Ben was known as Henry Gale, an allusion to what character from the Wizard of Oz?






Question 4

The fourth season saw the introduction of Matthew Abbadon. Viewers don’t know much about him, but it’s a safe bet that he’s bad news because of his last name, which comes from the Hebrew word "avaddon." What does “avaddon” mean?






Question 5

Between conning Locke out of his kidney and pushing him out of a window, Anthony Cooper is the worst father on a show riddled with bad dads. In real life, how was Cooper’s namesake, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, related to the philosopher John Locke?






Question 6

Charlotte Staples Lewis, an anthropologist that came over on the freighter, is named after the author of what series of fantasy novels?






Question 7

According to producers, how did ghost-whisperer and freighter arrival Miles Straume get his name?






Question 8

One-eyed and seemingly death-resistant Other Mikhail Bakunin is named after the Russian revolution famous for the theory of collective anarchism. How does collective anarchism differ from anarchist Communism?






Question 9

Daniel Faraday, a scientist from the freighter, has presumably come to the island to investigate the magnetic forces, a nod to the scientist Michael Faraday, who studied electromagnetism. Besides his work with the Faraday cage, chemistry, light, magnetism, electricity and just about every other field of science, what public work did Faraday perform?






Question 10

Dr. Juliet Burke is a fertility doctor who worked with the Others on the island before joining up with the Oceanic gang. But she’s not the only Dr. Burke on TV. What other show has a Dr. Burke?






Question 11

The season 4 finale saw the introduction of Jeremy Bentham, another philosopher reference. However, the character Bentham has a direct reference to the real Bentham’s life. What was it?