1227 samples of this type
The Tree Puzzle The tree puzzle is a well-known philosophical paradox that can be approached in diverse ways. Solving it requires engaging in complex decision-making processes based on the definitions of reality. The puzzle itself illustrates the extent to which perception influences the truth. Moreover, it refers to the human...
Introduction Scholars have discussed the most difficult aesthetic topic since Aristotle’s Day. The former believes that objective standards exist for judging the aesthetic worth of craftsmanship, whereas the latter believes that all perfection assessments are subjective. Martin Gardner was an outspoken supporter of the objectivist concept, stating that perseverance was...
The examination of universal and basic concerns such as presence, reason, wisdom, values, consciousness, and language is referred to as philosophy. These issues are frequently offered as issues to be investigated or handled. The concept of happiness is central to Ancient Greek and Roman beliefs, yet at the Dawn of...
The Critique of Pure Reason, the main philosophical work of Immanuel Kant, was published in 1781, the result of reckless writing after many years of deliberation. Before its creation, Kant reported that it was no longer possible to keep such complex material in mind, and it was urgently required to...
Introduction Plato is a prominent Athenian philosopher of the 4th century BC, the founding father of the Platonist school of thought, and the teacher of Aristotle. Plato’s works are dedicated to such topics as ethics, justice, theology, and political philosophy. In the most well-known writing Republic, Plato analyzes the issue...
It is necessary to raise the question of the nature of the direction of the criticism of Nietzsche against thinking. Although it is comprehensive and very radical at first glance, the study allows us to see the ambiguity of such an understanding. Uncompromising criticism is directed primarily against the absolutization...
In the book The Prince, Machiavelli presented the readers with opinions that were opposed to humanism philosophy. He encouraged rulers to kill some of their subjects to obtain what they wanted. The author discusses the criminal ways that rulers can use to attain what they want. He outlines how rulers...
The topic of the absurd has been an ultimate ground for philosophical debates and discussions for many centuries. The main issue considered under this theme is the connection between human life and its absurdity. Nagel, in his work, investigates a concern about the inescapable absurdity of human lives and analysis...
Introduction Although socialism, capitalism, and communism offer various benefits to society, libertarianism’s strong valuation of individual freedoms, distributive justice, and the protection against state authority interference makes it the ideal form of government. The ideal societies are characterized by free citizens with equal and inalienable rights coexisting within an egalitarian...
Introduction The ethics of human relationships is the object of many philosophical teachings and doctrines. At the same time, specific issues and topics are controversial and acute since they are difficult to discuss within the framework of one particular theory due to distinctive views on causes and effects. As such...
The Cristian Perspective Despite the advent of science, religion and the Christian faith still play a prominent role in the field of healthcare. In the medical industry, care professionals are responsible not only for ensuring the physical but mental well-being of their patients as well. Christian principles can provide the...
Epistemology, Metaphysics, & Reason Rene Descartes is one of the world’s most famous philosophers that influenced the way people see the world and make meaning out of it. Many of these theorists’ ideas were considered to be authentic and radical. For instance, he was the first one to question human...
The contemplation behind Nietzsche’s philosophy projects the meaning of values and their importance to existence. Regarding nature, Friedrich Nietzsche emphasizes that humans are at a development stage that is not final but transitional. Subsequently, living can never become too complacent or gratified with their accomplishments without putting their claim of...
Introduction The physical tangibility of material reality and the extent to which it is dependent on the personal perceptions of an individual is, perhaps, one of the most contentious topics that have been discussed throughout the history of philosophy. In the famous dilemma of a falling tree, the question of...
The Republic is a book written in 370-360 BC by Plato, the renowned Greek philosopher. He constructed the reading in the form of the dialog between his teacher Socrates, whom he respected much, and Socrates’ counterparts Glaucon, Adeimantus, Polemarchus, Cephalus, Niceratus, and Thrasymachus. In this dialog, which starts from the...
European and a number of other contemporary societies may be called a direct or indirect product of ancient Greek culture. In ancient Greek philosophy profound ideas about the relationship between knowledge and opinion, truth and logical error, and dialectics as a method of cognition were formulated. These ideas served as...
The purpose of this paper is to summarise the arguments presented by Theodore Dalrymple in his rather lengthy philosophical article and reflect on them, providing my own opinion. The author begins by mentioning how insignificant he feels in comparison to the shocking and devastating events that transpire regardless of his...
Introduction The concept of virtue has attracted the attention of many scholars over the past several decades. The civilization brought with it an understanding that one’s action should not deliberately hurt others or cause harm to society. One should strive to hold high moral standards at all times and behave...
Ladies and gentlemen, with your permission I will talk about the importance of ethical awareness in our interactions with each other and our work. It is vital to know the importance of ethics in our midst. Many people fail to realize that it is our responsibility to make our surroundings...
Introduction Capitalism dominates the world economic system today. Even in societies like China and Cuba where advanced forms of communism have succeeded, they have been heavily influenced by capitalist tendencies. According to Chilcote (2006, p. 32), there is not even a pure form of capitalism owing to state ownership of...
Concept of Human Nature Considered by the State The concept of the human nature is an important part of the political theory because concepts, suchlike state, liberty, freedom, and others are discussed with a view to relations of human beings and a state. Sometimes a living organism is even presented...
Introduction It has been argued over the years, whether to judge people based on their deeds, irrespective of their intentions. When this is done, they are subjected to judgments based on their actions, without considering if they are responsible. It is quite easy to note that people have different reasons...
The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a useful guide for governance, this is apparent from the beginning of the book: its dedication to Lorenzo de Medici, the leader of Florence. Chapter 1 and 2 illustrate the book’s scope, a discussion of autocratic systems. These chapters describe...
Introduction “The primary purpose of philosophical analysis is to examine meaning and to develop theories of meaning” (Kaufmann 59). It is hence the purpose of this paper to discuss the topic of Existentialism. This paper analyses Existentialism, its definition, origins, concepts and early pioneers who helped shape this philosophy into...
Louis Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA) represents an innovative at the time view on peoples’ being involved into different manipulations from the part of official power. The concise picture of Althusser’s ISA represents rather interesting explanation of how individuals living in a state governed by the rule...
John Locke (1632-1704) has been credited with many of the founding principles upon which the Declaration of Independence was based including concepts of property and religion and the role of government on these in the lives of the individuals governed. Several of these ideas propounded by Locke in his description...
Introduction Ethics and morals are close in meaning, interchangeable and quite often complementary terms. Studying ethics, people seek to assess the actions and their consequences from the moral point of view. In that sense, moral can be an abstract term, whereas the assessment of one’s actions’ morality is of practical...
Hardin and his work Garrett Hardin is known for his good attempts long with arguments to work out social reasons and effects that can damage the environment. His work ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ explains the main source of the hazards that appeared in society with the flow of time....
In “On Denoting,” by Bertrand Russell (1905,) Russell presents fundamental statements in such a way that show the reader how they must make a series of deductions while considering built-in assumptions. He creates formulas to show how we analyze even basic statements as being true or false based on multiple...
Introduction Miracles are something that human beings always want to believe in, but what scholars, philosophers, and scientists try to dismantle. In other words, being a purely religious phenomenon, a miracle is doubted by those who actually doubt the very essence of religion and the fact of the existence of...
Moral Development This research paper aims to analyze Lawrence Kohlbergs theory of moral development. In particular, we need to discuss its application to the so-called Heinz or druggist dilemma, which exemplifies the choice between two limited options, either duty to the law or a dear person. First, it is necessary...
Introduction Renaissance political thought put forth the principalities and offered people a choice of them. Machiavelli proposes that the principalities may be hereditary or may be acquired by new princes or might be free ones. Hence, he proposes the state of dominions being free or living under a prince who...
Introduction Aristotle’s and Plato’s philosophies disagree on many issues. One of the most common issues of this disagreement arises when we examine their different perspectives and school of thought regarding issues in ethics. Many conflicting views can be recognized when we look at their different works related to ethical theory....
There is a great debate throughout the course of history as to what the concept of knowledge ought to refer to. A great amount of literature has been written on this controversial topic with scholars and philosophers pitting their impressive brainpower towards a possible definition of what knowledge is. However,...
Of the different philosophers that have influenced world political thought, John Stuart Mill’s contribution in the field was very significant and his political ideas have been frequently referred to regarding debates on equality and freedom. His most important work On Liberty is widely recognized as a remarkable and classic contribution...
Introduction Free will is the ability of one to choose a course of action with his/her own control. It is the ability of people to control their action with out any external influence from another party. Those who believe in free will take various positions about this very broad subject....
Introduction The fields of ethics and morality continue to dictate or govern human beings’ behaviors and actions. Different philosophers and scholars have presented evidence-based theories and principles to guide moral values and ethical perspectives. Some of these thinkers include John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. The paper presented below uses...
Introduction According to Plato, the central axis of the state is justice; it contains the answer to the question of why and how a perfect polis is born and dies. The correct organization of government, according to Plato, is able to curb and make impossible the greed of rulers, in...
Introduction The question about whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound when there is no one to hear it is a philosophical puzzle, which has elicited unending debates in various circles. As Livingston argues, humans need coherent answers to archetypal patterns (12), and thus the answer to...
Introduction Reading Descartes’ Meditation may be difficult because of the impossibility of finding out the truth and staying consistent. The intention of the author to clarify the things to doubt is a complex work with many perspectives. In this paper, the analysis of Descartes’ Meditation 1 is developed to explain...
The new understanding of the world in Renaissance consisted primarily in the fact that the thinkers of the Renaissance began to relate to the problem of human completely differently than Christian theologians. Christian theocentrism was being replaced by Renaissance anthropocentrism, when a person, personality problems become the center and goal...
Introduction As a rule, society considers helping others to be a virtuous and noble deed. If you approach anyone on the street and ask them if helping others is a good thing to do, the answer would most likely be “Yes.” However, after getting this initial affirmation, there are many...
How Does Nietzsche Use Comparison to Make an Argument about Love? The exploration of love as one of the most complex feelings experienced by people requires a detailed analysis of the effects that it produces. Thus, the degree of power that love can give a leader can be identified and...
Plato’s “Euthyphro” is a written dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro that discusses the meaning of piety as a virtue. Generally, piety is considered to be the fulfillment of duty to a higher power and humanity. Euthyphro is regarded as a highly pious man who chose to legally prosecute his own...
Do humans have a soul? It is not right to claim that human beings have a soul yet there is no concrete evidence to indicate any action that has resulted from the presence of the soul. Instead, many individuals just talk about it surviving after the death of the body....
Introduction Thomas Samuel Kuhn is one of the most famous proponents of scientific revolutions. He influenced academic as well as social circles by postulating a term that is widely used today, the paradigm shift. This is after claiming that the scientific revolution does not follow a linear or a continuous...
Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest and most recognized spiritual leaders globally, was born on the 2nd of October, 1869. Gandhi became instrumental in fighting for India’s independence using non-violent means as well as championing for his people. His methods of attaining freedom inspired many across the globe, as this...
By applying psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious studies, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung attempted to accurately describe the advantages and disadvantages of religious beliefs. According to the views expressed by Freud in his The future of an illusion, religious belief can have several positive implications for an individual...
Since time immemorial, scholars and philosophers have been trying to explain the relationship between mind and body and the origin of mental and physical phenomena. The major theories exploring the mind-body problem can be divided into two major categories of dualistic and monistic theories. Notwithstanding the width of the gap...
In the “Second Meditation”, Descartes operates on concepts the core of which seems impossible to doubt. At the beginning of this meditation, he claims that there are no thoughts since he has convinced himself that there is nothing in the world. However, he further comes to a conclusion that he...
Introduction Revolutions are an integral aspect of political evolution in the society. The success or failure of such a movement is dependent on the conduct and capabilities of the leaders and the masses. To this end, it is important to analyze the roles of these two parties with respect to...
Introduction Managing dilemmas and addressing conflicts as well as getting involved in any sort of analysis means being able to navigate among the existing options and analyze the arguments provided by each party to define the solution that suits the identified problem best. Traditionally, two types of arguments are used...
Introduction Certain principles and moral values dictate the forms and levels of interaction amongst individuals govern societies. These principles and morals form the bonds that bind one individual to another and everyone else to the society. The core aim of these values is to ensure that society does not fall...
Introduction Art has always been a method for people to communicate their feelings, ideas, and experiences. Artists frequently produce works embodying their unique viewpoints on life, death, and the connections between them. The works of art Death and Life by Gustav Klimt and “The Beauty of Death” by Khalil Gibran...
Introduction Friendship has been an integral feature of human existence since ancient times. The topic attracted massive interest from philosophers seeking to uncover what it constitutes. Jean-Marie (2021) states that Aristotle and Epicurus are two of the most significant ancient Greek philosophers who recognized the importance of friendship. The philosophers,...
Epistemic Humility and Its Personal Impact Epistemic humility is an important phenomenon that can explain painful feelings experienced when communicating with people who do not share my views. This concept is associated with the acknowledgment that I cannot know everything; I do not have infinite knowledge about all processes and...
Introduction The French philosopher Michael Foucault’s theory of governmentality, correlates with the idea that power is only used under the circumstances that the individual is free to begin with. For example, slavery does not exercise power as those who are enslaved have no choice and are, by definition, trapped. Instead,...
Many philosophers considered the nature of knowledge and human intellectual capacities from different perspectives. Aristotle proposed the most influential theories that later became the basis for interpretations and discussions. Saint Bonaventure articulated a theory of the agent and possible intellect, which attributes the possibility of knowledge generation to each individual...
Summary Groundhog Day is an iconic film that has a classic rethinking of the time loop theme with deep philosophical overtones. Even though I had watched the movie several times before, I rewatched it a few days ago and found a lot to think about. The film builds parallels with...
Basic Knowledge The Critique of Practical Reason is Kant’s second commentary, one of his three main expositions on morality, and a highly influential work in the history of ethical theory. The Critique, which was first released three years after Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, expands on the central...
In philosophy and social sciences, a debate regarding the existence of free will resulted in the creation of a deterministic approach. The classical doctrine of determinism suggests that every event and incident in human life is controlled by laws of nature and mystical powers. Thus, the deterministic views opposed the...
Introduction Human beings face various unexpected emergencies in their everyday activities. The emergencies may tragically result in fatal injuries or even cases of death of a person or a group of people. In emergencies, many people think it is permissible to sacrifice one person to save a group of people...
Formal Analysis P1: All living beings undergo constant change at every point in their lives. P2: Inanimate things are subject to continuous change. P3: Everything in the world exists in a cycle of change as fire does. C: Heraclitus’s philosophy of change is the correct way to think about the...
Introduction The Allegory of the Cave is the cornerstone of objective idealism, illustrating the world of things and the world of ideas. Many researchers rightly consider the Allegory of the Cave to be Plato’s central conversation (within the great dialogue of the State) and one of the primary texts in...
Introduction Philosophers tried to find the meaning of life throughout history, and there is no unanimous opinion on this issue even nowadays. As Socrates claims in Plato’s “Apology,” “the unexamined life is not worth living”. This perspective articulated by Socrates emphasizes the importance of knowledge and cognition in finding the meaning...
One of the central sections of philosophy that studies the problem of being is called ontology, and the problem of being itself is one of the main ones in philosophy. The problem of being was the base around which the whole field of philosophy was originally formed. Ancient Indian, Chinese,...
The work Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau is an illumination of the current shortcomings of the government. In the essay, the author describes the evil side of the authority that uses its power to reach its benefits, disregarding the nation’s interests. The paper written by Thoreau serves as a...
Philosophy is one of the subjects, the study of which is fundamental for further education. It helps to track the development of science and learn more about various intellectual ideas. In addition, by following the train of thought of philosophers, you can learn a lot about the science of the...
Ancient Greek philosophy is a diverse subject containing various perspectives on life. While some of them did not pass the test of time and were left as relics of the past, others remained relevant to the present day and had a massive influence on the development of philosophical thought. Despite...
The main concept of Plato’s cave allegory is to describe the human condition, in which genuine truth is veiled and misleading pictures and information are mistaken for reality. Plato describes the narrative of a person who is led down the Gnostic road in the allegory. This allegory depicts the state...
Daoism is a religion-philosophical indigenous Chinese tradition that has affected the lives of countless Chinese for over 2000 years. Laozi, a great philosopher in the Roman period BCE, is the central figure of Daoism (Van 54). Most people believe this thinking to be a religion, yet it does teach us...
Introduction Existentialism is a very peculiar discipline of the school of thought in terms of its historical context. Its periods of active development and popularity paralleled the civilizational era of technical progress, full-scale and technological wars of annihilation, and unhuman state systems. These factors formed the very freedom-loving basis of...
Achieving happiness in life has been a topic of discussion among people for thousands of years. In particular, philosophers of all times are extremely concerned about this issue, one of which is Seneca. In his letters, he discusses the nature of a happy life and how to achieve it. He...
In his article, “A Non-Utilitarian Approach to Punishment,” H.J. McCloskey critiques utilitarianism which demands punishing of the innocent of benefiting the majority. He begins by acknowledging that it is easier for many people to accept utilitarianism as it advocates for the punishment of the offender. However, McCloskey explains how utilitarianism...
Waltz And Machiavelli’s Thoughts This paper will discuss the similarities and analysis of Waltz and Machiavelli’s thoughts on international relations and politics. Waltz began his career as a political theorist to describe state behavior. He used the imagery of human nature and individual leaders, the domestic politics of nations, and...
John Stuart Mill is the philosopher behind the Utilitarianism Theory, who introduced the theory in a bid to help people from making life decisions. In his approach, Mill suggests that actions are right when they produce happiness and wrong when they result in sadness (Komu, 2020). According to Mill, happiness...
The three main branches of philosophy Humans have a natural inclination towards reflecting on their own lives and different aspects of it, unlike other beings. These questions have been a matter of reflection and discussion since ancient times, and they allowed to define the purpose of a good life or...
Can Truth be Known Based on the Writings of Aquinas and Plato? Philosophers have varying interpretations of the truth as human beings understand the meaning of the word. According to Aquinas, truth resides not in the human intellect but in things (Knight, 2017). This belief applies when the truth cannot...
Nagel’s groundbreaking mental exercise has inspired years of inquiry and study into animals and human awareness, yet it continues as perplexing and ambiguous as ever. The article’s analysis of subjectivity is maybe an essential takeaway. Nagel emphasizes the subjective nature of subjective awareness, which is not represented by physical explanations...
The political ruling aims primarily to govern citizens and give a listening ear to their concerns. The governance of states is founded on law and regulations whose primary goal is to enable citizens to live a quality life. All citizens in a state aspire to live safely and peacefully while...
Sartre in his work, “Existentialism and Human Emotion” provides arguments for the existence of human freedom. He does so by deliberating on the first principle of existentialism, “man is nothing else but what he makes of himself” (Sartre, 1957/2020, p. 5). This principle encompasses the notion of existence before essence...
Philosophical Similarities and Differences from the Readings The three readings address the question about the problem of evil and the existence of God by applying the logical or evidential problem of evil and the philosophy of divine hiddenness. Craig (2008) argues that life would become absurd without the existence of...
Introduction Ideologies of various levels and degrees of influence on people exist and compete with each other in it. One of their leading ideologies at the moment is liberalism. In connection with the frequently arising issues related to the rights and freedoms of citizens, various points of view have been...
Personally, I find Sartre’s philosophical stance on the freedom of an individual very bold and motivational, as it can lead a person to become more proactive. Vaughn reveals that Sartre’s idea that “existence precedes essence” is a vital source of inspiration for those who are willing to take matters into...
Martin Heidegger is one of the most significant philosophers of the 20th century. He made an outstanding contribution to the development of existential theories and is a well-known representative of German philosophy. Studying death as a philosophical matter played a considerable role in the establishment of his ideas. He viewed...
Introduction Randolph Frederick Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. He was given a terminal diagnosis of three to six months after being found with pancreatic cancer. The concept of death is brought out in the lecture as Pausch shows how people can react to death...
Introduction There are many ethical approaches to charity and altruistic behavior that state how individuals should embark on helping others, whether any kind of help is necessary, and to what extent. Thus, such theories as utilitarianism and libertarianism present opposing views on charitable behavior and whether individual members of society...
Introduction In ancient times, people believed that everything in the world, including their own behavior, depended on the will of the gods. Today, people have different beliefs regarding the matter, but many think that humans have free will and are completely responsible for their actions. The philosophical views related to...
The local church refers to a group of Christians who often oversee and affirm each other’s membership in Christ and God’s kingdom. The definition of Christianity incorporates five parts: often gathering, the exercise of oversight and affirmation, the reason for representing Christ officially, and use of ordinances and preaching (Puffer,...
Violence in Modern Society The daily living of human lives is coupled with numerous challenges that impair their wellbeing. Violence is one factor that affects individuals’ quality of life and makes it not worth living. Several philosophers, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Hannah Arendt, and Viktor Frankl, suggested various ways...
Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) works had a tremendous impact on the development of the entire philosophical current of the XX century. Nietzsche was a harsh critic of religion; in particular, he viewed Christianity as a disease of the entire Western civilization. In his opinion, Christian moral in its exaltation of eternal...
Personal Purpose As humans, everyone needs personal philosophy; otherwise, there will be a risk of wandering in information and making random stimuli, with no impact on individual’s long-term goals. Personal life philosophy offers the overall attitude and vision towards both life and its purpose; therefore, without the essence of philosophy,...
Marxists’ attitude towards the concept of criminal punishment cannot be discussed outside of how Marxist paradigm theorizes crime. In its turn, this theorization reflects the conventions of the Marxist theory of a class struggle. According to Marxists, the pace of a historical progress is being defined by an ongoing process...
Introduction Human beings have always appreciated the importance of applying philosophical concepts to questions that are ethical and metaphysical in nature. This paper seeks to explain why death is bad for the dead person because he or she will be unable to experience the good things associated with life or...
In Apology 28b-30c, Socrates admits that he is not ashamed of pursuing a life that has not put him at risk of early death. The philosopher’s convictions hinge on the rational premise that it is worse to “live as a bad man” and not consider justice when taking action (28b)....
Nowadays, death is an integral part of the life cycle of any person, which will meet everyone in one day. However, there are different times, various circumstances and reasons for death, so most people are afraid of this day in their lives and their friend and families. This fear is...
Introduction Many philosophers, researchers, and scientists have explored the problem of God or any other immaterial power that can explain humans’ existence. Friedrich Nietzsche, who lived during the Industrial Revolution that brought crucial changes not only to the everyday life of people but also to their thinking, claimed that God...
Torture has always been a tool employed by people to extract vital information from individuals that possess important knowledge or simply humiliate them into submission and despair. Historically, torture was used as a means to receive confessions from criminals and witnesses (Hoadley et al. 248). Only recently did it disappear...
Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre is one of the most known French existentialists of the twentieth century. His ideas were expressed in numerous works related not only to philosophical writings but also to plays (Hayim, 2017). The main problems that he discussed were connected to the notion of freedom as a...
Locke argued that in the ‘natural state’ the human original condition, every person had an equal right to ownership and use of natural resources that were provided by the “spontaneous hand of nature” (Locke, 2005, sect. 25). The earth was commonly owned; however, resources are not useful for human survival...
The idea of the categorical imperative formulated by Immanuel Kant is based on four specific principles, and the principle of ends is one of them, in addition to the principle of universalizability, the principle of humanity, and the principle of autonomy. The purpose of this paper is to explain how...
In this chapter, Mr. Pierce expresses several opinions about the concept of a clear idea, the way it should be defined and recognized, and the distinction between a truly clear idea and an idea that only looks clear on the surface. He states that any thought is a system to...
Introduction In this paper, I will defend Socrates’ claim that the same traits of character can be beneficial if the person is wise and could lead to misery if the person is not, against the objection that an ignorant action might lead to happiness, and a wise action might end...
The word leadership assigns and unimaginable task upon one person who has been chosen to be the head of a group. It is the act of steering a group of people who share qualities or ambitions towards a common goal. This person is called a leader. Somebody who knows how...
Rene Descartes was a remarkable French philosopher whose contribution to the development of modern science and philosophy can be best of all proven by such titles as the Father of Modern Philosophy and the Father of Modern Mathematics that are traditionally ascribed to him. There is no doubt that it...
The notion of freedom may be characterized by a multiplicity of interpretations and possible shades of meaning ascribed to it. This fact is unquestionable evidence of the importance of this concept for humanity. Freedom may be understood as a multidimensional concept as it may refer to almost any sphere of...
What Is Compatibilism? Compatibilism is often given the name of soft determinism. In its application, it is used to refer to the theory that expresses the views that voluntary choice and predestination or God’s exhaustive sovereignty is dependent. In short, it can be put that there exists an amount of...
Philosophy is one of the most ancient sciences in the world. It was created by people as an attempt to explain the course of world development on the whole, and the events that happen to every particular person in his or her life. There are also numerous schools of philosophy...
Humans should have the courage to use their own Reason Evaluating the above notion have many dimensions to understand, but in the light of political philosophy it suggests that every man perceives a particular opinion about attaining or retaining freedom. Since no person on earth likes to get involved into...
Introduction The Cosmological Argument for the existence of God, as propounded by Thomas Aquinas, hinged on the five general principles. This, in Aquinas’ masterpiece was entitled “The Summa” (The Five Ways). In what follows, we would be critically discussing the first, second, fourth and the fifth pillars of his argument...
The scientific revolution profoundly changed the ways in which people thought. It was difficult for many to accept this change. Today scientific ways of thinking are as accepted and taken for granted as traditional ways of thinking in the sixteenth century. What might a future change in the ways of...
“Ignorance is Bliss”, is a famous saying from many different cultures. They say the more you know, the more aggravated you will be. To know whether ignorance is truly bliss is the common theme of the two readings, Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and Voltaire’s “The Good Brahmin”. In...
A possible thesis of this reading is ‘personal identity is flexible on a number of levels but remains based on a solid foundation of rarely changing principles.’ The author says, “if you are like me and you have a strong attachment to the belief that we persist through time …,...
Introduction Social Contract theory is based on the principles of political philosophy described in a number of theories of well known thinkers, such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Political philosophers managed to present the key assumption through the freedom and priority of individuals underlining the motivations of...
Thomas Hobbes’s “Leviathan” in focus The work of Thomas Hobbes’s “Leviathan” tells about different approaches on the state power with the author’s personal points on it. The work tends to keep a reader following the gradual understanding of how to make out the power itself and what kind of it...
Introduction This paper is a critical evaluation of “Popular Sovereignty and Nationalism” By Bernard Yack. Discussion In his article, Yack proves the relationship between nationalism and popular sovereignty and shows that against popular belief, modernization is not a prelude to nationalism but rather a result of nationalism to some extent....
Introduction There are many aspects to consider when one is engaging in a definition of something as amorphous and subjective as ethics. What might be an ethical move in one case may prove to be disastrously unethical in another. Not only does the outcome depend on the specific situation involved...
Descartes started with defining knowledge in terms of doubt. He made a clear distinction between rigorous knowledge and lesser degrees of conviction by stating “ I distinguish the two as follows: there is conviction where there remains some reason which might lead to doubt , but knowledge is conviction based...
The Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle’s best-known and significant work that defined his ethics. This writing includes ten books that were initially introduced as separate scrolls and are believed to be based on his lecture notes at the Lyceum. Aristotle was one of the last great Greek philosophers and the heir...
Introduction People are free to understand and interpret movies in their specific ways, relying on personal interests, knowledge, and approaches. During this week, students got a chance to study the perspective about classical film theories and the peculiarities of cinematic art offered by Irving Singer. There are many filmmaking devices...
“All for One and One for All” is an essay written in 2010 by a Canadian philosopher, Charles Taylor. In his essay, the author narrates about solidarity as one of the most significant elements of democratic societies. The strength of the essay is Taylor’s argument that points out that the...
The Socratic Method is a particular way of teaching and learning, which originated in the V century BC in Athens. The method entails engaging in a structured debate to uncover more accurate meanings to concepts. In the debate, the teacher does not provide the students with undeniable factual knowledge but...
There are many different arguments for the existence of God and against it, most of which have been criticized heavily and logically deconstructed since their inception. Blaise Pascale, a famous scientist, and philosopher proposed a model for faith that is based on rationality. He claimed that belief has a higher...
Introduction In the contemporary world, people have to deal with moral dilemmas especially when deciding what is ultimately good. Philosophically, the definition of a good act varies depending on the different schools of thought. Immanuel Kant came up with the categorical imperative on moral philosophy, which defines what is right...
Principle of Cosmic Unity One of the paradigms discussed in Roy’s Adaptation model is the idea of “cosmic unity,” which redefines the goal of systematic approaches to nursing from mere system maintenance to the achievement of a greater purpose. Roy defines cosmic unity as a set of relationships between people...
Many scholars interpreted Niccolò Machiavelli’s ideas differently, and even today, there is no consensus on whether his views of political behaviors were reasonable or morally unacceptable, right or false. For instance, Leo Strauss, Ernst Cassirer, and Sheldon Wolin conducted the analyses of The Prince and Machiavelli’s main arguments made in...
Introduction As an essential set of traits, virtue is perceived as moral excellence that defines the extent of the humanity of oneself. It is a common phenomenon studied by ethics, a branch of philosophy. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, made a significant contribution to examining this ethical phenomenon, as he is...
Determinism is a well-established school of thought, arguing that all actions performed are entirely determined (hence the name) by psychological, biological, or other causes. Thus, all actions are entirely rational and could be explained. Sometimes it also precludes free will, since if all human actions are determined by their experience...
Introduction Aquinas is a famous philosopher whose work has offered an interesting point of view on human existence. In the third article of On the Voluntary and the Involuntary, the author presents his outlook on the actions people take. Most notably, he examines whether all activities are performed through a...
Introduction Rene Descartes was a thinker who was best known for his contribution in the field of philosophy. In Meditations, Descartes focuses on epistemic and metaphysical matters (Moriarty 13). Through this, he shed more light on the existence, mind, and answers about God. In the article, Descartes asserts that as...
The Nature of Reality from the Perspective of Heraclitus Heraclitus believes that reality could be equated with fire (Moore & Bruder, 2011). The reason behind this is the fact that it is ever-changing. For this reason, he believes that there is no reality. According to him, permanence is nothing but...
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism These spiritual philosophies stress on the acceptance of things the way they are, overcoming desires and humility (Rudy, 2004). They also recognize the shortness of human life and limited personal achievements. They both believe in a certain way of life (dharma) and the universal principle of...
Introduction Values refer to codes of conduct that a person holds as relevant, worth, or essential in life. On the other hand, attitude is the way of viewing or feeling about something, which is usually seen in a person’s form of conduct. Human service goes along with appreciating the well-being...
The elements of moral dilemmas The elements of any moral dilemma are the following. The act Talking about the moral dilemma, we consider the moral act to be any human act made on the basis of one’s knowledge and with regard to one’s free will. It is always performed consciously...
The definitions of right and wrong are a fluid subject. Over the course of history and the evolution of human ethics, the concept has undergone significant changes. Many religions around the world are thousands of years old. They have participated in the formation of the society as we know it...
Introduction The philosophical work “On Liberty” was written by J. S. Mill in 1859. These are the times of democratic republics’ heyday on the eve of slavery abolition in the US. The main idea centers on the understanding of the concept of individual freedom and the definition of public interference...
Prime Reality: Definition The concept of prime reality has been discussed countless times by philosophers across the globe, yet no consensus has been reached so far. There are numerous approaches to defining the notion of prime reality; for instance, there is the assumption that God represents it. Other philosophies suggest...
The Age of Enlightenment can be regarded as the epoch when people put reason above all and believed they could explain everything. Importantly, this was also the time when moral (Christian) values were seen as effective doctrines everybody followed without hesitation (Perez, 2012). John Locke is one of the most...
The celebration of human reason in science began in the 18th century. The period was also known as the Enlightenment, and the works and achievements of its brightest representatives such as Luigi Galvani, Voltaire, Erasmus Darwin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant changed the lives of millions of people. It was...
The perspectives of deontology, deriving from the root meaning duty, and associated with Immanuel Kant and William David Ross, suggest the ethical complexities facing a US soldier. Both thinkers focus on not depending on what one wants to do, but on what one has to do. Although the connection to...
Introduction The greatest thinkers living in different periods of human history have always tried to understand the real nature of appropriate and inappropriate things that a person can do. Therefore, there is a range of theories that are devoted only to the ethical norms of modern society or make attempts...
Aristotle referred to human beings as zoon politikon; Hobbes stated that “man is a wolf to man” (De Waal 3). Throughout the course of human history, the greatest thinkers of their times argued about what human nature stands for. As seen from the statements of Hobbes and Aristotle, they were...
Introduction This paper traces the advancement of political thought via a study of some key writers of political discourse such as Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and Friedrich Hegel. Emanuel Kant was a German philosopher, and he was well known for his enormous contribution towards shaping the modern philosophy. Hume was...
A Treatise of Human Nature is a work of David Hume, which was published in three consecutive parts from 1738 to 1740. Hume was a Scottish philosopher who was increasingly fascinated by the study of human knowledge and mind. In A Treatise of Human Nature, Hume attempts to explore the...
Difference from Predecessors The history of the United States is riddled with ambiguous and often controversial events, people, and ideas. Even though all of these ideas are built to fit the profile of a democratic concept as a part of the philosophy created by the Founding Fathers, some of the...
The significance of a positive change is intrinsically characteristic of any culture (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014a). However, when viewed through the lens of a specific set of traditions, philosophies, a and the world picture, the phenomenon shapes, gaining new shades of meaning and incorporating more wisdom. Although kaizen, which is...
Introduction The law is considered one of the most important building blocks of our society. Modern law covers almost every aspect of life, ranging from the most basic concepts such as the protection of life, health, and private property, to regulating trade, formalizing marriage, and assigning penalties for misconduct. The...
Are We Obligated to Prevent Suffering? It could be hardly doubted that Buddhism as a philosophy and religion had a significant impact on the development of Western moral and ethical conceptions (Garfield et al. 293). It is also possible to notice that such influence became more apparent since the 19th...
Introduction Socrates is a Greek philosopher and teacher of a great Greek philosopher Plato. His works laid a basis for the Greek thespian art and he is a pioneer to the rise of official logical positivism. The Apology and Crito, which substantiates his tribulation, sentence, and denial to run away...
The Scientific Revolution of the 17th century marked the beginning of a new era of modern science that significantly transformed and advanced the existing knowledge and ideas. The philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon played an instrumental role in shaping the theory of empiricism that, to a considerable extent, challenged...
