1144 samples of this type
Rousseauism The dream of a better life and the idea that each generation should live better than the previous one has made a decisive contribution to the pursuit of scientific and technological innovation, reform, and continuous progress. However, not all concepts agree that moving forward is tantamount to approaching a...
The ethics of virtue today is one of the three main approaches in normative ethics. It can be characterized as an approach that attaches particular importance to virtues and moral character. This is put in contrast to approaches that emphasize the importance of responsibilities and rules or the consequences of...
Introduction The cave’s inner part embodies the sensual world; it is dim, gloomy, and devoid of natural light, where a group of prisoners sees the shadows. Consequently, the outer part illustrates the intelligible, material world, filled with the magnificence and beauty of light from the sun. Thus, the prisoner’s journey...
Introduction Education helps in social and economic development and is significant for any political decision. Through education, academics can interact with people and develop creative solutions that help save the world. Praxis is a deliberative, responsible, human-moral action that involves wise judgment. The approach is the basis of creativity in...
Introduction Justice is primarily concerned with the ideals that should support the state, politics, and the law relevant to Western pluralistic cultures. Sandel provides a three-way argument between utilitarian, liberal, and communitarian viewpoints, with the latter emerging victorious, aided by a healthy dose of neo-Aristotelianism. Reasonable explanations are provided, and...
Introduction The problem of determining human nature has always been topical. Individuals have always tried to determine the nature of their selves and find their places in the world. For this reason, the question of self is one of the fundamental ideas in both Western and Eastern philosophies. Thinkers have...
Introduction The mind-body problem is a philosophical discussion explaining the relationship between the body and mind. Various past and modern philosophers have developed varied positions regarding whether the mind is independent of the body. Sufficient evidence shows that the mind is what the brain does and that both are interdependent....
Explanation of the Principles and Concepts For millennia, philosophers have been searching for the truth of ethics by making new observations. Modern research is focused on the search for ethical inquiries in the practical activity of a people, reducing the metaphysical part. Among contemporary philosophers of this trend, one should...
Introduction People determine the moral value of acts differently since environment and experience play a role in shaping one’s opinion of morality. The criterion for the acceptability of deeds is different for everyone, so it is difficult to choose a single view of morality and the morality of an act....
Introduction Utilitarianism has attracted ardent opponents and defenders over the years as an approach to ethics and morality in society. Enthusiasts regard the philosophical approach to morality as a liberating and standard theory. Further, the theory practically connects attitude to decision-making and rejects the tyrannical questions about moral conventions. On...
In the present day, four Hellenistic philosophies are less followed by people due to their changed perceptions of reality and life values. From a personal perspective, cynicism in its understanding by ancient Greek philosophers has less importance for modern individuals in comparison with other teachings. It emphasized the importance of...
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...
Learning philosophy helps one critically analyze their life, knowledge, the universe, and everything it holds. The three core branches of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, evoke creative thinking through questioning. Although the approach used within each division is constant, they are distinct in content and objective. The subject of epistemology...
Basic Knowledge Burke is notable at supplying the reader with an abundance of information on psychological and sociological topics alike. The most useful of them in terms of philosophy of communication would be occupational psychosis, piety as a system builder, and the pathetic fallacy. Occupational psychosis is concerned with the...
The “Allegory of the Cave” represents the fact that information acquired by the senses is little more than belief and that actual knowledge can only be attained through philosophical deliberation. We are to understand the cave as a metaphor for those who place their faith in the evidence they gather...
Basic Knowledge of the Book The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle is a major guiding force in academic and political ethics, which is a fundamental factor for human existence. The book is based on the author’s views and is subject to constructive and negative criticism from its intended audience. From my...
Introduction Many philosophies are trying to provide their own, unique explanation of the world and humans’ place in it. One of them, existentialism, suggests that people “exist before there is the essence and cannot but create or construct essence and meaning” (Vandekerckhove, 2020, p. 130). Discussion According to that philosophy,...
Confessions by Augustine is a series of books by St. Augustine, which describe his life’s journey and transformation from a sinful paganistic individual to a devout Christian. These books are some of the earliest theological and scholastic works depicting one’s path towards religion. It is often described as a ‘self-help’...
Husserl presents an excellent introduction to phenomenology and develops a new approach to looking at reality, and this is one way the book advanced my theoretical knowledge. Husserl meditations depict a huge influence of Leibniz’ Modadology because the Cartesian ego attains conversion into the monad (Husserl 68). Hence, this brings...
Sigmund Freud is a highly controversial figure among philosophers, often criticized. Despite the significant number of published works, they have often been considered frauds. Nevertheless, some of Freud’s writings, especially later ones, deserve more detailed attention. One such work is “The Future of an Illusion”, in which Freud examines the...
The problem of free will or the question of determinism is a fundamental problem of human cognition and the nature of one’s thoughts. This problem is characterized by a well-known philosophical reflection on whether man’s mind generates his being or vice versa, and a great deal depends on it. Whether...
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 The question of the existence of the soul and its fate after a person’s death occupies the minds of many philosophers. One of the dialogues introduced by Plato, “Phaedo”, contains his view of the soul, presenting it as indestructible and the opposite of death. The philosopher provides dialectical evidence...
Utilitarianism is a direction in ethics that presents utility as the basis of morality. It is the principle of evaluating phenomena, processes, objects, and information only in terms of their usefulness and ability to serve as means to a goal (Scarre, 2020). The essence of utilitarianism consists of its concept...
The fact that humans are aware of time and space demands that science investigates consciousness from a near-spiritual perspective on existence. Physicalism is a worldview rooted in the notion that everything is physical with no room for any other domain, such as epiphenomenalism or soul. This essay answers Thomas Nagel’s...
Introduction Morality is a philosophical view concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour. Overall, morality is a particular system of values, which are dictated by individual’s inner standards or principles. There are two views on morality; they are skeptical and non-skeptical views. Moral skepticism is...
This lecture is the primary source that focuses on existentialism, where the author argues how it is synonymous with humanism. According to the author of this article, everyone tries very hard to become what they wish to be. From the onset, Sartre has a conflict with his public image, which...
It is important to note that the first five correspondences between Elisabeth and Descartes delve into the subject of soul and body. The central question posed by the Princess is about how an immaterial substance, such as a soul, can move and affect a material body. The analysis of the...
In the John Locke’s Of Identity and Diversity under review, the author discusses several definitions of identity and self and separates them into component parts and terms. His philosophical definitions of thought, perception, and interaction intersect with rejecting and denying certain definitions and concepts. It is necessary to analyze and...
It is important to note that the moral law is a mandate which dictates how a person must act. The latter is Kant’s perspective on ethics and morality, where the supreme principle of morality or Categorical Imperative lies at its core. The act of lying contradicts the morality of truth,...
The word evolution refers to social changes that are carried out according to general principles. In the evolutionary process, each new state about the previous one appears to be better both quantitatively and qualitatively. Evolution is interpreted as a process carried out by itself and is thus a kind of...
Karl Marx was a German philosopher, currently known for such works as Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto. During his lifetime, he was not that popular among his contemporaries, however, later, he gathered a large number of followers. In the latter work, Marx criticizes the current system and current ruling...
The philosophy of Thomas Aquinas is one of the brightest systems of thought in medieval Europe and world philosophy in general. Thomas Aquinas himself did not consider his philosophy original and claimed that he was striving only for an exact reproduction of the main ideas of Aristotle (Brook, 2018). However,...
It is important to note that warfare and the ability to defend oneself are key aspects of rule and governance. There is a reason why the largest and most powerful nations on the planet invest heavily in their militaries, such as the United States, and China, or Russia. The strength...
Introduction There are a few different reasons why philosophers might think that there is a formula for determining moral duty. One reason is based on social contract theory, which holds that humans have a duty to obey the law because they have agreed. Another reason is based on the role...
Introduction Philosophy and religion are tightly connected with the human desire to understand the world and themselves. Many different theories were proposed in order to better quantify the human condition and determine the ultimate purpose and aim of life. However, it still remains impossible to find definitive truths about living...
Virtue ethics is a moral ideology developed as early as ancient Greece by the famous philosopher and thinker Aristotle. He believed that our purpose is to pursue our true human goal, eudaimonia, which is best understood as human prosperity or a life of abundance. It is a fundamental concept in...
Introduction The focus of the philosophical trend of existentialism is the question of existence. The absurdity, despair, freedom, alienation, and responsibility became entrenched in the system of theoretical science and the social and moral cultural model emerging in the twentieth century with existentialism (Hayim 14). The supporters of existentialism aimed...
German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is recognized for shaping contemporary philosophical thought. Hegel’s view of freedom was that it was a human entitlement, not a person’s right, but merely a product of human logic. Hegel comprehensively explains his viewpoint in the books, Outlines of the Philosophy of Right and...
Introduction There are three common frameworks for moral philosophy: deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is possibly the oldest ethical theory in the world, with origins in Ancient Greece. Ethics, also called moral philosophy, is the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and...
When it comes to the philosophical aspects of life, many people support the idea of free will. This idea is deeply ingrained in their actual experiences to the extent that it is nearly hard to consider the possibility that their perspectives are incorrect. For example, when individuals contemplate various actions...
Rene Descartes was a famous philosopher from the era of Enlightenment who has made some relevant points today. Throughout his life, he has challenged the views he was taught and one’s perception of the world. This made the philosopher one of the most influential figures in skepticism and rationalism. The...
A utilitarian person is usually characterized as having a desire for practical benefits. The concept of utilitarian means imbued with narrow practicality, limited by immediate interests, needs or prescriptions of utility motives, benefits (Mensah & Agyemang, 2020). This means that such a person will see a valuable advantage in having...
Introduction Philosophy has always played a significant role in humans’ lives, and the greatest philosophers create laws that are different from governmental regulation but close individuals’ beliefs. The Crito is one of the famous ancient dialogues where the main character Socrates states that injustice should not be replied with injustice,...
Introduction Enlightenment in history was an era that appeared in the 18th Century, with many people being stakeholders in this significant change. It was a movement that turned out to be philosophical and intellectual. The ideologies of this era focused on the worth of human contentment, the pursuit of knowledge...
In this essay, I argue that Thomas Donaldson’s view of global businesses being held accountable for their harmful activities in foreign countries is ethical and justifiable. I begin by outlining Thomas Donaldson’s strong arguments about justice practices that subject foreign citizens to technological risks that are more destructive than in...
In their philosophical discussion of justice, Rawls and Hobbes adhered to different considerations, which informed their opposing definition of this concept. On the one hand, Rawls defined justice, emphasizing its so-called ideal state without proper consideration of the injustices (Wilburn 96). In particular, Rawls perceived justice as the prevalence of...
Sartre’s theory argues against placing meaning in human existence and believes it to be meaningless. Sartre believes that existence preceded essence, which means that we are born and then define ourselves over time through our own free will choices. Whoever we are, according to Sartre, is a result of the...
I agree with the statement that humans are products of their choices. According to existential theory, people have responsibility for their actions and incorporate meaning by creating their world (Glowiak, 2017). According to research, people are more inclined to seek counseling and self-help when they maintain belief in their ability...
Introduction Religion exists in every recognized global civilization, yet not all faiths hold a similar system of doctrines. The case for the presence of God can be made using the religious experience defense. According to this theory, the most plausible justification for religious encounters is that they represent a true...
Religion and philosophy are thought to be inextricably linked in the East. Confucianism is a belief founded on the ethics and philosophy of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher (Weiming, 2021). Confucianism is more commonly described as a social and ethical doctrine than religion. Confucianism does not have a deity, but it...
In Plato’s works, The Republic and Timaeus, the philosopher presents two ideas – the allegory of the cave and the analogy of the divided line. In the analogy, Plato describes a line that is unequally separated into four parts. Each of these segments represents two parts of the visible and...
Understanding certain philosophical concepts can have many positive aspects for an individual. This scientific work aims to examine Descartes’s worldview and compare it with the concepts of skepticism. Descartes’ main contribution is to initiate significant changes in philosophy. Moreover, the philosopher started by questioning everything in order to gain an...
Introduction The past always seems frightening and mysterious, and sometimes it is rather unpleasant to stir up past events because they make people remember. These memories may not always be pleasant, but that does not mean that the past is necessarily bad. Forgetting the path that led a people to...
The Archetypes of Wisdom Seventh Chapter’s Summary The chapter discussed hedonism as a doctrine, a system of views and beliefs that form a system of values, according to which pleasure is the highest good and the meaning of human life. Further, few other concepts are mentioned. Stoicism, which was founded...
Numerous thinkers contemplated ever-lasting principles of morality and happiness. David Hume suggested his perspective on this phenomenon, stating that if a person is incapable of differentiating between good and evil, then there is some extra-human ability for distinction (“Hume notes for ethics,” n. d.). When claiming that morality is a...
Death is an intrinsic part of human existence, as it is the endpoint of life. It is everywhere, and it is foolish to deny the fact that death can be avoided. There are people who try to live much longer than their allotted time. New scientific approaches and research are...
Free will could be described as an ability to choose. People have always wanted to be free, and to achieve this; people gave their lives. Modern people are much more fortunate because they have rights. However, there is still no concept of absolute freedom, and a person cannot be free....
The cosmological argument is the viewpoint that proves the God’s existence using empirical facts. In essence, everything in the universe is moved or created by another motion, cause, or existence (Jononymous Personymous, 2021a). If a certain phenomenon can be observed, then it has to originate from another phenomenon, thus forming...
Experiences shared by society have different effects on individuals and, in some cases, provide a reason for self-reflection. The recent and not fully resolved COVID-19 pandemic can be used as an example where billions of people worldwide were affected, but the outcomes were unique for each person. The uniting feeling...
Plato “I believe that truths are to be unearthed, and knowledge is permissible. Truth is not relative but objective as it conforms with how our reasoning apprehends a statement’s logic. It is thus wrong to state that people lack knowledge in some rudimentary way. However, there must be a distinction...
Poverty and wealth inequality have been concerning society for a very long time. The latter has sparked a debate regarding justice and wealth inequality. In the section How Liberty Upsets Patterns, Robert Nozick depicts how a person can benefit from the distribution of the second party. However, I will explain...
Finding a Solution to an Ethical Dilemma Utilitarianism is the ideology based on the idea that human life is not significant and that the genuine value is the benefit that one person can potentially bring. The utilitarian approach and values focus on estimating the statistical happiness that particular actions can...
The Rogerian argument posits many advantages to an Aristotelian discussion. Individuals are likely to become defensive when others confront them. In this way, the Rogerian approach tries to defuse a tense situation and connect these factions rather than seek domination of one over the other (Quinn, 2015). It involves establishing...
One of the dialogues of Plato’s Meno is set around the argument between Socrates and Meno, where he challenges the philosopher to state how virtue is archived and what is its nature. At the end of the part, Socrates reveals that the confident Meno does not understand how virtue is...
Philosophical queries are multifaceted and involve reflection and awareness. Especially notable is the thought that people’s limited capacity for perception creates a subjective stance toward the world. A direct consequence of this is a belief in the distance and increased priority over the rest of the world. Buddha and Berke...
People tend to have varying views on numerous aspects of life and explain some significant and primary concepts differently. Thus, attempts to discuss and define natural law started in Ancient Greece; later, many brilliant philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Hobbes, tried to understand this concept. Overall, according to Hobbes...
Shantideva was an Indian philosopher and monk who preached ideas of virtue and promoted many basic principles of Buddhism. Among the many themes he raises in A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, there is an exploration of the nature of patience, which is often the result of reflection...
The perception of the world by the human mind is one of the fundamental questions studied by philosophy. Understanding one’s self and awareness of reality are questions that puzzled the philosopher of antiquity, Descartes (Miceli, par. 4). He tried to answer this question in his writings and came to an...
The fundamental difference between philosophy and science is that the former asks conceptual questions and tries to find explanations entirely through thinking. On the other hand, the latter formulates theories that can be tested experimentally. The first crucial philosophical question is related to the existence of objects, which is asked...
Free will, what is it and do human beings have it? Does everyone have free will? Is free will a concept to be able to account for the evils within our world if you believe in any form of a higher power? Is free will a real thing, or is...
Summary Religion is part of a categorization system that looks neutral to the secular liberal, presented in awareness as conforming to how the environment is, irrespective of the discursive structures that comprise our communal interpretative misgivings. According to critical religion, religion is a power category that interacts dialectically with other...
It is challenging to overestimate Kant’s role in developing moral philosophy, which explains the fact that many other experts rely on his works. In her article “Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives,” Foot (1972) attempts to deny a commonly held belief that moral judgments cannot be hypothetical imperatives. In...
The Prince political treatise is known for being rather controversial and making people have conflicting ideas, which affected the reputation of the text’s creator Niccolò Machiavelli. Some interpret the book as immoral and encouraging cruel rule in which Machiavelli promotes unethical governance. However, others consider this writing to be a...
Introduction Human thought has long been attracted to the theory of knowledge and the understanding of the nature of knowledge. People have asked themselves philosophical questions related to the reasons why one might think that they know something. In this regard, the age-old epistemological puzzle about a tree falling in...
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...
Meditation on death may sound gloomy and unnecessary, but it has a great spiritual potential for ourselves. People get used to the things they possess and love during the life course. But, when the death comes, the self is deprived of all these things and has to start the death...
The Condition of Living Beings The best way to help living beings is to show them the path leading to liberation. Thus, the best way is the unity of method and wisdom, which is the quintessence of the teachings of all the Buddhas, that is, these three essential aspects —...
It is essential to emphasize that the question of what influences people’s feelings or actions is one of the most archaic not only in philosophy but also in psychology. There are two various points of view on this issue; the first asserts that hereditary and natural factors determine the identity...
William James appears to be a prominent figure in the field of philosophy. He lived in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, and his professional activity regarded philosophy, history, and psychology. William James has become famous for...
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...
Formal Analysis P1: To know that something exists is to experience its existence immediately and directly. P2: Human senses are too limited to discover the objective truth. P3: Context dictates the truth. C: Subjectivism is the correct way of viewing knowledge. Essay There are three different perspectives regarding knowledge, definition,...
Skepticism refers to a philosophical idea based on the doubt that reliable knowledge of the objective world is possible. Throughout history, there were significant changes in the development of philosophy associated with the crisis of democratic society and the increase of dictatorial regimes throughout. As a result, people attempted to...
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...
Meaning of Life Many influential philosophers throughout history have offered a response to the issue of what, if anything, makes life worthwhile, albeit they rarely state it in these terms. The systematic endeavor to determine what individuals have in mind when they think about the issue or what they mean...
The history of philosophy demonstrates that many thinkers contributed to the development of this science and demonstrated different approaches to the perception of the word. Many of them had similar views, yet their differences led to lengthy debates, criticism of each other’s work, and the formation of groups of followers....
The trolley problem has its origins as a set of thought experiments in both ethics and philosophy. The dilemmas that are presented are often stylized in such a way that encourages the participant to debate whether the sacrifice of one person for the sake of many is fair or advantageous....
Introduction It is important to note that the question of self and one’s inner subjective experience is among the most challenging questions in philosophy. Descartes, in his meditations, addresses the core concepts of God, self, and doubt. By the philosopher’s thoughts and conclusions, “I” is separate from the external world....
In 1707-1708, the young George Berkeley wrote the Book of Common Places, consisting of 2 parts: A and B. The central idea of the work was Berkeley’s unique philosophical outlook, specifically the principle of “esse est percipi”: to exist is to be perceived. After presenting this idea to the public,...
In everyday life, people can be observed visualizing things as individuals rather than as things are. When another supplants control one problem, the interpretation is from the brain or sentiments. Since everyone links different things differently, people’s feelings toward some objects are unique. People see them as they are because...
The supreme value of human existence is often expressed in the form of an ultimate goal to which all private human interests and needs are subordinated. Among the many approaches to the solution of this complex problem, three main ones can be distinguished. Some people believe that the meaning of...
Introduction As a thinking matter, man is becoming more and more aware of himself as an active factor of the social and natural environment surrounding him, of the whole being on the scale of the universe. This defines the idea of man as a conscious participant in world evolution. In...
Rene Descartes prefers meditation over the scholastic method of debate popular at the time because it allows him to get insights that the Question-Responded (Q&A) structure does not qualify. Furthermore, one can tell that a dream inspired him during his euphoric moments, and he embarks on these meditations as a...
Machiavelli was a Florentine philosopher best known for his political ideas in the 16th century. After his death, his two most famous philosophical works, The Prince and Discourses on Livy, were published. His impact has been massive, with the possible exception of Kant; no philosopher since antiquity has had such...
Introduction Augustine’s achievements include studying problems that the ancient philosophers had not considered, particularly his exploration of the dynamics of the human person and the movements of world history. The former is devoted to his autobiographical book “Confessions” (13 books). With deep psychological introspection, he dispassionately explored the contradictory process...
When it comes to aesthetic judgments and the human faculties that enable them, Kant analyzes and classifies them with the same meticulous rigor that is characteristic of his approach to ethics or epistemology. The key notion of his aesthetics is that a proper judgment of beauty can only be disinterested...
Physicalism is closely related to the word ‘physical,’ which states the material condition of objects surrounding people. According to Jononymous Personymous (2021), physicalism means that everything has a physical substance, but followers of this theory do not deny the fact that abstract objects exist. Individuals can create their specific vision...
Philosophers are skilled in resolving puzzles, which often constitute the primary object of their studies and research. Yet, some of these conundrums do not seem to have one clearly-defined answer and thus provide an opportunity for a debate. One of the examples of such philosophical puzzles is the falling tree...
Bishop Berkeley is one of the philosophers who has argued on the concept of whether matter does exist or does not exist. The philosopher has argued based on the concepts of immaterialism, which have played an essential role in defining matter. As a result, everything that human beings ideally think...
Introduction Since the dawn of human civilization, religion has been its integral component. It shaped the mindsets of entire nations, having a direct influence on both global affairs and the everyday activities of the people. The world has always been characterized by an extreme diversity of beliefs: from the pagan...
The legends that have developed around famous personalities show how little humanity there is in the world. Alexander the Great, the conqueror of the ancient world, and the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope were contemporaries who lived simultaneously (Bryan Lueck). One wanted to rule the world and conquered it;...
Freedom is the essential characteristic of human life, which is revealed based on the unity and interaction of its spiritual and material components. It consists of the ability of man to create and direct his being in accordance with the laws of the development of nature and intelligent life on...
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...
You may think that you know a person very well, but just one occasion can turn them into a total stranger. Unfortunately, that is the truth many of us have already experienced or have yet to experience. The pain, emptiness, and disconnectedness that one feels when this happens are skillfully...
Comparison of the epic about Gilgamesh and texts describing the trial of Socrates and his self-defense reveals interesting details about the attitude of early civilizations to human life. Man is perceived by both the Sumerians and the ancient Greeks as a unit that is able to know itself only in...
Introduction There are numerous themes that are covered in the outstanding work by Sophocles. The issues that the prominent playwright raises in the play became essential topics for discussion in countless literary works centuries later. Certain virtues described in Antigone contradict each other and make it difficult to realize the...
Your post shows that Rousseau considered fallibility in the General Will came due to his philosophy since people within the commonwealth always have their self-interests within their minds. To contribute to what you build on General Will, sometimes the will contributes to the political agency by which humanity is influenced....
Introduction The ability to choose between right and wrong has been a contentious issue about ethical principles that govern societal rules. Among the minds that have developed theories to address the matter are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. On the one hand, Kant is of the view that an...
The wagon problem is one of the most popular ethical and philosophical issues. The question seems straightforward; of course, saving the lives of five is more important than saving the life of one. However, it is complicated by the fact that, in this case, the person behind the level, making...
Gottfried Leibniz is one of the greatest polymaths as scholars credit him with several inventions in various fields, including mathematics, psychology, metaphysics, law, physics, and engineering. He was born on July 1, 1646, in Leipzig, Germany. This biography seeks to look at his life story and his multiple discoveries and...
Introduction Plato and Aristotle are among the most influential philosophers to have written on various topics. These topics range from ethics to general academic inquiry. Their work played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for other philosophers and scholars to make important advances in various theories. These scholars have...
The shadows in Plato’s allegory reflect a distorted view of reality, a delusion about truth. For instance, Socrates invites Glaucon to envision a cave in the discussion. Prisoners are chained up within the cave; they are forced to face a wall. Because the captives have never seen the genuine items...
Violence and life-harming action can be reviewed from the perspectives of several philosophical theories. Since the chosen moral issue concerns animal experimentation, it is closely related to the theory of Utilitarianism. The main idea of this philosophy induces preference of practical changes over morally wrong obstacles (Lazari-Radek & Singer, 2017)....
Introduction Privacy of life and emotion, personal freedom are fundamental things for the modern democratic world. However, when describing the ideal political regiments in his Republic, Plato shows a view different from the contemporary interpretation of the free and just democratic republic. The Ancient Greek philosopher argues that, while ensuring...
The process of cognition with relation to different areas of human life is guided by the methods for making forecasts on the basis of available data. From this perspective, the efficiency of this complex initiative is conditional upon the credibility of initial information. Even though some claims are made regarding...
Introduction In the field of political philosophy, the question concerning the compatibility between two theoretical frameworks, namely liberalism, and pluralism, has been vividly discussed and taken to the center of the debate. Despite the lack of a clear answer to the question of whether liberals should be pluralists and if...
The nature of knowledge has always been a disputable question. Since the earliest stage of civilization, philosophers have been trying to determine this broad concept and clearly explain its character. However, the scope of the term, its sophistication, and the numerous components it includes resulted in the emergence of numerous...
In the philosophical tradition, few topics come up as frequently as does the subject of meaning. Humans have a history of seeking significance in things surrounding them and experiencing frustration if this goal cannot be achieved. But should meaning be found in every aspect of everyday human experience, or are...
Introduction For many decades, the delineations of philosophy have been drawn between supporters of continental viewpoint and analytic ideas. The analytic theory describes a method of thinking anchored in the interrogation of whether something is factual, while the continental model often seeks to answer multiple factors, which constitute meaning (Arnold,...
Introduction Manifest destiny is a philosophy advocating that the United States was divinely ordained to expand its dominance, capitalism, and democracy across the North American continent. This belief is also based on issues of religion and race. Nevertheless, the country was not ready to show its superiority without a justifiable...
Happiness is an emotional state characterized by satisfaction, contentment, feelings of joy, and fulfillment. It mainly involves positive emotions and life satisfaction despite having many different definitions. Psychologists use the term subjective well-being when talking about this emotional state. Subjective- well-being tends to concentrate on the overall personal feelings of...
In The Value of Philosophy, Bertrand Russell reflects on the significance of philosophy as a field of study for humanity as a whole. One of the important aspects of his work is highlighting that philosophy does not aim at gaining definite answers and concentrates on the ability and process of...
Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, writer, and political activist whose theories mainly revolved around the relationship between power and knowledge. Foucault’s thoughts have significantly influenced people, particularly on cultural and communication studies, as well as sociology. Educational institutions, specifically schools, are understood as panoptic spaces by social researchers. They...
Introduction Moral philosophy is predicated on the notion of fulfilling individuals’ rights and freedoms without interfering with others. In our societies, governments protect and promote civility, ensuring a certain individual or group does not impede others’ rights to pursue their happiness. It is important to discern the relevance of this...
Argument of the Materialistic Theory of Consciousness The materialistic theory of consciousness focuses on the idea that consciousness is material and ceases to exist with the annihilation of the body. Remarkably, there are three types of arguments supporting the materialist theory of consciousness. These are panpsychism, illusionism, and arguments suggesting...
Intrinsic qualities of the human experience are a topic that many philosophers and thinkers have brought upon in their works, as well as something people have wondered about in their daily life. While it is impossible to understand where people have originally come, from and how they came to be...
One of the most famous defenders of the absolute prohibition of lying in the history of Western philosophy is Kant. According to the categorical imperative, he argues that falsehood is forbidden not because a lie is directly immoral but rather due to the fact that fiction cannot be universal; as...
Socrates’ Biography The activity of Socrates, one of the outstanding ancient thinkers, has significantly impacted the formation of philosophical ideas in different cultures and influenced the emergence of different concepts. He was born in 469 BC to a mason and midwife and died in 399 BC in Athens. During his...
Summary Philosophy as science often questions topics that the average person does not consider. The purpose of this approach is to identify such categories as meaning, illusion, or reality. One of the riddles to solve the problem is, “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one around...
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...
World philosophies are a combination of different events that occurred in the past to the present day. The new edition of world philosophies context by David Cooper ensures that it continues to fulfill the people’s demands of the growing people’s interests in all the main philosophical traditions of the world....
The idea of aging and the inevitable death typically seem exceptionally distant for young people. However, as one ages, the necessity to reconcile with the fear of eventual demise emerges. Moreover, aging and the threat of death are connected directly and inseparably to multiple losses, including the loss of physical...
At the beginning of the conversation, Desmond Tutu explains the meaning of Ubuntu, a philosophical concept mysterious to non-African readers. According to Archbishop Tutu, Ubuntu is the essence of being a person, and a human becomes humanized only through interaction with other people. In addition, Ubuntu is based around generosity...
The main aim of urban theories is to have a glimpse of the contemporary world, which is an outcome of transition. Urban and modern society has evolved from the traditional way of living to the modern way. The main theorists of the classical way of transition include; Emile Durkheim, Max...
The Natural Law Theory gives human beings morals based on nature and can be interpreted by human reason. The theory gives guidelines on what human beings can do in their settings, and it does not dictate what should be done. Notably, the theory concentrates on human character and asserts that...
The argument that love is epistemically objectionable is based on the assumption that the standard epistemological norms are correct. The mainstream epistemological norms stress the importance of impartiality, truth, and rationality in beliefs and behavior. Therefore, the types of beliefs and behavior commonly associated with love and friendship are objectionable...
The initial post states that Thomas Paine, as a deist, criticizes Christianity extensively. Additionally, his views are surprising in the context of the time in which he lived. Indeed, it is extremely daring of him to criticize religion using the publication of The age of reason (Paine, 2014). The post...
Sophocles draws attention to various problems in his tragedy Antigone. The themes of justice, traditions, and family are still actual in society nowadays. One could also notice the huge role the women characters play in the tragedy and the overall morale of the piece. Hence, this research will analyze the...
In Chapter 5 of The Analects, Confucius formulates an equivalent of the Golden Rule. Through Master’s counsels, Confucius defines the concept of universally appreciated conduct. The Master suggests that in order to be appreciated everywhere, one should approach people with sincerity and truthfulness, and his actions should be honorable and...
The question of duty and moral responsibility has been a relevant topic throughout the whole history of philosophy. Various thinkers propose diverse opinions on what a human must do in order to achieve happiness and fulfill their obligations. Duty is also the central point of deontological ethics, which focuses on...
Introduction Early philosophical discussions presented by the scholars of Ancient Greece are still essential for the scientific community of the current age. The knowledge and beliefs manifested in the writings of well-recognized philosophers of that time offer the researchers an opportunity to establish the characteristics of philosophical thought. Furthermore, it...
Copernicus, Bruno, Kepler, and Galileo made significant contributions to human understanding of the universe. They revolutionized the scientific field of their time by their findings which were primarily concerned with the movement of the sun, planets, and other heavenly bodies. Namely, the common point in their ideas is that the...
Introduction One of the most critical questions in existential philosophy is to determine the potential for a global peace as a system in which all nations live in a commonwealth. In discussing this idea, it is crucial to be particularly precise in the terms used since the state of international...
The discussion of love and friendship is present throughout Plato’s Symposium, but it is centered in Lysis, Socrates’s dialogue where he defines the nature of friendship. The text captures Socrates’ opinion regarding Hippothales’ feelings towards Lysis, eldest son of Democrates. Another character, Ctesippus, expresses concerns about Hippothales’ feelings to Lysis,...
Introduction It is no secret that the modern political landscape in the United States and across the world is becoming more polarized, which is the problem being addressed in the given reflection. The two major political parties of America are further from each other than ever, which is why Machiavelli’s...
The issue of freedom has always caused debates among philosophers, psychologists, and other scholars related to the field of social sciences. Some of the perspectives of studying freedom include compatibilist and libertarian conceptions. A significant feature of the libertarian theory of freedom is that it implies circumstantial and metaphysical freedom....
Introduction Since classical times, humans have tried to explore and describe the mechanisms that regulate life both for particular individuals and societies. Among the essential issues are the origin of feelings and their role in decision-making; specifically, philosophers of all epochs sought to answer the question of whether emotions interfere...
The speed of modern life rarely allows us to think about major philosophical questions and moral rules that control our lives. Not surprisingly, we close ourselves to the outer world, trying to follow a habitual set of circumstances and refrain from indulging in new ideas. After reading Trial of Socrates...
Veil of Ignorance emerged out of a thought experiment conducted by John Rawls. In conducting the experiment, he sought to examine arguments about justice, integrity, parity, and social stature in a structured procedure. The Veil of Ignorance constitutes part of the social contract theory that is used to examine inklings...
