1202 samples of this type
Introduction John Taurek is the most effective critic of Jeremy Bentham’s aspect of morality approval in utilitarian theory. Even though both philosophers were connected with utilitarianism, they had a significant confrontation regarding the fundamental values of their vision: community prevalence. In his theory, Taurek objectively argues that utility is a...
Concerning the discussion posted on analysis of validity, acquiring, and defining truth on the pragmatic theory of truth, criticism on William James’ pragmatic theory can be deduced. The theory holds that a belief or claim can be classified as true if it works. However, critiques of this theory assert that...
The examination of metaphysical concerns is one of the principal orientations of philosophers of all times, which is complicated by differences in their approaches. Moreover, these initiatives tend to evolve with regard to preferences or vary depending on their focus. From this perspective, their examination through the lens of Pre-Socratic...
Introduction The human brain is the most perfect and most mysterious mechanism. It controls everything that happens in the body, and therefore life. Mind is a set of cognitive and analytical abilities of man, due to which the intellect of the individual is formed. There is no standard interpretation of...
Philosophers are interested in a variety of questions related to the idea of truth. The challenge is determining what types of matters can be considered true. Is truth the definition of words and is a linguistic entity, or is it truly an abstract and everlasting concept? The essential question remains...
The meaning of life, if there is any, is one of the oldest and most profound questions in the history of human civilization. The sheer number of philosophical traditions that attempted to answer it in one way or another suggests there is no easy and evident solution to it. However,...
Daoism is an ancient world-famous philosophical movement that has always been a matter of interest for philosophers. This traditional Chinese philosophy focuses on the understanding that Dao is an ultimate void forming the supreme world order (Ivanhoe 5). The Daodejing of Laozi, where the various Daoism concepts are collected, touches...
Every morning at 8 A.M., the alarm clock on the smartphone fills the room with an annoying melody that could have been joyful if it had not interrupted my sleep. Instead of waking up with a broad smile, I lie in my bed and think that a new day of...
It is important to note that philosophy is a framework under which even ordinary knowledge and information are questioned through criticism based on a strictly determined set of principles and rules. In other words, philosophy address the fundamental aspects of the universe and existence itself with no room for inarticulate...
Descartes puts forward several axiomatic philosophical proofs of the existence of God to explain the objective surrounding reality. In his opinion, the mechanistic processes taking place in the world around us cannot be explained without a cause-and-effect logic. It is precisely in the search for an explanation of the pattern...
Morality is impossible without freedom, since if a person’s actions are determined by the will of God or the laws of nature, then one cannot speak of morality or morality, since then there is no responsibility. Kant believed that a person’s actions in moral terms could be determined by three...
Introduction The concept of harmony has always taken one of the central positions in both Western and Eastern traditions of philosophy. Prominent thinkers have utilized this notion to describe social aspects, such as cultural norms and sovereign regulations, and individualistic nature. Furthermore, the concept of harmony is frequently used to...
Locke’s philosophy on the state of war represents a particularly interesting topic due to the presence of ideas that require a substantial amount of nuance and the transfer of these ideas into the context of actual war settings. Namely, Locke’s idea of an aggressor’s right to instigate a war as...
Historic fundamentalism can be categorized as an occurrence that is distinctly Protestant, Christian, and American. Its early roots can be traced back to 1919, a year of what can be deemed extreme modernization due to the end of the first world war, the citizen status of African Americans, and the...
There are many views and positions regarding the existence and form of God. Spinoza was the first who dared to refute the concept of the dualism of matter and spirit, uniting these concepts in the concept of God, who is equal to Nature. This approach was revolutionary in the 17th...
The importance of Confucianism for early Chinese society is conditional upon its role in establishing relationships among the citizens. In order to do so, the followers of this approach were guided by five relationships, and they seem quite informative from the perspective of analyzing its structure. However, these aspects had...
Introduction Psychological research involves the empirical pursuit of exploring and explaining phenomena. We might ask questions such as: Does X vary with Y? Does X cause Y? What is the strength of the relationship between X and Y? Within the context of clinical psychological research, we might ask questions such...
Introduction The Phaedo is among Plato’s most renowned and extensively read dialogues. However, the discussion raised several contentious problems about the conceptions of life and death, as well as what happens after death. Socrates, for example, argues in the dialogue that the soul should not be consumed by the demands...
Introduction Man is one of the most controversial creatures on earth, with unique features, characteristics, and peculiarities. People learn about the environment with the help of perception types, discover the secrets of being and make specific conclusions and suggestions from their reflections. Every human, by nature, tends to stray and...
The ‘Two Worlds’ Theory in the Phaedo by Gail Fine analyzed the work of Plato named Phaedo. In this paper, the author arranges that Plato’s work can be investigated in the context of the theory of two worlds. Thus, it is implied that some dialogues reflect the opinion that there...
Freedom is the ability to do something without prevention by other individuals. A free person can engage in activities without any constraint from the people around them. Additionally, freedom gives people the power to act or speak accordingly without any hindrance. When people act freely, it is not always a...
In the First Meditation, Descartes expresses his intention to break the foundation of falsehoods that he had accepted as true since childhood. He begins by stating that everything he has accepted to be true is acquired from or through his senses. The first belief that seems unlikely to be doubted...
The meaning of the word omniscience lies in the etymology of the word, since this term is related to a person who knows everything. Omniscience is the ability to know everything infinitely and without limits, or at least everything that can be learned about life, thoughts, feelings, the universe, and...
Socrates’s arguments against the accusations of the prosecutor Meletus are represented in two ways. One way included an explanation of the purpose and method of Socrates. He believes that it could give a jury explanation of why certain people do not like him. Socrates’s second argument is based on response...
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...
Deontology is an ethical theory that considers the motives and other mental factors conditioning human behavior as essential in exploring moral concepts. Deontological ethics is deemed duty-oriented because it estimates the person’s actions according to any existing systems of ethical rules. Deontology principles are an essential basis of Kantian ethics...
Thoreau critiques the basis of representative democracy in Civil Disobedience in which he not only advocates for opposition to decadent and unjust actions but also censures them. His main concept was that there is a higher rule than civil law that requires individual obedience. His major question, impelled by his...
The religious views of Paine and Williams are strikingly dissimilar, as they advocate entirely different things. Unlike Williams, who supported the separation of church and state and religious tolerance, Paine criticized traditional religion. Williams defended his spiritual principles, condemned the orthodoxy of New England Puritanism, and decried the theological foundations...
Introduction Various scientists, philosophers, and priests interpret the connection between God, science, and naturalism differently as the evolutionary discoveries question the religious statements. Gould and Draper are the scholars who discussed how Christianity correlates with science based on their own experiences and observations. This paper aims to compare and contrast...
The famous philosopher Rene Descartes is prominent not only because of his ideas but also for the book he wrote, Meditations on the First Philosophy. This book is highly influential among philosophical texts and remains distinguished long after the first publication date. The book was initially written in Latin in...
Introduction Philosophy is one of the most controversial areas of knowledge because its applicability to real-life from the perspective of practicality is dubious. Meanwhile, present-day researchers prefer more concrete information in contrast to theoretical concepts, and this fact explains the declining popularity of the field. However, it is still important...
The elenchus is a method of discussing matters presented by Socrates. It consists of several stages, which include asking questions, presenting logical contradictions as per the answers, and insisting on combined efforts in pursuing the truth. In other words, one using this approach starts with claiming doubts regarding the opponent’s...
Introduction Daoism, a philosophy that originated in the 6th century BCE China, has significantly influenced China’s cultural beliefs and religion and most other Asian countries. The popularity of this philosophy has increased worldwide and continues to capture the attention of scholars and philosophers in its application in various fields, ranging...
Introduction Representing a peculiar interpretation of the trial that Socrates faced after being accused of multiple wrongdoings, including the corruption of young minds, Plato’s “Apology” can be considered one of the most accurate accounts of the described events. In his work, particularly, in the passages that address the accusation of...
Civil disobedience has become a prominent topic of discussion among scholars and the public as a whole. Such an interest has originated in the rise of a variety of political movements in the United States, notably Black Lives Matter. These movements have led to mass protests, looting, and violence. Some...
The aim of Descartes’ Mediation 1, “Meditation on the First Philosophy,” is to present the philosopher’s radical doubt and its implications for people’s abilities to know anything. To a great degree, Descartes breaks down the knowledge and reality in order to reconstruct it on more reliable and science-based grounds. The...
Sometimes, people find it problematic to choose and take moral responsibility for their choice. In the analyzed case, a friend laments having been forced by a parent to learn to play the flute instead of the violin, which they find more interesting. This case can be considered from the perspective...
Centering the importance of utility as the foundation for decision-making, Kant’s ethical theory is an important framework for addressing complex moral dilemmas. In turn, the Categorical Imperative as a crucial part of the specified perspective allows dissecting major ethical problems and solving them by examining the utility of the proposed...
Han Fei was one of the leading theorists of the Legalism school in Ancient China. The main work of Han Fei titled “Han Fei-Tzu” includes the main idea that the treatise is devoted to analyzing state-building and the art of statecraft. Han Fei was a supporter of creating a centralized...
The author of the book under study, Rob Reich, in his specialty is quite far from philosophy in general and from such a specific topic as philanthropy in particular. This writer’s main field of activity is politics since he is a professor of political science. However, this knowledge allows the...
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...
Introduction Different religions have unique views on what happens to people after physical death. The nature of immortality of the human soul is an intriguing topic in the philosophy of religion, and numerous scholars have addressed this question, including Saint Thomas Aquinas. As a renowned philosopher and Catholic priest, Saint...
According to Harari, the Cognitive revolution was what actually separated Homo Sapiens from other species. He defines it as the emergence of new ways of thinking and communicating (Harai, 25). In this sense, it became “the point when history declared its independence from biology,” meaning that humanity developed according to...
The meaning of life is the most crucial and essential question for every human being because it addresses the deep inner self. It arises from a human’s fundamental desire, which he wants to fulfill. Everyone tries to satisfy this desire in different ways, but there is only one for all...
Paine’s arguments in his treatise The Age of Reason are transparent and objective, to my thinking. For instance, in the book’s first pages, Paine states that he believes in God (4). He does not believe in the creed of various churches and their revelations, emphasizing that “my mind is my...
Introduction The tree puzzle is a well-known philosophical paradox approached in diverse ways. Solving it requires engaging in complex decision-making processes based on the definitions of reality. Thesis statement: the tree puzzle represents an interesting epistemological problem, and Locke would probably argue that a falling tree always makes a sound....
More than two thousand years separate such philosophers as Socrates and Thoreau. One of them lived in Ancient Greece long before the Industrial and market revolutions, and another was a citizen of the 19th-century United States as it gradually became an industrial powerhouse of the globalizing world. It seems reasonable...
Understanding differences in philosophical approaches, as well as their nature, is essential for gaining insight into the key premises of specific philosophies and teachings. Although cultural specifics play a vital role in the development of said differences in philosophical approaches, other factors may also be at play. However, despite the...
Adam Smith was not an economist but a philosopher who initiated modern capitalism. On the contrary, Thomas Hill Green was a political radical, temperance reformer, and English philosopher, and he supported the human freedom theory. Although both individuals aimed to improve people’s living standards in society, they had contradicting ideas...
One of the greatest American philosophers of the 19th century, Willian James, believes that religion is closely related to psychology. James’s theory is based on the fact that every person has psychological needs, including the need for attachment, control, pleasure, and self-development. At first sight, it seems that these needs...
Introduction The philosophy of Socrates, which became the background for the formation of many doctrines and concepts, is an example of how reason conquers ignorance. In his writings, the ancient Greek thinker pursued truth as one of the key benefits that allowed the human to comprehend the secrets of life...
Introduction With the development of scientific knowledge as well as technology that have given answers to many questions and provided outstanding opportunities for exploration and invention, beliefs began to outlive their usefulness. It would not be reasonable, however, to consider religion as a phenomenon obsolete; rather, it needs adapting to...
Knowledge is one of the most basic categories that people use to perceive the world around them. It forms the basis of how people act and which decisions they make at every point of their life. However, the philosophical concept of knowledge is anything but simple because there is always...
Introduction Various concepts of human freedom are different from each other in few events. Some human choices are the results of the freedom that they possess. Additionally, these ideas are both non-theistic and theistic, including compatibilism, incompatibilism, libertarianism, and determinism. Freedom is the procedure of selecting or determining a set...
Renaissance Humanism Definition Renaissance humanism refers to an intellectual movement characterized by a revitalized interest in the classical world and studies that did not focus on religion but what it is to be humans. It is traced to have originated from 14th-century Italy, and its pioneers comprised authors such as...
Hume’s analysis is a complex concept directed to understand the relationship between cause and effect. In his view, we enhance our knowledge of matter because of understanding its causes. However, our understanding of the cause of the matter is limited; therefore, we cannot fully accept the nature of events. The...
Most influential topic covered in the course The topic that completely changed my mindset is the arguments of God’s existence. The issue presented in the topic evaluated that every problem requires a complex revision. Considering an argument in seclusion from other views could be irrelevant because discussing such a complicated...
Immanuel Kant is a philosopher who tried to understand how people can be good and kind – outside the influence and persuasion of traditional religion. The philosopher was born in 1724 in the Baltic town of Königsberg. Categorical Imperatives are the principles that Kant defined by their morality and level...
Throughout history, literary writers, psychologists, scientists, and philosophers tried to define the word ‘love.’ According to Gottman and Gottman (2017), love is not a single concept but a process that constitutes three stages. In this theory, the initiation of love is triggered by neurotransmitters, and then a person gradually builds...
Introduction The meaning of life is a question that has lingered in the minds of philosophers and other people alike for generations. While some take a positive approach, praising all the joys and experiences that come with existence, others maintain that it is suffering and pain that define it. In...
Cognition of the human essence is one of the most complex philosophical issues that has been regularly raised and is being raised by various scholars. To understand what a person is, philosophers have resorted to a variety of techniques, using comparisons. René Descartes (1996), in his work Meditations on first...
Critical thinking is one of the aspects that have been encouraged in various institutions. For instance, many schools encourage students to be creative and ensure that they develop ways to improve their performance. Businesses have also focused on innovation as one way that employees can practice to advance their productivity....
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...
The guardian philosopher-king is the leader with distinguished characteristics such as wisdom, intelligence, efficiency, and sacrifice. The willingness to live a minimalist or simple lifestyle is what Socrates advocates in his theory of the character of the just. Therefore, the guardian is prohibited from private property ownership but encouraged to...
The trial of Socrates was undoubtedly arranged since the personality of the philosopher was disagreeable to some individuals. While some of the accusations against him were valid, such as a lack of respect for the gods, the real reason for this trial and its ruling was to get rid of...
In the book “The Tao of Pooh,” Benjamin Hoff intends to explain the Taoism principles using the example of a famous children’s story character – Winnie the Pooh. In this regard, the current paper will discuss three major aspects of this ancient Chinese philosophy and analyze how these teachings can...
The Last Days of Socrates is one of the most underestimated works written by the world-known ancient Greek philosopher Plato. Modern scholars frequently address the other parts of Plato’s dialogues; however, The Last Days of Socrates is central to the philosophical tradition of Plato. After all, Socrates was the mentor...
Hard problems are problems without functional explanation as opposed to easy problems which involve explanation in the form of what mechanism can perform what function. The problem becomes hard when our consciousness can not figure out the mechanism through which we can solve the problem. The problem also becomes hard...
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...
Current politics, government decisions, and media communication are based on the views and opinions of those who should be at the edge of intellectual and strategic knowledge. Nowadays, different people criticize authorities and communication channels for being biased or one-sided. One might say that this is not the first time...
Summary Rene Descartes is a French philosopher and scientist with a complicated life situation and tough childhood. However, Rene was not doomed to the difficult life of the late sixteenth century Rene Descartes – the most important philosophical ideas from the Meditations on the first philosophy Rene Descartes is a...
End-of-life controversies exist in modern American society because not all people are ready to accept their beloved ones’ deaths, relying on their cultural and religious beliefs. In the case under analysis, NK is a 32-year-old patient who remains comatose with no brain activity during the next 24 hours after losing...
David Hume, an empiricist within the British tradition, who nurtured his philosophy within John Locke’s tenets of empiricism, embarked on his philosophical thinking with a severe perspective of empiricism. According to him, when we exercise our mental faculties in thinking, we acquire ideas which essentially are experientially generated. By seeing,...
The General Problem The problem of non-existence remains a fundamental logical and philosophical problem. When people think, they always think about something that exists or does not. It is peculiar that there still can be falsehoods and truths about something non-existent. Although the latter is dependent on what really exists,...
There were many philosophers in the history of humanity, but only a few who significantly influenced societies and cultures and even gave rise to new religions. Among these important thinkers, Confucius, Buddha, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were the most influential, and their ideas continue to affect the way people perceive...
The article by George Pitcher presents a philosophical discussion about dead people. While the author of the analyzed text considers that harming and even benefitting the dead is possible, I must disagree. Pitcher (1984) states that “one’s death means the permanent end […] of one’s conscious life” (p. 183). This...
For Aristotle and his followers, virtue is not a simple term connected to positive levels of morality in a human being. In Aristotelian ethics, virtue is known as a “Golden Mean,” “the intermediate position between two extremes or vices” (Lawhead, 2014, p. 89). The philosopher does not provide a concrete...
Introduction Studying the relationship between financial well-being and personal happiness is an essential aspect that can reveal people’s preferences and views on whether a large income directly correlates with a positive attitude or not. Selected articles address this topic and offer relevant findings and reasoning. In her research Do We...
Skepticism Skepticism is the belief that human knowledge is fundamentally lacking in some way, which in turn undermines the conclusions people reach. As Vaughn notes, there are multiple schools of thought that adhere to this view, differentiated based on the reason for the purported lack of knowledge (276). Some question...
Introduction The history of the church is always an interesting subject, especially during and after the protestant reformation. Martin Luther (1483-1546) can be regarded as the founder not only of the present protestant church but also the modern society. This is because of the many practices he rejected, including the...
Rorty sees his task in radically deconstructing and overcoming the traditional view of philosophy as a discipline that provides an accurate representation of being. The philosopher proposes a post-positivist concept of coherence as the correspondence of an affirmation to the principles and requirements of a particular language game operating in...
Due to the fact that a particular unified theory of education is absent in pedagogical science, we should talk about a paradigmatic approach. In many ways, paradigms of philosophy have become the basis of theories and paradigms of education. According to the approach, there are several paradigms that allow characterizing...
Ethics often asks questions of choice. In the analyzed story, there is a choice of a man who has committed a betrayal, but no one will know about it except if he personally tells. In the story, the ethical dilemma of Utilitarianism vs. Deontology appears. In the case of Utilitarianism,...
Two Basic Laws and the Right of Nature In his fundamental treatise Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes introduced several philosophical conceptions, which can look seemingly similar and might confuse understanding. All of them are related to rights, laws, and human nature in one way or another. However, all these conceptions are logically...
Erroneous reasoning can significantly impact the course of the dialogue, shifting the topic to the side, confusing the opponent. While they may be random, some people may use them on purpose, so it is imperative to distinguish between basic techniques. The purpose of this essay is to analyze Straw Man’s...
Rene Descartes was not the first philosopher to show concern over dreaming as an epistemological issue. However, his treatment of the matter popularized it and occasioned its development, over the years, into a Cartesian argument. Today, epistemologists agree that people must defeat this argument for “knowledge of the external world”...
Deontology is a theoretical and philosophic movement that directs people in understanding what action should and should not be taken by an individual. People subscribing to this view believe that persons are born with a set of obligations and responsibilities they must adhere to. This ethical theory places an increased...
Philosophy is a rather complicated and at the same time very interesting sphere of knowledge. Philosophy is one of the types of person’s outlook, his or her method of perception of the surrounding world. Philosophy is the study of truth and lie, about knowledge, beauty, mind, in the word about...
Introduction Omniscience is the state of having full or maximum knowledge and is regarded as an essential feature of an entirely perfect being. Many philosophers have considered this trait to be possessed and attributed by a divine-like God who is believed to have the necessary knowledge, complete knowledge, tenseless knowledge,...
Cesare Beccaria was named the first socialist who significantly questioned the state’s right to execute and imprison the citizens. This desire emerged after witnessing many citizens’ cruel and brutal deaths and a man accused of committing sodomy. The male was called Lisette and was viciously dealt with by the state....
Moral obligations do not simply purport to provide supremely authoritative reasons. They are also what we are responsible to one another for doing, what members of the moral community have the authority as such to demand that we do by holding ourselves accountable second personally. Some define moral obligation as...
Critical thinking is one of the fundamental concepts of philosophy. Used to describe the process of objectively identifying and analyzing events to meet one’s goals in the most efficient way possible. The ability is developed through training and learning different things, as well as being conscious of one’s thought process....
Aging is a significant part of all human beings reflecting the organic changes that occur, but also sparkling cultural and communal conventions. Aging is a multidimensional process of physical, psychological and social changes that occur in all human beings. Aging has made a significant impact on the community or society....
John Rawls was an American philosopher in the field of politics in the 20th century, who adhered to the liberal tradition. During his activity, he introduced several theories, such as justice as fairness and political liberalism. The first mentioned one involves the difference principle, which presents an alternative distributive principle....
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,...
Philosophy is an integral part of every person’s worldview and outlook on life which they espouse and through which they interpret various phenomena. Ethics is inherent to any philosophical perspective since it constitutes an element which guides people in their actions and interactions with others. Utilitarianism and deontology are two...
The phenomenon of the imperative is a rather well-known philosophical subject. Having been coined by Immanuel Kant, the idea of an imperative as the concept that defines one’s decision-making has been accepted and used widely in philosophy, specifically, in Kantianism (Longuenesse, 2020). Although the two imperatives, namely, the categorical and...
Introduction Philosophy is usually understood in various diverse ways by people or philosophers of different backgrounds. However, these different philosophers aim at achieving some understanding, awareness and gaining some intelligence, to think, support and argue rationally on various essential matters. Moore & Bruder, 2005 philosophically offered a succinct definition of...
Introduction Acquiring knowledge is actual progress to people as it assures sustained better lifestyles. Plato describes the experience in his Allegory of the Cave as he communicates a message to Glaucon (Peterson 275). His perspective on knowledge entails understanding the worth of doing good. Plato makes a vital comparison with...
Melissa McBay Merritt is a philosopher whose works mainly concern Kant’s philosophy, history of ethics, and modern impact on society. She examines how moral rationalism can be implemented in contemporary ethics and what effect Kant’s legacy caused in the structure of today’s morality and the human mind. This essay considers...
In recent decades, the debates on the meaning and content of experimental analysis have been extensively discussed in philosophy. The discussions of the implications overlapped physical examination to social sciences such as economics. This study’s fundamental position involves the factors considered scientific, their theories’ viability, and their relationship to the...
The Nursing Profession during William James Era William James was an American philosopher and a psychologist. He was considered the founder of the pragmatism school of thought and functional psychology. He was born in a wealthy family in January 1842. William James made a massive contribution to the field of...
Introduction The dilemma of using any means necessary for achieving noble goals has always been prevalent in philosophical and political discussions. Every country has examples of engaging in authoritarian measures to accomplish a higher objective, yet the implications are best illustrated by biographies of people who had to choose what...
Introduction John Locke’s political philosophies have influenced a number of theories globally and have inspired many philosophers. His work was based mainly on the hypothesis of the social contract. He strongly suggested and believed that human nature was structured in a manner that allowed people to be selfish. This, according...
Rene Descartes’ argument Rene Descartes proposed a novel way of acquiring knowledge through the use of his “doubting methodology” (Moore & Bruder, 2008). He said that skepticism enabled him to know the truth. The doubting methodology was comprised of the dream conjecture and the evil demon conjecture. It is possible...
The documentary by Happen Films (2016) tells a story about a group of people who experimented in their way of life and decided to live a year in a rural community trying to use only natural or recycled materials and products. The film demonstrates how people can respond to global...
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...
The ideas of Karl Marx have a notable influence on everyday reality, both through past events and modern communist and socialist movements. However, the historical materialism of Marx is a product of nineteenth-century society; hence, the question of practical relevance is worth asking. This paper aims at answering a more...
Introduction “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” is a classical philosophical puzzle. It is sometimes attributed to George Berkeley; however, the philosopher did not discuss the question directly (Campbell, 2014). The puzzle concerns the nature...
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)....
Among criticisms targeted at the ethical theory of utilitarianism is one that states that it fails to protect people’s rights and freedoms. The critics’ argument is based on the main principles of utilitarianism formulated back in the eighteenth century, their interpretation, and their applicability in the modern world. The purpose...
Introduction Friedrich Nietzsche, the outstanding German philosopher of the 19th century, left behind a rich academic heritage and became one of the founders of irrationalism as a philosophical doctrine. One of his well-known works is Thus Spake Zarathustra, the story about a wandering preacher who promotes the doctrine of 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...
By definition, emotion is: “an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness” (“Emotion” par. 1). Emotions most often conduce us to a conclusion, where we agree or disagree with a certain fact, and...
On the one hand, the concept of “enlightenment” can be understood as a specific historical era – for example, it is about enlightened absolutism – and on the other, a certain moral, legal, and social program. This possibility of an ambiguous interpretation of the term “enlightenment” determines the originality of...
One of the central branches of philosophy studying the nature of being is called ontology, and the question of being itself is one of the major topics in philosophy. The formation of this discipline began precisely with the study of the nature of being. Ancient Indian, Chinese, and Greek philosophy...
Social justice is generally assumed to be necessary for any progressive society. However, it is unclear how to define justice, and many philosophers have been working on the problem since ancient times. The current paper reviews some essential ideas of justice and reflects on how these ideas are relevant to...
When analyzing “the root” that Qian puts into the essence of The First Emperor, one can conclude that this term implies a natural order, which is the root cause. In his description of Li Si, the author notes that all attempts to interpret the consequences of the minister’s actions were...
Philosophy makes an attempt to gain a better understanding of the world through questioning the established traditions and the preconceived notions people often hold. Many of the questions formed in this process do not have a concrete answer and serve as a way for an individual to think about any...
Transcendentalists, such as Emerson and Thoreau, put a great deal of emphasis on one’s individualism. For example, in the case of the latter philosopher, he promoted the concept of self-reliance as the basis of independent thought and ideas. I think that the term is highly important because people, as social...
In modern political culture, libertarianism has acquired new supporters and has taken on a new existence. The philosophical underpinnings of libertarianism are essential to discuss because they can point out the limitations of the ethical system in the present context. To explore the issue, it was chosen to focus on...
Gorgias’ argument in The Encomium of Helen for why Helen of Troy is not responsible for the Trojan War Among the few complete sophistic texts that have survived until these days, one stands out for its complexity, logical beauty, and neatness of argument. The Encomium of Helen by the greatest...
One of the central and widely discussed questions of neuroscience and philosophy is whether we have free will. Scientists’ opinions about what free will is, and even about the reality of its existence, are very contradictory. The idea of free will can be conveyed as the ability for self-control, and...
Morality is a complex phenomenon, and philosophers have debated its nature for a long time. Many theories examine ethics and how people make ethical decisions. It is especially interesting to discuss how people make choices when they involve the interests of people they are connected to in a meaningful way....
The notion of sacrifice is familiar to practically any human being ever alive on this planet. Whether it is a material thing, or one’s desire to pursue a dream, everyone at some point in his or her existence had to put something at stake for the sake of a greater...
In his well-known work titled “The Allegory of the Cave”, Plato makes use of diverse means of expression to teach a moral lesson regarding the relativity of everything that an individual may perceive as common truths. The philosopher uses a deep cave with almost no light as an allegory for...
Introduction Philosophers and thinkers formulate not only urgent problems for society but also look for their causes and solutions. Intellectuals in the Long Nineteenth century criticized aspects of their time’s political and social order and discussed natural human needs. Figures such as Edmund Burke, William Blake, Leo Tolstoy, Sigmund Freud,...
Aristotle has provided humanity with a great number of philosophical concepts that are meant to contain a full description of human nature and exact guidelines that lead to harmony in a person’s mind and soul. The idea that a person is free to choose whether or not he/she wants to...
Christians believe that spirituality and ethics are extrinsic to a person and immutable, as they come from God. Is there truth beyond science? (n.d.) highlights this reliance on knowledge that cannot be confirmed by humans as a characteristic that it shares with science. This purported existence of a singular set...
Immanuel Kant was the German philosopher of the eighteenth century, whose ideas argued time, morality, space, and nature. One of his principal works was The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, which categorized humans’ primary moral duties and discussed their impact on their lives. Kant’s statements rejected happiness as a...
Modern advances in manufacturing, space travel, and science perpetuate immense corporate appetites of global companies that continue to abuse the planet’s natural resources for short-term financial benefit. The dystopian society is what many modern thinkers predict to come at some point in the future. The Space Merchants by Cyril Kornbluth...
Introduction The term ethics has a variety of definitions. It can be viewed as a branch in philosophy that tries to define moral notions like defining wrong and right (Bookchin, 2004). It can also be defined as the science of individual obligation (Bentham, 1999). Nature of law assumes that law...
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were famous English philosophers who became the classics of 17th-century political thought. They considered such issues as the state of nature, the social contract, the right of revolution, limits of power, and property rights. Although their political and philosophical views had something in common, they...
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...
Human nature has been and remains one of the most relevant topics for the study of philosophers of various specializations. People approach this problem from different points of view and at multiple levels. Despite the tremendous amount of research on this topic, the works of ancient masters remain relevant to...
Aristotle inspired many philosophers and thinkers with his ideas of how the universe functions. One of the people who built on the ideas of Aristotle was Aquinas, a well-renounced theologian. The similarities between Aristotle and Aquinas’s views on the universe are in their interpretation of knowledge and some views of...
Introduction Moral issues often appear in philosophy, literature, and even politics, since morality forms the basis of human activity. Morality is a set of norms of behavior adopted in a particular society or the mind of a specific person. People acquire morality in the process of life, and it can...
Abstract The research describes the essence and the role of liberal education. The definition of the liberal arts and sciences has been provided; the role of liberal education in the democratic society has been described; the importance of studying liberal arts and sciences has been applied to the field of...
Athens held the trial of Socrates to determine whether he was indeed guilty of asebeia (impiety) against the pantheon of the city and the corruption of youth. If Plato’s account of Socrates’ life in Apology is historically accurate, then it is safe to assume that Socrates shied away from religious...
Introduction Humans have tried to explain the nature of the world around them for centuries, but they have never reached an agreement. Some believe that their lives are predetermined, others proclaimed themselves the only masters of their decisions, and the third group prefers the combination of those factors. One of...
The Confessions is the general title for thirteen autobiographic stories of Saint Augustine, dated 397-398 A.D. They contain the narrative about Saint Augustine’s life and his way of conversion to Christianity. Being the first detailed autobiographic in European literature, the book has served as a literary example for Christian writers...
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 existence of God is a difficult question since there seems to be no way to provide hard evidence of whether He exists. Therefore, people are divided into theists who believe in God’s existence and atheists who are confident of the contrary. The strongest argument of atheists against the existence...
A number of stories throughout the history of occidental societies tie the notions of desperation and isolation to the beginning of a spiritual journey. These experiences may trigger an inciting incident that would send a protagonist into the search of consolidation between their internal and external universes. Works of both...
René Descartes was a mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of the 17th century who brought revolutionary ideas regarding human existence and the truth of knowledge. What is more, his works became the base for philosophy and are quoted and evaluated even today. Many believe he was the rationalist who promoted skepticism...
Bacon (1620) was not only an excellent philosopher but also a good scientist and writer who believed in reasoning to explain various phenomenons and rejected the laws of nature that other scientists relied on. Zagorin (1991) says that Bacon lived in an age when the scientific world had come awake...
Kierkegaard was born in 1813 to a Danish family that adored the ways of Christianity in Copenhagen. He was the last born in a family of seven children. Kierkegaard ever lamented his old age birth that led to his suffering while young. His surname has its deriving from priesthood activity....
In the study of ethics, egoism is highly relevant since people are often faced with moral choices that require them to prioritize either their own needs or someone else’s. Most ethical theories do not consider the interests of the moral agent when offering frameworks for ethical decision-making. Instead, people are...
Classical liberalism views human nature from a skeptical perspective. This perception is similar to that of conservative liberalism. For instance, one of the most predominant classical liberal philosophers John Locke wrote in the late 17th century that reason rarely controls human emotions. Therefore, the conservative thinker Burke and the liberal...
