1193 samples of this type
According to Susan Wolf, free will involves conducting oneself in a manner that is consistent with reason guided by what is good and what is true. This means that people are free when they do the correct things and slaves to their own flesh when they act in the wrong...
Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes was a famous philosopher from England whereby he dwelt much on philosophical ideas in politics. He was born on the 5th day of April 1588. Hobbes was very instrumental in developing some political theories which were mainly geared towards protecting the sovereignty and rights of citizens....
According to Mills, any action has to be considered either as being morally upright or being morally incorrect. He explains that this is actually a property of every action. An action is considered to be morally upright according to the extent which it causes, a given individual or the society...
Introduction Art is deficient in an agreeable and acceptable description which makes it simple to explain in a manner in which an action is carried. Art involves the utilization of handiness together with thoughts in the process of designing artistic items, surroundings, or know-how to facilitate distribution and comparison with...
The study of knowledge is classified under a branch of philosophy called Epistemology (Kurtus, 2002). This study has several schools of thought describing how knowledge was developed or gathered. Up to date, people have certain varying perspectives about knowledge such as what is knowledge and how it helps people in...
Concept of Human Nature Considered by the State The concept of the human nature is an important part of the political theory because concepts, suchlike state, liberty, freedom, and others are discussed with a view to relations of human beings and a state. Sometimes a living organism is even presented...
In a time where our economy is reaching the breaking point and faith in our current government has waned, many people have begun to look toward a different method of doing things in order to create a more positive society. One of those ways is to integrate the ideals of...
My research project aims to give an account of the presence of fairies in modern society. This project work will also examine the significance of fairies in modern society. This subject concerns us because fairies are widely believed to be troublesome to men and women. Fairies would prove the existence...
There are several ethical theories that provide guidelines that should be followed in the process of decision-making. The most popular ethical theories are utilitarianism, casuist, right, and deontology. All the ethical theories make demands on human beings but the nature of the demands varies. The utilitarianism theory makes the hardest...
The concept of mind is obscure, controversial, and impossible to define perfectly. Philosophical analysis, researches on the brain, and remarkable advances in the field of neuroscience prove to be futile with regard to defining the concept of the mind. Most philosophers have the opinion that the mind is an entity...
The Chinese history can be traced back to several thousand years. It is known to have been entwined among various dynasties that contributed differently to the development of the Chinese political, social and cultural standards. It is during this period of ruling by the different dynasties, that there emerged a...
Introduction The principle of utility denotes that actions or conducts are right as much as they advance contentment or enjoyment; and are wrong in the event that they result to sorrow or pain. In this case, the feelings of contentment or sadness are organic events that engage the human beings’...
Introduction It has been argued over the years, whether to judge people based on their deeds, irrespective of their intentions. When this is done, they are subjected to judgments based on their actions, without considering if they are responsible. It is quite easy to note that people have different reasons...
The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a useful guide for governance, this is apparent from the beginning of the book: its dedication to Lorenzo de Medici, the leader of Florence. Chapter 1 and 2 illustrate the book’s scope, a discussion of autocratic systems. These chapters describe...
Introduction William Young defines religion as, “a human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy” (Young, 2). According to Young, there is no standard definition of religion. He therefore uses seven questions to build a framework around his definition. This framework is helpful in the study of various religions around the...
For years, philosophers have pondered the issue of the intellect and the conceptualization of ideas. Locke’s view on the ‘idea’ itself centers on the fact that he made no distinction between the intellect and the imagination. Therefore, Locke stood to believe that the idea was a sensory image which is...
Introduction Over the years, great reliance has been placed on the market system to support and maintain economies. There have been emergent issues that have varied with time and include the Great Depression, inflation, unemployment, and financial crises among other economic issues. The ancient philosophers and thinkers came up with...
“Young Goodman Brown” is believed to be one of the most famous short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorn. In this work, the author explores the delusiveness of human nature and its propensity to sin. Having much peace, love, happiness, and religion in his young life, the main character Young Goodman Brown...
Thesis Statement Discussion Socrates’s decision of investigating piety was prudent and necessary. He was a wise philosopher who enlightened the citizenry against unjust laws and traditions which tend to be oppressive. He was charged, convicted, and condemned on the charge of impiety. Impiety charge had three specifications depicting Socrates’s thoughts:...
In today’s world, markets have been globalized; we can access information about any product sitting right at home. Every advertiser tries to sell his product at any cost. Advertising promotes a product to its customers. One main aspect of advertising is persuasion. Every advertiser tries to persuade people effectively. Persuasion...
The views on personal identity among different philosophers have always differed. Locke and Descartes are two philosophers whose views on this issue are especially interesting to compare. Locke believed in the presence of the physical body and its relevance for the personal identity, whereas Descartes kept to an idea that...
The notion of freedom may be characterized by a multiplicity of interpretations and possible shades of meaning ascribed to it. This fact is unquestionable evidence of the importance of this concept for humanity. Freedom may be understood as a multidimensional concept as it may refer to almost any sphere of...
Introduction Houston Smith wrote his book on the World’s Religion in 2004. He grew up in a Christian background but has gone ahead to study various religions that are in the world. He has written many other religious books that are still studied today. Most of his work is based...
The argument George Edward Moore, an English philosopher, is well known for his “philosophical argument, “Here is a hand,” in which he criticizes philosophical skepticism in favor of common sense. His argument takes three dimensions: (1) Here is a hand, (2) Here is another hand (3) There are at least...
Introduction A conservative person believes in personal responsibilities and conserves his/her existing cultural or traditional norms. A conservative person preserves his/her social norms and is reluctant to any kind of change. A liberal person on the other hand welcomes and implements new changes even if they are unrealistic. A conservative...
Introduction to Faith Religion and faith It is important to believe; faith is something that cannot be imposed on people without the true understanding of God, miracles that can be done, and other concepts attributed to faith. Another thing, in this case, is the religion that can be imposed on...
I choose virtue ethics as one of the five major perspectives of moral reasoning as being most closely related to my personal views. Virtue ethics is an approach that looks at the principles which are more concerned about the behavior of the moral agents, instead of the set principles or...
Introduction This paper seeks to examine not the existence of God or negation, but whether man’s belief in god is rational and based on sound logic and deductive reasoning. The aspect that needs to be discussed first is which acts constitute holiness. It is seen that the acts which gods...
John Locke (1632-1704) has been credited with many of the founding principles upon which the Declaration of Independence was based including concepts of property and religion and the role of government on these in the lives of the individuals governed. Several of these ideas propounded by Locke in his description...
Introduction John Wesley was born in 1791 in Lincolnshire, England, and he was the founder of Armenian Methodist. It started when Wesley adopted open-air preaching, which was first established by George Whitefield. Wesley Methodism was an evangelical movement that believed that a person who had faith in God could be...
We See and Understand Things Not As They Are But As We Are The assessment of knowledge as a subjective or objective entity can be seen as a question that is haunting humanity since the ancient times. Taking Plato’s allegory of the cave, where people chained since childhood to watch...
Reason A skill that most utilizes the concept of reason is learning and speaking a second language. Scientific research suggests that language learning leads to enhanced cognitive control, which improves mental attention, flexibility, and reasoning. The reasoning is applied in learning a language since a person has to acquire specific...
Introduction Why do I act in certain ways? Am I really responsible for my behavior and actions? These are some questions that most of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. While philosophers have put forward many theories to explain this phenomenon, no one seems to have satisfied...
It can be argued that the world was turned upside down after the Industrial Age. Indeed, it was a time of great upheaval, especially in the highly industrialized nations of the Western hemisphere. It was at this time of radical change that an American philosopher by the name of John...
Jerry and Alan had different motivations. Jerry’s motivations were to earn money to pay off his loan, as well as to pay for the house he had contracted and wedding he was about to have; but his main motivation was to justify Alan’s trusting him with a responsible position. However,...
In recent years, citizens in Western countries are being encouraged to think of the concept of “human rights” as something universally objective. Moreover, they are also being prompted to think that, despite utterly euro-centric subtleties of this concept, it fully applies to just about any “human”, regardless of his or...
Introduction Ethics and morals are close in meaning, interchangeable and quite often complementary terms. Studying ethics, people seek to assess the actions and their consequences from the moral point of view. In that sense, moral can be an abstract term, whereas the assessment of one’s actions’ morality is of practical...
The cosmic joke with humanity is that those who have seek more, and those who don’t, wish they had. Life is tiered along lines of needs, and at any one point, there’s always that next goal to be accomplished or challenge to be overcome. Yet as soon as that next...
Philosophy is one of the most ancient sciences in the world. It was created by people as an attempt to explain the course of world development on the whole, and the events that happen to every particular person in his or her life. There are also numerous schools of philosophy...
Religion and God are personal beliefs and depend upon whether individuals believe in the existence of God. Nils Rauhut asserts that belief in God should be accompanied by devotion “through prayer” “religious rituals” and readings of “the holy books like Bible or Koran” (Pg. 173). On the other hand, disbelief...
Hardin and his work Garrett Hardin is known for his good attempts long with arguments to work out social reasons and effects that can damage the environment. His work ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ explains the main source of the hazards that appeared in society with the flow of time....
Exceptional Human Experiences The issue of exceptional human experiences is begging to be brought out at the beginning of the chapter. This is presented in the context of various experiences that are not a usual phenomenon to many for instance Hypnotic regression and psychic visions in the human mind. The...
Although we have been studying history of ideas throughout the semester, the course could as easily be considered to be a history of the self or the rise of individualism as the ideas presented continued to advance new concepts of the self. These concepts changed in relation to the dominant...
The questions of free will were always agitating the minds of philosophers. This could be explained by people’s tendency to acknowledge the responsibility of one’s actions. The questions that might arise ask whether there were other options in doing certain options or it was already predetermined. As a purpose of...
Physicallism and dualism are two different paradigms, which have the opposite views on the essence of life, however, they complement each other. Abstract Physicalism and Dualism are the most confronting philosophical theories that represent the views of the origin and nature of life and the surrounding world. Physicalism stands for...
The following is what would have accounted for a hypothetical dialogue between Sigmund Freud and Michel Foucault on the subject of violence’s intrinsic subtleties. Both thinkers were presented with the statement that “Violence is a mundane, everyday part of our lives. So much so we are largely immune to its...
Evolution and Intelligent Design Intelligent design holds on to the believe that most of the universe and living things features are only well explained through the use of an intelligent cause instead of the commonly known natural selection method. Those who advocate for this kind of view insists that the...
Introduction Over the years, the brain has been known to significantly affect the mind. However, only recently it has been found out that the brain consist of different parts which perform different functions. The proponents of the identity theory are of the view that when we experience stimuli e.g. pain,...
Similar to other employees, Moira is faced with moral and ethical dilemma. The best solution for Moira is to report the problem to the supervisor over the manager’s head. This behavior will not be considered as unethical because Moira had already reported the problem to her direct manager but received...
Outline: The relationship between the two streams of thoughts and ideologies emerged in the early part of the sixteenth century. This relationship has been changing with changing years and there have been periods of rivalry, marked by some periods of friendship between the scientists and the Church. It was due...
Meditation is a process concerning the condition of the person’s soul when his or her mind does not take part in the process. Meditation aims to relax, to forget all problems, and to try to look inside oneself. The process of meditation is rather long and complicated, as it may...
Introduction Dualism is a very old theory that has its roots in the Greek culture. According to the Greeks, the spirit of a man is supposed to be distinct from his physical body. According to them, the soul and the body do not have any contact with one another. In...
Ethics is a term which refers to that branch of philosophy which attempts to deal with questions regarding morality. Ethics tries to differentiate the right from the wrong, commendable from lamentable, good from bad, obligatory from acceptable, responsible from irresponsible and fair from unfair. Not only does it concern itself...
Introduction The Cosmological Argument for the existence of God, as propounded by Thomas Aquinas, hinged on the five general principles. This, in Aquinas’ masterpiece was entitled “The Summa” (The Five Ways). In what follows, we would be critically discussing the first, second, fourth and the fifth pillars of his argument...
There is an assumption that everything in our life is predetermined. On the one hand, some people believe that they did not have to do anything to achieve some goals in life since everything is subjected to destiny. On the other hand, some people are considered the creators of their...
In the dispute is born truth. Socrates The world of man is full of various things to excite the imagination and personal way of thinking. People tend to adhere to their own opinion so that to incline others to follow their prospects on the problem. Thus, in society, namely, in...
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death or the hereafter) is the idea that the consciousness or mind or soul of a being proceeds a kind of life after physical death comes. Many scientists think that existence after death often happens in some kind of a spiritual sphere...
The history of Christianity cannot be complete without mentioning such aspect as religious orders. The religious orders throughout history had a great impact on the major historical events in general, and the flow of Christianity in particular. In terms of influence and longevity, two orders should be mentioned, the Franciscan...
This essay aims at illustrating in what way truth in mathematics, ethics and arts is different. It is widely believed that mathematical truths are objective, universal and agreeable to all in all situations. It is also widely accepted that truth in art is more of subjective i.e. depends on individual...
Introduction The importance of Plato’s allegory of the cave for consequential development of Western philosophical thought can hardly be underestimated, as it had laid a foundation for European metaphysics, as we know them. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration on our part, to suggest that the very conceptual essence...
Self-actualization is the topmost need in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It can be achieved through self-exploration and action. This need manifests itself when lower-level needs have been satisfied. What can you really control? You can control yourself. To achieve this, there is a need to learn how to manage...
The scientific revolution profoundly changed the ways in which people thought. It was difficult for many to accept this change. Today scientific ways of thinking are as accepted and taken for granted as traditional ways of thinking in the sixteenth century. What might a future change in the ways of...
John Calvin due to the several aspects of his approach to philosophy can be correctly identified as Augustinian. The teachings of the Catholic Church on free will and predestination are doctrines postulated by the Doctor of Church St. Augustine. Calvin also focused on these doctrines as the center of his...
“Ignorance is Bliss”, is a famous saying from many different cultures. They say the more you know, the more aggravated you will be. To know whether ignorance is truly bliss is the common theme of the two readings, Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and Voltaire’s “The Good Brahmin”. In...
Introduction Eastern philosophy is a terminology referring to the philosophies in the Asian continent, these philosophies have their origin in China, India, Kuwait and other countries in Asia. Unlike the rest of the world most philosophies in Asia revolve around their religion that happens to take three very dominant perspectives;...
Absolute idealism was championed by G. W. F. Hegel. To him, being is an all inclusive whole. He stood for the idea that, for the human reason to be in a position to know the world, there must be an identity between thought and being. He believed in rationality in...
Biographies of prominent people often represent a terrain of especial interest for researches, as the background and life circumstances of the former can provide valuable reasoning and explanation for the peculiarities of their ideas, values, and train of thought. One of the obvious cases of such informative biography can be...
Everything in this world has a history. How is history formed is a topic long debated by historians. Historians believe in different theories behind the formation of history. These theories have led to controversies like the dependability versus unreliability of their reasoning. A few historians, including ancient and modern, believe...
A possible thesis of this reading is ‘personal identity is flexible on a number of levels but remains based on a solid foundation of rarely changing principles.’ The author says, “if you are like me and you have a strong attachment to the belief that we persist through time …,...
Different people have different attitude to different problems. Beauty is not an exception. One and the same item may attract these people and make feeling of disgust in others. It is impossible to say who of them is right and who is wrong. All these perceptions are personal and appear...
Introduction Miracles are something that human beings always want to believe in, but what scholars, philosophers, and scientists try to dismantle. In other words, being a purely religious phenomenon, a miracle is doubted by those who actually doubt the very essence of religion and the fact of the existence of...
Introduction The idea of ‘democracy’ has been in the domain of political theorists for quite a long time. It can be remembered that the controversy over democratic space for the citizens has been in existence from the time when classical theory centered on the proposition that the people hold a...
Introduction The word epistemology refers to studying the source of knowledge. In this respect the reality and truth of what a man writes or says more or less props up against the thoughts and ideas being told and outlined previously. In other words, everything which surrounds an individual can be...
The Renaissance is the period of European history marking the waning of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world: usually considered as beginning in Italy in the 14th century. This period progressed in all countries of the European continent and made its contribution into different spheres of...
The notions of moral and cultural relativism have been thoroughly investigated by most famous thinkers from ancient period; it is interesting to note that the principal difference between them lies in human beliefs based on cultural or moral truths and propositions; the paper will be focused on the analysis of...
Introduction The issue of power and state were constantly in focus of many outstanding philosophers. From ancient times until nowadays the humanities insist on better ways of state conduct in terms of its kind and form for different societies. People tend to merge, in fact, with the current status quo...
Introduction Philosophy as a special form of society’s conscience can be said to have been occurred to fulfill the need for people to answer certain questions. The answers to such questions should be able to deliver a complete, logically relevant, and sufficiently broad in generalizations and conclusions knowledge about the...
Introduction The ideas of the ancient philosophers such as Socrates and Plato are often looked to for wisdom and an idea of the ‘right’ path one should take. These individuals provided a great deal of information regarding the proper functioning of a society, including what it would take for a...
Metaphysics Before science developed into the sophisticated form that we witness it in today, solutions of problems that had possible associations with science were dealt with and studied under the umbrella of metaphysics. Before the advent of modern science and very well before Aristotle, metaphysics was the most commonly used...
Introduction Rationalism is a theory in which the measure of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive. Rationalistic philosophers believed that reason is the exclusive path to knowledge. Not all philosopher are uniquely empiricist or rationalist, some of them have two stand points belonging to the schools of...
Whether a person should be moral or not, is a matter of dispute that many of the writers and thinkers of the world have been asking each other for years. By morality what we mean is that a set of rules passed to us through social and religious experiences which...
Yin Yang refers to the concept that is used to describe and explain how some opposite or converse forces in the world are mutually supporting and intertwined. It describes and explains how they give rise to each other in turn and seem to be mutually dependent on each other. This...
There is a great debate throughout the course of history as to what the concept of knowledge ought to refer to. A great amount of literature has been written on this controversial topic with scholars and philosophers pitting their impressive brainpower towards a possible definition of what knowledge is. However,...
Introduction The most difficult thing is getting to know the truth, to know the truth takes a lot and there is no prescribed procedure for getting to know the same. So the question is how exactly can a person know whether his perception of a given thing is true or...
Introduction It is not a secret, that urbanization is taking place as a process all over the world today and especially in America. It means that people tend to go to the large cities for a seemingly better fortune there. Despite this vastly developed tendency, some people of today are...
Aristotle creates a unique understanding of ethics and moral values, virtue, and honesty. Thus, Aristotle’s moral ideas and moral ideals are, in some degree, the product of his time, and cannot be expected to be adequate in the world of today. Scientific and material progress has extended man’s moral horizons....
The use of the conceptual metaphor is a powerful tool because it reaches the very center of our way of understanding the world around us. Generally speaking, a conceptual metaphor is defined as a metaphor “that is so basic in the way people think about something that they fail to...
Betham’s main critics were on the law and of moral and political discourse. He was particular on the law and how there were legal fictions in it, all that would lead to confusion. To him, morals and legislations can be described scientifically although the description would require an account of...
The most important question in philosophy Philosophy is an extensive subject and what separates philosophy from other subjects is that it is the perspective that other subjects are examined through. Being of such nature, there are a number of questions that are of prime importance, but what is widely considered...
Introduction One of the major questions of philosophy has always been the nature of the soul, what it is, where it resides, where it comes from, how it is developed, and for what purpose. This abiding interest like the human being from a philosophical rather than physical standpoint is evidenced...
Introduction Free will is the ability of one to choose a course of action with his/her own control. It is the ability of people to control their action with out any external influence from another party. Those who believe in free will take various positions about this very broad subject....
Introduction There are many aspects to consider when one is engaging in a definition of something as amorphous and subjective as ethics. What might be an ethical move in one case may prove to be disastrously unethical in another. Not only does the outcome depend on the specific situation involved...
Introduction Phenomenology comes from structures that are found within a conscious experience. Phenomena are the structures that exhibit themselves on the assumptions and presuppositions of science. One can consider them the way a thing is immediately experienced and the way it is. Edmund Husserl was the first distinguished phenomenologist. He...
It used to be easy to acquire knowledge. Ancient men and women need only to rely on authoritative figures like the patriarch of a clan or a religious leader to tell them what is right and wrong. But after the Age of Reason, it dawned on the human race that...
In setting forth his ideas regarding what makes a good citizen, Aristotle illustrates the difficulties involved in simply defining who might be a citizen and who might not be. In terms of being a citizen of a particular country or nation, he indicates that anyone is a citizen who is...
The dictionary typically defines philosophy as “the love of or search for wisdom or knowledge” or “as the theory or logical analysis of the principles underlying conduct, thought, knowledge and the nature of the universe” (Neufeldt, Goralnik, 1994, p. 1015). With such a general definition, one might begin to understand...
Comparing the differences between the Freud’s and Erickson’s theories, it is necessary to point out that the stages in Freud’s theories were psychosexual, and the stages in Erikson’s theories were psychosocially oriented. The theory of psychoanalysis, which served as a base for numerous psychoanalytic theories, was developed at the late...
Humans in their nature hypothesize and at the same time are skeptical of everything they believe. Every human belief has the predisposition of being doubted at some point in time. Even God, in all His wisdom has been doubted. Humans are a marvelous creation, but have many imperfections. If God...
Introduction The very term “ethics” has a great number of definitions, naturally, it is not necessary to present all of them, but overall we can single out two definitions, which seem to be the most appropriate. First, ethics is a branch of philosophy, which studies the moral value of human...
Introduction The book “A Thousand Plateaus” written by the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze and the psychoanalyst Felix Guattari is the second part of the project “Capitalism and Schizophrenia”. Main body As a matter of fact, the authors themselves believe that this work cannot be considered that as a “book” because...
Introduction Philosophy is an eternal search of knowledge and vital wisdom in which scientists of this direction tried to define laws of life and to issue them literally. Eastern philosophy indifference from the west was not limited to the search for rational proofs and decisions of the vital and fundamental...
Describing and analyzing the philosophical article “Virtue Ethics and Confucianism” by credible scholar Bryan W. Van Norden (professor of the Vassar College of the Chinese and Japanese Philosophy Department) from the anthology volume “Comparative Approaches to Chinese Philosophy”, it is important to note that it critically evaluates and represents the...
Abstract A variety of approaches to the study of fairness, ethics, morality, and justice entails numerous disputes between scientists who support specific theories and ideas. Famous philosophers John Rawls and Robert Nozick offer compelling and intriguing concepts regarding the values of fairness and equality. They describe concepts of building a...
The nature and accuracy of knowledge that people get using their perceptive apparatus are among the most discussed questions in philosophy. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato provides his perspective on the issue by using a dark cave and prisoners in chains as the symbols of limitations related to...
Introduction The implicit behind constructing a philosophical self-portrait is central to contemplating in the lead one’s existence, (aspirations and participation) and to bring these components into an interconnected sum total. These constituents are unified into an unswerving whole by virtue of expanded knowledge, influenced or transformed by these reflections in...
Abstract The breakdown of the poleis (Greek city-states), which occurred after Alexander’s death, left a majority of the people feeling alone and frightened. In order to regain what they had lost, the Greeks turned to upcoming cultural movements, each of which tried to provide them with a sense of community...
Thesis: Kierkegaard claims about absolute choice, which on being a realization of freedom, means a choice of not this or that, but self in the eternal meaning. In Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard wrote: “If faith cannot make it a holy act to be willing to murder his son, then let...
Sometimes the best way to understand a person’s philosophy is to attempt to apply their thinking to an outside situation or event. There is a catch to the process, though, in that if one is not careful to apply this mode of thinking to another individual within that same society,...
The Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle’s best-known and significant work that defined his ethics. This writing includes ten books that were initially introduced as separate scrolls and are believed to be based on his lecture notes at the Lyceum. Aristotle was one of the last great Greek philosophers and the heir...
Introduction Marx and Weber are some of the leading classical social theorists that have shaped the modern discourse on capitalism. Weber is among the profound critics of Marxist ideologies, and thus the two have opposing views on the issue of capitalism even though they share some similarities on the same...
There have been multiple attempts to understand the nature of armed conflicts and study the topic of war and warfare from the philosophical viewpoint. To express his understanding of war as a socio-cultural phenomenon, Carl von Clausewitz, a prominent specialist in military theory and practice, formulated the concepts of the...
Skepticism is associated with doubts about knowledge and its reliability. Skeptics stress that it is impossible to make sure that any source of knowledge is reliable enough, so people are likely to be mistaken all the time (Vaughn, 2018). The best illustration of this perspective is Plato’s assumption that the...
Introduction The fields of ethics and morality continue to dictate or govern human beings’ behaviors and actions. Different philosophers and scholars have presented evidence-based theories and principles to guide moral values and ethical perspectives. Some of these thinkers include John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. The paper presented below uses...
Introduction The anthropological origins of human development, ranging from prehistoric times to ancient civilizations, is an important but highly debatable topic. There are numerous disagreements about methods to studying fossils, the evolutionary process of homo sapiens, and the introduction of language. In the chapter How It All Began, Brockway claims...
Introduction According to Plato, the central axis of the state is justice; it contains the answer to the question of why and how a perfect polis is born and dies. The correct organization of government, according to Plato, is able to curb and make impossible the greed of rulers, in...
Introduction The question about whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound when there is no one to hear it is a philosophical puzzle, which has elicited unending debates in various circles. As Livingston argues, humans need coherent answers to archetypal patterns (12), and thus the answer to...
Introduction Thomas Hobbes’ discussion of the state of nature prompted responses from a multitude of other philosophers and scholars. The author’s principal argument is that, without governmental control, people would always remain in their natural state, which is “a condition of war of every one against every one” (Hobbes 1660,...
The Socratic Method is a particular way of teaching and learning, which originated in the V century BC in Athens. The method entails engaging in a structured debate to uncover more accurate meanings to concepts. In the debate, the teacher does not provide the students with undeniable factual knowledge but...
The Socratic identification of knowledge It is clear that knowledge and wisdom are essential ingredients of life worth living because ignorance and the lack of understanding make life similar to animals. The first of the ancient philosophers who turned to the knowledge of man, understanding his essence, studying the inner...
The new understanding of the world in Renaissance consisted primarily in the fact that the thinkers of the Renaissance began to relate to the problem of human completely differently than Christian theologians. Christian theocentrism was being replaced by Renaissance anthropocentrism, when a person, personality problems become the center and goal...
Religion has always been one of the integral parts of human society. It appeared at the dawn of civilization with the first attempts to explain the nature of the universe and the origin of species and people. Communities created their gods to answer questions that were difficult for them with...
Introduction Gilles Deleuze (January 18, 1925–November 4, 1995) is known as one of the most provocative and influential figures in philosophy of the twentieth century, who became famous not only in France but also worldwide. The ideas and teachings of Deleuze had a significant impact on the development of modern...
Introduction Today, Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments is considered among the most important contributions to the history of moral and political thought. Given the fact that the book was written in 1759, it was a real breakthrough in scientific thought because it provided evidence for people’s actions and...
It can be argued that each person has a unique worldview, and that one’s beliefs affect their thoughts, judgments, and actions. A worldview develops based on one’s understanding of spirituality, pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism, as these are some of the key philosophical concepts related to knowledge and perception. My personal...
Introduction It is possible to state with certainty that individuals who work in clinical environments experience numerous ethical dilemmas, which are determined by the nature of their occupation as it directly influences people’s lives. Among these moral issues, the following could be exemplified as the most apparent: disclosure of the...
Introduction For centuries, humankind has struggled to explain the meaning of life through philosophy and religion. While philosophy tries to answer the eternal question using a rational approach, religion operates with notions that surpass the limits of human knowledge. Religion is a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning sacred...
Introduction Philosophy is one of the ways to cognize reality that surrounds people and answer basic questions that emerge in the course of individuals’ thought evolution. Human beings have always wanted to understand the purpose of their lives, reasons for their acts, and solve multiple ethical dilemmas that appear while...
Introduction The morality of an action can be judged from different perspectives. For instance, from a utilitarian perspective, an action can be said to be “good” if it brings happiness to the largest number of people (Cholbi 88). In the Kantian categorical imperative, an act is termed as good or...
Introduction Chapter 16 “Critical thinking and moral arguments” focused on vital components of critical thinking and using them for making relevant assertions and hypotheses. Since philosophy plays a major role in establishing the ground for moral arguments and critical thinking, it is argued that the discipline can provide valuable skills...
Aristotle and the Question of Virtue: Why Bother Being Good? According to Aristotle, virtue is a center point located between two extremes. For example, virtue would be in the middle of an abundance of something and its deficiency (Roca & Schuh, 2017). This concept can describe not only the number...
Argument Against Socrates Since Socrates is the person to whom many people listen, one of the main arguments against him is the encroachment on political morality. He constantly confuses citizens by discovering their ignorance in those issues in which they considered themselves competent. Young people, particularly the sons of wealthy...
Introduction John Locke was an English philosopher, famous for his liberal ideas and natural rights. In Two Treatises of Government, he evaluated different states of nature, war, and slavery. In the fifth chapter, Locke focused on property and its establishment in society from God’s perspective. The purpose of this essay...
Many scholars interpreted Niccolò Machiavelli’s ideas differently, and even today, there is no consensus on whether his views of political behaviors were reasonable or morally unacceptable, right or false. For instance, Leo Strauss, Ernst Cassirer, and Sheldon Wolin conducted the analyses of The Prince and Machiavelli’s main arguments made in...
Introduction As an essential set of traits, virtue is perceived as moral excellence that defines the extent of the humanity of oneself. It is a common phenomenon studied by ethics, a branch of philosophy. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, made a significant contribution to examining this ethical phenomenon, as he is...
The development of the modern world that is affected by the active inclusion of the minorities in the social and political paradigm imposes a variety of difficulties on the preservation of people’s ability to choose. In order to be able to do the right thing, a person needs to carry...
Introduction Leviathan is one of the most influential works created by Thomas Hobbes in the middle of the 17th century. Covering a number of human and natural rights, the author evaluated the role of power and needs regarding absolutism and contractarianism. The goal of this paper is to analyze Chapter...
Introduction In the essay “Ethics of Belief”, William Clifford argues that no one, choosing what to believe, can be free from the opinions of others. A person’s faith may incriminate him/her in unethical behavior, depending on whether he/she has the “right to believe” what he/she believes in, according to Clifford...
The socialist revolutionary, Karl Marx, singled out several socio-economic formations in history and considered the patterns of their development. Slavery, feudalism, capitalism, and communism aspects were discussed by this scholar. Marx revealed the economic contradictions inherent in capitalism, pointing to the inevitability of the transition to the next formation. This...
Introduction Humanity has been concerned with the questions of justice and ethics for a very long time. Different schools of philosophy have put forward a number of approaches and theories regarding this subject. These theories can be used as a framework that helps individuals to go about ethical dilemmas that...
How Does Nietzsche Use Comparison to Make an Argument about Love? The exploration of love as one of the most complex feelings experienced by people requires a detailed analysis of the effects that it produces. Thus, the degree of power that love can give a leader can be identified and...
The fundamental principle of practical reasoning refers to a rule that should be followed while reasoning, thus leading to rational conclusions. At the same time, the above principle is to be followed directly without applying any other rules in terms of reasoning (Setiya, 2014). The structure of rational assumptions should...
Aristotle, the Ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC and was a student of Plato, had a huge intellectual range and thus was involved in many different branches of science, such as biology, chemistry, history, political theory and, most importantly, philosophy. Among his many philosophical works, a...
Plato’s “Euthyphro” is a written dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro that discusses the meaning of piety as a virtue. Generally, piety is considered to be the fulfillment of duty to a higher power and humanity. Euthyphro is regarded as a highly pious man who chose to legally prosecute his own...
Introduction The issue of the dogmatic nature of religion is a common point for discussion. While some people are willing to accept religious principles unwaveringly, others seek to question these postulates. Herein lies the core contradiction between the philosophy of faith and the inquiry-based approach of its opponents. Although evidentialism...
Determinism is a well-established school of thought, arguing that all actions performed are entirely determined (hence the name) by psychological, biological, or other causes. Thus, all actions are entirely rational and could be explained. Sometimes it also precludes free will, since if all human actions are determined by their experience...
When it comes to discussing the validity of the Christian salvation thesis, many people tend to do it in an emotionally charged manner, especially if they happen to be strongly religious. The same applies to several non-religious individuals as well: all because they find the concerned thesis much too irrational...
Salomon Ludwig Steinheim (1789-1866) was called polyhistor for him being a famous theologian, politician, and physician, a historical figure who played a crucial part in the battle of the Jewish population for its emancipation. He was the first German-Jewish scholar who attempted to start the exploration of the concept of...
Spirituality and Understanding of Concepts Discussing one’s personal worldview has always been a complicated task since many people rarely think about their spirituality, the nature of the world around them, or the meaning of human history. In my opinion, spirituality is the central point that characterizes how a person views...
The passage “Obviously I do not mean that whenever I choose between a millefeuille and a chocolate éclair, I choose in anguish. Anguish is a constant in this sense – that my original choice is something constant. Indeed, this anguish is in my view, the complete absence of justification at...
Chapter 2 of Tu Wei-ming’s essay on Chung-Yung is dedicated to the concept of a profound person and its understanding from the perspective of the Doctrine of the Mean. A profound person is an important concept because it encompasses a range of characteristics, abilities, and skills necessary for a person...
