1152 samples of this type
If you are not selfish you cannot survive In the world today, people have changed unlike in the past during the days of our ancestors. According to the stories we hear, in the past people lived together in harmony and as one big family. In those days everyone was concerned...
Every person regularly has to make choices of the moral character. While the law clearly defines, what is right or wrong, life does not seem to be that uniform. In fact, the laws are written as a representation of the current moral views. The easy example is slavery, which used...
The views of Hobbes and Locke on the state of nature and natural rights Hobbes believed that the state of nature is based on the natural rights as well as Locke. They also thought that people are free to acts as they want considering the natural rights. Still, their ideas...
Introduction A nation is a community characterized by two qualities – its limits and sovereignty. Both qualities usually have official and legal definitions for each particular nation. Also, these qualities, as well as other characteristics of a nation can be its internally perceived and promoted features. Specifically, the American nation...
Introduction The philosophical work “On Liberty” was written by J. S. Mill in 1859. These are the times of democratic republics’ heyday on the eve of slavery abolition in the US. The main idea centers on the understanding of the concept of individual freedom and the definition of public interference...
What is Morality? Gert (2011), cites two definitions of morality; the first being descriptive in nature, whereas the second is normative. Descriptive morality refers to some codes of conduct put forward by a society or some other group such as a religion or accepted by an individual through his or...
The Sphinx had asked Oedipus to crack a riddle, and if he succeeded, she promised to take her own life. The riddle went like this “What goes on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?” (Dawe 130). Oedipus responded by saying that the...
Introduction Happiness as an e ethereal and elusive yet constantly desirable concept has been the object of pursuit since the dawn of humankind. The phenomenon of happiness as a state of being has a special place in Western Philosophy. The subject matter has been explored by Kant, Tocqueville, Du Chatelet,...
Introduction Revolutions are an integral aspect of political evolution in the society. The success or failure of such a movement is dependent on the conduct and capabilities of the leaders and the masses. To this end, it is important to analyze the roles of these two parties with respect to...
Introduction Every individual has a personal worldview that he or she uses both consciously and subconsciously to answer questions and make decisions. Spirituality also plays a significant role in one’s life as it guides people and offers them a set of rules and beliefs that construct a specific view of...
Introduction It may seem complicated to penetrate deeper into philosophy as such an endeavor requires people to concentrate on elevated matters while living up to their potential. Some people succeed, while others cannot find answers to philosophical questions even as they mature and continuously pose such conundrums to themselves. However,...
Introduction Throughout the ages, people have tried to comprehend the world and understand their own place in this unique system. From the time the ability to think critically and analyze events first appeared, individuals used their brains not only to come up with ways to survive but also to improve...
Alexander Hamilton was the first economist in America who held a principal political figure, but he never managed to become a president in America. There was a great depression in the 1930s where he was allied with the monetary policies in reverence to the American economy that held accountability for...
While discussing the topic of happiness and people’s attitudes to this concept, it is possible to speak about many individuals who view the idea of happiness differently. Thus, happiness can be defined by people in the most unexpected terms because of differences in their visions. It is even possible to...
Introduction The category of courage is of keen interest in the fields of ethics, philosophy, and theology. There are many opinions on the subject in the literature, and many of them contradict each other. The topic of this paper is the courage to be, one of the central elements in...
Compare and evaluate Peter Abelard notion of moral intent with that of Heloise Heloise and Abelard are the typical representatives of the Christianizing Ethics. According to Abelards philosophy, there is a difference between moral defects and other defects, such as bad mental capabilities. He also distinguishes between moral defects and...
Introduction This report presents an interview with the main characters of four books written in different periods (romantic, realistic, and modern). The characters are a famous scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monster for Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Philip Pirrip from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins from...
Introduction The concept of the nation as an imaginary construct that binds people together using tangible beliefs, values, and history was introduced by Benedict Andersen in his book titled “Imagined Communities.” In the USA, the idea of a nation is very strong, as many people associate themselves with the ideals...
At the root of evidentialism is the principle that one should only ground beliefs on the relevant evidence that one possesses. Clifford, one of the famous proponents of the view, argued that the level of knowledge (the amount of evidence) one has is proportioned to the belief. The philosopher’s view...
Introduction Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau came up with theories to explain the state of nature in different ways, and this helped shape political philosophy. Understanding the state of nature was important in order to understand how life was before the first government emerged. It also explains the reasons that necessitated...
Introduction Culture refers to a collection of behaviors, traditions, thoughts, ideas, and beliefs that distinguish a society or an organization from another. Culture determines the rules that should govern the way a firm or an organization should operate in a particular environment. Values refer to the central viewpoints that inspire...
Abelard and Heloise’s Notion of Moral Intent The central idea in their arguments was the same. Heloise argued that a wrong deed should not be considered as being against social morality if there were no intent to commit it (Moore & Bruder, 2011). Similarly, Abelard believed that one could only...
Philadelphia means the city of brotherly love. Using a rudimentary understanding of Greek language and thought, it is safe to say that philosophy is some sort of love for wisdom. It is my understanding that the passion for knowledge and wisdom inevitably leads to the construction of a personal philosophy,...
Chisholm’s views on the alternatives to internalism In his view, Chisholm seems appears to support the externalism view that “justification of knowledge” depends on a number of factors that are “external to a person”. This argument means that the actions of a person cannot be justified only by determining the...
Critique of the Collier’s Liberal Approach Political theorists have espoused liberalism as a political theory and practice that should be adopted by the whole world. Liberalism strikes an appealing chord to people because it tends to offer citizens of a given country total freedom from any kind of oppression since...
Personal worldview inventory Spirituality is a broad term that carries different meanings to different people. First, it means the act of connecting to a supernatural being to find meaning in life. Second, it refers to the establishment of deep connections with concepts such as nature, art, and music. Third, the...
Meditation I. Descartes reflects on numerous deceptions he has believed in, and the ensuing faultiness of the body of knowledge he has developed based on those falsehoods (Descartes Existence of God 17). Consequently, Descartes decides to relinquish the inherent knowledge and develop a new one based on definite foundations. Notably,...
Introduction In her article, Altmann (2007) focuses on analyzing Patricia Benner’s influential article “From novice to expert” with the aim of defending its philosophical, rather than theoretical, character. Altmann explains that her purpose is not to diminish the significance of Benner’s work, which is extensively applied in all spheres of...
Socrates and Plato were always perceived as wise philosophers and changed the perceptions of the society and the insufficiency of the government while underlining the gravity of the principles of good and bad. Socrates’ dialogue with Glaucon about the darkness of the cave and puppet-like nature of the world was...
What preliminary steps mat be necessary before we can intuitively appreciate the rightness of action? According to Prichard in order to appreciate the rightness of a deed, two preliminary actions should be made. First, it is necessary to distinguish the consequences of the given action more fully than it has...
As a matter of fact, the ancient texts are relevant even for the modern world. It seems that ancient people have known something that is hidden from today’s society. Ideas that are outlined in the ancient texts contain actual information, a unique philosophy that should be taken into consideration and...
Introduction As part of the Marxism theory, the writing by Karl Marx on capital expressed his sentiments on alienation and pain among the lower class workers imprisonment by the private individuals, who have the resources to manipulate and twist social, development, and welfare aspects of the masses in the society,...
Introduction It is worth noting that the two great philosophers Plato and Aristotle had polar views on the essence and the philosophy in general. Aristotle, unlike his teacher Plato, was interested not so much in the inner essence of the being, the fundamental principle of the world as such, but...
The Age of Enlightenment can be regarded as the epoch when people put reason above all and believed they could explain everything. Importantly, this was also the time when moral (Christian) values were seen as effective doctrines everybody followed without hesitation (Perez, 2012). John Locke is one of the most...
The celebration of human reason in science began in the 18th century. The period was also known as the Enlightenment, and the works and achievements of its brightest representatives such as Luigi Galvani, Voltaire, Erasmus Darwin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant changed the lives of millions of people. It was...
The perspectives of deontology, deriving from the root meaning duty, and associated with Immanuel Kant and William David Ross, suggest the ethical complexities facing a US soldier. Both thinkers focus on not depending on what one wants to do, but on what one has to do. Although the connection to...
1. Explain some of the benefits a student may gain by studying philosophy. While studying philosophy, a student can gain a range of benefits because of learning the principles of developing and analyzing the knowledge which can have different sources, including objective and subjective reality. As a result, knowing the...
Introduction The greatest thinkers living in different periods of human history have always tried to understand the real nature of appropriate and inappropriate things that a person can do. Therefore, there is a range of theories that are devoted only to the ethical norms of modern society or make attempts...
Introduction Despite having been lauded as an innovator at the time when “the Prince” and “Discourses on Livy” were published, Machiavelli‘s ideas are regarded nowadays as rather dubious, and the author himself is often deemed as the advocate for evil. Although one must credit Niccolò Machiavelli for the creation of...
Introduction The rule of law is a subject of practical philosophy that has always been of high interest to philosophers willing to arrive at principles of pragmatic governance by either separating empirical applications of sets of rules governing human action from the pursuit of ends valuable in the moral sense...
Discussion Socrates was imprisoned for corrupting the youth’s minds in Athens as well as defying the gods that the state recognized. Although Socrates’ contemporaries agreed that he had an opportunity to escape, he refused all of them. Socrates’ followers did not want to see their inspiring figure being executed by...
Interview Question: Are you a believer? Answer: I am, very much. I believe in God, and those moments in my life when I doubted his existence were the hardest moments for me. I am not much of a churchgoer because it was never a tradition in my family, and I...
Introduction There are several philosophers who have been studied for years. Their lives and contributions to several aspects of the society are both valued and acknowledged by many people. This essay looks at the contributions of ten influential philosophers of all time. The ten individuals are Karl Marx, John Locke,...
The phenomenon of the ‘fall of man’ in the Roman philosophy and political thought is related to the ideas declared by Seneca (4 BC – AD 65). Seneca was one of the most prominent Roman stoics whose political vision was opposite to other philosophers belonging to this group (Klosko 174)....
Aristotle referred to human beings as zoon politikon; Hobbes stated that “man is a wolf to man” (De Waal 3). Throughout the course of human history, the greatest thinkers of their times argued about what human nature stands for. As seen from the statements of Hobbes and Aristotle, they were...
The sceptic philosophy emanated from the ancient sceptics from Greece. Scepticism emanated from the Greek word scepsis, which means investigation. The sceptics saw themselves as investigators (Machuca, Pyrrhonism in Ancient 11). Sceptics did not propose any ideas or beliefs themselves, neither did they dispute the fact that knowledge could be...
Introduction This paper traces the advancement of political thought via a study of some key writers of political discourse such as Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and Friedrich Hegel. Emanuel Kant was a German philosopher, and he was well known for his enormous contribution towards shaping the modern philosophy. Hume was...
Plato’s Republic focuses on the discussion of the meaning of justice and explores a connection between the just man and his happiness providing evidence that supports the notion that inability to do “one’s own business” disrupts a person’s capacity to maintain “the unity of their souls” thereby breaking the link...
Philosophers and thinkers have always been the main contributors to the evolution of scientific thought and promoted the further evolution of our society. It is impossible to imagine the modern world without the discoveries made by outstanding people. They changed the image of the world and promoted the blistering development...
Introduction The need to ensure every human being enjoys his or her rights has pushed societies to establish institutions that promote the realisation of this goal. Some people argue that evolution has pushed people from living in jungles to civilized societies. This essay is an assessment of Will Kymlicka’s argument that...
Kant’s views about the nature of morality and how it is related to intellect Kant is one of the early philosophers who produced a number of works on human nature. In his talks, Kant described and stipulated on regarding morality depicts rational self-determination as the highest moral value in human...
A Treatise of Human Nature is a work of David Hume, which was published in three consecutive parts from 1738 to 1740. Hume was a Scottish philosopher who was increasingly fascinated by the study of human knowledge and mind. In A Treatise of Human Nature, Hume attempts to explore the...
There is no use denying the fact that humanity has always been affected by such phenomena as ethics, morals, and religion. Going along with society, these notions influenced human beings and introduced some changes to their lives. It should also be said with the increase in the complexity of society....
Introduction Religion can be defined as a set of beliefs and practices that explain the relations between people and their God. Every religion is characterized by beliefs and religious practices that all its followers observe. Each religion has its own distinct practices that distinguish it from others (Brenkert 56). The...
Thomas Reid strongly believed in the power of common sense. He argued that human beings should not waste their time trying to justify what they perceive because everything in nature is self-evident. He insisted that human beings should just consider the realities in the things they see and stop being...
Genesis inspired a number of philosophers. Pico della Mirandola was influenced by it as well. At the beginning of the speech, the philosopher puts forward the thesis of human greatness, his superiority over all creatures, “man is the intermediary between all creatures, close to the highest and lowest lord over,...
Introduction Our society rests on some basic ideas and notions that create the basis for its further rise and evolution. Such unique phenomena as pride, dignity, joy, devotion, etc. are an integral part of our everyday life. They appeared at the very first stages of the evolution of the human...
The question of the rise of mental torture with regards to the insecurity on how the views of people on oneself are presented is a challenge in the society that seeks to verify some justification. This study will cover critically on the perspective of mind in a philosophical approach, exploring...
It is worth noting that Rene Descartes was one of the greatest philosophers who made a great contribution to the development of science, philosophy, and the society as a whole. He was a mathematician, philosopher, physicist, physiologist, and an authoritative metaphysician. He established the foundations of analytic geometry, contemporary algebraic...
Introduction Science is derived from a Latino word “Scientia”, implying acquisition of knowledge. The word science does not have a universal definition. The new Webster Collegiate Dictionary states that scientific knowledge is acquired through both studies and practice. This includes knowledge obtained through experimentation of events using scientific methods; thus,...
Explain and evaluate the Hindu ideas of Brahman, atman and reality Karma stands for “action” that leads to a number of outcomes, as a result of man’s desire for earthly things (Moore & Bruder 489). For example, Karma suggests that a noble action leads to happiness, whereas, an evil action...
Having read Thomas Jefferson’s “Selected Letters”, it is possible to say that each of them contains issues which deserve attention. The ideas delivered by the president are clear and imperative. It is impossible to leave reasonable and argumentative statements without attention. Having read the “Selected letters”, much information seems interesting...
Difference from Predecessors The history of the United States is riddled with ambiguous and often controversial events, people, and ideas. Even though all of these ideas are built to fit the profile of a democratic concept as a part of the philosophy created by the Founding Fathers, some of the...
The process of understanding the invisible has always been interesting to the philosophers of the epochs preceding the development of science and medicine to the extent when the miracle of thinking could have been explained physiologically. Descartes’ vision of the concept of mind and body and their interconnections is still...
Since the philosophy was first implemented as a science, the question of correlation and interrelation between human body and mind preoccupied numerous thinkers throughout the history. Descartes created one of the most influential theories of mind, which prevails to be the basis for subsequent elaborations on the given issue. However,...
Introduction Virtually, every country cherish specific codes of ethics that makes them unique and therefore, exceptional. As a code of ethics, Confucianism was adopted amongst the Chinese people as the official religion that inspired faith in the Han, Shang, Zhou, and Xia Dynasties (Yang 245). People across the world have...
Introduction This paper aims to investigate the idea of self in its relation to the Buddhist perception of suffering. Also, the notion of objectual and intentional properties will be briefly discussed. The Talk of Persons as Useful Fiction Buddhism, being a significantly variegated and complex religious and philosophical movement, comprises...
The fundamental aspect of being a soldier is the acceptance and willingness to follow all the rules given by one’s superiors. The power hierarchy is, thus, very important in the military and army bases. Due to this, soldiers usually experience personal battles regarding whether to take an order as expected...
In this paper I will explore Singer’s claim that our practice of farming non-human animals for human consumption involves systematic moral wrongdoing and that such attitude towards the creatures of the same species as humans is highly immoral because it is close to severe racism and sexism and can be...
The significance of a positive change is intrinsically characteristic of any culture (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014a). However, when viewed through the lens of a specific set of traditions, philosophies, a and the world picture, the phenomenon shapes, gaining new shades of meaning and incorporating more wisdom. Although kaizen, which is...
Introduction The law is considered one of the most important building blocks of our society. Modern law covers almost every aspect of life, ranging from the most basic concepts such as the protection of life, health, and private property, to regulating trade, formalizing marriage, and assigning penalties for misconduct. The...
Introduction There are different perspectives of success. The term success has diverse meanings for different individuals. For instance, certain people attribute the level of monetary reward to success. However, one basic fact is that everyone yearns to attain success. People have associated various achievements to success. Several people fail because...
Change is a continuous occurrence in the life of individuals. Our views, bodies, environments, and feelings are subjects of continuous change. In as much as people take some time to adjust, change introduces challenges that may be minor or major. Fundamentally, people are usually reluctant to changes. Therefore, the changes...
The divine command theory sates that all human actions must be evaluated as moral or immoral in accordance with orders of God. What God permits is considered to be good, and vice versa what is prohibited by God is evil. According to this theory morality and moral obligations depend upon...
Preliminary steps to appreciate the rightness of an action Before people can intuitively appreciate the rightness of a certain action, they may need to take two preliminary steps. In particular, they may consider potential consequences of an action. For instance, a policy-maker may need to think about the impact of...
Introduction Answering the question whether one can know when to trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge we are to consider the definitions each of these notions expresses. There are cases when emotions are helpful and even necessary in knowing while in another case emotions are harmful. Everything depends...
Any human being is characterized by his/her actions. Their character determines the motifs of a person and proves his/her intentions. However, the given approach gives rise to a number of critical issues related to the subjectivity of the evaluation of any action. Numerous philosophers have sought to outline the main...
Are We Obligated to Prevent Suffering? It could be hardly doubted that Buddhism as a philosophy and religion had a significant impact on the development of Western moral and ethical conceptions (Garfield et al. 293). It is also possible to notice that such influence became more apparent since the 19th...
Introduction In contemporary society, morality binds all rational beings, and their actions are considered moral only if they emanate from reason and not sensual inclinations (Atwell 44). The moral quality of an action is determined by the motive or intention for its performance. Therefore, the consequences of an action have...
THE FIRST PREMISE According to Kant’s First Formulation, one should act as if those actions were a universal law of nature. This means that the moral choice should point toward a complete necessity and signify a rational decision that is not impacted by any subjective outlooks of the individual (White...
Introduction The Transcendental Exposition of the Concept of Space postulates that humans have a pure instinct of space, a concept that is commonly referred to as the argument from geometry. Accordingly, Kant has tried to assume a theory of space as untainted instinct from a postulation about mathematical cognition. This...
Wars have always been an indispensable part of human life. At different times, different nations are in the state of war. Though people understand that war is something vicious and undesirable, they also try to justify it. Thus, Ancient Roman statesmen developed a set of criteria that could justify the...
Utilitarianism is one of the theories of normative ethics claiming that the right course of action is the one that maximizes utility, meaning going for the decisions that capitalize on benefits while at the same time reducing the chances of suffering or the negative effects. Aristotle was one of the...
The book ‘The Condition of the Working Class in England’ written by Engels Friedrich, a German social scientist and political theorist, is a manifestation of the evils that accompanied what is known as industrial revolution. Principally, Engels’s piece of writing is owed to the conditions of industrial proletariat in great...
Liberalism has caused more suffering than positive changes through revolutionary hostilities compared to the former systems of governance including the imperialist absolute monarchy. Introduction There are several interpretations of liberal views based on the way people understand liberty. Nonetheless, liberal views are based on common acceptable freedoms. These include free...
The Scientific Revolution of the 17th century marked the beginning of a new era of modern science that significantly transformed and advanced the existing knowledge and ideas. The philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon played an instrumental role in shaping the theory of empiricism that, to a considerable extent, challenged...
We are all people who live in a society that has its particular rules and norms. Generally, we follow them to act decently and be accepted. No one questions the principles he/she was taught starting with the early childhood. Our parents claimed that this is right, and that is bad,...
Greatest Happiness The ‘greatest happiness principle’ is based on the belief that an action is right if it promotes “happiness” or, in other words, “pleasure and absence of pain” and it is wrong if it produces “the reverse of happiness” (Mill, 2015, p. 107). Two Pleasures It is possible to...
The problem of nature of reality has always been one of the main philosophical issues. Since ancient times many philosophers and thinkers have been evolving different approaches that propose various treatments of this philosophical problem. Among a great variety of approaches, it is possible to distinguish such school of thought...
The Samsara reveals that the human cycle is a journey. People go through a cycle of desire and suffering because of their ego and ignorance. As a result, they go through a cycle and series of rebirths until they can escape the treadmill. Karma imprisons an individual by the transmigratory...
Understanding a personal worldview is not an easy task, and every person has his/her own time to get outside of this issue. I try to stay consequent in all my discussions not to confuse people and not to be confused by myself. As soon as spirituality is discussed in terms...
Moral intent According to Abelard and Heloise, moral intent is the best way of assessing morality because it determines the capacity and intention of a person to undertake moral or immoral acts. The notion of Abelard is that moral intent predisposes people to perform good or evil acts. In this...
Karma, Samsara, and Nirvana In Buddhism, Samsara refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Human beings undergo a series of rebirths in various forms until they can escape this routine (Moore & Bruder, 2013). Karma imprisons the individual in the wandering. Karma refers to the chain of causes...
Philosophy is one of the most ancient disciplines in the academic field. Over the years, it has attracted the attention of various scholars. They include, among others, Descartes, Plato, Locke, and Hobbes. In this paper, the author will analyze the ideas promoted by some of these philosophers in the book...
Hindu ideas of Brahman, atman, and reality Karma is one of the basic notions in Hinduism, which means action or deed. Every human action has its own effect on the existing life and may last over several lifetimes. A human being passes through the series of rebirths in different forms....
Karma explains that what people become in the present life is a result of their actions in the past life. Every action is followed by another action or an event appropriate, which may last a lifetime. An individual by surrendering to God and becoming enlightened on liberation can build up...
Evaluate Rene Descartes’ argument for knowledge, including the role of skepticism, the evil demon, and God in resolving his doubts Rene Descartes believed that the best way to acquire knowledge is through the use of the “doubting methodology” (Moore & Bruder 110). Descartes claimed that skepticism is the key to...
Immanuel Kant’s views Immanuel Kant would have opposed the directive, that all professors must be fingerprinted, through the categorical imperative argument. The categorical imperative, developed by Immanuel Kant, consists of two formulations. The first formulation has two criteria. The first is universalibility, which states that the reason to do something...
Abstract This paper explores how the principles of the deontological ethics can be applied to the discussion of using animals in the medical research and laboratory experiments. The specific type of the deontological ethics that is applied to the topic in the paper is the Kantian theory. In spite of...
Thoreau’s essay called “Civil Disobedience” is a well known philosophical work that suggests a deeper understanding of human rights and freedoms. This work is truly progressive for the time when it was written this is why it still attracts the attention of the public nowadays. Besides, Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” explores...
Introduction The book, Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism by Alvin Plantinga, explores various questions on the three broad areas of life. The author borrows heavily from previous works to bring up a provocative argument that atheism conflicts with science while theism does not. The book is...
Abstract The progress of systematic knowledge has tried to touch on the analysis of dreams. By the time Freud inscribed about dream in the recent periods, the scrutiny of more complex kinds of psycho-neuroses as well as the sexual philosophy was in the initial stages. The understanding of dreams was...
The purpose of this work is to consider the prominent philosopher Richard Taylor’s work ‘Cruelty and Compassion.’ In this respect, firstly, it is necessary to discuss the definitions of both phenomena. Secondly, it will be discussed if they are arbitrary or not, and sufficient proof will be presented. The third...
