Get answers from academic experts to any study-related questions.
Belief systems significantly influence a state’s political and social development, especially in Asian countries. The Chinese, for instance, believed in cosmic unity and the divinity of the emperor who held the mandate of heaven. It led to the increased control and power of the ruler. In general, the earliest belief...
Reproduction occurs as a result of fertilization, which is a natural and mindless process in mammals that allows them to continue to exist. The unity between humans is way more complex and involves different layers. The co-existence of the physical and the spiritual, as well as the intent and the...
Discuss how to write the teaching philosophy statement. The teaching philosophy is written in a narrative format and is replete with concrete examples which breathe life into the author’s values. While there is no specific format, the writing must contain the following elements: Introduction – a brief statement about who you...
How would you write a research paper on some topic related to political theory? Begin with a broad topic and narrow it down to a specific research question you would like to answer. Pick a certain aspect of a theorist’s writings and apply it to a modern issue. Below are...
Penny Phang states, “When you were born into this life, you probably learned that what you see in front of you is “reality.” Do you agree with this statement? To answer the question, think of the next controversies. What is reality and what is not? Is one person’s reality the...
Analyze Descartes’ cosmological argument regarding God’s existence. Evaluate the method of inquiry used by Descartes in his Meditations. Which conclusions does he end up defending by following this method? Defend a position interpreting one of his views: is he successful? Defend a position for/against Descartes’ Cosmological argument for the existence...
Analyze Kant’s Third Critique: the Critique of the Power of Judgment. How does Kant view the aesthetics of poetry? Is poetry beautiful for Kant? What kinds of poetry? What are the forms/contents of poetry based on Kantian theory? How do we appreciate poetry’s beauty without its content (the conceptual meaning...
Discuss the question: What is genius for Kant? How can one genius teach another genius – without turning him or her into an imitator? (See Critique of the Power of Judgment by Kant). Do you think Kant is right to locate the source of art in (what he calls) genius?...
Discuss the origin and nature of Descartes’ first principle of philosophy. Explain the origin and nature of Descartes’ first principle of philosophy, “I think; therefore I am.” By origin, it meant how he arrived at the principle. Compare and contrast this principle to the characterization of thinking. Identify the logical...
Discuss Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. The opposition between philosophical life and daily life (bios) is perhaps nowhere more powerfully figured than in the “Allegory of the Cave” from Plato’s “Republic”. Demonstrate your understanding by applying the terms and concepts from the lesson and readings to your analysis of the...
In Cohen’s view, what is the true benefit of philosophical or academic argumentation? Watch Cohen’s video “For argument’s sake”. Explain how we can go beyond argument as war, proof, or performance in academic discourse, or any discourse, in a spirit of collaboration rather than contention. How can we overcome the...
Use either David Foster Wallace or George Orwell to analyze the political components of one of the analytic philosophy texts. First, explain the relevant features of Wallace/Orwell that matter for your analysis (for a general audience). Next, give a brief overview of the point and motivation of the analytic philosophy...
According to Nietzsche, forgetting is essential to living well. I agree with this statement because dwelling on troubles, living with grievances, and relying on irritation and anger brings negativity into life, which can destroy an individual, society, and the state. Indeed, having memorized everything, we would not have survived since...
Nietzsche asserts that animals and humans feel differently about time. Animals are not worried about the past and the future; they live only in the present. That is why they have no history because history connects with the past. In turn, people have a history associated with the past, and...
Freedom became one of the most discussed topics in Jean-Paul Sartre’s masterpiece as he tried to explain to the reader that success does not always achieve freedom. It is all about the inner feelings of the world and personal acceptance. “Anguish” plays an important role in freedom as it is...
The author presented the meaning of “existentialism” as a strong bond between essence and existence to show the reader that by existing, we give meaning to our lives. The term was defined as “existence precedes essence,” and every person is liable to create their ways of existence. This way of...
Jean-Paul Sartre explains the fine line between “existence” and “essence” and presents that existence usually precedes essence. While “essence” relates to the meaning of humanness and being wise to the surrounding, the term “existence” stands for the idea that it is real only when it is perceived by the human...
In a dream, it seems to people that they have perceptions corresponding to wakefulness. Thus, there are no clear criteria that would make it possible to distinguish dream perceptions from actual perceptions. Descartes’ argument about dreams is the possibility of doubt about the principles of mathematics, logic, and other exact...
Descartes suggests using doubt as a research method. Its meaning is as follows: to create a solid foundation for a new philosophy, it is necessary to doubt everything. Accordingly, that which cannot be doubted is the basis of knowledge and science. The experience of doubt concerns anything possible, such as...
Descartes’s building metaphor is associated with the foundation of knowledge. Just as building construction involves laying a solid foundation and gradually building walls, so does the development of knowledge. According to Descartes, the “first philosophy” is metaphysics. Thus, metaphysics is a solid foundation of knowledge on which principles and theories...
The third step is to doubt that everything around is a dream and not reality. The fourth step concerns doubting divine principles. However, since God is good, the fifth step implies the existence of a cunning, deceitful, and powerful “evil genius” who tries to deceive.
According to Descartes, an evil genius is a creature that eternally deceives a person. The purpose of creating this phenomenon is to heighten doubt. What a person is not sure of is taken as false, and an evil genius helps a person to part with prejudices, outdated opinions, and unfounded...
The principle ‘I think therefore I am’ makes consciousness more reliable than matter and one’s thinking (for oneself) more reliable than other people’s thinking. Although there is a tendency towards subjectivity in this position, Descartes came to a firm truth: the existence of the ‘I’ was proved by inference from...
Machiavelli believed that the actions of the “Prince”, as cruel as they might be, would be justified if they demonstrated nobility and power. Any leader may act immorally if the results are beneficial to themselves and the nation-state. Furthermore, Machiavelli emphasized the necessity of a united nation with a strong...
The Divided Line theory is a symbolic explanation of reality and the distinction between its two powers, namely the intellectual and visible worlds. Using this theory, Plato emphasizes the difference between knowledge and opinion. To explain the Divided Line theory, one should draw an imagined line and divide it into...
The Allegory of the Cave is a story used by Plato to exemplify and vividly demonstrate an abstract notion that the philosopher aimed to explain. The purpose of this story is to indicate that the lack of education is a limiting factor that alters one’s belief about the world. Without...
It is necessary to explain the meaning of Socrates’ famous phrase, “to know that you do not know. The ancient Greeks explained wisdom with this expression, and it is not difficult to determine. A person can be wise only when he strives to develop, and knowledge is the resource that...
Concerning Aristotle, it is fair to say that Eudaimonia is the highest happiness a man can comprehend during his lifetime. The attainment of Eudaimonia becomes possible only through the endless choices of life, which can be complex; in so doing, benefits, whether economic, social, or spiritual, are achieved. Eudaimonia is...
As one of the most famous philosophers of all time, Socrates had a particular attitude to death, peculiar to the mythological perception of the world. In particular, the ancient Greeks argued that death is a fitting end to physical life for a good man, in which the soul as a...
There is no free will, Spinoza thinks. One must come to terms with their limitations and the way the world is and reach a kind of freedom by learning to love God and nature. Freedom also manifests itself in a person’s ability to free themselves from the tyranny of passions,...
Monads are what the physical objects in the world, in Leibniz’s eyes, are made of. These are simple and indivisible matters, which include both physical and mental aspects, interacting with one another while existing in a pre-established God harmony. Each monad possesses a reflection of the world. They seem to...
Descartes’ main problem was to justify his views on the external world using his rather narrow base about indubitable beliefs founded on the content of one’s mind. This is where the famous “Cogito Ergo Sum” – or “I think, therefore I exist” comes from. Descartes states that his certain knowledge...
In order to prove that a good God exists, Descartes must rely only on those beliefs he himself has defined as indubitable. His line of thinking is as follows: Descartes says that he finds the notion of a perfect being in his mind. The cause of this notion has to...
Whereas Descartes sets out to find epistemological foundations for knowledge, Spinoza seeks metaphysical connections. According to his perspective, the world is comprehensible, and nature can be seen as a rational thing. In exploring this assumption, one finds out that there is only one view that does not produce contradictions or...
According to Spinoza, God is an infinite being, and the only possibility for any substance to be such is to not have other substances to limit it. That is how he comes to the conclusion that both God and nature are one substance, and the world’s every feature is simply...
Following in the footsteps of his God/nature theory, Spinoza explains that a human being’s existence presents one with two attributes – of thought and of extension – in other words, mind, and body, which actually are one and the same. The concept of them being different and interacting with one...
There is at least one belief that Descartes finds indubitable. That is the belief that one thinks. Even if an allowance for an evil being is made, one still would have to be thinking of something to deceive them. An example of this would be forming a belief about the...
Descartes considers the things that one seems to know for certain by reason – for example, mathematical claims, like 2+2=4. When contemplating the ways one could be mistaken about this, he proposes that there might be a powerful demon who can trick one into perceiving 2+2=4 as an undeniable truth...
In his opinion, senses can deceive people sometimes – an example of that would be mistaking a stranger on the street for a friend or perceiving an oar as bent when it is in the water. Granted, one might say that these cases are diagnosable and mistaken appearances can be...
Method of doubt is Descartes’ attempt to define which knowledge can be considered rational. In order to determine that, he sets out to create a secure foundation of beliefs on which this rational replication of knowledge can be based. Descartes inspects all his beliefs by categories to find out whether...
Just Cause The just war tradition holds that aggression is unjustifiable and unjustly carried out in retaliation for aggression. Aggression is defined as the use or threat of force by one state against another’s political sovereignty or territorial integrity, such as America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The apparent justification...
The occurrence of crises in the capitalistic world is viewed as an opportunity for change and further progress. Indeed, capitalism implies that monetary value might be asserted in any situation, which is why catastrophes should be viewed as sources of developmental inspiration. Indeed, the latest events associated with the outbreak...
A priori refers to knowledge that comes before any experience or independently from it, which is a concept started by Immanuel Kant. Kant distinguished between a priori and a posteriori (derived from experience) knowledge by pointing out the differences between necessary and contingent truth. The former refers to a truth...
Deontologists like Immanuel Kant believe in the existence of the universal good and bad and in the fact that the outcomes do not justify the means. Utilitarians, on the other hand, believe that the good depends on the outcome, prioritizing the consequential benefit of the majority.
The term “thinking tools” was first used by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. He believed that slavery was a natural thing and that people were of two types-slaves and non-slaves. Some people, he said, were born slaves and should be so under all circumstances. Other people were born to manage...
The first perspective is a psychodynamic personality development theory. This theory was pioneered by Sigmund Freud, who assumed that personality is based on the three structural elements – id, ego, and superego. Those three elements coexist within a person, and the relationships between them and reality shape the personality. The...
According to Rousseau, morality is an intrinsic quality of every human being vital for living in communal societies. Moral men have a sense of moral duty and possess different categories of judgment. Besides, righteous men only include the ideals of self-preservation which allows them to address the most basic needs...
Virtue ethics is concerned with individuals’ characters acting, unlike the ethical responsibilities or consequences of specific actions. They are mainly based on Aristotle’s definition of virtuous individuals as people who possess ideal characters. The characters stem from internal inmate behaviors and must be developed to be stable. In the context...
Self-love is when people put themselves priority when doing something or when making a decision. Depending on the situation, it can either be lousy self-love or good. Good self-love is when people choose to do just, moderate, or do as the rules command. Positive self-love also ensures that one secures...
Aristotle thinks that a friendship between virtuous people and bad people is imperfect because each individual sees the other as a source of advantage for themselves. Imperfection also comes in because the company is based on the reasonable person’s character or the wrong person’s behavior because those different characters cannot...
Aristotle does not give a direct answer about a friendship between evil people. Bad people can be associates depending based on their relationship. A link between bad people can work if they found their company on Goodwill. Sometimes if their evil ways are mutual, they can have a perfect bond....
Skinner’s theory was based on the view that human behavior is dependent on the quality of consequences that follow. The controversy of the psychologist’s theory is related to Skinner’s simplistic approach to understanding the roots and causes of such a complex process as forming of behavior. Although the theorist acknowledged...
The first part of the text of Plato’s Euthyphro is related to the primitive explanations of Euthyphro. In the second part, Socrates misleads the hero with his questions, and in the third, he gives an answer, explaining the difference between the concepts.
Philosophy refers to the quest for knowledge, knowledge, and truth in its expansive sagacity. Nevertheless, in Greek, the term itself implies “love of understanding.” Individuals contemplate philosophy whenever they cogitate on profound, central issues about reality and themselves, the precincts of human understanding, their ideals, and the drive of life....
I consider myself philosophical, following my ability to stay thoughtful and detached in case of any setback that is threatening my efforts to lead quality and sustainable lifestyles. The research of how humans think through difficulties is more precisely the field of philosophy in modern days. Ancient thinkers have various...
Plato was the first to introduce metaphysical dualism: from his point of view, the world can be divided into two (duo) parts – the world of constancy and the world of constant change. The world of change is the physical world as we perceive it with our senses (material). We...
Two definitions of “pious” and “piety” are given. The first asserts that what is kind to the gods is pious, what is God-hating is piety. The second one comes from Socrates and says that pious obliges people – causes them to love. The piety is broader than the pious –...
Socrates does not agree with the definitions of piety and impiety given by Euthyphro. He does this by leading questions that lead the hero’s reasoning to a dead end. The solution of the problem that follows from Socrates’ reasoning differs from the definitions of Euthyphro. So, he claims that gods...
Reality constitutes all there is, known and unknown, both as a unified system and a combination of separate parts. It cannot be truly perceived in its entirety, since the inability to fully comprehend all of the existence is a part of the concept itself. The philosophical studies of mind and...
These are questions that Max Weber, one of the founding fathers of sociology would ask. He thought of sociology as a science of social action. Weber believed that understanding why people do the things they do is the basic building-block of sociology, a concept he termed Verstehen. He believed that...
For me, of the five classical branches of philosophy, ethics is the most interesting. It studies moral issues, including capital punishment, euthanasia, and abortion, and tries to find universal answers to the question of the morality of these concepts. However, it is evident that there is no definite answer because...
Marx thought that, in the end, the working class would rebel against the bourgeoisie, and the workers’ revolution would end the bourgeoisie’s existence. As a result, there would be only one social class, and all citizens would be equal. In this new world, no oppression would take place, and even...
With regard to memories experienced after receiving an organ for a donor, Hume would argue that the self exists as a result of recorded sensory impressions. Therefore, sensory objects play a critical role in forming the self, which becomes embedded in the body. Descartes would argue that the act of...
According to Descartes, the idea of God differs from that of a chair because the former is an infinite being that placed the idea of his existence in a finite being, meaning God exists. Locke doubts God’s existence since he is incapable of sensing him.
Hume believed that impressions are vivid perceptions of the mind’s expressions while ideas are reflections of impressions. Locke noted that sensations are the experiences gained from sensory stimulation, while reflections are thought processes in one’s mind. While both theories define the origin of ideas, Locke includes aspects of the senses...
According to Locke, consciousness is inextricably linked to personal identity rather than the physical form. Therefore, people are not dependent on their bodies, and they can exist in other bodies. Descartes would disagree because while he believed that the self is separate from the body, he did not state that...
The method of doubt encourages individuals to doubt the truth regarding everything and realize that indubitable ideas qualify as pieces of knowledge. I believe it is an effective way of understanding truths because doubt prompts inquiry which is essential for a comprehensive review of an idea’s multifaceted elements.
Descartes posits that the marked ice in a freezer can only be identified by depending on absolute certainty. Therefore, the individual must be capable of deducing that the ice is the result of frozen water. Locke proposes that there is no certainty in knowledge. Therefore, the identity of the ice...
Goldman would define money as an economic unit created to serve as a medium of exchange in an economic context. Money has no intrinsic value seeing as its worth is determined by the forces of supply and demand. Society depends on transactions that assign value to money, making it a...
Russell’s view on common sense and prejudice is that the aforementioned notions are often conceived in the absence of concrete evidence. In order to avoid falling victim to prejudice, he proposes that topics must be evaluated from all sides using philosophical principles in order to gain a better perspective. Socrates...
The Oracle of Delphi meant that Socrates was filled with wisdom because he had embraced his inability to know everything. Both Russell and Socrates prefer to question ideas rather than assess issues superficially. Sophists were regarded as individuals who were skilled at arguing in support of any side of an...
Socrates’ insistence on being referred to as “philo-sophoi” was based on his insistence on arguing for the truth. He was unjustly accused, seeing as he supported the dissemination of truth. He addressed ethical issues by questioning what others considered the truth and by analyzing concepts such as piety and virtue....
Political philosophy is one of the primary subjects in the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the terms “the general will” and “the will of all” should also be interpreted in the legislative context. The philosopher regards that the primary purpose of the government should be aligned with the general will....
The primary qualities of an object do not depend on the existence or opinions of an observer. For example, the Grand Canyon existed long before humanity and, though it has changed over time, as all things do, has generally maintained its shape. Each of its sections has a specific depth...
The philosophical method, or philosophical methodology, is a study of how philosophy is done, and a way in which philosophers tend to address philosophical questions. There is more than one way used by philosophers to answer those questions. The main elements of philosophical methods include asking questions that involve methodic...
The attitude addressed by Socrates in the given statement may seem too radical and subjective to some people nowadays. Although being obsessed with money and constantly wishing to gain more is still seen as a vice, the fact of having large amounts of money does not make someone a bad...
In functionalism, Durkheim presented the concept of anomie, while Weber developed the notion of disenchantment, and Marx instituted the idea of alienation, all of which reflected the key ideas of the social problems of an individual. Anomie, according to Durkheim, is the condition when a human being destroys their social...
The essence of the Buridan’s donkey paradox is that we do not have the ability to make a choice unless we are influenced upon. In this paradox, the hungry donkey is standing between two identical haystacks and cannot choose which one to eat. Spinoza concurs with this paradox stating that...
The paradox of Buridan’s donkey conveys the idea that no action will be performed without an impact from outside. It is related to the issue of freedom, meaning that a person is not free. The donkey in the paradox starves to death because it cannot choose one of the two...
According to Kant the inclination of a person towards another merely serves the purpose of fulfilling our sexual desires rather than following our human nature. In his opinion safe guarding the moralistic ground of our nature and keeping ourselves from debasement requires us to enter into a binding contract of...
In the history of mankind, the Greeks were the first people to apply reason in the study of the physical world and human beings through their art architecture, philosophy, historical thought so they become the first ever to think rationally. The Greek architecture consisted of buildings that were found in...
Spinoza and Leibniz do not believe in clear distinctions between the brain and the mind. Spinoza utilizes a monist approach to the issue and states that, despite the seeming differences, both the body and the mind are the manifestations of the universal energy – God. Leibniz offers his own version...
Contributing to the happiness of others seems to rely on the fact that people doing so ignore their own wants. However, these individuals use themselves as both an end in themselves and a means to others’ ones, satisfying the deontological formulation of humanity. Furthermore, if run through the appropriate questions,...
It should be renowned that the idea of natural evil may be discarded if one considers that proceedings such as tremor and food shortage have come concerning due to personal misconduct of the surroundings. It is also dubious whether a tremor causing the loss of a person’s existence is an...
Aristotle believed that tragedy has the potential to cleanse the human soul and raise it to new heights. According to the philosopher, it did that by evoking fear and pity among the audience. The point of evoking them was causing catharsis – a sense of spiritual cleansing obtained through witnessing...
Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn were the most dominant philosophers of science in the twentieth century. Piggott shows that both Popper and Kuhn are often referenced in academic works, and their viewpoints remain valuable to researchers. Whereas Sir Karl Popper was studied logic and the scientific method, Kuhn worked in...
The vast majority of beliefs do not support the ideas of violence in their manifests, and they tend to bestow the act of humility with extraordinary power. Throughout world history, there have always been people who found the power in the reign and authority and those who looked for salvation...
Plato’s famous divided line defines the concept of separation of the human soul into four processes from the lowest to the highest section, respectively. In his dialectic, Plato expressed the idea that these sections on a line represent the path the human soul follows to come to enlightenment. On the...
The question regarding the possibility of knowing anything with complete certainty remains open according to the existing theological studies (Plantinga, 2015). Nevertheless, the Bible posits that it is possible to carry the knowledge of a particular notion, phenomenon, or object (Plantinga, 2015). The specified ability is justified by the statements...
a. Various views on the world have different explanations for what prime reality is. In religion, particularly in Christianity, the prime reality is God. However, naturalism considers that the term relates to eternal matter. In addition, in this belief, God does not exist at all. Postmodernism defines prime reality in...
My personal philosophy has several basic beliefs that help me cope with any life challenges and serve as tools that simplify the decision-making process. In particular, I suppose that the logic of cognition is the instrument that allows excluding any unfounded judgments and provides a background for productive analysis. Also,...
Of the four main divisions of philosophy, logic is of most interest to me. According to Ter Meulen, logical analysis is one of the most plausible and accurate mechanisms for searching for the truth. This feature increases its significance in the context of academic knowledge and other areas of life....
My personal philosophy of life is based on several beliefs that shape my vision and help me make decisions. In particular, I suppose that honesty is an integral component of a just world where all people have equal rights. This belief influences my life significantly because I try to avoid...
The intrinsic moral code is considered to be the most convincing theory. Dwelling upon this idea, Nietzsche is sure that the value of intrinsic moral code is that the good is believed on the inner level. A person understands the virtue of justice as the intrinsic good, and this theory...
Kant’s understanding of the moral worth of an action is rather specific. He is sure that an action is valued morally only in case it is done under the pressure of duty. Otherwise, people do actions for their personal desires and needs. Those who say that they have to get...
Sade says that God does not interfere in the actions of human beings, and he does not meddle in human affairs as we are here, on the planet, only because there is no other way out. Dwelling upon God, the author states that being in the place where they must...
Aristotle’s discussion of experts has several important implications. First of all, he suggests that no separate individual has sufficient knowledge and expertise in order to govern the state alone. The thing is that people in their collective capacity can better negotiate laws and restrict the power of the ruler. Thus,...
The “8-fold path” is a concept that points out eight main principles of different forms of rights, namely: right view, right aim, right speech, right living, right action, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation. The concept outlines the requirements that an individual needs to achieve a life that has...
Spinoza argues that there is no personal immortality even after death. He also suggests that free will is only an illusion and that everything that takes place is a product of the nature of a substance. He further argues that material bodies are under the control of the laws of...
In his work, Medina mentions that epistemic virtues and vices are expected to reflect unique properties of an individual and can be used to evaluate or characterize them, respectively. The identified assumption suggests that virtues and vices can be fostered in an individual and acquired under appropriate circumstances. According to...