Free Essays on Philosopher to Get Inspired & Learn by Example

Many philosophers' books have been criticized, but the philosopher Thomas Nagel is right to doubt the sciences ability to explain everything in life. If every person believes in science that we are made of cells, organs, the cells are made of organic matter. Organic matter is made up of chemicals. According to Nagel, we are reading these words and making sense of them the same as the scientist. However, Nagel views it in a different way by saying man can reason abstractly, even grapple with various desires and values. Nagel asks what if the science fundamentally does not can Continue reading...

Islamic Philosophy

Question 1.
Philosophy can be defined as the search for answers to the eternal problem of human existence. The specificity of most philosophical issues in general is that they cannot be resolved purely in a theoretical way. The true philosopher is aware that the eternal problem of existence is the eternal, that do not have exhaustive data for all decisions. The deeper and thinner the response is, the more new issues it puts in front of a creative human thought.
In the Islamic philosophy, scientists can underline those thinkers, who supported the Scripture, by following its main beliefs, and Continue reading...

The debate of nature vs. nurture conveys the importance of science and environment in shaping the individuals. The debate is fundamental to human beings as it determines whether the personality, sexuality and behavior of individuals are a result of genetic evolution or social influence . It is a proposed relationship between the internal biological factors and environmental factors, and the influence they wield on the development of human beings. Francis Galton was the first person to use the phrase nature vs. nurture influenced by Charles Darwin’s treatise “The Origin of Species” . While Galton argued that human beings are the Continue reading...

The question of good and bad, good and evil is the issue of Friedrich Nietzsche’s First and Second Essay from the “Genealogy of Morals”, which criticizes the Tertullian Tartuffery argument on Christian values. The philosopher indicates that the positive human values are linguistically and stylistically associated with the aristocratic classes, which by extension implies that the powerful ones are the beholders of the good, while the weak and oppressed are the representatives of the bad and evil. Nietzsche enters dangerous deliberations on racial purity, religious weakness or decreased morality standards through a perceived education in the spirit of Continue reading...

Directly connected with morality, xian, human nature is a principle that deeply influenced the Chinese philosophy for ages. Mencius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, shaped the Chinese moral and ethical system of his time and long after, being known today as one of the most influential philosophers that treated human nature in relation with morality. Mencius, holds that morality is a natural inclination of human conduct, because humans born for goodness, being guided by good intentions and implicitly moral actions. The Chinese philosopher’ teachings indicate that the human nature as inextricably connected with morality, as they are both part of Continue reading...

Introduction

Humanity is a moral ideal that has been established depending on the pursuit of dignity for the human beings. In order to achieve human dignity, one has to apply the principles and norms of morality that eventually define the ways through which an individual in particular and the society in general can achieve a moral life. The world today is closely intertwined based upon ease in access of information which has led to the rising awareness of individual rights. There is a long list of appeals to rights including prisoners’ rights, animal rights, fetal rights, gay rights etc. etc. Continue reading...

The Socratic Method employs logic argument as a form of approaching the right answer to a problem but does not provide a complete solution to the same. If one were to consider Plato’s records of Socrates’ dialogues, it is evident that by the end of each one, the philosopher avoids answering the questions altogether. A good illustration is in Socrates’ dialogue with Meno, where rather than give a precise definition of virtue, the Socratic Method merely concludes that morality comes from the gods. Thus said, Nietzsche Friedrich’s “The Problem of Socrates” focuses on the fact that Socrates Continue reading...

Nowadays, in the modern time of television, internet and media, it is hard to surprise and to interest someone with the help of visual effects and computer graphic. That is why, it is safe to say that plenty of movies, TV shows, games and even books become less interesting, memorable and worth watching more than 1 time. However, it is possible to say that once a year or a decade, one can see a breakthrough in the cinematography, book or game production that completely changes the paradigm of genre, type, style or creates something totally new and innovative.
There Continue reading...

Introduction

“Cogito ergo sum” is one of Descartes famous philosophical ideas, utilized for arguing the humans’ sense of reasoning. Implicitly, the theory also claims that only humans are capable of reasoning, because reasoning describes their existence, and not that of other beings. In other words, only humans are gifted with the quality of thinking rationally, while the animals, birds, insects or any other form of living organism is not capable of reasoning. The main objection to this argument is that reasoning is a characteristic that defines not only humans, but also other living organisms, which possess the ability to think, Continue reading...

Is Animal Testing Ethical

Introduction
As of today, we have entered the third millennium and our spiritual as well as technological progress requires us to eliminate all the obstacles on our way to the civilized development. Although the majority of people consider themselves to be civilized individuals, very few of us pay attention to less developed ones, our younger brothers suffering from animal testing.
Have you ever wondered how many animals die annually all over the world due to the experienced carried out on them? Want it or not, but statistic data from various sources indicate that there are over 150 animals dying Continue reading...

Rather than placing focus on thwarted growth opportunities and the unconscious forces, various researchers try to define the term "personality" in the terms of enduring and stable patterns, which are viewed in Sam Gamgee's description in "Loyalty and Optimism". The description of psychoanalysis attempts to explain how psychologists use the feature of trait to explain and describe personality. According to philosopher Allport, he describes personality to arise from fundamental traits. A trait is defined as a characteristic pattern that indulges behavior or certain dispositions to act and feel as assessed and analyzed self-report peer reports and inventories. Allport came Continue reading...

The Etruscans - the ancient tribes that inhabited in the 1st millennium BC. On the north-west of the peninsula - a region called the ancient Etruria (modern Tuscany). The Etruscans - the creators of civilization that preceded the Roman and was on her considerable influence. The origin of the Etruscans is unclear. Probably, the formation of the Etruscans was completed by the 8th century BC. Their influence in the 6th century BC spread almost the whole of Italy. But the period of Etruscan power was not long: the Greeks in 524 and 474 BC defeated them at Kum, putting Continue reading...

The history of philosophy is filled with thinkers who made great efforts to find out what reality is. Most people would believe that what they experience, feel, perceive, and remember is what actually exists. But it has been proven that if the right questions are asked, this certainty starts to waver.
In recent years these doubts have begun to impregnate the popular culture through a series of movies that question the nature of reality. One of the most popular films within this trend is called The Matrix. In it, many doubts about reality expressed by classical philosophers are given Continue reading...

Descartes’ concept of logic revolves around the notion of the mind’s capability to determine true and false ideologies. Otherwise dubbed the method of doubt, Descartes argues that the mind is capable of breaking down norms and what people view to be common sense to determine their certainty. The Wax Experiment is an excellent illustration of Descartes’ reasoning. Apparently, a piece of wax in the philosopher’s hand possesses physical attributes including the sweet smell of nectar and a popping sound it emits when squeezed. Concurrently, the wax is real because he is touching it, and one can taste Continue reading...

Early Life

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most important philosophers of The Enlightenment. Rousseau was very interested in what characteristics man inherently possessed from birth compared to what man learned from society. Rousseau coined the term “noble savage” to describe man in his natural state before he is corrupted by society. Rousseau’s thoughts and philosophy are a result of his upbringing and the state of the world, socially and politically, around him (Magee 126).
Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1712. His mother dies a few days after his birth. He was at first, raised by his father Continue reading...

How does Kulka define kitsch? In spite of the fact that kitsch is a rather loose concept, it is possible to get at least a foothold on the subject if turn to a book “Kitsch and Art” by Tomas Kulka, a philosopher at the Tel Aviv University. Kulka states that kitsch is definitely a part of the art system with an aesthetic side demanding evaluation. Unlike other art forms, kitsch is not ambitious and is aimed directly at a consumer. Kulka’s book is based on three main points about kitsch. The first is kitsch’s exaggeration effect, namely Continue reading...

The problem of induction is referred to as a philosophical, metaphysical, theoretical and logical question. It concerns whether a certain type of reasoning referred to as inductive reasoning, can lead one to knowledge.Knowledge of an understanding of their classic metaphysical or philosophical logic and sense. This is because it focuses on the nonexistence of a proper rationalization. The rationalization can be making a generalization concerning the characteristics of a group of objects on the basis of some observations of specific occurrences of that category.
For instance, the conjecture that all or most of the Swans that we have laid Continue reading...

The foundation of every religion is the belief, which as a religious experience, underlying in its basis, can not be theorized. The arguments pro and con the existence of God were proposed by the philosophers, theologians and scientists for thousands of years. Each view had the right to exist and to be justified, this was proof that ‘all are equal before God.’ Currently, in the philosophical terminology, these issues are addressed in the framework of the epistemology - the theory of knowledge, and ontology - the nature of being (Hick, 1964).
In the world's religions and philosophical systems, God Continue reading...

Education

Aristotle is one of the most famous philosophers and scientists from Greece. He remained from 384 B.C. to 322 B.C1. His birthplace was Stagira of Chalkidiki, which was located in the northern areas of the country. He has been assumed as one of the founding figures of Western philosophy. His father, Nicomachus, was a court physician to Amyntas II, who was Macedonian king. Nicomachus died in the childhood of Aristotle. Phaestis, who was mother of Aristotle, is also considered to have died in the early ages of Aristotle. However, Proxenus of Atarneus, who was the husband of Arimneste, elder Continue reading...

Facts of the crisis

The Second Vatican Council stands as a crucial religious and ecclesia event in the twentieth century. The mass media covered the issue extensively. Pope Benedict XVI calls attention to the theological difficulties to implement reforms of Vatican II. According to the former Pope, commentators distort the teachings of the Second Vatican Council through a means of hermeneutics of discontinuity of rapture. The texts had wrong interpretation with unimportant issues combined with useful information. The impact of the Vatican II (1962-1965) has a pervasive and profound to portray the council that categorize liberal versus conservative. The media reports illustrate the Continue reading...

Introduction

The scientific understanding of man’s learning process or how the mind acquires knowledge is of utmost importance to psychologists especially those whose concern is on child growth and development. For the same reason, several studies have been conducted in order to increase scientific knowledge on this area. Among the most influential theorists in cognitive learning is the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget. According to Piaget, children are born with a basic mental structure that enables them to make various responses. As Piaget observed, the cognition process starts with simple responses and develops into a complex processes as the child Continue reading...

While we would neither have been optimistic, the world does not always seem to us as the most joyful place to live. Each of us, whoever a Christian, theist, deist, an atheist, a mystic or nihilist, bears the burden of suffering and faces the evil. It is useless to deny the reality of evil, just through attributing it to the ignorance or illusion.
The theological and philosophical doctrines, having the aim to harmonize the idea God's good​​ for peace with the presence of evil in the world, are collectively known as ‘theodicy.’ The problem of theodicy is precisely as Continue reading...

The meaning of life

Every individual has their perception and connotation of life that influences and affects most of the choices they make. What each takes to be the composition of life can range from anything to the quest of bliss. That includes what they take bliss to mean and being famous before their peers. The definition of life can be divided into three goals that include that include being in a position to have long term, short and the ultimate goals. The durable goals include the goals such as that of pursuing bliss or living every day to the fullest or striving Continue reading...

Ethics of imperturbability

The ancient Indians and Greeks placed in high regard ethical systems. For instance, the Greeks held that the state of mind complements the nature of an action to have ethical significance. A Jain considered it murder as ethically negative whether or not the act was voluntary. The Buddhist could kill in a voluntary scenario since the nature of the act and the voluntary state of mind are relevant to the ethical value the Greek tradition had plenty of Judeo- Christian to influence most of the ancient Greek philosophers. For that reason, Greek held that, it was ethical to kill Continue reading...

Al-Kindi was born in Basra, located on the Shatt al-Arab river which is between Iran and Kuwait. He was raised up in Kufa, which is one of the cities in Iraq. He died in Baghdad where he had worked for a while, translating Greek scientific manuscripts (Adamson 3). He was a Muslim philosopher who adapted and promoted the Greek philosophy. Apart from being a philosopher, Al-kindi was also a mathematician and a scientist who did great works in these areas.
The central theme in his philosophy was the compatibility between Islam and philosophy. He also believed that revelations guarantee Continue reading...

Philosophy Course_Number

In this paper, I will argue that the meaning of life has changed from Socrates’ definition of an examined life to one of the absolute autonomy of the will, as credited to Descartes’ in The Meditations to the existentialist notion that the self is nothing but one makes it as articulated by Simone de Beauvoir. All three thinkers represent movements in philosophy in how we as a culture have understood meaning. The history of philosophy can be understood in three ways. First, there is the Socratic way that says the truth is something we have within us. The Ancient Continue reading...

Since the times of the Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Epicurus, philosophers have been arguing about the role of happiness to the individual. Not only have philosophers struggled with the question of what should make the individual happy, they have wrestled with how important it is to be happy, as well as what kind of society best promotes the interests of the development of the individual's happiness. While many philosophers have written at length about the so-called "pleasure principle", i.e. the pursuit of pleasure and the elimination of pain constitute happiness in the individual, other philosophers, Continue reading...

I can attest that America is one of the states in the world that has undergone several transformations owing the fact that several drugs have been introduced over the years. The author describes how different scientists have introduced diverse drugs that have since been used for several purposes. Apparently, the author authenticates that people want to undergo a state of self-realization thus opting to apply different approaches. It is evident that the author designates how American doctors have used the medicine tool for enhancing the state of a particular group of persons. Subsequent to reading this article, one can Continue reading...

Raymonde Carroll. Cultural Misunderstandings.

Question 1.

Answers
In America, childhood is characterized by too much freedom. The children behavior is not restricted as is the case with the French children. The French have the perception that the American children lack manners, are spoilt, indiscipline, impolite and have no reserve. On the other hand, the American counterparts believe that the French children are quiet due to their upbringing. They argue that the freedom of the children is restricted (Raymonde, 45). The behavior of the children is constructed through their upbringing. What is considered as disrespectful in France is considered freedom in America.

What characterizes adolescence in France, the USA (according to the critic) (how is it constructed?)

Continue reading...

About political unity and its role in establishing the Polis, there are varying ideologies and hypotheses on the required level of harmony within a state for it to be the ideal city. From the rulers to the citizens, political unity demands social cohesiveness achieved by everybody in it fulfilling their given responsibilities. Plato’s “Republic” attempts to describe the perfect government while Aristotle’s “Politics” criticizes and attempts to modify the former’s ideologies. As a result, the final product, which one can perceive as a joint effort between the two minds, looks at the pros and cons to Continue reading...

Summary Of The Main Ideas Of Ethical Stoicism

Stoicism is a philosophical school, which emerged during the early Hellenistic and retained its influence until the end of the Ancient World. Its name is given to the title of the portico Stoa Poikile, where the founder of Stoicism, Zeno of Citium, the first appeared as a teacher. In the history of Stoicism there are three main periods: Ancient (Old) Stoa (end of the IV century BC - the middle of the II century BC), Average (Medium) Stoa (II-I century BC), New Stoa (Late) (I- III century BC) (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 1997).
In modern times the best known Continue reading...

The methods that people use to acquire knowledge about virtue forms the base from which the “Meno” discussions emerge. Evidently, all human civilizations need virtue for their survival, making the ability to discern between rights and wrong a significant factor in the delicate thread that intertwines societies. Thus said, it is no wonder that the ensuing passages recording Socrates’ counterarguments in “Meno” have spurred debates on the implications and validity of his reasoning. Nonetheless, the discussion revolves around two major themes that seek to explain not only the nature of virtue, but also the means through which humanity manages Continue reading...

Plato’s Allegory of The Cave dwells on Socrates interpretation on the predicament of prisoners chained to a cave’s walls all of their lives. The individuals face a blank wall which from time to time has shadows projected by a fire behind them. The shadows are the only reality that the chained slaves know about. Socrates explains how a philosopher equates to that slave or prisoner freed from the cave chains. The freedom ultimately means that a philosopher can decipher that the shadows do not constitute a reality but merely a perception of it. Despite this philosophical interpretation Continue reading...

When Crito asks him to accept his aid and escape from a jail in Athens, Socrates refuses by providing counterarguments to Crito’s persuasions. First, the philosopher advises his friend against heeding to what society thinks and instead, asks him to worry about the people who matter. Secondly, Socrates asserts that were he to escape from jail, he will never be a free man because once dubbed a criminal in Athens, other governments will only view him as the enemy. Finally, when Crito brings up his children, Socrates points out that there is no upside as an escaped convict. Continue reading...

Establishment

The 18th century that so radically changed the European idea has brought significant changes in the spiritual, intellectual and social life of America. Old ideas, ideals and ambitions were not rejected, but were reconsidered and reformulated in accordance with the scientific and philosophical mind of the time. Development of the continent no longer associated with the search for treasure and an easy life, and not with God's leadership and with the ideas of liberalism and progress, as well as appropriate. Franklin became one of the most significant personalities of the American Enlightenment. The essay is going to discover the Continue reading...

Background to the Problem

The ongoing dispute about the origins of the planet and every living and non-living thing in it has had a long history. In this dispute, we have the theories of evolution on the one hand and creationism on the other. In this research, we try to propose a study that investigates the different facets of the evolutionary theories and also that of creationism to shed light on some of the most common and perhaps longest controversies in an area where there is an overlapping of numerous fields such as philosophy, theology, biology, and other areas of science. The objective Continue reading...

Adam Smith, 18-century Scottish economist and philosopher, is referred to as the father of modern economics and free trade market, proponent of laissez-faire economic policies and the capitalism founder by a lot of economics scientists. He is also famous for opposing a mercantilism philosophy, which held sway in Europe for three centuries. Such terms as “invisible hand,” “division of a labor,” “economic man” (“homo economicus”) have their genesis in Adam Smith’s works.
Adam studied at the University of Glasgow on scholarship, where he got acquaintance with Scottish philosopher Francis Hutcheson, who influenced his ethical speculations in life and Continue reading...

In Liberalism Against Populism (1982), William Riker argued that democratic decision making was chaotic, arbitrary, meaningless and impossible. This was nothing new, various thinkers have been poking theoretical holes in democracy since before Plato’s Republic. Socrates thought democracy was cute, but “full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequaled alike" (Plato 558). Voting – one of the essential foundations of a democracy - is problematic. In the late 1700’s, the Condorcet voting paradox only paved the way for Arrow's impossibility theorem (Arrow 2012). A variety of dangers, including mob rule, cycling, Continue reading...

Abstract

Max Wertheimer, a great German and Amerian philosopher, psychologist and scientist devoted his researches to exploring of the perception of the outer world. During numerous experiments Wertheimer stated that observed properties of perception structure cannot be explained by the character of separate elements of perceived situation but demand the reported connections of these elements and holism of the situation. Research of the holism structure (gestalt) of the perceptible image sustained the main principle of gestalt psychology. Max Wertheimer was the first to distribute the principle of gestalt psychology from area of perception on other mental processes, in particular, on Continue reading...