Philosophy Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

10142 total results

John Locke’s Perspective of True Essence of Things and Events (1504 words, 2 pages)

Throughout history, people have tried to answer question "What is the true essence of things and events?" and in order to find an answer to the question different philosophers have proposed different theories. John Locke says that most of our knowledge about the outside world is based upon one's empirical ... Read More

Understanding of Zen – Your True Self (834 words, 1 pages)

Zen means understanding your true self, so we ask, "who am I?" An eminant teacher once held a cup of water to a student asking, "What is this?" The student replied,"that is a cup." "You are attached to name an form, sure a cup is a cup, but what is ... Read More

An Analysis of Plato’s Thesis (226 words, 1 pages)

My opinion on Plato's Thesis Plato explains that the strength to learn is within everybody and it's just a matter of being able to tap into that strength or power. The whole soul must be ready to accept the change. The metaphors of darkness and light used by Plato relate ... Read More

An Introduction to Studying Philosophy (1231 words, 2 pages)

The study of ideas that are central and exalted. Students who seek the understanding of principles and truths. This is Philosophy. Or is it? "Love of Wisdom" is the Greek definition of the word Philosophy. The meaning of the word has changed however throughout the many years of study and ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of the Prince by Machiavelli (1914 words, 3 pages)

"We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean the rest have failed" (Chapter XVI, The Prince) In this essay I shall be discussing the above stated question, firstly I shall be analysing the usage of the term good in relation ... Read More

An Analysis of the Variety of Different Views of What To Kill (800 words, 1 pages)

People have a variety of different views on when it is okay to kill and most people have certain standard they set for humans and a completely different one for other animals. Although it may be hard for most people, if an animal is in pain and suffering, they will ... Read More

A Discussion on the Contribution of Senses to Knowledge (2715 words, 4 pages)

What the senses contribute to knowledge? (Descartes, Leibniz versus Locke, Berkley) In order to discuss what the senses contribute to knowledge one must first identify the senses used and their contribution to the human learning process. The human senses sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste are all commonplace in our ... Read More

A Discussion of Philosophy (1187 words, 2 pages)

What is Philosophy ? Before I explain what it is, it might be worthwhile clarifying what it isn't. Philosophy is not about two old men sitting around the fireplace discussing the meaning of life. Unfortunately, that is the type of mental picture most people have of the discipline. It is ... Read More

The Influence of Transcendentalism in the 19th Century (975 words, 2 pages)

Transcendentalism In The 19th Century Transcendentalism revealed itself in the beginning of the 19th century with talented writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman. These well-educated men brought such ideas as individualism, imagination, and nature to life through their works. Many writers in the transcendentalism ... Read More

An Analysis of the Socrates as a Spartan Citizen (557 words, 1 pages)

WHAT IF SOCRATES WAS SPARTAN? Socrates, as everyone knows, is a renowned Athenian philosopher. But imagine, for a moment, what life would have been like if he had been born in Sparta. By questioning the ideals of current society, he might have instituted changes that would forever alter the world ... Read More

An Analysis of Utopia by Sir Thomas More (1658 words, 2 pages)

UtopiaModel or Reality? In his famous work Utopia, Sir Thomas More describes the society and culture of an imaginary island on which all social ills have been cured. As in Platos Republic, a work from which More drew while writing Utopia, Mores work presents his ideas through a dialogue between ... Read More

The Problems and Importance of Utilitarianism (1084 words, 2 pages)

When first introduced to Utilitarianism one would think that it is pretty straightforward and easy to swallow. Utilitarianism relates to the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Although there are some problems with this theory. In the paragraphs to follow I will illustrate what Utilitarianism is, discuss why it is ... Read More

An Analysis of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis on the Exploration of Wittgenstein’s Linguistic Studies (631 words, 1 pages)

Using the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis to Explore Wittgenstein In the mid-1900's the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was introduced to the world of linguistic studies. It was the brainchild of two generations of linguists, Edward Sapir and his student, Benjamin Lee Whorf. The hypothesis was comprised of two distinct principles. The first, linguistic determinism, ... Read More

A Discussion on Having a Philosophy of Life (958 words, 2 pages)

Philosophy Paper 1.To have one's philosophy of life constricted by time is to destroy that philosophy for time by its very nature limits and thus tends to negate the principle of unity. The philosophy of life is unity and unity is the same thing as eternity. You're not able to ... Read More

A History of Confucianism and Daoism in China (1116 words, 2 pages)

Amongst the chaos of political instability and constant warring of the Zhou era, arose many intellectual thinkers that brought such profound impact in the field of politics, religion and philosophy. Even to this day, their influence can be viewed in the many matters of China. Confucianism became the leading school ... Read More

An Introduction to Modernism (1307 words, 3 pages)

Thoughts on Modernism Modernism as a term is defined by the perspective of the observer. In the perspective of the historian, Modernism began with the Renaissance, when a flurry of new philosophical theory and societal changes brought about a way of thinking that varied greatly from the previous Greco-Roman standards ... Read More

An Analysis of the Ideal Society in Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia (1194 words, 2 pages)

Thomas More was a very devoted Catholic who was put on trial for treason in the 16th century, because he refused to acknowledge Henry VIII as the "ruler of the world, above everyone, including the Church" (Mansouri 040400). He was declared guilty of reason, for which he was beheaded. However, ... Read More

A Comparison of the Philosophical Views of Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (873 words, 2 pages)

Thomas Hobbes vs. Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes are two great writers in the 16 and 17 hundreds. Each of them epitomizes the general philosophical periods of their age, Hobbes and the Empiricist, and Rousseau with the Romantics. The social contract is a huge part of the conflict ... Read More

A Biography of Thomas Hobbes, an English Philosopher (1663 words, 3 pages)

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), was one of the few modern theorists who advocated the need for absolute powers to be assigned to sovereign. Hobbes lived during the time when England was going through a serious political turmoil in the reign of King Charles I. There were many conflicts in which King ... Read More

A Summary of Bertrand Russel’s The Value of Philosophy (973 words, 2 pages)

The real function of Philosophy. In The value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, Russell explains the value of philosophy and why it should be studied. The general stereotypical view of philosophical thinkers is that one wastes time asking all these unanswerable questions. This rings true, especially to practical men. Russell ... Read More

Metaphysics: Richard Taylor and the Different Views on the Concept of Freedom (913 words, 2 pages)

In Metaphysics Richard Taylor outlines the different views on the concept of freedom. The traditional view is that of the compatibilists which states that freedom is the ability to act, or not to act, according to the determinations of the will. It is so defined to make it compatible with ... Read More

The Philosophy and Theories of Thomas Hobbes (1199 words, 2 pages)

Philosophy Thomas Hobbes Hobbes' theory has been read by philosophers throughout the years, as has Rousseau's, who is right? Is anyone? Hobbes' beliefs are comparable to Rousseau's, both make valid points but in my mind Hobbes has the stronger argument. Hobbes has a stronger and more accurate view on the ... Read More

An Analysis of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “The Social Contract” (865 words, 2 pages)

"Once this multitude is united this way into a body, an offense against one of its members is an offense against the body politic. It would be even less possible to injure the body without its members feeling it. Duty and interest thus equally require the two contracting parties to ... Read More

An Analysis of the Question of Identity (565 words, 1 pages)

This philosophy outlines the basic questions of, who we are, what aspects of life belong to the individual, what the individual should decide for themselves, what must we do as citizens and what is fair. The question of identity needs to be answered first. Although many aspects of my philosophy ... Read More

An Analysis of the Topic of the Examination of the Relationship Between Philosophy and the City (2217 words, 3 pages)

To begin the requested examination of the relationship between philosophy and the city, the conditions that must pertain for each concept to appear ought first be recognized and defined. The two most evident conditions that are necessary for the existence of the city are those of plurality and structure, or ... Read More

An Analysis of the Problem of Conscious Inessentialism or the Zombie Problem (1454 words, 2 pages)

The zombie problem is a variation on the other minds' problem, but I hope to show that it is not an inactive variation. It offers, I think, a vivid way of conceptualizing the philosophical questions about consciousness. Suppose there is a world much like our own, except for one detail ... Read More

An Analysis of an Essay on Plato’s The Republic and Aristophanes the Birds (1200 words, 2 pages)

An essay on Platos The Republic and Aristophanes the Birds It is evident, by Platos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds, that ones vision of an ideal state is not the same mystical utopia. Platos Republic is an well-ordered society that emphasizes the development of the community, which leads to ... Read More

An Analysis of Political Philosophies in Various Books by Niccolo Machiavelli (1041 words, 2 pages)

Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence on May 3rd, 1469. He received a humanistic education typical of the time, and went on to become a banker in Rome. He then returned to Florence in 1494, the same year the Medici family, who had been the ruling family of Florence for ... Read More

A Essay of Karl Marx’s Connection Between Law and Ruling Class (3114 words, 5 pages)

Law is much more than legislation, or "law in the books." Law is also defined in practice. However, in a capitalist society, it is the wealthy upper class that defines law in practice. In a free market based system, the wealthy class usually consists of business owners and heads of ... Read More

A Description of John Locke as an Influential Early Liberal English Philosopher (840 words, 2 pages)

John Locke, an influential early liberal English philosopher, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a brilliant political theorist and one of the main figures of the enlightenment, have a considerable importance in political thought, for which they are best known. The Second Treatise of Government by John Locke places sovereignty into the hands ... Read More

Philosophy Essay Examples