Philosophy Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

10142 total results

An Explanation of Human Morality in Immanuel Kant’s Creation of the Idea of the Categorical Imperative in The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1965 words, 5 pages)

Limitations of the Categorical ImperativeIntroduction. Where human morality is derived from has been one of the focal questions present for most of human history. Religion and philosophy have attempted to answer the question throughout the eons of human civilization and many different theories have been proposed as a result. The ... Read More

The Role of Powerful Diction in The Communist Manifesto by Carl Marx (841 words, 2 pages)

The Communist Manifesto, formerly the Manifesto of the Communist Party, is the single most influential and controversial (and best) political text of the modern age. It describes a class struggle between the proletariat (the good guys) and the bourgeoisie (the bad guys with a ridiculous name). The first part of ... Read More

Socrates’ Idea of Communism in The Republic by Plato (1751 words, 6 pages)

Freedom is dangerous. It can foster greed, selfishness, and division in a city and ultimately lead to its downfall, which is why Socrates seeks to curb freedom in the Republic. He proposes a form of communism for the ideal republic, not in the Marxist sense butin the sense that its ... Read More

An Analysis of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s View on Property as a Superior Over the Views of John Locke (1688 words, 5 pages)

Rousseau Lockes It UpFor both Locke and Rousseau, property led to government. According to Locke, the right to property existed in the state of nature, and man created government through a social contract to preserve this fundamental right. Rousseau contests Lockes interpretation, arguing that man had no claim to property ... Read More

Aristotle’s View of the Universe in Metaphysics (1767 words, 6 pages)

Aristotle has a big problem with the universe particularly with the fact that it exists. According to Aristotles Metaphysics, all things in the universe undergo change, and these changes must have causes. It follows, then, that the universe itself has a cause. But it is difficult to determine what that ... Read More

An Objection to the Rejection of Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative (1722 words, 5 pages)

Save the Categorical Imperative? Yes We Kant!Most people would agree that lying to a murderer about the whereabouts of his victim to save a life is morally permissible, but Kant famously insisted that even in this case, lying is impermissible. Some cite this refusal as a failure of his moral ... Read More

A Discussion on Human Function in Ethics by Aristotle (1995 words, 7 pages)

In the Ethics, Aristotle refuses to blindly accept that happiness is the highest good humans seek. He argues, to say that happiness is the chief good seems a platitude, and a clearer account of what it is is still desired (1097b.23-24). To be certain that happiness is the highest human ... Read More

The Idea of Love and Living a Good Life in Machiavelli’s The Prince and Aristotle’s Politics and Letters from a Stoic (2017 words, 7 pages)

People, Places, and How to Live a Fruitful LifePeople always are so focused on how they appear. Is it to be loved, is it for affection, or is it for power? Love can be a strong emotion, often intense, we can love other people and things. Affection is just a ... Read More

A Philosophical Essay: The Value of Life (980 words, 4 pages)

The Value Of LifeHave you ever been asked a question with such an obvious answer, that you just want to shout it at the person who asked you, and scold them for asking such a stupid question? I am sure we have all had one of these moments, and this ... Read More

Free Will: Soft Determinism and Compatibilism vs. Libertarianism and Hard Determinism (1310 words, 5 pages)

There are three vital theories that refer to the notion of free will. There is compatibilism or Soft Determinism, and there are two types of incompatibilism, Libertarianism and Hard Determinism. Compatibilists believe that free will and determinism can simultaneously coexist, while incompatibilists only accept either free will or determinism. Free ... Read More

A Comparison between the Philosophies of Seneca and St. Augustine (1114 words, 4 pages)

Living Your Life The Ways of PhilosophersSeneca and Saint Augustine Augustin both were highly respected men of their times, yet do their messages relate to the everyday person? Actually they do, and following some of their advice can lead to a fruitful life. From who are truly your friends to ... Read More

A Philosophical Discussion on the Existence of God, Evil and Suffering (1605 words, 5 pages)

P1. If an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God exists, then evil and suffering would not exist.P2. Evil and suffering do exist.C3. Therefore, an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God does not exist. This argument follows the form of, if P, then Q, if not Q, then not P is the conclusion. ... Read More

The Views on the Concepts of Human Nature and the Social Contract of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1910 words, 6 pages)

John-Jacques Rousseau was one of many political philosophers to tackle the concepts of human nature and the social contract. But what is interesting about his view is how he tied them to the general will. His idea of the general will became an integral part of his work, and one ... Read More

The Argument Between Free Will and Determinism (1184 words, 4 pages)

The argument between free will and determinism has been contended about for hundreds of years. What are the main differences between the two viewpoints? If a person were to look in a dictionary, free will would be defined as the power, attributed to human beings, of freely making choices that ... Read More

Socrates and Authority in the Apology and Crito (1480 words, 6 pages)

Socrates the Principled Rebel Committing Versus Permitting InjusticeThroughout the Apology, Socrates establishes his identity both as a critical defender of the truth against contradiction, and as a person who holds justice in high regard. In his declaration, From me you will hear the whole truth for I put my trust ... Read More

The Differences Between Hobbes and Lockes’ Accounts of the State of Nature (2245 words, 11 pages)

Discuss the relevant differences between Hobbes and Lockes accounts of the state of nature, and examine in particular each author's different ideas of natural law and how each understands individual rights in the state of nature. Whose depiction of the state of nature do you find more plausible?The state of ... Read More

Should Socrates Have Broken the Law and Left Prison? (1951 words, 9 pages)

Crito makes the case that it would be unjust for Socrates to remain in prison, but Socrates counters with the argument that it would be more unjust for him to escape. Which argument do you find more compelling? Should Socrates have broken the law by leaving the prison, or abide ... Read More

King’s Use of Kantian Reasoning to Ground His Arguments for the Use of Nonviolent Resistance to Segregation Laws in Letter From Birmingham Jail (2463 words, 8 pages)

Argue and Disobey The Complex Kantianism of Kings ProtestIn Letter from Birmingham Jail, King uses Kantian reasoning to ground his arguments for the use of nonviolent resistance to segregation laws. From his conception of injustice as a failure to treat humans as ends, to his requirement that just laws be ... Read More

A Discussion on the Morality of the Stanford Prison Experiment (696 words, 3 pages)

Stanford Prison ExperimentIt is difficult to discuss the morality of the Stanford Prison Experiment without feeling conflicted to some degree. It appears to be undeniable that the experiment was hugely important for the field of psychology. There is a reason that it is cited in psychology classes like this one ... Read More

A Discussion on Aristotle’s Characterization of Man as a Political Animal (1743 words, 6 pages)

Aristotles Politics is an interesting insight into the way he viewed the polis and everything concerning it. His detailed description of the nature of a political state and its citizens establishes many points of discussion. One of the more important discussions is that of the nature of humans and how ... Read More

The Government Should Help Man Define What Is Good and Evil (688 words, 2 pages)

The capacity to act good without the fear of consequences is a topic of significant debate throughout the millennia. From John Locke to Thomas Hobbes, philosophic juggernauts have posited why man does or does not have the base good nature that would allow for such behavior. Up until now, however, ... Read More

A History of Existentialism, the Individual Experience of Creating a Meaning in a Meaningless World Created by Jean-Paul Sartre (942 words, 3 pages)

The literary and philosophical movement existentialism emerged in the intellectual vacuum left from World War II. Developed by Jean-Paul Sartre, existentialism is the individual experience of creating meaning in an objectively meaningless world. This idea is founded on Sartres postulate that existence precedes essence--life and objects exist before they carry ... Read More

Plato’s and Aristotle’s Views on the Ideal Forms of Government (1132 words, 3 pages)

Though Aristotle was under the tutelage of Plato in his youth, the two had differing ideas on the ideal forms of government and how societies should be run along with their actual functions. Plato based his ideas in how knowledge permeates society, in that philosophers attain true knowledge and then ... Read More

An Analysis of the Factors That Influence Morality (1791 words, 6 pages)

A Story About a Shirt.In late 2015, a young man read aloud his essay on the ideas and ideologies as such defined along the lines of lying, with a focus on intent being the most important issue in play. This led to a nearly two-week long argument among his peers ... Read More

The Concepts of Life and Death in the Philosophical Pieces Katha Upanishad and Crito (844 words, 3 pages)

Life and death across cultures and time.Humanity has revolved around the concepts of life and death since the beginning of time. These basic ideas based on our own ancestral instinct dictate our lives in ways we cannot fathom. Life and death are intertwined with the way we live day to ... Read More

Thomas Hobbes’ Leviatan: The Author’s Answer About How to Live Within a Society (366 words, 2 pages)

Thomas Hobbes classic, Leviathan, is a massively popular interpretation of how to live within a society. Leviathan provides the knowledge of the rules of life in society, scientific for the first time (ix Curley). Its important that we analyze what problem it solves and how before we actually try to ... Read More

The Idea of Freedom and Liberty in Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan (329 words, 2 pages)

Thomas Hobbes has a very unique idea on the idea of liberty and freedom as defined in the Leviathan. For Hobbes, liberty and freedom are completely different in the context of nature and civilization. Hobbes also describes whether we have any inalienable rights.Liberty and Freedom are the absence of opposition ... Read More

An Analysis of Plato’s Critique of Democracy in The Republic (910 words, 3 pages)

Platos Critique of DemocracyAlthough many people today view the idea of democracy to be the perfect form of government, Plato found several issues with Athenian democracy. Whether shaped by the teachings and death of his mentor, Socrates, or by a simple belief that hierarchies are the natural form of government, ... Read More

Machiavelli’s Regime Typology as Presented in the First Three Chapters of The Prince (333 words, 2 pages)

In the first three chapters of The Prince Machiavelli describes the different types of states and how they are acquired. The states can be broken down into republics or principalities. Principalities can further be broken down to create Machiavellis regime typology. Machiavelli first explains that all dominions that have held ... Read More

The Dangers and Pitfalls of a Capitalist Regime in the Works of Karl Marx (1166 words, 4 pages)

Karl Marx has made it prevalent that he is not an avid supporter of the idea of the capitalist state, let alone the idea of capitalism in itself. Marx had a beneficiary, Engle, who allowed him to write his ideas while not worrying about the capitalist regime in which he ... Read More

Philosophy Essay Examples