Philosophy Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

10142 total results

Rene Descartes on the Existence of the Material World (2546 words, 9 pages)

Midterm 21. Born in a small town in France in the late 1596, mathematician, scientist, and philosopher Rene Descartes is known for proving the existence of the material world through arguing his ontological commitments as well as explaining how errors of judgment arise within us. To first prove the existence ... Read More

What Piety Really Is and What It Means in Plato’s Euthyphro (928 words, 3 pages)

What does Piety Mean in Platos Euthyphro? Growing up, Platos teacher and mentor was none other than Socrates, the Father of Philosophy. For approximately twenty years, Socrates has relayed many wise words and ideas concerning life, love, and philosophy in general to Plato. Because Socrates was a marvelous teacher but ... Read More

An Analysis of Metaphors in the Allegory of the Cave by Plato (1073 words, 4 pages)

The Allegory of the Cave Throughout his life, Plato has written numerous dialogues, including Crito, Euthyphro, and Charmides, or Temperance. Each contains Socrates as well as another character(s) discussing something, in which Socrates always proves to be wiser and more knowledgeable. For example, in Euthyphro, Socrates and Euthyphro discuss piety ... Read More

A Discussion on Education, Ignorance, Justice and Government in the Plato’s Dialogue of The Republic (980 words, 3 pages)

The Origin of a CityIn the dialogue of The Republic, Plato, like in numerous other dialogues, writes about Socrates ideas, opinions, and solutions on certain things. In this dialogue, Socrates discusses many vital topics, such as education, ignorance, justice, different forms of government (such as tyranny and democracy), and other ... Read More

The Divisions in Both the World and Knowledge Are Artificial (1486 words, 4 pages)

3. If someone claims that both the division of knowledge into disciplinesand the division of the world into countries on a map are artificial, whatdoes this mean? What is the nature of the boundaries between Areas ofKnowledge in your view? John Locke once said "The improvement of understanding is for ... Read More

The Course of Action from the Utilitarian Perspective and from the Kantian Perspective (1234 words, 5 pages)

Question You are a streetcar driver. On one of your daily routes you roll on to a stretch of streetcar track that is bordered on both sides by steep hills that are not climbable. In front of you are five streetcar-track workers. You blow the whistle and slam on your ... Read More

An Examination of the Friedrich Nietzsche’s Two Codes of Morality in His Book, On The Genealogy of Morals (999 words, 4 pages)

NietzscheIn the following paper I will demonstrate my understanding of the German thinker Friedrich Nietzsche. To do so I shall explain and examine his two codes of morality, the priestly aristocracy and the knightly aristocracy. Each set of morals has its own values and reasons for judgment. I explain such ... Read More

Augustine’s Doctrines on Time and Creation in His Book XI of Confessions (1946 words, 7 pages)

On Augustines Confessions Book XIThis essay sets out to better understand Augustine. More specifically, to look at his work in Book XI of Confessions, that is, Augustines doctrine on time and creation through Gods work. This essay will focus on a two primary points brought up throughout the essay. First, ... Read More

An Examination of the Forefront of Language in Ludwig Wittgenstein’s “Philosophical Investigations” (575 words, 3 pages)

Empathetic LanguageIn Philosophical Investigations Ludwig Wittgenstein examines the forefront of language. Wittgenstein seeks to, first, describe the application of language, and secondly, to find if meaning can be interpreted from language itself. This paper seeks to explore Wittgenstein's thoughts on language and pose responses to the system of language and ... Read More

The Opposing Ideas of the Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives in Dan Zahavi’s Essay About Ideas of Self (284 words, 1 pages)

Phenomenological ConventionI went to the convention and listened to Dan Zahavis essay about the ideas of self. He sought to describe the opposing ideas of the empirical perspectives and theoretical perspectives. To shorten up everything he said, I believe that Zahavi wanted to emphasize the idea of how the self ... Read More

The Ability to Distinguish What Is Right and Wrong Based on Our Perceptions and Teachings (1584 words, 3 pages)

"Doing the right things starts with knowing the right things." In whatways does responsible action depend on sound, critical thinking? Being able to distinguish between what is right and wrong is based onour conceived perceptions and teachings. What is conventional seems to bethe appropriate method to approach a situation that ... Read More

An Argument Against the Contradictions of Rene Descartes in the Assumption of a Deceitful Demon’s Existence (708 words, 3 pages)

The dictum I think therefore I am, which belongs to a major figure in modern philosophy Rene Descartes, is a revolutionary way of perceiving the existence of matter (Russell 1912). The philosopher considered only himself as certainly existing. In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes shares his method of systematic ... Read More

A Discussion on Radical Subjective Meditation in Edmund Husserl’s “The Paris Lectures” (583 words, 3 pages)

Thought Memo 1The Possibility of Transcendental Subjectivity to Objective RealityIn, The Paris Lectures, Edmund Husserl returns to radical subjective mediation as prescribed by Rene Descartes in order to find not only the foundation for phenomenological philosophy, but more importantly the ground of all objective reality. In Husserl's view, it is ... Read More

Understanding Plato’s Theory of the Forms in the Dialogue Parmenides (1056 words, 4 pages)

A Difficulty to Understanding the FormsThrough the work of this essay one should be able to better understand one of the most fundamental arguments in Platonic texts The Third Man Argument. This argument has helped Plato ground his own theory of the Forms. Specifically its use in his dialogue Parmenides ... Read More

Positing Two Ways of Knowing and Their Functions and Seeking Which Comes Closer to Absolute Truth in Bergson’s Work An Introduction to Metaphysics (2383 words, 9 pages)

MIDTERM EXAMIn Bergson's work, An Introduction to Metaphysics, his primary objective is to posit two ways of knowing and their functions, then to seek which comes closer to absolute truth. In his estimation, knowledge can be approached via intuition or by analysis. These two different paths represent two different kinds ... Read More

An Argument in Favor of Lying to Save a Person in Some Situations (932 words, 3 pages)

The state on whether or not lying is justifiable or not comes in many different points of view, in certain situations where lying can save a friend, protect feelings, and even saving a life to causing harm, lying is still questioned as justifiable or unjustifiable. However, many agree that lying ... Read More

A Comparison of the Philosophies of Confucianism and Zen (1537 words, 6 pages)

World Construction and Its MeaningFor my final paper in Confucianism and Zen I would like to compare and contrast between the societal structures of each respective philosophy. By doing so, I will discuss what it means to be human for both the Zen Buddhist and the Confucian. Next, I will ... Read More

The Principles That Holds Humanity Together as Discussed in the Derrida’s Essay “Difference” (562 words, 3 pages)

Being as EffectEach philosopher that we have read up to this point has sought a basic unifying principle to ground our being. This principle melds humanity together and makes us sensible in reference to one another. However, Derrida seeks to do something different. In the essay Differance, Derrida seeks meaning ... Read More

The Relationship Between the Enlightenment and the French Revolution (980 words, 4 pages)

It is vital to give a historical reference to a link between the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. The public awareness and public opinion were reached in The Enlightenment Era (Dunn 2012). As Jean-Jacques Rousseaus principles were ambiguous and paradoxical, the Jacobin Club and his other worshippers may have exaggerated ... Read More

An Analysis of Sextus Empiricus’ Argument Challenging the Existence of gods (2440 words, 9 pages)

What it Takes to be InapprehensibleSextus Empiricus puts forth an argument to challenge (or perhaps illuminate) the existence of gods. His detailed and complex argument arrives at a conclusion stating that knowledge of the existence of gods is inapprehensible. That is, his account shows that there are no concrete truths ... Read More

The Concepts in Humanistic Psychology with Jane Bennett’s Vital Materialism in Her Book “Vibrant Matter” (1093 words, 5 pages)

Jane Bennett's work, Vibrant Matter, discusses how the world functions for the vital materialist. The following paper seeks to correlate prominent concepts in humanistic psychology with Jane Bennett's vital materialism. In doing so, a critical interpretation of humanistic psychology will emerge from the assertion of Bennett's philosophy. This is a ... Read More

Understanding the Principle of Non-Contradiction As Understood by Its Founder Aristotle (3330 words, 11 pages)

The Principle of Non-ContradictionThe following essay will completely lend itself to understanding the Principle of Non-Contradiction as understood by its founder, Aristotle. Many people find themselves, day in and day out, questioning contradictory actions. Man seeks answers in all things, yet some things seem to go against even their own ... Read More

Three Types of Friendships According to Aristotle (1045 words, 4 pages)

Friendship is one of the most quintessential elements of a virtuous life. We as ethical organisms are to seek friends that are most compatible with ourselves. According to Aristotle there are three types of friendships. These types of friendship are pleasant, utility, and good or complete (1155b 15-1156a 5). As ... Read More

The Controversial Idea of Ralph Waldo on Theology as a Failing Organism in His Book, An Address (971 words, 3 pages)

An Interpretation of Ralph Waldo Emersons An AddressEmerson writes to prospective clergymen at Harvard Divinity School. What he writes is considered to be controversial, yet true. Reading through the essay one finds their self asking, has American theology been successful thus far? When man looks upon his religious morals, does ... Read More

Spinoza’s Skeptical Views About God in Parkinson’s Book, Spinoza: Ethics (648 words, 3 pages)

Reductio Ad AbsurdumThis is the hallmark of the Skeptic Method. Two ideas are considered against one another and extrapolated to the point where to choose either one is absurd. The next move of the Skeptic is traditionally to, from this, suspend judgment about the competing ideas. However, Spinoza puts a ... Read More

Characters’ Depressions and Tribulations in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, a Book by Henry David Thoreau (945 words, 3 pages)

H. David Thoreau a man who got in touch with nature and meditation ofsorts when his life was changed forever. Upon losing his brother, Thoreauwas devastated and sunk into a deep depression for ten years. Eventually,Thoreau wrote of adventures rowing down the Concord and Merrimack Riversand his thoughts and dreams ... Read More

The Use of Obtuse References and Metaphors in Repetition and Philosophical Crumbs, a Novel by SøRen Kierkegaard (944 words, 4 pages)

Kierkegaard Tower Or Chasing Kierkegaard the DragonKierkegaard uses lots of, dare I say, obtuse references in Repetition andPhilosophical Crumbs to the untrained mind yet his overall message ofrepetition rings loud and true. He had, at one point, loved a young ladyyet it was presumably Kierkegaard's desire to pursue philosophy thatprevented ... Read More

A Comparison of the Transcendentalist Beliefs of the 1800s and Modern Beliefs (1172 words, 5 pages)

Transcendentalism and Modern SocietyAlthough Transcendentalism is best known as a historical movement during the 1800s, many transcendentalist ideas and beliefs have persisted and still continue to be prevalent in modern society today. The transcendentalist beliefs in individuality and self-reliance in particular are still considered very important in the present day. ... Read More

Standing Up for Your Morals in the Essay Civil Disobedience by Thoreau (1006 words, 4 pages)

Understanding Civil DisobedienceWe all encounter at least one instance in our lives when we are told to do something that seems to go against our moral code. Unfortunately for most of us, we will end up doing these things due to some authoritative figure or severe consequence. But, what are ... Read More

The Shortfalls in the American Kantina Way of Thinking in Rorty’s Essay, Postmodernist Bourgeois Liberalism (828 words, 3 pages)

Argument Outline for Rortys Postmodernist Bourgeois LiberalismThis was the most thought provoking essay that I have read in this entire class. In this essay Rorty is not exactly seeking to answer a question. Specifically, as with most of these pragmatist essays, he wants to address why it is nave to ... Read More

Philosophy Essay Examples