Philosophy Essay Examples and Topics

Updated:
2,011 samples

Hart Devlin Debate: Summary & Analysis

The report of the committee stated that it is not the responsibility of law to solve immorality. The committee stated that one of the roles of law is to maintain order and morality in the [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Law Philosophy
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3257

James Rachels’ The Challenge of Cultural Relativism Essay

The article "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" by Rachels explores the issue of ethics. According to Rachels, cultural relativism fails to support the existence of universal moral standards.
  • 4.7
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 570

Plato and Aristotle’s Views of Virtue in Respect to Education

Arguably, Plato and Aristotle's views of education differ in that Aristotle considers education as a 'virtue by itself' that every person must obtain in order to have 'happiness and goodness in life', while Plato advocates [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 582

David Hume: Philosophy about Self Essay

This assignment is about what Hume means by the statement that the self is "nothing but a bundle of perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity" as well as how he explains how [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 630

Idealism in Hegel’s Definition

Hegel, absolute idealism is a political view that there should be an identity of being and thought in order for the human reason to understand the nature of the natural world.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1120

The Concept of Plato’s Ideal State Essay

Being a part of a group that had access to knowledge and power, he believed that the state needed to have some people who were cleverer than the others as it was one of the [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 883

What Change Would You Like to See in the World?

However, the developments have several cons that have resulted in the deterioration of the world about the environment, the state of the society, relationships, and human interactions.
  • 3.7
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1708

“Love” by Clarice Lispector

In other words, the drama of this character is implied into her burden of family life, where she is in despair for undergoing through the reality of having children and a husband. She feared life [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 859

Machiavelli’s Political Ideas

According to the book, the Prince should first serve the interests of his subjects and country, and then he can come up with ways of maintaining his political position."However, following these ideas, the latter is [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 824

Difference Between Structuralism and Post-structuralism

In its turn, the post-structuralism movement criticizes strict adherence to theoretical foundations and focuses more on the study of the object, as well as on knowledge that is directly associated with the object produced. Specifically, [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 530

Socrates Influence on Plato’s Philosophy

He was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth and misleading the citizens with his unorthodox political and religious views. Plato was so attracted to Socrates philosophy that he made him the principal character [...]
  • 3.8
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1067

The Best Things in Life Are Free

We need to understand what the best things in life are. We need to pay for what was quite naturally free: the sight of nature.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 594

Individual Perspective on Responsibility

In my opinion, responsibility is making decisions that are mutually beneficial to me and the people that I interact with in everyday activities.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 861

Utilitarianism Theory Essay

At the center of the utilitarian argument that shifts from the concern we physically have for our personal feelings of pain and pleasure, to others feelings of pain and pleasure, is the belief that this [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1081

Reflection Paper About Values

My values reveal the kind of person I am and the kindness and respect with which I treat individuals reflects my upbringing.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 652

The Standard of Taste by David Hume

Of the Standard of Taste is an essay by the Philosopher David Hume who attempts to elaborate the need and the possible existence of a rule that will reconcile the taste of individuals to one [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 831

The Perception of the Self according to Socrates

The perception of the self, according to Socrates explains the nature of man and the rationale on which man thinks. The capacity of a man is a product of the self in him; this formed [...]
  • 3.7
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 551

The Concept of Death in Literature and Human Life

Human beings do not like death, but it gives a sense of awareness that the end is the same; what matters is how one spends their life Death is a powerful force, and it may [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1731

The Difference Between Right and Wrong

Despite the differences between the definition of right and wrong in various cultures, times, and among individuals, I consider that the main "wrong" is to harm other human beings, and "right" is to benefit and [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1125

Research Philosophy: Importance and Types

According to Dougherty and Slevc, the identification of one's research philosophy when participating in scientific research is vital because it clearly articulates the goals and estimated outcomes of a study, as well as the perspectives [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 834

A Critique of John Rawls’ Theory of Justice

These principles are the principles of social justice; they provide a way of assigning duties and privileges in the basic institutions of society and they define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of [...]
  • 2.3
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2420

The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Consistent with the aim of philosophy, Russell believes that definite answers to some fundamental inquiries are not indispensable but rather the interrogatives asked in the process of introspection of what may turn out as truth [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 963

Avocado vs. Artichoke: Can Human Nature Change

The essence of the avocado vs.artichoke debate lies in the dynamic of opposing ideas of essentialism and proteanism in philosophy. Both views present quite polarizing extremes and have outdated pre-conceived notions, as in the case [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 368

Aristotle’s Views on Women

Before the Greek physicians and philosophers of the Classical Age took up the question of the nature of women, the Greeks had serious attitudes toward women as revealed in their literature.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2041

Socrates’ Life and Contributions to Philosophy

His key contributions to the field include the Socratic Method that facilitates the critical analysis of hypotheses, ideas about morality and wrongdoing, and the concepts of immortal soul and preexistence.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1439

What is Philosophy: Meaning and Importance

In the Euthyphro, Plato reveals the nature of philosophy through the dialogues of Socrates as he goes to face the trial against corrupting young men.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 832

John Rawls’ Theory of Justice

1 This is a classless principle calling for justice equality promoting mutual understanding; nevertheless, taken the way it is, this principle would confuse people on some issues and this is why Rawls compliments it with [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1188

Life After Death

In many religions across the world, people belief in life after death and also being born again in the world after an individual. Life after death is the belief in the continuation of life after [...]
  • 3.3
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1354

Aristotle as the First Political Scientist

Although it is possible to consider Aristotle as the first political scientist with references to the aspects of discussing political science in the context of the political philosophy, a lot of researchers also determine the [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2217

The Fundamental Traits of a Philosopher

Exposure to the concepts in philosophy helps scholars develop critical, analytic, and observational abilities that may be considered the most valuable in the greater scheme of life. All that is required is to choose our [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1456

The Certainty and Doubt Relationship

It confirms the close relationship between certainty and doubt, namely that the absence of one gives rise to the other. To conclude, the concepts of certainty and doubt are close and intertwined in many things [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 890

Socrates and Descartes: Similarities and Difference

The third rule is that the logical process must proceed step by step from the simplest and easiest portion of the problem to clearly and distinctly know and progress in order of difficulty to the [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1304

Empathy: What Is It and How Does It Work

The feeling of empathy comes up when there is a clear difference between the person being empathetic and the one who is the subject of empathy.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1496

“Existence Precedes Essence” a Term by Sartre

The expression "existence precedes essence" is attributed to the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. According to Sartre, the existence of something gets known before it is defined.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 624

Philosophical Perspective of Self Essay

In essence, the cogito exposes a different view of the world and states the fact that mind is the only thing in the world that is able to know itself.
  • 2.3
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2724

“The Ways We Lie” by Stephanie Ericsson

The omission is just when one does not say anything in preference to lying; this modifies history as it did in the omission of Lilith from the book of Genesis.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 551

Descartes’ Self-Concept Construction

A careful study of his masterpiece entitled, Meditations can lead one to conclude that his concept of the self was the byproduct of the combination of the use of his physical senses, common sense, and [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 845

The Book “The Artist in Crisis” by Yaroslav Senyshyn

It should be noted that this text is a critical scholarly dissection that plays a vital role in opening the readers' minds in different ways according to the views of the world and their important [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 748

Socrates: Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

By saying that "unexamined life is not worthy living", Socrates was referring to freedom, a state of making choices about your surrounding, a state of choosing your destination, having the freedom to criticize issues, setting [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 447

Transcendentalism in American Literature

The emergence of new transcendental ideas reshaped the American literature introduced in the works by Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman in such a way that it contributed to the excellence and maturity of the literary world [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1384

“Man is a Political Animal” by Aristotle

This is based on the fact that the philosophical ideas expressed by these scholars have proven to be greatly important in offering guidance to various facets of life-like cultural, social, political, and economic endeavors In [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1131

Courage as an Important Virtue in Life

Described by Maya Angelou as the most important of all the virtues because without courage you cannot practice any other virtue consistently", it is composed of different types, including physical courage, moral courage, social courage, [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1168

Thomas Aquinas’ and Emanuel Kant’s Moral Philosophy

Since human beings have rationality that is generated from God, they possess natural law that enables them to perceive what is morally acceptable."Aquinas emphasizes that human acts should be based on reason which is intrinsically [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1189

Portrait of an Ideal World by Henry Louis Mencken

As a result, corruption in the police force and crime levels soared in such an alarming rate that the justice and prison systems became overwhelmed by the level of cases they had to deal with [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1126

Theories of the Creation of the World

According to the Bible, a tree of life was created by God in the middle of the Garden of Eden. In the Iroquois Creation Story, a tree was growing in the middle of the floating [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 385

“The American Scholar” By Ralph Waldo Emerson

The author says that the scholar should explore the nature in themselves, and "he shall see, that nature is the opposite of the soul, answering to it part for part.
  • 2
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 498

Kant`s View on Homosexuality

Kant says that homosexuality is not merely an inclination, which a human feels towards another, but it is the preference for another person's sexuality.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1107

Divided Line and the Allegory of the Cave

It is necessary to underline the fact that the thinker strived to clarify common features of his Divided Line and the allegory of the Cave; the analysis of his philosophy gives an opportunity to realize [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 624

​Do the “Ends Justify the Means?”

When comparing the crimes that might be committed and the fact that the person will be late for work, it is clear that the lateness is not as important.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 859

Value of Philosophy to the Society

As such, in order to understand the value of philosophy to the society, it is important to consider what the focus of philosophy as a study is.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 835

Importance of Self-Identity

Self-knowledge is very necessary as it helps one to identify the strengths and weaknesses that one has in the view of imminent challenges in life.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1079

Socrates’ Impact on Western Civilization

Socrates defined the concepts of evil and good, assuming the achievement of the goals of self-knowledge as the highest virtue. In disputes, Socrates sought to prove the practicality and reasonableness of the world and a [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 863

“Trying Out One’s New Sword” by Mary Midgley

Trying Out One's New Sword is a story about refuting the theory of moral isolationism and barriers that divide the world into independent units with their values and traditions.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 342

What Is the Relationship Between Mind and Body?

As noted by the author, Socrates depicted the human body as the part or an instrument of the soul, admitting at the same time that the corporal health depended directly on the wellness of the [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1763

Plato on Power and Republic

In philosophy of government, Plato argues that philosophers are the most knowledgeable members of society; thus, they deserve to be rulers because they understand what is right for humanity and government.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1683

Narrative of Personal Traumatic Experience

Lilian was the name of a young girl who lived in the area and was the same age as me. It was suggested that I see a therapist to lessen the impact on my mental [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1730

Socrates’ Conception of Law and Justice

Socrates advocated the idea that justice was good, and that meant that injustice was equal to evil. The point he makes here is that justice is the cure for evil, and that a man who [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 631

Epistemologies of Plato and Aristotle

It is also worth mentioning the Allegory of the Cave, in which Plato explains the relationship between people and the world of the Forms.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1226

Mrs. Mallard’s Feelings About Her Husband

Sadly, the news of her husband's death was only a rumor, and when she saw him alive, standing at the entrance of the house, she died of shock.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

People and World Relationships

For me, the most exciting thing to think of is the relationship between people and the world in which they live.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563

Philosophy of Religion

The major question about this argument is what is the appropriateness and success of using the philosophical tools to show the existence of God in a probable way.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1208

The Role of Gods in Plato’s Philosophy

As Plato recounts the episode "Myth of Er" found in the republic dialogue phaedo and the story of time reversal in the statesman, a clear view of the hierarchical arrangement of the cosmos is illuminated.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2081

Observation and Theory in Aristotle’s Scientific Practice

Aristotle focuses on the distinction between the unobservable and observables, the content and structure of observation reports, and the epistemic importance of observational evidence for the theories he aims to access.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1941

The Theory of Utilitarianism by Jeremy Bentham

According to utilitarianism, the greatest ethical action is the one that benefits society, and the value of each person is more significant than the value of a community.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 329

Philosophical Thinking and Reflection

In the case of the question about reality, Plato offered insightful knowledge and a framework to understand the nature of reality.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 851

Plato on Knowledge and Opinion

The primary division of Plato's classification is the division of knowledge into sensory and intellectual knowledge. The first category of knowledge, namely sensory knowledge, is perceived as a lower type, and intellectual knowledge is the [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 363

Transcendentalism: Ralph Emerson vs Henry Thoreau

These two thinkers contributed greatly to the development of the movement through the focus on certain basic values and principles as well as the promotion of particular aspects of the overall paradigm.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1101

The Sane Deep-Self View: Concept of Susan Woolf

Susan Wolf answers this question by saying that free will is compatible with moral responsibility; moreover, it is a necessary condition of the latter. Thus, uniform for all concept of free will in its correlation [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1512

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin

For example, in the first paragraph, the narrator depicts the serenity that is characteristic of the city in the morning. As the story unfolds, the narrator delineates the reason behind the child's suffering, thereby giving [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 824

Metaphor in “Lifeboat Ethics” by Garrett Hardin

As the relevance and the appropriateness of the metaphor are established, it is of paramount significance to consider the different aspects of the question in a meaningful and judicious manner.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2004

Niccolo Machiavelli’s Virtue and Fortuna

Machiavelli provided opportunities to scholars and readers to understand a political system purged of irrelevant influences of ethics in order to comprehend the basis of politics in useful use of power. Machiavelli introduced another principle [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2019

Thales vs Anaximander Philosophy

The Milesian philosophers, Thales and Anaximander, advanced a rational or scientific explanation for the metaphysical elements of the universe that departed from the mytho-poetic reasoning of the time.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1154

Philosophy of Human Conduct

The aim of the paper is to reveal the nature of human conduct from the philosophical point of view. That is why, the nature of human conduct is a difficult aspect of a human being.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2329

Human Nature as a Power to Make Choices

In some instances, as in the conception of the human beings as a make-up of the soul- body union, it is likewise clear that biological considerations are paramount.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2114

Immanuel Kant Ethics

Kant argues that, "a person is good or bad depending on the motivation of their actions and not on the goodness of the consequences of those actions".
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 930

“The Question Concerning Technology” by Martin Heidegger

Heidegger is very interested in the essence of modern technology that is highlighted in his work "The Question Concerning Technology" but the basic subject of his work is not the interpretation of different approaches of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1974

Can a Person Choose to Be Happy?

The first reason why people can choose to be happy is that even in sad circumstances, they can remember positive experiences and improve their mood. Despite the circumstances, it is possible to remain happy when [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 350

Rene Descartes and Karl Marx’s Philosophy

I have seen that Rene Descartes contribution in philosophy and natural science stood the test of time; therefore, he became a hero' on the other hand, Karl Marx's contribution in social science did not stand [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 942

Philosophy’s Main Branches

It is the epitome of thinking and as it was described by the London times, "the great virtue of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to think".
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 923

The concept of Being by Heidegger

The author of this paper will also revolve around the ontological composition of the world and its contribution to the question of being. This is because the question of being is constituted in the entities [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2187

Plato’s Philosophy

The allegory of the cave can serve in revealing some of the key reasons to mistrust the views of the majority.
  • 3.3
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2719

The Perspectives of Plato and Augustine on Metaphysics

For Augustine, God was the source of all forms, and subsequently, all of the objects and phenomena existing in the physical world were manifestations of the ideals kept in the mind of God.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1402

Philosophy: Roland Barthes as a Structuralist

Although Barthes had not contemplated anything of the sort, his efforts and the efforts of others led to the establishment of the structuralism movement in the 1950s and the 1960s.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 340
Headline Generator
We’ll help you brainstorm great title ideas for your essay, research or speech in no time!
Research Question Generator
Get a list of ideas for your essay or term paper. We’ve prepared the best research question generator.
Title Page
Generator
Craft a paper title page with just a couple of clicks. Get it in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard without any effort
Updated: