Philosophy Essay Examples and Topics. Page 4

2,014 samples

Utilitarianism: Principles and Assumptions

The philosopher argues that the accomplishment of the goal of solving the cases of stress must be based on an individual's pleasure and actions that promote happiness. For instance, Bentham argues that the chain of [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 555

The Difference Between Act and Rule Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism emerged as a systematic theory at the end of the eighteenth century with the philosophical works of Jeremy Bentham, who created the "greatest happiness of the greatest number" formulation of the principle of utilitarianism.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1217

Nature and Convention Relation

For harmony to prevail, human beings have to live in accordance to the two kinds of order; that is nature and convention.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

Two Attitudes Toward Money

Two attitudes toward money involve negative perception of money as universal evil and positive perception of money as source of good life and prosperity.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

Epistemological Coherentism: Structure of Justification

A Coherence Theory of justification is one that supports two central ideas that distinguish it from foundationalism: There are basic beliefs that serve as the basis for other beliefs, and
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2113

Art as Redemption by Friedrich Nietzsche

One of the first important considerations he gives to his assessment of why humans engage in art is the constant oppositions he finds in nature the male/female opposition being the strongest of these as they [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 622

Verification Theory of Meaning: Is It Viable?

The varying views about verification fall into two broad categories; one which is the verification theory of meaning as it claims to specify the nature of meaning and the other one seeks to provide standard [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1645

Virtuous Behavior Constituents

For an action to be considered virtuous, it must originate from an individual and be in the self-interest of whoever is claiming to be virtuous.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563

Mill’s vs. Kant’s Ethical Theories on Lie

Stuart Mill's utilitarianism and Emmanuel Kant's deontology, to answer the question is it acceptable to lie to my friend to spare her feelings if the lie would not cause great harm?
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 1713

The Concept of Epiphenomenalism

According to consciousness, the flow of information goes from the mental aspect to the physical aspect, which means that consciousness rise due to the interaction of the physical as well as the mental and cognitive [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1644

Determinism Argument and Objection to It

The key idea behind this notion is that "everything that's happening now and that will happen in the future was already guaranteed to happen by things that happened in the distant past".
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1103

The Doctrine of Negative Responsibility

According to it, the individuals should act in such a way that the maxim of their action could be related to the universal law of morality.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1450

“Examined Life” in Socrates’ Thesis

In order to develop a sufficient understanding of what this proposition means, it is necessary to recognize the specifics of the philosopher's approach to philosophy and how it relates to practical life.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 574

“The Apology” a Work by Plato

I will also aim to explore the validity of a suggestion that, while pointing out that no one is wiser than Socrates, the Oracle of Delphi meant to say that people are being just as [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1674

Niccolo Machiavelli’s Philosophy

According to Machiavelli, it is the duty of the prince to protect his realm and to further enhance his sovereignty. He asserts that a prince should not be generous when spending the State's wealth as [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1704

Lecture “The American Scholar” by Philosopher Emerson

A scholar perceives the natural world in a way that is free of past influence. He states that self-reliance is a concept that applied to the American scholar who must exercise a great deal of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

Explaining “The Apology of Socrates“ by Plato

He claimed that his wisdom was greater than that of other humans which means that the judges and the accusers did not possess any of it for he believed that they were invented people who [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1405

Differences Between Confucianism and Daoism

For this reason, all men in the society are required to assist the authorities in the administration of the state. To a Confucian, the state is the guardian of every individual, and should be protected.
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1395

The Matrix as Metaphysics: Combination Hypotheses

Berkeley supports the view of the matrix hypothesis that human beings are in a matrix and disputes the view that the matrix hypothesis is skeptical using the idealism of reality.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1655

John Stuart Mill: Life and Philosophy

John Stuart Mill is definitely one of the famous philosophers of the modern era. In the work, Mill examines the question of liberty and the power of the society.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1090

Objection to Feldman’s Attitudinal Hedonism

In this defense Feldman uses another source of intrinsic value that shows that the deceived businessman lives a life of less value and this other source of intrinsic value is truth.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 889

Thomas Kuhn: Pre-Science and Normal Science Periods

Finally the paper examines on how the distinctions by the two periods agrees with the Kuhn's views i.e.to see if there is a correlation between the Kuhn's distinction of both the pre science and normal [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2008

How We See Ourselves v. How Others See Us

Therefore, it is paramount for us to be informed about the way other people perceive us if their perceptions about us are negative.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

Role of the Citizens

Therefore, with reference to his definition of the sovereign and the general will, Rousseau was of the opinion that citizens had the obligation to attend the assemblies organized in order to deliberate upon their current [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1355

Paley’s analogy

The argument stipulates that the world is a place filled with such novel interlocking intricacy to the extent that the sole rational justification centers on the existence of an intelligent designer.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 780

Aquinas on the Existence of God

God exists as it is the beginning of everything, as God is necessary just for the personal existence and this is the beginning of other issues which may be possibly exist or not as well [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 585

Freedom of the Will

His appeal is on behalf of not just the unsuccessful and downtrodden but of the criminal and degraded classes and a condemnation of what passes for 'justice', divine and human.
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 857

Post Structuralism in Modern Day Society

Post structuralism in teaching can be regarded as critical in the modern world since it is diversified and ideas are used in respect to the way they are expressed or brought to existence.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2297

The Mind and the Body

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the consequences and key concepts involved in the development of the mind-body philosophy and offer personal suggestions or opinions over the issue of relationship between the [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3265

Five Relations of Confucianism

The weakness of this doctrine is that the happiness of the people is in the hands of the ruling class, which tends to default and exploit ordinary people.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 892

Cartesian Dualistic Theory of Pain

Cartesian developed the Cartesian Dualistic Theory of Pain to explain the relationship between physical and psychological types of pain. Therefore, Descartes developed the Cartesian Theory of pain to explore pain in the context of mind [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 630

Chicken or Egg: A Philosophical Dilemma

Personally, I like the literal reading of this question, according to which there was an egg first, and only then a chicken.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 499

Sartre’s Argument ‘Existence Precedes Essence’

At the same time, it could be argued that Sartre is overstating the extent to which people can define themselves when saying that 'existence precedes essence.' While he is correct in asserting that individuals are [...]
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 316

Sound Reasoning and Arguments as Concepts

The foundation of the valid argument is represented by logic conditioning, which ensures the connectivity of the premises and conclusion. Nevertheless, it is possible to begin with the conclusion to test the premises and draw [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 879

Plato’s Philosophy on Exposure to Education

Plato establishes what education is worth for both the individual and the state in The Republic, emphasizing the crucial function of those who select the materials to educate the state's future guardians.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 300

The Concept of Dualism in the History of Philosophy

In its contemporary version, dualism is discussed in terms of mind and body or brain the essence of the soul is that it is a thinking substance the mind and the body is a complex [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 909

Race Matters by Cornel West: A Book Review

The rise of racist and sexist tendencies due to the lack of affirmative action is doubtful because it is not the only element in the fight against racial and sexual prejudice. However, West is of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 297

Ethical Philosophy: The Case Studies

So, it is morally permissible to throw the switch because the death of one person is less of a loss than the death of five.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 615

Pragmatism’ and Rationalism’ Concepts of Truth

William James starts his article "Pragmatism's Conception of Truth" focusing on the idea of truth and what makes it work. Rationalism and pragmatism contrast each other: while pragmatism seeks to understand how an idea applies [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 290

Death and Stages of Grief

However, such an understanding can be questioned due to the invention of life support devices and the development of the death of the brain concept.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 582

The Concept of Unconsciousness by Eduard von Hartmann

The Philosophy of the Unconscious is the most important encyclopedic work of Eduard von Hartmann, in which the phenomenon of the unconscious is subjected to careful analysis not only from a biological and psychological, but [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1143

Dead or Alive: Wright’s Movie “Shaun of the Dead”

The philosopher believes that the Narrative criterion with self-consciousness, memory, and "a recognition of the importance of being intelligible to myself" is the part, which makes a person who he is.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1101

Art Theory and Beauty in Plato’s The Symposium

The Platonic dialogue in The Symposium epitomizes the progression that Diotima describes as pursuance of beauty in highly refined and generalized forms and each speech in the symposium takes the reader closer to the comprehension [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1374

The Science and the Scientific Work

In the work The Scientific Life, Shapin writes: "The scientist was properly to be understood not on the model of the philosopher but on the model of the engineer and technician".
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3580

“War and Innocence” by Robert Fullinwinder

In the closing part of the article, the researcher concludes that absent of self-defense should be compensated by the introduction of the legal conventions justifying killing in war.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 553

Free Will and Argument Against Its Existence

Determinism is a theory which states that the course of the future is determined by a combination of past events and the laws of nature, creating a unique outcome.
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1508

Ethical Egoism vs. Altruism Theory

In philosophy, egoism is the theory that one is self is or should be; the motivation of one's action. This divergence can be explained further using the following features of the concept of ethical egoism: [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1294

Political Obligation: Contract or Consent

Basically, the political obligation can be considered as the duty of the members of the population and the people of the nation to abide by the laws and the provisions of the constitution.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1673

Rationalism. The Theory of Knowledge

The allegory is preceded by the analogy of the divided line and metaphor of the son. Descartes is considered to be one of the greatest rationalists.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 836

Aristotle Philosophical Perspective

To understand the connection established by Aristotle between a good life and a rational one, it is first necessary to discuss the concept of good used in the Nicomachean Ethics.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1693

David Hume on Ideas, Impressions, Causality

Hume proposes two main concepts in this book: the concept of impressions and the concept of ideas. Surprisingly, this concept of cause and effect closely resembles the modern scientific ideas of cause and effect.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 560

Descartes’ Philosophical Theory of Knowledge

Rene Descartes, a French philosopher and the founder of the mathematical rationalism, was one of the prominent figures in the field of philosophy of the 17th century.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 518

Perfect Island Theory vs God’s Existence

In summary, Descartes implies that since we do have an idea of a being that is all powerful and perfect, and since we can distinctly and clearly assign the attribute of necessarily existence to this [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 911

Causal Theory of Action and Harry Frankfurt’s Objections

Harry Frankfurt made major contributions to the philosophy of action through the idea of guidance and objection to compatibilists' proposal about the incongruity of causal determinism and ethical accountability.
  • 2
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1431

“Dismantling Truth” by Richard Rorty

The inherent problem I have with Rorty in this article is the fact that the concept of a socially defined truth clashes with the changing nature of society and the potential for people to agree [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

Philosophy: What Is Confucianism?

Confucius taught that the role of the elders is to teach the youth and the role of the youth is to learn from the elders.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2791

Philosophy Issues: Utilitarianism or Deontology?

Regardless of the extent to which some people are opposed to the applications of moral principles, which should be consistent with the scriptures of God, they are used to produce the best results in communities.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1118

The Philosophy of Ancient Greece

Overall, it is possible to argue that the philosophy of ancient Greece is mostly associated with the names of such prominent thinkers as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 830

Descartes’ Argument for the Existence of God

Hume's argument gets interesting when he postulates that regardless of the number of times we witness a succession of events, we cannot predict the succession of events.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1415

The Consequences of the Time Travel

Thus, the time travel can lead to the intolerable and even threatening consequences because of influencing the principle of the cause and effect in relation to the past and future, and as a result, the [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1129

Modern Science and the Creation Story

To establish the reason for the many scientific researches on the origin of the universe, it is prudent to explain the theory all works of science seem to tear apart, The Creationism Theory.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2793

“Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” by Gettier

In addition, the article reveals that the concepts of 'the right to be sure that' and 'has adequate evidence for' only work if the element of 'justified true belief' is not introduced in an analysis.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 576

Leibniz’s theory of truth

The simple version of the theory is that a predicate is true because of the existence of the subject. Therefore once predicate and subject are linked, the statement becomes true without any attempt to rationalize [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1133

Happiness Meaning and Theories

This essay aims to analyze Happiness, what makes happiness special to people, the meaning of it and the essence of it. The second happiness is a general consensus about the goodness of your life at [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1285

Utilitarian Analysis and Stakeholder Analysis

In this case, the happiness of the customers and that of John count the same. On the other hand, the stockholders who own the company are in pursuit of profits and anything that acts contrary [...]
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1510

Epistemology and Materialism: History and Application

In philosophical terms, the concept of matter advances the fact that all things are made up of matter and all thoughts are created as a result of the interaction of matter.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1136

Kant’s Formula of Universal Law

The test for universal acceptance involve: determining the agent's maxim; imagining that everyone in the same position as the real-world agent observed that maxim; deciding if there is any contradictions generated from the maxim; if [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 681

The Basis of a Moral Judgement

One of the tasks of moral philosophy is to discover the binding principles of behaviour among humans. Therefore, moral judgement is merely a formation of the mind and is susceptible to sentiments.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1386

Michel Foucault: Views on Prisons and Psychiatric Hospitals

The main concern of Foucault consists in the way technology has influenced quest for power among the ruling class in the society, and also the reason as to why the society is violating the rules [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1143

Are We Free or Determined?

A decision to do the right thing in the society, for example, is determined by the moral standards that have been set by the society.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1445

Doubt is the Key to Knowledge

In spite of the infinite reproaches, debates and libels made against his observation, Galilei Galileo disapproved the endured concept that the earth was the epicenter of the world. The untiring doubt might give rise to [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1717

Noble Morality and Slave Morality

The major difference between good morality and bad morality according to Nietzsche is that good morality is connected to nobility and bad morals are linked to the common man and simplicity.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 528

J. O. De La Mettrie

His experience as a physician and the philosophical knowledge he had, formed a perfect combination of knowledge, which gave him the ability to explain human nature.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1446

John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice

The first clause calls for distribution economic and social disparities in a way that, "they are to be of the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged members of society".
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2063

Bioethics and the Divine Command Theory

According to the Divine Command Theory, a character is ultimately based on the instructions or nature of God, and the course of behavior that God demands, or commands is morally right.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1471

Kant’s Theory of Artistic Creativity and Genius

Kant explains genius as the ability that is bestowed upon producers or artists of fine art whereby the origin of the idea of creating the work cannot be explained such as a scientist's discovery path.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1120

Consequentialism and Deontology

In deontology, the outcomes and consequences may not justify the means to achieve a goal, while in consequentialism, the results determine the means, and significant benefit is expected for the greatest possible number of people.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1168

Human Cloning and Kantian Ethics

The current paper will define the issue of human cloning through the prism of Kantian ethics and support the idea of reproductive cloning being a contravention of human dignity and fundamental biological principles.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 870

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Influence on Western Thought

Interest in the teachings of Aristotle contributed to the unification of many philosophers, which happened in the case of Thomas Aquinas. The main achievement of Thomas is that he is considered the founder of the [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1102

The Essay “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau

He claims that the government's power is based more on the influence that the majority possesses rather than on the desire to act legitimately and fairly, which makes it overall unreliable as a source of [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 306

Morality in Utilitarianism and Deontology

Followers of utilitarianism thus claim that an action is morally right when it increases the happiness of the involved parties and minimizes the harm.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 570

Act Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics: Pros and Cons

Therefore, act utilitarianism is better than virtue ethics since it is clear, concise, and focuses on the majority. Virtue ethics' strengths can be utilized to enhance the act-utilitarianism theory.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 641

Intelligibility of the Survival Hypothesis

The current study refutes materialism and supports Price's notion that there is an embodied and disembodied idea to the existence, a dream analogy of life after death, and a communal idea of the afterlife.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1135

Compromised Principles Discussion

Death is a way to escape suffering and people who compromised principles and caused harm to others do not deserve an easy release from the pangs of conscience.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 338

The Freedom Concept in Plato’s “Republic”

This situation shows that the concept of democracy and the freedom that correlates with it refers to a flawed narrative that liberty is the same as equality.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 723

Liberty Upsets Patterns: Justice Approach

The freedom will skew any system or pattern of perfect equality as demonstrated by his basketball player example, resulting in the need to formulate new patterns of distribution.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 317

Concepts of Philosophical Perspectives

In this regard, it is important to separate human perceptions from reality, hence at all times endeavor to ascertain the reality of things and occurrences.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 998

The Portrayal of the Gods by Ovid and Sophocles

Overall, there are similarities and differences in the gods' portrayal in Ovid's and Sophocles' works. In both texts, the deities are respected and revered by mortal people.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 631