Philosophy Essay Examples and Topics. Page 4

2,125 samples

Aristotle on Human Nature, State, and Slavery

This should be done with restraint and caution in order not to compromise the validity of modern studies and to avoid bias, as evident in the studies of some historical philosophers in their quoting of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 14
  • Words: 3976

Humanism of Renaissance Era

Platonic philosophy, precisely the concept of world of forms, had dominated the medieval era that subjected the human body, as a shadow of a real body in the world of forms, to little or no [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1248

Symbol as an Integral Part of a Human’s Life

In spite of the fact that author takes the symbols rather as a notion than as an object, some researchers take it even further, expanding the meaning of a symbol to the whole culture.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 968

Hegelian Dialectics

The article situates the reasoning of Hegel in two articles, one being the Second Sex by Simone and the other is the modern woman as a subject by Fanon.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1091

Critical Thinking: Knowledge and Understanding

In spite of the fact that knowledge enhances the intellectual capacity of the people, it deprives them of the ability to think critically about the information that they have amassed.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1146

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

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

Arstippus and Epicurus

This especially comes out well in the case of Aristippus who believed in satisfying his craving for pleasure in the present as opposed to postponing them to the future.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 621

Importance of Knowing Yourself and Your Enemy

Dealing with people and trying to combat them, it is important to be aware of their abilities as the outcome of the battle also depends on whether one knows the strengths and weaknesses of an [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1368

Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

However, the fact that there are many actions that people engage in, Aristotle argues that their ends are countless. Aristotle concludes that happiness is the key principle that causes people to practice virtues such as [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 593

St Augustine’s Philosophy

God's presence in an individual enables him/her to achieve goals that are consistent with the provisions of the church. They belong to the city of the damned and are responsible for their actions.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 825

David Hume: The Ideology of Self

Incidentally this is the concept from which the science of psychology is based which is best exemplified by the theory of behaviorism: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concepts of self ideology [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1446

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

Free Will: Towards Hume’s Compatibilist Approach

According to Williams, libertarians are of the view that free will is rationally incompatible with the concept of determinism, and that a deterministic world may be rationally impossible or false.
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1833

Aesthetic of Beauty – Views of Danto and Tolstoy

In fact, he declares beauty as part of art works only on condition."Beauty is internal to a work when it is...for such a work, beauty is part of the work's content".
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 593

Sufficient Reason and Causation Principle

The concept of substantiation is central in the theory of knowledge in general and in the methodology of scientific knowledge in particular.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2244

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

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

“The American Crisis” Book by Thomas Paine

Paine's depictions of the "summer soldier" and "sunshine patriot" are appropriate in that they accurately describe an individual willing to fight for a cause only when it is convenient or popular.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 407

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

Sartre’s Philosophy of Existentialism

The main thesis of the theory of existentialism is that existence precedes essence and that one has to start from subjectivity.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1214

The Book “Naming the Elephant” by James Sire

In the first chapter, tired "Camel, Kangaroo, and the Elephant, the author presents the list of the seven questions that help one form their worldview, which is arguably the most significant aspect of the book.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 923

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

Immanuel Kant: Pure and Empirical Knowledge

Kant proceeds to identify a philosophical gap in the form of the lack of a means to determine the possibility, principles, and scope of pure knowledge.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 429

Examining Heidegger’s Philosophy and Political Involvement

According to Velasquez, his renown was described as the 'rumor of a hidden king.' Nonetheless, upon the retirement of Husserl as a professor of Philosophy, the University of Freiburg offered Heidegger the position, and he [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3383

Machiavelli’s vs. Plato’s Justification of Political Lies

As we will see, claims of lying and deception and the desire to deceive and mislead seem to be linked to incorrect expectations, false beliefs, and self-delusion on both sides of the political and public [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1289

The Divine Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

God's intervention in history means for most biblical authors that the will of God ultimately determines the course of events, and human freedom is manifested in the fact that he either accepts this will of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 2746

Husserl’s and Descartes’ Philosophies

The differences in the concept of philosophy as a science between Husserl and Descartes relate primarily to the concept of intentionality and the method of intentional analysis.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 925

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

The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Significance

The cognitive method of conceptual thinking is attributed to the parable of lines, and the perception of the sky corresponds in this scheme to the mind's cognition.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 936

The Search for Meaning or Purpose of Existence

It is not individual achievements but rather the feeling of having contributed to a general human goal and becoming a better person that grants life meaning.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 891

Christine Korsgaard’s Critical Social Theory

Thus, the "thinking and acting self" represents the freedom of the members of the community to take action with respect to the principles of voluntarism and the authority, serving as "the source of obligation".
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1422

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

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

Pettit’s Conception of Freedom as Anti-Power

According to Savery and Haugaard, the main idea that Pettit highlights in this theory is the notion that the contrary to freedom is never interference as many people claim, but it is slavery and the [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1133

The Nature of Philosophy: Anxiety

As was mentioned by Harry Frankfurt, philosophy is created through anxiety born of an understanding of the limitation of knowledge.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 883

Aristotle’s Account of Pleasure

Since Aristotle is trying to discern the goal of human life, he is inclined to think that pleasure is not a chief good.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1119

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

Plato’s “Euthyphro”

The Euthyphro dilemma refers to the state Euthyphro found himself in after the conversation with Socrates, whereby it was difficult to decide whether God loves holiness because it is holy or whether holiness is holy [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 594

Deontological Ethics and Morality

According to the theory, moral ethics should enable members of society to attain happiness. Finally, moral ethics should also provide room for improvement to nurture the desired behaviors in society.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 590

Western vs. Japanese Philosophy

The human nature of capitalism is encrusted in the philosophical thinking of the west. Therefore, western philosophy considers the existence of God and capitalism as the main influences on human nature.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 538

Philosophy of Love and Sex

In contrast to them, Richards elaborated a theory of phenomenal attraction that falls into the category of sexual concepts but differs from the notion of sexual arousal.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 830

The Art of Being Human: Confucius’ Beliefs

In my evaluation of the quote "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance," I would say that it expresses very profound and useful things to be aware of.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

The Human Superiority Complex

Over the past thousand years, the human species has grown to become the undeniable masters of Earth with the ability to enact the greatest amount of change in the natural environment compared to any other [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1169

Robert Nozick’s “Anarchy, State and Utopia”

Scholars and thinkers of repute in the fields of philosophy, political science, and history during the ancient, classical, and contemporary epochs of learning have put forward theories that attempt to explain the origins, necessity, and [...]
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 569

Beach: A Review of the Term

All in all, the mention of the term 'beach' invokes images of serenity and exquisite joy in the minds of people.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 489

Opposites From Opposites: The Conception

The question is that life is realized by people through the principle of cut and try. It is better to say here that it is a warning for those contradicting nature and physical reality of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 564

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

Descartes “Two Proofs for the Existence of God”

He does not satisfactorily give justification of his claim that the relationship between the truth of the idea objective and the recognized truth of the event that brings about the idea is direct.
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1094

“Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles Play Analysis

The plan to kill Oedipus takes a twist when his mother and the servant refuses to kill him, allowing the opportunity to live and later to fulfill the oracles.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 814

The Duty to Die. “Going to Meet Death” by John Hardwig

This approach is considered with the fact of how these loved ones should, on the one hand, bear all those condemnations and disagreements with life and words about soon death along with a perpetual presence [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 1439

Sibling Rivalry in the Bible

The consequence of the sin implicated in Abel's murder is a judgment that is bound to follow generations Gen 25 records the second form of sibling rivalry in the Old Testament between Esau and his [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1126

Compare and Contrast: Locke vs. Hume’s Notions of Self

Both Locke and Hume looked into the perspective of human self and its interaction with the environment and tried to explain the nature and balance of the existence of human as a race within the [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1708

Importance Of Studying Philosophy

The major objective of this study is the rational justification of human values, knowledge, and certainty, logical inferences, and interpretation of the nature of reality.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 680

Why Don’t Moral People Act Morally?

The intention of many people is to act in a moral site of theirs. It is therefore the situational pressures that make the failure of moral people to act morally.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1032

Utilitarianism: John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham

The main difference between Mill's and Bentham's conception of Utilitarianism is that Mill, though a consequentialist, makes a case for the qualitative aspects of happiness.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 577

Philosophy: Is Patriotism a Virtue?

Hence, in the above context, patriotism is the feeling that arises from the concerns of the safety of the people of a nation.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1567

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

Boredom and Freedom: Different Views and Links

Boredom is a condition characterized by low levels of arousal as well as wandering attention and is normally a result of the regular performance of monotonous routines.
  • Subjects: Freedom Philosophy
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2849

An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes

The error - discrepancy between two groups of the objects, one of which is the standard, a right answer of a problem, the decision which would lead to the desirable result, and the second - [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 551

Bentham’s and Mill’s Theory of Utility

In other words, his theory of utility is based on the principle of moral obligation: the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people who are involved or affected by the action performed by one [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 636

Ethical Egoism: Arguments For and Against

In personal ethical egoists, the belief is that one should pursue his or her own interest without telling other people what they are ought to do.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 689

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

Minister: Temptations, Blessings, and Rule of Life

The temptation to be relevant is likely to affect the life of a minister in case they forget that serving the Lord and following His Word should be the focus of their efforts and, instead, [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3630

“Washing Away Your Sins” by Zhong & Liljenquist

The participants in the third study were asked to repeat the recalling process of the first study after which they had to choose between a pencil and an antiseptic wipe as gifts.
  • Subjects: Ethical Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1215

Meaningless Existence in Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus”

The concept shared by the author consists in the statement that human life is irrational: one has to admit that it is senseless and is forced to overcome this knowledge to continue living, working, and [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 621

Philosophy. Existence of God: Moral Arguments

However, the natural universe is characterized by gigantic, complex, and fascinating features compared to those of the artificial world. This means that there is no conclusion to a single creator of the universe.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

Personal Opinion and Outlook on Life

I believe that it is the moral and social obligation of the government to work towards decreasing the income inequality that exists between the rich and the poor in society.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1208

Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy of Knowledge and Judgement

Kant's notion on the possibility of knowledge of an objective realm reducing to the possibility of a priori synthetic judgment is explained by his interest in necessary truth, the theory of a priori, and necessity.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1863

Teleological Argument of William Paley

Nowadays, people are more accustomed to the thought that it is possible, but it is still obvious that people had nothing to do with the creation of the world of animals.
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 805

Why Are We Afraid of Death?

However, it can be interesting to understand why the rest of the people are so afraid of death. People are afraid of the unknown.
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 292

Philosophy of Scientific Knowledge

This issue leads us to the necessity of defining something within the scope of the experiment while leaving out the areas not covered by it. What are the values these principles bring to the field [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 659

Being as Being: Aristotle vs. Aquinas

The philosophical concept of being as being is concerned with the notion of existence, more specifically, that of the thing in and of itself.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1426

The Role of Law in State-Building

The introduction of the rule of law is an integral part of state-building. Their importance in state building is to ensure that the actions of both leaders and citizens are controlled.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1644

Ontology and Epistemology in Leadership Research

In the frames of this research on leadership as a practice, it is impossible to clarify what has been already known, what could be expected, and what lessons could be offered. It is a practice [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Science
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1406

The Value and Meaning of Judgment

The issues of proper and timely judgment, sound conclusions, and reaction to the received information can be found in the stories such as A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor and Young [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1165

“On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings” by William James

At the same time, our human practicality interferes with our ability to understand and perceive the feelings of others; the core problem is that "each is bound to feel intensely the importance of his own [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Works
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1950

Rene Descartes’ Ontological Reasoning

One of the branches of his ontological thought was the discussion of the existence of God. The purpose of this paper is review and analyze the arguments Rene Descartes provided to evidence the existence of [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1116

Platonic Realism and Counterarguments

Although the Platonic view of value has gained much acceptance since its emergence, it has failed to address some of the underlying issues that deter the universality of things and the need for associative rules [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 556

Philosophical Life: Live, Love, and Learn

The whole world is currently taking a paradigm shift towards trying to find the reason and meaning of life. A perfect philosophical way of life is the philosophy of the three Ls which stand for; [...]
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 549

Taoism and Chinese Calligraphy Development

Chinese calligraphy is one of the premier practices of Chinese art and is considered an essential feature of Chinese culture. The beauty of calligraphy is realized only when we combine the expressions of the words [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophy of Religion
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1431

“The Fallacy of Success” by G. K. Chesterton

Chesterton, in his work The Fallacy of Success, also cogitates about this very issue, underlining the fact of uselessness of these books and outlining his own ideas connected with the issue of success.
  • 1
  • Subjects: Life Philosophy
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 555

Material Monism: Nature of the World and Universe

However, the evolution of society and human thought resulted in the increased efficiency of cognition tools and the appearance of new ideas to describe the main regularities according to which the world and universe function.
  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 559

Critical Theory and Modern Political Philosophy

A product of Frankfurt School, the critical theory was established in the 1920s, later reviewed in the 1950s, and returned to throughout the post-war history of political philosophy.
  • Subjects: Political Philosophies
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1901

Karl Marx’s Concept of Alienation

According to Marx, that is called the externalization of a worker in his product. A man does not choose the productive activity, he is a part of it only because he is forced to he [...]
  • Subjects: Philosophical Concept
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2028