«Throughout Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes makes repeated reference to the primacy of human consciousness in provoking individuals to subject themselves to the rule of a sovereign. Specifically, the ability to conceptualize oneself as a discrete entity...» Summary abstract
«Just war theory may not be able to prevent war directly, but it does make political leaders more accountable for their actions. Knowing that critics will determine whether or not a war is just based on just cause, right intention, legitimate...» Summary abstract
«An American Beauty, in the most literal of senses, refers to a breed of roses. The breed of roses first seen in the movie of the same name are most likely that breed. The appropriateness of that name is without question. The American Beauty is an...» Summary abstract
«In both the Phaedo and Republic 4, Socrates offers an account of the nature of psychological conflict in the context of a discussion about the soul. Different conceptions of the soul and body emerge from these accounts, each of which takes on a...» Summary abstract
«This proposal outlines some of the conflicts associated with the Tibetan people as the repressed and overtaken minority within the People's Republic of China. Currently, social conflict is one of the most critical issues facing Tibetans today. This...» Summary abstract
«The theology of grace is one of the most widely argued topics in all of Christian doctrine. So heavily debated is it that nearly all of the great theologians and philosophers of Christianity have at some point argued their case regarding grace. Two...» Summary abstract
«Both Lady Anne Conway and Baruch Spinoza argue that the individual things in the world, everything from the mosquito to the chair to the supermodel, contain the substance of God. And by sharing in the substance of God, the chair, the supermodel,...» Summary abstract
«When one thinks of the president Lyndon Baines Johnson, typically one associates him with the turbulent period we call the 'sixties.' Whether or not his term in office merely coincided with this era is an issue often debated. Nonetheless, his...» Summary abstract
«In my opinion, David Hume, in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, completely destroys the traditional design argument. In this essay I will outline an example of the traditional design argument, as written by Newton, and also Hume's critique...» Summary abstract
«My roommate has asserted that every time she breathes pepper, she sneezes. Her past experience of breathing pepper and sneezing has always reflected her future experience of breathing pepper and sneezing. She claims that if she amasses a...» Summary abstract
«When digging deeply into Aristotle's "The Rhetoric" it only begs the question of the origins of the author. Many of us learn about Aristotle's legacy in grade school and learn about his works. However, many of us also fail to learn the basic...» Summary abstract
«The philosophical efforts of the Enlightenment thinkers were based on the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology. Descartes, Leibniz and Berkeley progress in their understandings of being by refining the means by which they are able to...» Summary abstract
«The principle of interconnectedness pervades the worldviews of the Daoist and Buddhist religions originating from India and China. It is fitting that the traditions themselves are historically and textually interconnected in a way that finds...» Summary abstract
«Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are probably the most famous political thinkers of the 17th century. The generally accepted view asserts that these authors stood poles apart, the first one advocating an absolutist regime and the latter recommending a...» Summary abstract
«There have been many attempts over the years to try and define what constitutes knowledge. Up until the early 1960's, the general consensus was that the tripartite analysis of knowledge was correct. However, it is now widely accepted that this is...» Summary abstract
«Describe the logical positivist view of scientific theories. Explain at least one problem with the view, and assess whether it is a problem for all forms of logical positivism. Logical positivism, developed by the members of the Vienna Circle, was a...» Summary abstract
«Dostoevsky's Underground Man is an attempt to offer an example of the true result of egoism, as opposed to the rational egoism of Western European Enlightenment literature. It became the intellectual fashion at this time to believe that natural law...» Summary abstract
«According to the meaning we give to 'actions', we get two different theories under Utilitarianism. And there is a great debate between those two schools of utilitarianism about how exactly the individual utilitarian should make their moral...» Summary abstract
«First, we will see that if protestant theology has undoubtedly influenced the early expansion of capitalism in America, it is probably no longer the main factor explaining the important commitment of Protestants to modern capitalism. As an...» Summary abstract
«The question is, therefore, whether Rawls's egalitarianism is not enough egalitarian or too egalitarian. After having exposed the main points of Rawls's view of economic justice, the analysis of its major criticisms, both from the left and the right...» Summary abstract
«Aristotle was born into a privileged family because his father was the "personal physician to the Macedonian king, Amyntas II." (Lindberg 45) Since they were always around royalty and high-status people, Aristotle entered into Plato's Academy in...» Summary abstract
«Identity is fundamental to the distinction between faiths and cultures. Proper respect in dialogue hinges on a relational flow in dialogue. Power struggles and anxiety over engagement with the unknown other has caused dialogue to exist as an I-it...» Summary abstract
«For those who were trained in the art of interpreting them, the numbers themselves had special meanings. The result was that people in antiquity could talk to each other in a code language, that only those initiated into the symbolism of numbers...» Summary abstract
«Freemasonry started in the 16th century as an organization for spiritual and personal development for free thinkers. At a time when whole new conceptions of the world were opening up, some people wanted to explore new realms of personal evolution....» Summary abstract
«In his 1651 work Leviathan, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes argues in favor of a societal structure in which individuals must waive a portion of their natural rights to an “artificial man” in order to avoid battling with each other....» Summary abstract
«In Aristotle's Physics, he presents his teleological theory of nature as comprised of changing materials which are to be understood in terms of the factors that brought them about, particularly their final causes (i.e. the function that they...» Summary abstract
«In her satirical, surreal debut novel Through the Arc of the Rainforest, Karen Tei Yamashita asks us to believe in magic. She puts forth five original miracles at the beginning of the story: a lucky man named Kazumasa who happens to have a sentient...» Summary abstract
«The technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition. By making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence. And in permitting the reproduction to meet the beholder or listener...» Summary abstract
«The early Shaker belief system rested on an understanding that Christ's second coming had arrived. The founder of the sect, Mother Ann Lee, experienced a mystic vision of Christ while imprisoned. This vision was of the Christ and his church on...» Summary abstract
«Often times, especially in ideological disciplines, there is a great gap between theory and practice. Not all theories apply to lived experiences and not all lived experiences can be summarized in theories. Nevertheless, this paper seeks to...» Summary abstract
«Apocalypticism offers a unique rhetoric of violence. Israelite people experienced violence and domination for centuries under the control of Persians, Greeks, Selucids, Ptolemies, and Roman rulers. Israelite identity was challenged under these...» Summary abstract
«Apocalyptic literature often is ignored when constructing theology and ethics. Theologians and ethicists ignore scriptural images of otherworldly beasts and supernatural beings. Prophesy of cosmic suffering and references to apocalyptic literature...» Summary abstract
«Freemasons have been a focus of interest for centuries, partly because of their secrecy, and partly because they have been linked to esoteric and secret knowledge. One of the most common questions asked about Freemasonry is, how did it begin? It may...» Summary abstract
«Amy Hempel's story "The Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried" appears to be a bleak depiction of human selfishness and avoidance in the face of death. A woman visits her dying friend in hospital, but instead of staying to offer comfort, she departs...» Summary abstract
«Many controversies arise from the interaction between human ideas and religious thought. One of the issues that create much confusion among religious scholars, as well as the average man has been death. Since it is believed that there is no...» Summary abstract
«The moral relativism denies that any moral code has universal validity, and ethical propositions do not reflect absolute and universal moral truths. Morality is relative to social, cultural, historical or personal circumstances. The idea of...» Summary abstract
«Many authors have proposed definitions for the question "what is Fascism?", but most of them failed to give a complete definition. The historian Robert O. Paxton answered this question for the first time by focusing on the concrete: what the...» Summary abstract
«Aristotle wrote Politics as a criticism of Plato's Republic, after having been his student for 20 years. Aristotle especially disagrees with Plato's view that only knowledge and perfect forms count. He would criticize Plato's view that women and...» Summary abstract
«Even after a settlement is reached and a peace agreement is signed, it is by no means the end of the conflict. For a conflict to really end, healing the minds and the bodies of the victims of wars is necessary. Indeed it is the necessary first step...» Summary abstract
«Anthony Giddens, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science published The Third Way in 1998. What does "Third Way" mean? For The author, the goal is a renewal of the social-democracy. Through this phrase he refers to a...» Summary abstract
«Expressionism is an avant-garde movement in which violence is everywhere in themes, in forms, in the expression of the artist in general. We can define violence by aggressive facts, language immoderation, brutality and provocation. When we talk...» Summary abstract
«Nowadays the term 'democracy 'has become a widespread reality which is practically accepted everywhere. Even China's leaders argue that their country is on the path to democracy but "it needs time" (Wen Jiabao, China's Prime Minister)....» Summary abstract
«Mozambique is, in the early 20th century, a very heterogeneous country. Without any linguistic, cultural or ethnic harmony, the only point that is common all over this southern African country turns out to be the Portuguese colonial power. However,...» Summary abstract
«The Passion narratives must be understood through the Jewish historical experience, religious tradition and, above all, holy scripture. It is crucial to remember that the Passion story, considered as the birth of Christianism, is very linked to the...» Summary abstract
«Occidentalism can exist and develop only in relation to its pre-existing coefficient, orientalism" . Indeed, there exists a dichotomy between these two concepts. It refers to the description of the World and its organization. Therefore, an analysis...» Summary abstract
«Monarchism started in Egypt during the IInd century and may have its roots in the forms of some Jewish sects. Saint Antony (236-347) created next to Alexandria what we call anachoretism. He organized a hermits' life. These men gather in communities...» Summary abstract
«The UN was founded immediately after the horrors of the Second World War because of the Nazi-regime and in response to the economic and social difficulties after the Depression. This need of security by law was explained by a particular tradition in...» Summary abstract
«Aristotle and Augustine are two men whose intricately crafted ideas have been regarded as some of the most intelligent for thousands of years. Both men came from very different times and many times took very different approaches when explaining...» Summary abstract
«What do job interviews, parents, significant others, store managers, telemarketers, homeless people, personal managers, and movie ticket agents have in common? They've all been lied to. At job interviews, applicants may tell a little lie about...» Summary abstract
«Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a nun who came forward in the tumultuous years of the Spanish Inquisition to found a new order of nuns, the Carmelites. The new order had stricter rules about poverty and seclusion than other Spanish orders of that...» Summary abstract
«Western scholarship has traditionally portrayed Chinese cultural as patriarchal and not supportive of women. This perspective often fails to look at ways that the feminine has been acknowledged and honored in major Chinese religious traditions. Kuan...» Summary abstract
«The philosophy of Plato had a strong impact on the development of Western thought and the evolution of Western culture. His ideas were influential with Christian thinkers in the third and fourth centuries and with European philosophers in the...» Summary abstract
«Stanley Spencer, one of England's most lauded post-war visual artists, is also among the most obscure outside of the context of his reception in England, which included his being Knighted near the end of his life.(Hauser, 2001) In a "Self-Portrait"...» Summary abstract
«In dramatic literary history, tragedies are a form through which dark elements in human motivation, character and decision making are explored. Often the tragedy revolves around the flaw of its main character, known as the tragic hero. The hero may...» Summary abstract
«This essay will explore ideas from "On the History of Religion and Philosophy in Germany" written by Heinrich Heine, one of the most famous German poets and cultural figures in general, of the early to mid 19th century. The paper will argue that in...» Summary abstract
«The miraculous power of faith has been deemed able to heal a countless number of ailments from the time when Jesus walked the Earth performing miracles all the way to present day medical miracles involving prayer and strong faith. But what do these...» Summary abstract
«Nobody knows for sure what will happen in the afterlife, we can only estimate based on our religious beliefs and personal opinions. Five major western religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Ba Hai, also have very different...» Summary abstract
«Philosopher and literary critic Allan Bloom (1968) writes that "The Republic is the true Apology of Socrates, for only in the Republic does he give an adequate treatment of the theme which was forced on him by Athens' accusation against him. That...» Summary abstract
«Karl Marx (1818 - 83) was responsible for one of the first and most influential theories of class within the sociological discipline. For Marx, classes can be seen as basic social groups divided by their specific position within the division of...» Summary abstract
«Michel Foucault may be one of the most influential French philosophers of our time. He spent much of his professional life as a professor, and he is best known because of his critical analysis of various social institutions; medicine and the human...» Summary abstract
«Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was the founder of the cloistered Carmelite order during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. As the founder of a strict, cloistered order that emphasized poverty one might expect Teresa to have conservative views on...» Summary abstract
«Jesus lived in a time period called second temple Judaism. During the lifetime of Jesus, Judea, where Jerusalem was located, and Galilee, where Jesus lived and taught, were separate countries under Roman rule. Though dominated by Rome the Jews in...» Summary abstract
«In this essay we will critically analyze the famous philosopher, William James' views on attention. James appears to be right when he describes anyone in this condition is not paying attention. When describing attention as the mind's taking...» Summary abstract
«The Filipinos were among the first Asian groups to enter the U.S. Unlike other groups, they had a unique colonial history, and thereby their acculturating experiences were not the first encounter with discrimination they faced. Though they were...» Summary abstract
«This paper seeks to examine how three anthropologists, E.B. Tylor, Bronislaw Malinowski and Levi-Strauss address the question "is man one or many?" They were chosen on the basis of their being the leading figures of three different schools of...» Summary abstract
«What is myth? For rationalists such as Muller, they provide pre-scientific explanations of natural phenomena. For functionalists such as Malinowski they are a "codification of belief", explaining rites and justifying norms. For Jung, myth provides...» Summary abstract
«This essay outlines David Chalmers Matrix hypothesis. Chalmers is a consciousness researcher with interests in philosophical questions. As we shall see he regards the Matrix theory as a Metaphysical hypothesis. Chalmers neither endorses the Matrix...» Summary abstract
«In the work De Anima, Aristotle presents his account of the soul. He sees the soul as inexorably tied to a physical body. This is because the soul is a form, while the body is the matter that is acted upon. Inherent in this characterization of the...» Summary abstract
«Liberalism is a philosophy, or political movement that has, for an aim, the development of individual freedom. Since the concept of freedom evolved over time, liberalism evolved as well. However, some core assumptions never changed. First, let us...» Summary abstract
«Looking back at the time after the end of communism (Cuba and today's China being particular and Chavez not a communist), we basically find only three different ways of communism; the original one, the Lenino-Stalinism in the USSR, the latter one,...» Summary abstract
«When you shout at a passer-by in the street, and ask him what would be the most important goal in his life, he is likely to answer, like a majority of people that he wants to live happily. Then, we should raise the question: how could we achieve...» Summary abstract
«Feminism is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as "the belief that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men" . However, there is not a single definition for feminism. This notion is rather complex and controversial,...» Summary abstract
«"Fascism was the first mass-mobilizing development dictatorship that provided a frank, complete, and relatively coherent rationale for totalitarianism." Actually, Mussolini's doctrine of delayed industrialization was the first to openly affirm...» Summary abstract
«Commitment to the idea of cultural relativism is usually seen as precluding the acceptance of the idea of universal human rights. But is relativism against universalism a false dichotomy? Can we construct a "differentiated universalism" or a...» Summary abstract
«The original idea of the Ku Klux Klan was born in the late 1865, in the minds of six young men -John Lester, James Crowe, John Kennedy, Richard Reed, Frank Mc Cord and Calvin Jones- in the quiet town of Pulaski, Tennessee. They were Confederate...» Summary abstract
«Having spent my eight-month-stay between Sydney and Brisbane, respectively State capitals of New South Wales and Queensland, sharing Australians' life, and having also travelled a bit to other cities and States of the East Coast, I feel I must share...» Summary abstract
«Since the beginning of modern humanitarian action during wartime (with the birth of the ICRC), the question of the NGOs' role on the battlefields has been the subject of an important controversy, opposing humanitarian to pacifist ideals. Indeed,...» Summary abstract
«In real life, what we do is supposed to reflect our personality. What we are - to the others - is first and foremost what we do and what we look like : we are judged by the others through the prism of our physical appearance and of our own behavior....» Summary abstract
«"There are more idols than realities in the world. [...] This time it is not contemporary idols but eternal idols that are being touched here with the hammer as if with a turning fork". This "revaluation of all values", an expression that Nietzsche...» Summary abstract
«Even after a settlement is reached and a peace agreement is signed, this is by no means the end of the conflict. For a conflict to really end, healing the minds and the bodies of the victims of wars are necessary. Indeed it is the necessary first...» Summary abstract
«The modern political philosophy, influenced by the Enlightenment and the ideal of individual liberty developed by Locke, considers that the political sphere must be independent from the religious sphere. In Israel, this separation between the State...» Summary abstract
«From the moment we abandoned Aristotle's teleology, MacIntyre believes, there has been no proper moral philosophy, but only philosophers "working with bits and pieces of philosophies which are detached from their original pre-Enlightenment...» Summary abstract
«The Holy Grail is usually considered to be the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper and the one used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch his blood as he hung on the cross. This significance was introduced into the Arthurian legends. In earlier...» Summary abstract
«"Propaganda, by whatever name we may call it, has become a very general phenomenon in the modern world. Differences in political regimes matter little; differences in social levels are more important; and most important is national...» Summary abstract
«In the mid-eighties there were huge criticisms caused by the liberal policy carried out both by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. There were, especially in the United Kingdom, a lot of strikes and manifestations against the neo-liberalism....» Summary abstract
«Last time, we listened to a presentation on YouTube and the various problems raised by this website. Today, the subject is as topical as YouTube and we stay on the Web, because we are going to talk about another website called Second Life.Created in...» Summary abstract
«"In this essay I shall propose a theory about what liberalism is". Dworkin's project is here clearly exposed. And, as most political thinkers when they try to define a coherent theory at the fundaments of actual political movements, "I face an...» Summary abstract
«One of the most important events of the 1970s was the end of the era of embedded liberalism; it brought about a change in the world order. Embedded liberalism was weakened, if not undermined, not by neo-protectionism, but by neo-liberalism (Adrian...» Summary abstract
«In his Glance at today's world (1931), French poet Paul Valà ry wrote "Le temps du monde fini commence" (1). By "monde fini", he meant that the world now had well-established geographical limits, implying there was no more Terra incognita or utopia...» Summary abstract
«The English documentary "Gypsies, tramps and thieves?" realised by Kate Blewett and Bryan Woods in 1999 notably shows a Roma young mother who lives in revolting conditions in a single room shared with twenty-three other Roma. We can see them piled...» Summary abstract
«Mercantilism was both an economical policy and different theoretical ideas. It was typically a European phenomenon which reached its highest development in the seventeenth century. It slowly disappeared during the eighteenth century. Thus,...» Summary abstract
«Hannah Arendt was born in 1906 in Germany, being the only child of middle-class Jewish parents of Russian descent. As a university student, she was one of the most brilliant and studied with the finest scholars of the time. Arendt in 1933 left...» Summary abstract
«In a study carried out in the mid-70s, B. Miles (1975: pg.un) found that the proportion of men and women in situation comedies was nearly similar. However, the author points out that 'the gender roles and the humor could still be traditional and...» Summary abstract
«There is no phenomenon more central or germane to the future of collective action than the conflict ridden process of institutionalization. This leads to an inquiry into a number of approaches in this contribution. Where does the...» Summary abstract
«Bruce Lee, international film star, martial arts master, and founder of Jeet Kune Do, received his undergraduate training in Philosophy at the University of Washington in Seattle during the early 1960's. He studied Eastern and Western Philosophy, as...» Summary abstract
«Before the 1950's most people died in their homes, surrounded by family. They often died quickly of illnesses such as influenza, measles or scarlet fever. Today, as medical technology creates more and more tools and medicines to prolong lives, human...» Summary abstract
«In his essay Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch, Immanuel Kant prescribes the means of attaining a worldwide peace among nations. In theory, Kant's idea of achieving Perpetual Peace relies not on reactionary peaceful measures of ending wars...» Summary abstract
«'For this world also which seems to us a thing of stone and flower and blood is not a thing at all but is a tale.' Cormac McCarthy, by profession, is concerned with narrative. Being so concerned, conclusions can be drawn by clues both explicit and...» Summary abstract
«Gandhi's thought follows in the footsteps of a philosophical tradition whose founders examined the nature of reality through the internal realm of the spirit. Their works described a constant and unceasing search for what is real, a journey that...» Summary abstract
«The purpose of this research is to answer whether or not men on the UCSB campus conform to society's traits of being a gentleman. When we are young, theories of etiquette and manners are instilled in us. Many of us grow up and continue to be...» Summary abstract
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