Chivalry: Arisen from the dead or buried for good?
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
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 courteous and show people kindness as a sign of...
Tangled claims and tensions in Heidegger's rectorate address
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
In the following paper we will undertake a close analysis of “The Self-Assertion of the German University,” Martin Heidegger's address to the University of Freiburg upon assuming the rectorship at the school. Though space constraints dictate that we cannot explicate and critique the...
Taking virtue seriously
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
In the present paper I will examine Cicero's charge in De Finibus that Epicurean theory does not, as it were, take virtue seriously. I will then lay out two Epicurean responses to Cicero's objection. I will show that the first response - that Epicurean theory may both take virtue seriously and...
The spirit of Thoreau
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
Henry David Thoreau was an essayist and philosopher who played a major role in the moral consciousness of the United States during the decades leading up to the Civil War. An influential and revolutionary thinker through both his writings on transcendentalism and his ideas of natural...
Sermon 8 on the plagues of Egypt and the ten commandments of the law
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
Augustine was greatly appreciated by his respective community for his teachings on Christianity and the profile of the Christian identity. His resources were not limited to only the New Testament Scriptures but avail other writings to further fulfill such teachings. The Jewish Scripture, or the...
Myth, the age of irrationalism, and the cult of celebrity.
Essay - 10 pages - Philosophy
Ancient and primitive cultures demonstrate the use of myth as an epistemological basis, but historically they have been replaced by Rationalism. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, however, the insufficiency of reason for the task we give it has become more and more evident, until at last...
Augustine and the vast interior: A discussion on Christian Asceticism
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
Augustine's Confessions are built upon the twin poles of a search for God and a search for self. These twin poles are also twining poles because Augustine proclaims that one can only understand self in light of God and that one can only find God through self-knowledge. In one of his sermons,...
Why the Greeks?
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
I take the question which is the title of this paper in two ways. First, I take it to mean, “what racial, historical, cultural, geographical and political factors gave rise to what is commonly considered the first flowering of philosophical thought;” Second, to mean, “for what...
Human catharsis in war
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
Do you ever look at something for so long it doesn't make sense anymore? Have you ever been stuck in a moment that was your entire life? Cheated death, but regretted it afterwards? Looked at the man standing next to you and thought, “Who will die first, you or me?” This is every single...
Sir Thomas Browne: The cosmography of himself
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
There is an adventurer who discovers more that is truly surprising, than the one who penetrates jungles, crosses deserts, and keeps the company of caravans; for all ‘Africa, and her prodigies' cannot have an effect on the placid, unplumbed nature, other than to store up images in his mind;...
Moral philosophy on God, rationality, and the death of both
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
Right off the get go one can see these two philosopher's thoughts on morality appose one another, but their differences goes far beyond a petty disagreement over morality. The nature of their conflict goes much deeper, past a simple debate over what is good and what is evil. Together these two...
The ethics of Merton: Non-violence and its connection with the sacred
Essay - 9 pages - Philosophy
Nonviolence is both a form of theory and the commitment to a lifestyle which adheres to this theory. Although there are different perceptions of the importance of direct action, nonviolence is mostly defined by its attitude of understanding and humility. The nonviolent tradition believes strongly...
History and spirituality of the book of common prayer
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
Introduction The Book of Common Prayer is the universal title given to a number of prayer books in the Church of England and used all throughout the Anglican Communion. The very first volume, that came out in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI, was the creation and the result of the English...
Neoclassicism
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
During the late eighteenth century, significant changes in the arts promulgated the development of, what has since become known, as the period of a neoclassicism. The period has become such an important part of art and architectural history that any examination of these areas must include an...
Moral Philosophy: A Smorgasbord of Moral Philosophers
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
“Aristotle, the man with a Grecian plan” Aristotle along with many of the other ancient Grecian philosophers are considered to have given birth to rational thought and its integration into philosophy, so it is no surprise that Aristotle's work on moral philosophy would focus on...
Death and Identity in Ladakh and Rondônia
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
Every culture defines different entities and ideas in relation to which the individual can experience his or her identity and physical or mental substances on which one's identities are located. Mortuary rites described in Hiroaki Mori and Yukari Hayashi's film The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way...
Words about God
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
If Martin Luther's assumptions on faith in the Word of God are correct, then humanity has nothing to doubt. But his skepticism of the Catholic Church is not a complete philosophical skepticism: at no point in his work is the notion of God questioned. Descartes does question the existence of...
The Techniques that Cults use to Manipulate Converts
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
Over the course of the late twentieth century, the development of mass media has enabled average citizens to explore a wide range of lifestyles and issues through the comfort of their homes. While the mass media has provided notable insights into critical political, social and economic issues, it...
Challenge Day: A Transitory Charismatic Movement in the Milieu of Modern High School
Essay - 9 pages - Philosophy
Starting in the 1970s, activists, counselors, and state school boards across the country have taken measurements to quell violence in middle and high schools. The violence stems from the adolescent tendency for concentrated peer groups, which leads to gangs and inter-gang violence, especially...
Syllogistic Decision-Making
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
The process of syllogistic decision-making is predicated on the conclusions that can be drawn from presenting two or more pieces of evidence. In its most rudimentary form the process of syllogistic decision-making follows the following pattern: a = b and b = c, therefore a = c. If the context of...
Mimicking an Image in Hopes of Gaining Popularity
Essay - 7 pages - Philosophy
The average American high school is a mecca of noticeable things. Among them is the most obvious and interesting. Take a walk into the cafeteria, try and find an empty table and sit down. Now look around. What do you think you will observe? It is not the disappointing cafeteria food, or the bland...
The Effects of Racial Discourse
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
Introduction Racial discourse is a process that has notable ramifications for society. However, for individuals that are part of the majority race in a community, the reality of issues such as racial prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping are almost nonexistent. This is because the majority...
The Importance of the Resurrection in Preaching in the Early Church
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
The modern church is a model of both divinity and spirituality. Although many laymen assume that the church existed in this state from the beginning, the reality is that the early church consisted of only a few individuals interested in spreading the Word of God to their neighbors. There were no...
Machiavelli's and Lao Tsu's views on Government
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
Throughout the course of history numerous scholars have stepped forward to offer their opinions on critical issues such as human rights and government. While there are notable differences offered by various authors, each of the viewpoints given provide critical insight into the various dimensions...
An examination of the Philosophy of Pragmatism as applied by Jane Addams
Essay - 6 pages - Philosophy
Researchers examining the life of Jane Addams argue that she was “the leader and prophet of the settlement movement in America.” While Addams is best known for her creation of Hull House in Chicago's urban center, her work, ideologies and philosophy continue to transcend social...
Gandhi's ideas of western culture
Essay - 3 pages - Philosophy
In 1929, Gandhi wrote, “The Western civilization which passes for civilization is disgusting to me. I have given a rough picture of it in Hind Swaraj [India Home Rule]. Time has brought no change to it.” Despite the fact that Gandhi openly demonstrates considerable disdain for Western...
Moral Habits: Aristotle & Immanuel Kant
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
People often feel a calling to certain fields because they have an innate sense for it. Sometimes the required characteristics need to be learned, other times they are a result of contemplation in regards to each individual situation. But, what makes them moral? Carl has been a firefighter in...
Eugenic Expectations: The Reality of Getting What You Want
Essay - 5 pages - Philosophy
The advancement of medical technology has encroached upon every aspect of our healthcare system and delivery, yet probably the most sensitive area it has impacted has been our methods of reproduction. Due to the illicit (or at least discrete) nature of conception means, along with the sanctity...
T'ao Ch'ien's Use of Poetic Effects of Distance to Affirm His Daoist Principles
Essay - 4 pages - Philosophy
At first glance, the poetry of the reclusive scholar T'ao Ch'ien seems like a layman's simple affirmation of Daoist life in the country. But even though T'ao Ch'ien feels he has chosen the right principles for himself, his poetry contains a definite tension: the weather threatens the crops,...
Knowledge and certainty: limits and value
Essay - 7 pages - Philosophy
Epistemology is a philosophical discourse that is predicated upon understanding the scope, limits and value of knowledge. While one may argue that the scope and limits are quite straightforward in terms of individual understanding and knowledge, the philosophical component of epistemology clearly...
