Abstract An analysis of the use of mythology by Sophocles. The author discusses the use of myths in Ancient Greece to define gods and their laws, showing the terrible consequences of disobeying them and forming the structure of society and politics. The author discusses Sophocles, a Greek dramatist and his use of myths and religious rituals. Included is an analysis of Sophocles' play "Antigone".
From the Paper "Unlike his contemporaries, Sophocles based his tragedies on human actions and reactions, rather than on divine influence. He does not, however, ignore the gods or say they do not play a role. He uses them to show the human limits and possibilities. The Sophoclean gods thus are placed in the background of the plot, influencing it but not interfering in the course of action Greek dramatists often based their plots on myths, which are believed to reflect the national identity and various historic periods. Besides serving as lyric entertainment stories, myths were used to persuade and enlighten citizens in matters of politics, religion, and customary rituals (Bremmer, 58)."
Tags: myths, religion, gods, tradition, punishment, tales, citizen, society
Abstract This essay concerns the Greek philosopher Socrates and his definition of a good person. The author presents the argument that Socrates? definition is solid, but his defense is flawed. The author supports his argument with examples from Socrates' "The Apology".
From the Paper "The Greek Philosopher Socrates claimed that no harm or evil can come to a good person. He argued this stance first of all by defining the characteristics of a good person. He believed in five basic traits of virtue that a person must exemplify in order to be good: justice, courage, temperance, piety, and wisdom. Of these five, all are centered on wisdom; that is, each trait must be understood somehow through wisdom (ECP 506). For example, Socrates lived to a relatively ripe age of around seventy years, and, by the time of his death, had gained a certain level of wisdom that taught him the importance of piety, temperance, courage, and justice. Thus, by gaining wisdom because he lived so long, he was able to relate the importance of the afore-mentioned traits. Overall, Socrates defines a good person as having virtue, wisdom or knowledge, and a certain goodness (or improvement) of the soul."
Abstract This essays concerns Socrates? famous attack on poetry. Socrates argues that poetry hampers reason and appeals to the irrational part of the mind. The author draws from two works: Plato's "Republic", and a critique of it, Aristotle's "Poetics" to expand on Socrates' argument.
From the Paper "Socrates laid the foundation for his famous attack on poetry. In Book 10 of Plato's Republic, Socrates discussed with Glaucon why poetry should not be allowed into the Just City, and he offered two principle reasons why. First, Socrates claimed that poetry represents things as they appear to be, not as they really are (Rep. 595a). Secondly, Socrates claimed that poetry forces humans to indulge in emotions, and because emotions hinder reason, poetry must not be trusted (Rep. 605c)."
Abstract An analysis of the writings of psychologist John C. Searle and his philosophy of the mind. Includes a deep probing into the mind-body debate and an analysis of Searle's concepts and ideas.
From the Paper "Searle's answer to the mind-body problem is a radical adjustment in how we view mental and physical phenomena in regards to the philosophy of the mind. In fact, his solution demands a complete shift in the language we use to approach the mind-body problem. Searle asserts that we must no longer partition phenomena into either the mental and the physical. What we observe as mental phenomena are actually higher-level views of physical events taking place in the brain and perhaps the central nervous system. The workings of the brain do not exist in two separate domains that are related by rules, programs, or processing of information. To even consider one big all-inclusive domain would be wrong. Searle's whole point is to discard the language we have used to describe the workings of the brain. Our language reflects our approach towards the problem, and by using the terms "mental" and "physical" we unnecessarily compartmentalize the observations we make about the mind. A philosophy of the mind does not need to incorporate a mysterious mental component that is seemingly detached from the physical."
Abstract This paper discusses Plato's famous work "Republic" and how it relates to the idea of justice in society. The author analyzes some key concepts of the book and the principles of justice and examines their connection.
From the Paper "If asked to define justice, every individual would have a different answer to that question. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion; but in the case of trying to figure out something that can have an effect on society, either positively or negatively, one should have a basic understanding of some sort of definition of this quality. The people of a society need to live together in peace and harmony for a society to thrive and survive."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the legendary story of the hero Aeneas who survives the fall of Troy and follows the will of the gods and fate to build a nation that will eventually become Rome. The paper includes an analysis of "The Aeneid", written in Homeric style and gives a comparison of Aeneas's character with Greek heroes, Odysseus and Achilles.
From the Paper "The son of Anchises and Venus, a prince of Troy and leader of the expedition to Italy, Aeneas is the main character in the book "The Aeneid". The most admired and valued characteristics in Augustan Rome are marked on his personality. He is true to his word devout, a courageous and skillful soldier and a pious. The heroism of Aeneas is his ability, to place his belief in Rome in all times and the Roman ideal before his own selfish interests, which was unlike Achilles and Odysseus."
Abstract This paper explains that the antagonistic view regarding the phenomenon of Jihad is too shallow, inaccurate and unreasonable. The author explains that it is a grim fact that these views prevail as opposed to the true meaning of Jihad. Endnotes.
From the Paper "The inception of every single religion has experienced forces working against its expansion. Consequently, there have been instances where most major religions have had to use force in order to survive, prevail or exist at all for that matter. We can look up the Christian crusades or the Samurai war crimes or the Six-day war between Israel and the Arabs or even the kamikaze pilots of the Shinto faith and the list goes on and on. Although we cannot discount the political and social undercurrents involved in these wars, anyone with little common sense can arrive at the conclusion that the core basis of these wars was religion. Islam is no exception in this regard. History, especially from the western perspective is riddled with the Muslim conquests of Spain and India. Islam (at least in the west) has been labeled as the modern version of barbarianism. This dim sightedness is a result of several factors originating from the Muslims themselves and eventually developing into the increasingly popular concept that Islam in essence is the Mecca of le diable a quatre. If we take a closer look at the Muslim warfare, one word that comes up every time is Jihad. "
Tags: islam, jahada, muhammed, arab, muslim, religion, non, violent
Abstract This paper examines the various characteristics that separate man from animals specifically the trait of rationality.
From the Paper "Seeing things from the philosophical point of view, according to philosopher John Stuart Mill, rationality is summed up into having five qualifications: #1. Deduction: example: All seagulls are white. (major premise) This bird is black. (minor premise) Therefore this bird is not a seagull. (conclusion) #2. Induction: example: From particulars, we go to universals; example: After putting my hands in the fire a lot of times, I concluded fire burns. #3. Comparison: example: We compare and contrast then conclude something, we generalize. #4. Goals / Ends: example: Substantive rationality, we think and plan for future wants and needs. #5. Means / Tools: example: Instrumental rationality, we use means for an end. John Stuart Mill also broke down man as a person into having six distinctive qualities. #1. Personality, #2. conscience, #3. rationality, #4. feelings, #5. love, and #6. knowledge."
Abstract This paper uses the movie "Rain Man" to illustrate the concepts of three thinking processes. The writer underscores the mechanics of deductive reasoning, creative thinking or reasoning and problem solving while citing examples from the movie as well as discussions on cognitive psychology.
From the Paper "The human thinking process is extremely complex. We have many ways of problem solving that we are not aware of but simply use. The movie Rain Man is an excellent illustration of what can happen if the processes are not complete or they are confused in our brains. Deductive reasoning, creative reasoning and problem solving are all intertwined and the movie about an autistic man provides a clear picture of the differences."
Abstract This paper examines the historical evolution and maturation of tragedy in ancient Greece, and the characteristics of a tragic hero. The author focuses on one of the most famous Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex, and greatly details the story of Oedipus and his tragic flaws. The paper also discusses all elements in an ancient Greek production, such as the prologue, chorus, and exodus.
From the Paper "Oedipus Rex is a story of one man's pursuit for truth. Although Oedipus falls victim to obstacles he is unable to overcome, he encounters these obstacles along his journey to find the truth. In the view of Sophocles, the tragic hero must accept the responsibility for his actions, as does Oedipus in the final scene, regardless of his original motives and inability to control or understand the forces in which rule his life. The plot, Oedipus? search for truth, and the chorus are all contributing factors that make Oedipus Rex the greatest in the history of all Greek tragedies."
This paper provides an overview of the life and works of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant and will attempt to understand how Kant's philosophy of reasoning deviated and synthesized that of his philosophical predecessors.
1,450 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 4 sources, 2001, $ 48.95
Abstract This paper provides an overview of the life and works of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant and will attempt to understand how Kant's philosophy of reasoning deviated and synthesized that of his philosophical predecessors.
From the paper:
Emmanuel Kant's name is one of the bywords for intellectual rigor and ethics in philosophy. But an equally important part of the body of his work is Kant as a great synthesizer of the great philosophical writers of the pre-existing period. Rather than concentrate on Kant's ethical judgements, this paper will attempt to understand how Kant's philosophy of reasoning deviated and synthesized that of his philosophical predecessors. Such an understanding will better enable a reader to understand Kant's ethical imperatives and the reasoning behind them
Abstract In this paper the author examines the work of Voltaire and looks at social evil as demonstrated in Candide. The author makes mention of what happened to Candide and suggest that human beings are able, through great philosophical effort and not through mere creed and dogma, to create some good out of the sweat of one's own brow and the effort of one's own mind.
From the paper:
?Voltaire is secular in the sense that he mocks religion and is anti-Catholic in the sense that he does not believe in innate human goodness. Yet his belief that the only value lies in acceptance of the world as it is, which Candide finally achieves, also shows that he is not entirely a cynic.?
Abstract This paper examines the idea that knowledge that we consider to be "holy truths" is actually subjective. It looks at different sciences to prove this point - archeology and anthropology. It states that the knowledge made available to the world is through the biased or slanted view of the people transferring it, and therefore is subjective.
From the paper:
"We might like to think that knowledge lies all about us in the world in terms of discrete pieces of knowledge like pearls lying all around us. Or perhaps a better metaphor would be that knowledge is like gold in a deep vein. Obvious once you find it, and some of it lying right on the surface, but much of it deep down and hard to get to. But still, once one has done the arduous work necessary to arrive at the gold or the knowledge, absolutely obvious when one comes across it."
Abstract This is a summary of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics that emphasizes Aristotle's big influence in the world of ethics. His work amplifies and analyzes the concepts of many ethical issues. Since his book is divided into ten books, this term paper is also divided into 10 different, complete summaries.
From the paper:
"All knowledge and every pursuit aim at some good. Happiness is directly related to living well and doing well. Happiness is a complete and sufficient good. Most people associate happiness with pleasure. A life of pleasure is what man seeks out. There are three prominent types of lives: the pleasure life, the political life, and the contemplative life. The contemplative life is one, which practices the best activity. The best activity brings perfect happiness. The contemplative life is by far the happiest life. Aristotle explains that the good of anything is to perform its characteristic activity well."
Abstract This paper mainly discusses the idea of Holocaust denial and the people who follow this practice and how they support their ideas with the views of Deborah Lipstadt and her rebuttal.
From the paper:
""Modern Holocaust denial draws inspiration from a variety of sources" (Lipstadt 31). The Holocaust Deniers, or more appropriately called "revisionist" historians, and historians of the traditional school seem to differ greatly in their methodologies as shown when they use the same piece of evidence in two separate manners to come to two completely different conclusions."
Tags: deniers, holocaust, ii, lipstadt, revisionists, war, world
