Abstract In this paper, the writer shows how Plato and Lao-tzu both display similarities within their theme of enlightenment and political success and the modern day influence of their works. However, the methods of dialogue and poetry to present their writings helps to maintain their philosophical uniqueness.
From the Paper "Philosophy is the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct . Plato, a Greek writer and teacher, is thought to be one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy. In his work, "The Allegory of the Cave," he discusses politics and perception within a symbolic narrative. Lao-tzu's "Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching," is another document containing philosophical ideology, focusing on government and moral behavior. Both Plato and Lao-tzu display similarities within their theme and their influence in the modern world; however, one distinct variation they possess is the method in which their material is presented."
Abstract This paper briefly discusses the movie and the main character, Neo's search for truth and reality. The character is given a choice to face the hard reality or live the easy life by forgetting the truth (through eating different pills). The writer argues that reality is not what is real, but only what is real in our minds.
From the Paper "In "The Matrix" Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill will free him with what he thought to be the truth and offer him a new reality. The blue pill will have him forget that the world is not as he thought and have him awake in his bed, accepting his reality.
As we see the red pill is the hard way, it does not mean an easy solution, it means struggling to understand the truth. The blue pill is the easy way, it means living in a world that is created to keep people satisfied. The world of the blue pill is not as satisfying as the world of the red pill, but it is real. In that situation, I would chose the red pill."
Abstract A paper which provides a detailed explanation about the term monads. What they are, who named them and the philosophical discussion about their use, meaning and existence. The writer uses several sources to explain what philosopher Wilhoit Leibniz believed to be a sound philosophical reality.
From the Paper "Leibniz believed that no substance had a physical influence on another but he did believe that mental events could have an affect on and influence bodily events. He used this explanation to provide an understanding of why the mind can tell the arm to move and it will. He believed that the individual monads that comprise the body will not act in tandem as they are each independent of each other, but that the mind can command that group to move at the same time, not working as a team but individual units all moving in the same direction as individual units."
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of euthanasia and attempts to define whether euthanasia should be considered morally wrong or right. In order to give an answer to this question and as part of con and pro arguments several cases of voluntary and involuntary euthanasia are discussed in this paper. The case of Robert Latimer occupies a central place in this discussion and ultimately brings into the debate several moral principles-- benefit, sanctity of human life and autonomy.
From the Paper "Robert Latimer's trial was described in the press as "Trial by popularity" and as newspapers' headlines stated "despite his second murder conviction, Latimer retains legal and public support" regardless of the fact that he caused death of his 12 year old disabled daughter by carbon monoxide. Support and sympathy for Latimer has poured in from all parts of Canada bringing with it the question of the moral rightness of what Tracy's father did."
Abstract A paper which explores philosopher Immanuel Kant's theory which is expressed in his book "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals - Deriving the Moral Law" where he guarantees a surefire formula we should apply for every decision we make. What is absolutely right and wrong (morals) by Kant's definition are exclusively an idea from pure reason and not from anything we experience in the natural world. Therefore a pure, universal moral law is "indispensably necessary" to allow for morality to live up to its name without any influence from our fallible empirical inclinations. His theory is examined by answering several questions pertaining to modern life.
From the Paper "This supreme principle of morality is called the Categorical Imperative. Categorical means it is universal, and imperative means that it is absolute and must be done for its own sake. It is used by the will to determine the right action for every situation. The will is important, because the good will is the only thing without qualification that can be good. If it is the only true good thing, then it must be the basis for all good actions. Kant states that we have a duty to follow what we determine is right by reasoning. So the next piece of Kant's philosophy is to explain how to go about this reasoning using the Categorical Imperative."
Abstract The first part of this paper traces the recent and forecasted implementation of therapeutic cloning. The second part of the paper explores the ethical, legal and religious controversy in creating a human replication.
From the Paper "Advanced technology has allowed human to secure the genetic information found on cells to generate the replication of organism's tissue and use it for cloning. Therapeutic cloning is believed to be the breakthrough in medical advancement to recover people with such disease and also develop tissue from the contained information of the genes in the stem cells that allow people to experience genetic defects correction and tissue or organ transplant. However, until now this issue has been in serious debate regarding the ethical, legal, and religious controversy in creating a human replication, which is against nature. As more consideration emerges, this debate is also carried out nationally and internationally, requiring more regulations applied for cloning research and application."
Tags: implementation, moral, debate, genetic, ethical, legal, religious
A paper which draws comparisons between the books "The Perils of Obedience? by Stanley Milgram and the "Stanford Prison Experiment" by Philip Zimbardo.
Abstract The paper shows that both "The Perils of Obedience" by Stanley Milgram and the "Stanford Prison Experiment" by Philip Zimbardo essentially demonstrate the potential for "evil" in ordinary citizens when placed in situations where stark authority is pitted against the individual's own moral imperatives (Milgram) or when deindividuated potential perpetrators are given total power over powerless victims (Zimbardo). The paper shows that although the experiments differed vastly in design and methodology, the point of both experiments was to observe how far an individual would go in inflicting increasing pain on a victim.
From the Paper "There were several common ethical issues thrown up by both experiments. As Zimbardo says, "The line between Good and Evil lies in the center of every human heart"not in some abstract moral, celestial space?? (Sonoma State University Web site) Similarly, Milgram observes, ?Conservative philosophers argue that the very fabric of society is threatened by disobedience, while humanists stress the primacy of the individual conscience.? (Vanguard University Web site) Therefore, the same issue of ethics as in "the individual conscience" is at the heart of both experiments on human psychology."
Abstract This paper examines the philosophies of Plato with those of Aristotle with an emphasis on the differences between each philosopher's view of the soul and knowledge. The writer shows how Aristotle's view of the soul is superior to Plato's view of the soul because it deals with a more complex soul.
From the Paper "In The Apology and The Phaedo, Plato uses his mentor Socrates to express his views about many different philosophical ideas. These two scenes occur during the trial of Socrates and during the time before his death. In The Apology, Socrates is on trial and is defending himself against his accusers, which charge him with corrupting the youth and not believing in the Gods. It is during this time that Socrates agues for the existence of the soul and the body. Plato develops his idea of the soul further in The Phaedo, which presents the scene of Socrates's death. He uses this scene to discuss the topics that were raised earlier in The Apology. Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics develops his ideas of the soul. The soul's complexity, for Aristotle, demonstrates better how the soul relates to knowledge justly, particularly when compared to Plato's justification of the knowledge the soul has."
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of green architecture which simply means building in a way that is in harmony to nature, as opposed to being superimposed on it. This research demonstrates through example how green architecture in Japan is a direct result of traditional elements found in Japanese religion and culture. The paper provides examples of different "green" architects and some of their works.
Table of Contents
Defining Green Architecture
An Overview of Japanese Philosophy
Building Material for Green Architecture
Environmental Psychology
Blending the Old with the New
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "Man has been building structures since shortly after they began to emerge from caves and to explore areas outside his immediate vicinity. Many animals build structures, such as birds and beaver. Many of these structures are functional and serve only to offer protection from predators and the elements, and so it was with the first structures built by man. They were made from the limited building materials locally available and the emphasis was on functionality, little, if any thought was given to artistic form."
Abstract The paper studies the history of natural selection, a process which takes place when individuals who are better developed than others in the species pass their genes on to their offspring. The paper explores how the theory was proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858 and discusses the main ideas relating to the theory.
From the Paper "Natural Selection can occur is every species on the planet. Every thing in and around the world is somewhat is affected by it. Natural selection is the most advanced theory in evolution. Through time Natural selection has a big influence on all species. Through natural selection species are always adapting to the environment. It is like a domino effect. If the environment changes species adapt. The environment does not have to change for species to come more compatible with the environment. Species will always become better adapted to the surrounding area. They are always adapting to better fit their life, and make is easier for them to live. The process takes place when an individual who is better developed then others in the species pass their genes to their offspring. Offspring that evolve from the better parent's gene will also become more developed making the next generation even better adapted for the pacific environment. In turn the species 100 generations from now will be much different then present generations."
Abstract This paper analyzes the philosophers Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau and discusses their opinions on the French Revolution. The paper looks at each stage of the revolution and provides an outline of various topics concerning enlightenment. The connection between the age of enlightenment and the French Revolution is also explored in this paper.
From the Paper "The Age of Enlightenment was a period in time culminating during the 18th century when the trends of thought changed in Europe. The French Revolution was a series of events at the turn of the 19th century in France that changed all aspects of French life. The sequential alignment of these eras in history is hardly coincidence; in fact, there is much of a cause-effect relationship. In this paper we will explore this connection. Vitally involved in this progression of thought and action are the philosophes, intellectual men that drove the advent of scientific inquiry Three major philosophes were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Among many others, their ideas were molded and manifested into political, social, and economic institutions across Europe, climaxing in historical landmarks like the French Revolution. This paper will explore the connections between these Enlightenment leaders and the French Revolution."
Tags: european, france, history, politics, individual, community, society, economics
From the Paper "Dualism has become so associated with Ren? Descartes that it is usually referred to as Cartesian dualism, as if this were the defining approach to the issue. Dualism is the theory that the mind and the body, that mind and matter, are two distinct things. Descartes considered the issue of the location of the mind and found that the mind was separate from the body. He says that he is a subject of conscious thought and experience and thus cannot be nothing more than spatially extended matter. The mind, or the essential nature of the human being, cannot be material but must be non-material. This non-corporeal entity may be intimately associated with the body, but it is not itself a material entity as is the body. Descartes offered several arguments for this belief, one of which was the conceivability argument which necessarily involves a degree of tautology. Descartes says that..."
From the Paper "This study will compare the views of both political and private virtue expressed by Thomas More in Utopia and Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince. The study will argue that More presents virtue as a largely ideal set of behaviors for both the public and the private man, based on conventional and religious standards, with socialistic elements included with respect to the abolishment of private property as a requisite for the social order needed for the practice of such virtue. More's views on virtue reflect a generally positive view of human nature, although he is worldly enough to know that human beings are likely not perfectible in this world. For the practice of the virtue he advocates, he must believe that human beings, while flawed, are capable of virtuous behavior if social conditions are favorable. Machiavelli, on the other hand, in both public and.."
From the Paper "Socrates was put to death in part because of the charges brought against him, and in part because he refused the offer of friends to whisk him into exile. While he disagreed that he had committed the crimes with which he was charged, he nevertheless saw it as his duty to stay and defend himself and to accept whatever finding the state came to in his case. He felt that to flee the charges and the punishment would be to deny everything he had stood for in his life and his work.
He notes that he is charged with being an "evil-doer who
. . . makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others" (65). It is also charged that he "corrupts the youth; and . . . does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own" (74). Socrates argues that the charges are false, that they were..."
Abstract The paper discusses philosopher David Hume's argument that there cannot be any genuine knowledge of the world other than what we are perceiving at that very moment. Hume argues that ideas are present in the mind and while they are produced by reality, they are copies of reality and not reality itself. The paper analyzes Hume's opinion that knowledge is a product of the mind and non-existent in the outer world.
From the Paper "Hume begins by noting that "all reasoning concerning matter of fact seem to be founded on the relation of cause and effect" (Hume 458). Hume then rejects cause and effect as an explanation for matters of fact. As Hume says, "Let an object be presented to a man of ever so strong natural reason and abilities; he will not be able, by the most accurate examination of its sensible qualities, to discover any of its causes or effects" (Hume 459). Cause and effect then, has its basis in past experience and cannot be arrived at in any other way. Thus, reason is not enough to determine a cause and effect, experience must also be used. Cause and effect then, is not a theory that offers an explanation of how knowledge can exist outside of the mind. Hume argues instead that repeated experience gives us "habit" so that if we see one thing, we automatically associate it with another, and in this way we come to understand things without experiencing them."
