Abstract
The following paper will look at the motivations of Huckleberry Finn in Samuel Clemons classic, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. The paper will explore how Huck seems mostly driven by a desire to be free, by (seemingly) a concomitant desire for adventure, and by an understandable desire for self-preservation; in most instances, no higher motives inform his interactions with others. At the same time, Huck's relationship with Jim indicates that he basically expects Jim to do as he's told - and it is a very long time before he starts to see Jim as something other than a piece of chattel (however likeable) who can easily be played with whenever Huck is in the mood to do so. In any case, Huck flees from Miss Watson so as to be liberated from civilization; flees from his father so as to be free; ingratiates himself with the Grangerfords because he knows his own precarious situation; and indulges the pretentious nonsense of "the Duke" and "the King" because he fears what a battle with them might bring.. In the end, understanding the psychology of Huckleberry Finn is a great way to understand the psychology of the nineteenth-century south before emancipation.

From the Paper
The Motivations of Huckleberry Finn when Dealing with Others The following paper will look at the motivations of Huckleberry Finn in Samuel Clemons classic, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. The paper will explore how Huck seems mostly driven by a desire to be free, by (seemingly) a concomitant desire for adventure, and by an understandable desire for self-preservation; in most instances, no higher motives inform his interactions with others. At the same time, Huck's relationship with Jim indicates that he basically expects Jim to do as he's told - and it is a very long time before he starts to see Jim as something other than a piece of chattel (however likeable) who can easily be played with whenever

Tags:huckleberry, finn, motivations

Abstract
This paper summarizes Martin Heidegger's existential analysis of death, as set forth in his work "Being and Time," and then focuses on his claim that death is non-relational and realizes Dasein's utmost potential for being. The writer analyzes these aspects of death as possible sources of individuality for Dasein, and questions why Heidegger believes death is a completely individual experience. The writer extends Heidegger's arguments in order to answer some of the questions that his work evokes, and concludes that since these qualities of death can only be realized in life, they belong to the possibility rather than the actuality of death.

From the Paper
"Heidegger begins his analysis by setting forth the problem of death as constitutive of Dasein's Being-a-whole. If death is the totality of Dasein's existence, the one point at which Dasein has extinguished its possibilities and we can "get a whole Dasein into our grasp" (281), then shouldn't this moment be realizable? Instead, the point of actual death is when Dasein ceases to be, and thus wholeness or completion cannot be realized, for Dasein no longer exists as Dasein. As Heidegger states it, "As long as Dasein is as an entity, it has never reached its 'wholeness'. But if it gains such 'wholeness', this gain becomes the utter loss of Being-in-the-world" (280)."

Tags:ontological, ownmost, ambiguity, mortality, Being-with-others, authentic, attitude

Abstract
Francis Hutcheson suggests that people often extend good will and well wishes to others without any selfish intent. Kant, for his part, believes that people fundamentally act morally toward others because they would want others to act that way towards them; he also seems to argue that people who do good deeds (and, presumably, think good thoughts) towards others out of inclination are being selfish; true magnanimity comes when good is done out of duty. For his part, John Stuart Mill lauds Kant's contributions to philosophy, but he has a slightly different "take" of how people arrive at happiness through their human interactions. As he perceives it, the morality which should inform our interactions with other people is not a universal law - "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - but a utilitarian one predicated on giving the greatest happiness possible to the greatest number. However, since Mill seems to have a hierarchical view of living organisms, it is conceivable that anything that makes the higher organism more unhappy than the lesser organism actually makes it impossible for truly selfless acts to be carried out by the "best sort" of individual. In any case, any moral precept that insists all actions are good which create the greatest happiness is one that makes it possible for nothing to be done completely selflessly. In the end, neither man believes that humans really do good (or wish good for others) for non-selfish reasons.

From the Paper
A Comparison/Contrast of Kant and Mill with Regards to Happiness Francis Hutcheson suggests that people often extend good will and well wishes to others without any selfish intent. Kant, for his part, believes that people fundamentally act morally toward others because they would want others to act that way towards them; he also seems to argue that people who do good deeds (and, presumably, think good thoughts) towards others out of inclination are being selfish; true magnanimity comes when good is done out of duty. For his part, John Stuart Mill lauds Kant's contributions to philosophy, but he has a slightly different "take" of how people arrive at happiness through their human interactions. As he

Tags:kant, mill, happiness

Abstract
This essay interprets Jerzy Kosinski's novel 'Being There' as a critique of media-infused modern existence. It argues that even though characterization of Chauncery Gardiner is highly unrealistic, it nevertheless represents a tendency in all of us who inhabit modern society that is dictated by television and mass media. It highlights the role played by the philosophy of existentialism, arguing that Chance is a purified existential being of a world in which reality is shaped by the media. The parallels to the story of Adam in Paradise are also brought forward. It is explained why Chance is accepted as a saint in the real world when he is "ejected from Paradise". It is explained that the difference between Chance and the rest is that Chance is at peace with himself whereas the others are restless in their materialistic exploits. It is explained how Chance's inner calm attracts others and make them draw profound conclusions from his inane utterances.

From the Paper
"The philosophy of existentialism is at the core of Jerzy Kosinski's novel 'Being There', yet at the same time it is a trenchant critique of modern American society. The critique emerges from the observation that American society is increasingly losing its grip on the real world by being sucked into a media created reality. However the satire in the novel is only a surface phenomenon. In this satire we recognize Chauncery Gardiner as the ultimate victim, someone whose entire knowledge of the world is derived from radio and television, and who cannot respond outside his conditioning from the media. Chance may be a fool, but in his innocence and purity he may also be judged a saint. Everyone else around him exists in the same media infused unreality, yet they are restless and tormented. Only Chance is at peace with himself, and this is what attracts others towards him. His inner tranquility is what allows others to extract profundities from his inane utterances. In Chance Kosinski seems to have constructed the existential person of the modern media infused world."

Tags:Existentialism, television, media-infused reality, garden, inane, profound, Hal Ashby, Peter Sellers, reality tv

Abstract
The paper explores the problems that are associated with being an entrepreneur: the need to develop specialized business acumen in a hurry, the reliance upon the quality of one's staff, the external factors that are more significant in their implications for a small business than for a larger one, the absence of a large and diversified customer base, and the stresses that come with being the final arbiter on which direction the business takes. From there, the paper looks at the benefits that accrue to those who are entrepreneurs: the personal freedom, the ability to set goals (and achieve goals) that are in line with ones talents and interests, and the ability to seize control of things when it appears a change in organizational direction is needed. In the end, the paper concludes that entrepreneurship is perfect for creative people who want to work in an unfettered job environment and who have a high risk-tolerance and an ability to learn business lessons quickly, while for those who value stability and the security of a steady pay-cheque, a life working for someone else can be more comforting. The paper shows how the type of person you are determines which direction is best for you.

From the Paper
"The following paper will look at whether or not entrepreneurship is preferable to working for others. In doing so, the next several pages will explore the problems that attend being an entrepreneur: the need to develop specialized business acumen in a hurry, the reliance upon the quality of one's staff (people who work for corporations rarely have to worry about how somebody else in the office is doing, thereby giving them the luxury of worrying only about themselves), the external factors (like business location) that are more significant in their implications for a small business than for a larger one, the absence (in the early stages) of..."

Tags:entrepreneurship, work, benefits

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the contribution and effect that Oscar Wilde made to British society. In "The Importance of Being Ernest" a satirical view is taken on the Victorian society and expectations for men. It describes how the character leads a double life in order to live up to these expectations. Social commitments, the role of the female and other typical Victorian issues are examined in this paper.

From the paper:

"Before Oscar Wilde became famous for his writing, he was famous for his tongue. In the early years of his career, Wilde was best known as an articulate and witty social gadfly. He was the fashion-whore of polite British society. He insinuated himself calculatingly into the social life of ?the beautiful people.? H!is reputation was built around an elaborately outrageous fashion sense, a shocking wit and amusing repertoire of behaviors, and his blatant self-stylings as an art critic and aesthete. Through-out his social career, Wilde alternately flaunted and denied his homosexual tendencies. They were a part of his carefully groomed artistic image, an image from which he occasionally worked to distance himself. He did get married and father two sons, and when he was finally accused of sodomy, he fought the charges as libelous. Yet the reality of his sexual orientation, and its natural at-odds-with-society status, was never far from his work. Even his most hetero-centric works, such as the romantic satire The Importance of Being Ernest, are informed by the daily social strains of his barely closeted double life. The Importance of Being Ernest is, in fact, in many ways a prophetic, though optimistic, metaphor for Wilde?s life. He deals w!ith the hypocrisy and shallowness that ?modern? women and ?modern? social etiquette require from men. The story at once critiques the institution of marriage and the institution of ?polite society.? This play deals explicitly with the sacrifices and lies that must be committed in order to achieve acceptance in either marriage or society, and with the inevitable moment of truth when those lies are discovered."

Tags:suffrage, equality, vote, discrimination, economy, play, marriage, censorship, responsible, polite, sexual, satisfaction, Europe

Abstract
The paper explains the many problems associated with the use of the gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator of the well-being of a country and focuses on the genuine progress indicator (GPI), that is used as an alternative. The paper explains how the GPI tries to include the value of many of the economic and social activities that go unreported in the GDP, but then relates that it has its limitations. The paper outlines the various other indicators which have been developed but shows how none are perfect. The paper asserts that the current insistence on the use of the GDP as the metric of choice is troubling, because there is evidence that it is likely one of the least relevant indicators to accurately gauge well-being.

Outline:
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)
Other Indicators

From the Paper
"What makes a good life?" Even though Aristotle posed this question over 2000 years ago, it is still one of the most hotly debated topics in public policy today. Many different answers have been suggested, but not until the invention of the Gross National Product (GNP....later changed to the GDP) in the 1930s did countries begin to try to address the question by using a system that was supposed to be rational, understandable, trans-cultural, and unbiased. Even before the GNP/GDP was being widely used to describe the well-being of the U.S., though, its own inventor spoke to Congress about its limitations. Recently, many new indicators of well-being have been developed and promoted, all attempting to address the deficiencies apparent in the still-popular GDP metric. The most popular of these is probably the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), which tries to include the value of many of the economic and social activities that go unreported in the GDP, and to subtract the negative economic and social consequences of certain activities that currently boost the GDP. Other indicators follow a similar path."

Tags:gross, domestic, product, genuine, progress, indicator, goods, services, production

Abstract
The paper argues that Will Kymlicka's article, "Being Canadian," does a serviceable job of looking at what it means to be Canadian, however, whereas Kymlicka does not see the absence of a pan-national identity to be a problem, and whereas he is not concerned about the fact that Canadian politics is influenced by group politics and mobilizations, this writer argues that both are problematic in a world where people are motivated by religious monomania and by ancient hatreds. Additionally, this paper argues that much of what we consider uniquely Canadian is not terribly unique - though Canada does differentiate itself from other western nations in some important ways - and Canadians are invested in myth-making as a way of assuming the moral high ground relative to the United States. With all this in mind, the paper discusses three important themes in Kymlicka's essay in the following order: firstly, the apparent absence of a pan-national identity; secondly, the existence of identity politics in Canada; and thirdly, the Canadian tendency for mythologizing government initiatives that somehow prove that Canada is a kindlier place than America. In the end, the paper highlights that Canada's obsession with America and the moral high-ground may be blinding it to some emerging dangers.

From the Paper
"Will Kymlicka's article, "Being Canadian," does a serviceable job of looking at what it means to be Canadian. However, whereas Kymlicka does not see the absence of a pan-national identity to be a problem, and whereas he is not concerned about the fact that Canadian politics is influenced by group politics and mobilizations, I argue that both are problematic in a world where people are motivated by religious monomania and by ancient hatreds; additionally, this paper will argue that much of..."

Tags:defining, culture, canada

Abstract
This paper examines the aspects that feminism has in common with other political ideologies, such as liberalism and social democracy. The author explains that since feminism also disagrees with other aspects of these ideologies, it would not be correct to say that it is derived from them, although it might be termed newer. The author gives examples of points where feminism concurs with liberalism, socialism, social democracy and conservatism, and where it diverges. The author explains why a chronological way of viewing ideologies does not work, since it can be argued, for example, that feminism has existed in some form as long as women have been considered to be inferior to men. The paper concludes that even with their inherent contradictions, feminism, conservatism, and social democracy all have common aspects, though none of them can lay claim to being the precursor of another.

From the Paper
"Feminists view the right to choose as very individualistic, and the philosophy behind it is that they think that women have the right to choose what to do with their bodies. Any government regulation that attempts to regulate what a person does with their body, in the view of feminists, oversteps what governments should be allowed to do. Pro-choice advocates are very similar to liberalists in that they feel as though their own reason and their ability to take rational actions should not be disrespected. This is the ultimate goal and most important aspect of liberalism: "Individuals are assumed to be capable of using reason and taking rational actions in pursuit of their interests" (Mintz et al, 2008)."

Tags:society slogan empiricism, free market, contradiction viewpoint motherhood domination

Abstract
The following paper is a response to Raymond Carver's book "Where Water Comes Together with Other Water", a collection of poems that Carver wrote earlier on in his life. The essay will mainly focus on Carver's ability to write from the heart and to be able to use his personal life as material and inspiration.

Tags:raymond, carver