Abstract This paper examines Descartes dualist thesis that mind and body are different things and his "Conceivability Argument" in his Meditations on First Philosophy. The conceivability argument uses one's ability to conceive of a mind without a body as a proof that mind and body are necessarily different things. The writer provides an objection to this argument from the point of view of an Identity Theorist, who believes that mind and body are in fact the exact same thing. The objection takes the meaning-reference distinction approach that states that mind and body essentially refer to the same thing but mean different things.
From the Paper "One of the central pieces of Descartes' dualist thesis is his conceivability argument, which attempts to establish that mind and body are necessarily different types of things. As it provides grounds for substantiating that mind and body are distinct, this argument also serves as the backbone of a prominent objection to the claims proposed by the simple identity theory. The identity theory makes the claim that all types of mental states and experiences are equivalent to types of brain states or other physical states. This clearly conflicts directly with the dualist's view of an independently existing mind that is responsible for the realization of mental states and experiences regardless of the existence of any corresponding physical entity to go with them. As such, the dualist must have significant objections to the identity theory. One such challenge to the identity theory is well summed by a single claim: "I can imagine myself turned to stone, and yet having images, aches, pains and so on." In this paper I will first demonstrate how an objection to the identity theory centered on this claim can be constructed. I will demonstrate how this objection is quite similar in nature to Descartes' conceivability argument, which will necessitate a brief explanation of Descartes' argument. I will then offer a response from the identity theorist to this objection, which will rely on the relationship between "concept" and "meaning" and the distinction between meaning and reference. In presenting this reply, I will show that this response to the dualist's objection also works against Descartes' conceivability argument."
Abstract This paper analyzes the different ways in which it is possible to conceive of God's relationship to the universe: theism, pantheism, and panentheism. It also considers each one's strength's and weaknesses. The writer discusses the common ground of each of these schools of thought.
From the Paper "In theological discourse there are several different ways to conceive of God and his relationship to the universe. The three most significant are theism, pantheism and panentheism. Although these schools of thought espouse differing views of God's place in the universe, there is common ground as they all center on a fundamental belief in God. Indeed theism pantheism and panentheism are all able to provide meaningful guidance in developing one's spiritual life. In the end, however it is panentheism that seems to offer the most benevolent view of ... "
Abstract In this paper, the writer notes that in the past few decades, several advanced current-day fertilization techniques for women that have difficulties conceiving children have emerged at the forefront of medical technology. The writer points out that medical professionals are now able to prescribe a few different treatment options for women that are unable to get pregnant naturally. If treatment has not resulted in pregnancy after four to six menstrual cycles, fertilization techniques may be considered. The writer concludes that it appears that different techniques have roots in in vitro fertilization, which is predicted to see improvements over the next few years. The writer maintains that the future of human fertilization appears bright.
Outline:
Introduction
In Vitro (test tube) Fertilization
Third Party Donor
Gametic Intra-fallopian Transfer
Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Conclusion
From the Paper "Currently, in due to improvements in ultrasound imaging, surgery is no longer necessary for most in vitro fertilization patients. Technological progress has allowed for the use of a sonographically-guided needle to replace the surgical procedure which previously was used to recover eggs. This procedure, called Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval, requires neither hospitalization nor general anesthesia. Instead, the woman undergoes about two weeks of intensive preparation, including hormonal therapy with fertility drugs. Blood tests and ultrasound scans of the ovaries are used to determine the optimal time to retrieve the eggs from the ovary, and at the proper time, an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia will allow the female's eggs to be visualized by ultrasound and retrieved from the ovary by placing a needle through the vaginal wall. The woman experiences pain similar to a pap smear and is able to return home and resume normal activities. The embryologist places the sperm with the eggs when they are ready for fertilization, maintaining them in a laboratory dish in a nutrient mixture which acts as a substitute for the environment that would otherwise have been provided by the fallopian tubes."
Abstract In this paper, the question of reparations for descendants of African slaves is addressed through two different political philosophies. This paper first outlines what the implications of reparations entail in terms of global consequences and then evaluates how John Rawls' political philosophy could conceive and address this issue. The political philosophy of Michael Sandel is then considered in terms of how reparations would be conceived and addressed. The paper concludes that Rawls' arguments allow for a defense of reparations, but Sandel's philosophy does not.
Abstract This paper presents a psychological case study about a woman called Jennifer. The paper explains that Jennifer, who is having problems conceiving, suffered a miscarriage and the death of her mother and is facing putting her father into a nursing home. Overriding all her problems, Jennifer is a perfectionist but her self-esteem has gone down due to her inability to conceive. She seems to be running out of patients at work and home. The author concludes that Jennifer needs to see a therapist to help her accept her life and to get through these issues.
From the Paper "Jennifer needs to figure out what she wants. This will involve getting her priorities set in stone. She must begin to focus on her family issues first and foremost. Her body might not be ready to have a child right now due to all the stress from her father and being overworked. She seems to think that work is more important at this time in her life. She is trying to be a perfectionist at work. She needs to know that she does not have to take on the world all by herself or be perfect in her work performance."
Tags: superego perfectionist self-worth, support group, feelings
Abstract This paper follows John Adams through his career with an emphasis on the " the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived? the job of George Washington's vice-president.
From the Paper "John Adams was very much involved with the government before he was elected president. He was a consulter and a writer for newspapers that critiqued the government of the day. John Adams was elected as a member of the Massachusetts legislature. However, this prestigious position was revoked as he rejoiced when the Bostonians dumped the hated British tea into the Boston harbor. During the Boston Massacre, shots were fired upon the citizens of Boston who taunted and heckled the British troops. None other than "John Adams represented the British soldiers to be innocent and in danger of being railroaded by the colonists if action was not taken" (Degregorio, 24). When Britain retaliated, John Adams was elected as a radical to the First Continental Congress in 1774. John Adams held strong ambitions for foreign policy and helped write the resolutions of May 10, 1776. He also strongly defended the Declaration of Independence such that he had certified it with his signature."
Abstract This paper examines Benito Mussolini's march on Rome not as an attempt to control Italy, but as an intelligently conceived plan which went virtually unscathed which proved to be the greatest victory in Mussolini's political career.
From the Paper "Benito Mussolini's triumph of Italian Fascism had just begun in October of 1922 when he received a telegram from General Cittadini: ?His Majesty the King asks you to come immediately to Rome for he wishes to offer you the responsibility of forming a Ministry...?1 Previously to this offer, Benito Mussolini had created a party called the Partito Nazionale Fascista (that is, the Fascist party) which was meant to topple the weak Italian government and install a regime of militarism and anti-socialism. Mussolini's followers and sympathizers were mostly young men who had fought in World War I. "
Tags: axis, benito, fascism, italian, mussolini, war, world, ww2
Abstract This paper discusses the advanced reproductive technologies that enable In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The author describes the various possible reasons for infertility and indicates that IVF is a favorable solution to such problems. He further examines the advantages and disadvantages of IVF.
From the Paper "With only a 40 percent chance of survival, Lance Armstrong, a noted racer bicyclist, was determined that his name live on?not through newspaper clippings, magazine articles, nor even through awards earned at the Tour de France. Armstrong wanted a child. So, although he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, he had the foresight to freeze some of his own sperm. Thanks to his planning, in October 1999?his wife gave birth to a healthy son. And Armstrong, having overcome the cancer, can enjoy a baby that would have possibly been only a pipe dream had his wife not been fertilized with her husband's sperm. (Shifting 78). Had his child been cloned, the likelihood of that child suffering cancer in his lifetime could have been avoided.
?By applying decades of expertise in IVF [in vitro fertilization], it's possible to make cloning as safe and efficient for people as are other reproductive technologies. ?Some IVF physicians already screen human embryos by plucking out one cell and checking it for specific mutations before placing the rest of the embryo in a woman's uterus.? (Travis 250)."
Abstract The author examines the different ways in which the structure of the brain has been conceived, and looks at some of the areas of the brain associated with different functions such as "neurons", the resultant effects if these are damaged, the spinal cord, external stimuli to the brain and memory function.
From the paper:
?Beneath and behind the cerebral cortex, at the base of the brain, lies the cerebellum or ?little brain.? The cerebellum is most closely associated with coordinating voluntary movement (that is, movement under our conscious control) and with remembering complex physical tasks such as riding a bicycle or performing the steps in a dance.?
Abstract This paper addresses the issue of child care. It starts off by providing a history child care and brings us to the present day hurdles facing this topic. With the modern day phenomena of single and teenage mothers, alternative child care facilities need to be made available at educational institutes. This paper provides a broad look at child care in the US, focuses on Alabama and finally on Troy State University.
From the paper:
"Day care is most often thought of as a contemporary issue. On the contrary, most American mothers, whether in urban settings or on farms, were responsible for much more than child care. Before the idea of day care was conceived, mothers often depended on family members, older children, and other women to look after their children. It was not until the 1800s that American urban middle class society originated the stay-at-home mother concept.
In the late 19th-century, privileged, affluent women founded day nurseries to meet the needs of poor and working class mothers who were employed to support their children. There were more than five hundred nurseries across the country by 1912. Initially, day care was offered as charity to the deserving poor. It was not the intent of these nurseries to encourage mothers to work outside the home. "
Abstract This paper analyzes the satirical novel by Alison Lurie called "Foreign Affairs". It takes a look at the two very realistic characters of Vinnie and Lurie and how they cope on a holiday to Britain. It shows the insecurities in all of us and how we try and make other people seem less important for our own self-esteem.
From the paper:
"Alison Lurie's novel Foreign Affairs details the two, parallel existences of American Anglophiles during a brief sojourn in London. One of these characters is named Vinnie Miner. Her name, suitably androgynous, complements her short gray hair and her childish, thin body. Vinnie is older, in her fifties, and Lurie details with wry observation how women of this age are often conceived of as asexual by the world's eyes. Her heroine came of age long before the 1970's radical feminist revolution. Yet Lurie is extremely suspicious and critical of this revolution and the way it attempts to encapsulate human affairs and human desires into political theories."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the poem "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri. The author discusses the comedy in 'Inferno" and the importance of its style of writing and use of language for the times it was written in.
From the paper:
"When a man steps up to construct a work of art, they do it for a plethora of ideas. These can be either to change viewpoints, express personal ideas, or insure their name in the years to come. Yet the creator cannot simply be the only one to make a work of art one of importance. It must include the passion of the times and the eagerness for something new and vivacious. To break traditions from the past is to set traditions for the future. Dante Alighieri created a poem in the 1200's that Florentines and the world had never conceived up."
Tags: alighieri, dante, florence, italy, literature
Abstract This paper discusses abortion on a pragmatic level of when human life actually begins. It explores the Japanese culture and Buddhism in its respect for life and the essence of the spirit and compares it those views of American Christianity. It shows further, how each views life in the context of abortion.
From the paper:
"...at the heart of this debate is the ethical and religious question of "when does human life begin"? Perhaps one of the reasons the issue is both so contentious and so difficult, and why such little light has been shed upon it, is that there are deeper issues at hand than that of politics or law. To explore these issues without passing judgment on the issue in a legalistic fashion is important. Religion is at the heart of this debate, and this paper will attempt to explore notions of the nature of human life from a comparative perspective to give a fresh view on this rather tired issue. It will examine the radically different fashion in which abortion is conceived of in contemporary Japanese Buddhism versus contemporary American Christianity. Through looking at these religions through this very specific focus this paper will also attempt to explicate differences between these two religions in their different cultural contexts in a larger fashion."
Abstract The following essay shows how the central character in Gardner's novel, Grendel, moves away from a nihilistic sense of self and toward what eastern philosophies describe as a sense of enlightenment.
From the paper:
?In his very early days, even the evil, man-eating Grendel was an innocent creature. "I lived those years, as do all young things, in a spell. Like a puppy nipping, playfully growling preparing for battle with wolves" (Gardner 16). It is only when he ventures into the world and gets caught in a tree from which he is unable to escape, that he experiences his first fears that the world is not as he had previously conceived it to be. With his foot stuck in the tree and a bull repeatedly charging, but missing him, Grendel comes to a realization. ?I understood that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist. All the rest, I saw, is merely what pushes me or what I push against, blindly . . .? (Gardner 22). It is also during this particular scene that Grendel first comes into contact with men.?
Abstract This paper shows how Hughes and Cullen follow Du Bois? prescription in their creations of black art. The author focuses on Hughes? poem "Ballad of the Landlord" and Cullen's poem ?From the Dark Tower,? and derives his definition of Du Bois? artistic prescription from his essay ?Criteria of Negro Art.?
From the paper:
"Amidst the prevailing racial injustice during the Harlem Renaissance, W.E.B. Du Bois charges black artists to use their art to send a message to society: a message of unity to the blacks, and a message rejecting their so-called inferiority to the whites. Black art, Du Bois insisted, should be used as a weapon against racism, demonstrating blacks? worthiness of American status and their ability to conceive Beauty in their art. Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes, whether intentionally or not, followed the artistic specifications set forth by W.E.B. Du Bois in their respective creations "From the Dark Tower" and ?Ballad of the Landlord.?
