Abstract
The paper relates that philosophy has been interpreted and analyzed in various ways by scholars and thinkers. Each of which established the basis of a new theory or developed the guidelines of old ones. The paper discusses the works of Richard Rorty, one of the most appreciated contemporary philosophers, and shows how in his 1989 "Contingency, Irony and Solidarity" he follows in the footsteps of Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil." The paper explains Rorty's theory that philosophy should consist of a more personal experience which must be released from the strains of modern and classical dogmatism. The paper discusses how his beliefs stand against the idea of an absolute truth, that which is expressed through a common and strict language.

From the Paper
"In regard to the own self, Rorty bases his modern society on the "liberal ironist", one that unwilling to accept the surrender to the will of the others, such as Nietzsche's "herd", decides to exercise its will and "reconcile themselves to a private-public split within their final vocabularies, to the fact that resolution of doubts about one's final vocabulary has nothing to do with attempts to save other people from pain and humiliation" (Rorty 120). Here, unlike Nietzsche, Rorty points to his expectations in the liberal society."

Tags:contingency, irony, solidarity, good, evil

Abstract
The writer states that truth is not obscured by language, but by what truth or truths actually are. The paper discusses whether there can be partial truths, or whether there are only actual truths. The writer then brings different definitions of truth as defined by various philosophers. In summation, the writer states that truth is that which is moral and correct and which does not harm or hinder anyone.

From the Paper
"Maybe the best place to start in an investigation of "Truth" is with the ancient Greek philosophers who struggled with the idea, and, in the case of Socrates, had to drink hemlock for it. Plato provides debates and arguments about what he refers to as "unchanging truth". Truth is what you see. "Mere opinions are bad." To go further into Plato's concept of truth, he says "...visible objects can be seen only when the sun shines on them, and truth can be known only when illuminated..." This unchanging truth comes, according to Plato and others like him, from living moral and virtuous lives and having the education to know how to act and how to respond when the Good and the Truth are somehow challenged. This sort of Good and Truth comes, so I read, "within such a society (where) each individual has his or her own naturally established role or function, serving to maintain the stability and unity of the community as a whole." Now, just a minute! Where does this idea of "naturally established" come from? What does it have to do with Truth? Who is the establisher? And, what is "natural" about the Good of the forms that supposedly make it happen? It seems, from reading Plato, that truth is something that just IS. It EXISTS, and no one really has any power over it, except to defy it and tell and live untruths. If what the eye can see is Truth, and opinions are bad, then Truth is a physical, rather than a mental or intellectual phenomenon."

Tags:plato, cervantes, absolute, aquinas

Abstract
In this article, the writer takes a look into how modern language and society interchanges the two very different words "ethics" and "morals". The writer maintains that in today's society the words "ethics" and "morals" are constantly interchanged as if they were synonyms, yet this is far from the truth. The writer examines whether this could have some type of effect on one's perception on what is right and wrong. The writer explains that the definition of the words ethics and morals used to be crystalline and deep with meaning, "ethics" referring to the individual and "morals" referring to the entire society. With both of these words still clearly separated the idea of an individual's standards and society's standards were easily understood. The writer concludes that there is no longer an individual's standards and a society's standards as the two have become one and the same.

From the Paper
"There is one fact that will always be true: one universal "ethical" and "moral" standard will never exist. Different societies have different moral codes, each of which seek to establish what is true or right within the community. In each and every different society there are always different personas, who have their own and sometimes different standards. This can and always will lead to disorder and discourse within a society or throughout multiple ones. This is seen everywhere in both past and in the present - The American Revolution, the infamous ethnic strife in the Middle East, and, of course, in modern-day politics. This human nature of argument and conflict causes a struggle between the individual's views and society's. In this sense the word "ethics" negates everything that "morals" means and stands for. In a way this makes the two opposites."

Tags:morals, society, code, behavior

Abstract
This paper explores the tradition of oralism vs. American Sign Language (ASL) in the West. Specifically the researcher proposes that deaf and hard of hearing students should be afforded opportunities to learn using their native language or American Sign Language. Forcing students to adopt other methods of learning including oralism or Signing Exact English (SEE) may promote frustration and inhibits learning in the classroom. This paper reviews the potential merits and demerits of each tradition, highlighting the significance of providing students with resources to use ASL in the classroom.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Personal Philosophy
The Essential Nature of Human Beings
Basic Meaning or Purpose of Life
Determination of Morality
Constancy of Life: Unchanging or Always Changing?
Philosophy of Education
My Perception of an Educational Philosophy
Why do you need a Philosophy?
What has been the Basis or Source of your Educational Philosophy?
How has your Philosophy Changed or Evolved over Time?
My formal Ideological and Philosophical Orientation
The Purpose of Education, Teaching and Schooling
Are Students Intrinsically Motivated to Learn?
Should Schools Address Human Differences such as Multiple Intelligence, Learning Styles etc. ?
Topics
Knowledge and Content
Knowledge with Knowing
My Conceptual Framework for Improving my Practice
Theoretical Framework for Improving Practice
Skills Competencies Necessary
Educational Skills Required
Communication Skills and Content
Nonverbal Communication Skills
Verbal Communication
Influence of Interpersonal Relationships
Importance of Self-Identity
Peer Relations
Influence of Support Networks
Knowledge and Learning
Direct vs. Indirect Learning
Direct vs. Indirect Communication
Conclusion
Reference

From the Paper
"Many consider American Sign Language (ASL) the standard language beneficial for hard of hearing and deaf citizens. However, oralism shares a rich history much the same as ASL, and many often argue the potential merits and demerits of using one vs. another in an educational and communicational context. Wilcox & Peyton (1999) recognize that ASL is a fully developed language with unique grammar requirements distinguished from the English language (Coltrane, 2006). Oralism contrarily, involves lip reading to understand speech instead of using ASL to communicate with one another (Coltrane, 2006). This study will help review the merits and demerits of each, questioning whether one vs. the other is more beneficial for promoting communication and sharing among the deaf or hard of hearing community, or whether a combination of both may result in less frustrating choices among the hard of hearing and deaf community. "

Tags:American, Sign, Language, oralism, deaf, hearing, impaired, education

Abstract
In this article, the writer demonstrates that epistemology is by its own nature problematic and that this problematic nature is only resolved by introducing morality. The paper relates that the problematic nature of epistemology is because it is studied merely as in investigation into knowledge, and is severed from action. Thus, human beings come to understand the world but do not obtain final knowledge and that the resolution to this contradiction in human understanding can only come through action. The paper concludes that it is the moral act that is capable of resolving contradiction in understanding.

From the Paper
"Epistemology is the study of knowledge, and as such its object is to verify claims to truth. In the strict sense truth is said to be objective, so that if something is true for one observer it is necessarily true for all observers. But epistemology becomes problematic if we insist on such a strict notion of truth. Almost all investigators of the question have sought only partial knowledge, deeming that absolute knowledge is the strict domain of God. An exception to this rule is the school of Rationalism, which followed the seventeenth century French philosopher Rene Descartes, and which maintained that absolute knowledge is possible. Descartes' ontology, which serves as the basis to this school, will be considered in due course, and its error exposed. But partial, or subjective, knowledge cannot be the basis for any rigorous study, and therefore epistemology in inherently problematic. Indeed the historical verdict is that epistemology only leads towards resolution when knowledge is taken to be the basis for action, or in other words, when knowledge becomes the substrate to morality. When not leading to morality, epistemology inevitably leads to the doors of skepticism."

Tags:Truth, knowledge, contradiction, skepticism, cynicism

Abstract
This paper discusses Derrick Jensen's book about the extreme abuse his father inflicted upon Jensen and his family when he was a child. The paper explains that Jensen's book, "A Language Older Than Words", begins with the author's reflection of the horrifying events in his childhood and that Jensen then uses these events to reflect on society. According to this paper, Jensen's message is that society, much like his family did during their years of abuse, tends to pretend that horrible events that are taking place are not really happening.

From the Paper
""A Language Older Than Words" begins with the author's reflection of horrifying events in his childhood. While this subject matter might be sufficient enough to discuss throughout the pages, Derrick Jensen uses these events to reflect on society. Jensen's father was an extreme abuser of his entire family. Yet, Jensen explores the reasons for this in his focus on the modern social order. Jensen contends that his mother and siblings learned throughout their lives with Jensen's father to pretend that the beatings, fear and rape did not occur. Individuals in society often react identically to the world. A woman is raped, a neighbor family lives in poverty, or one society mutilates its own - these are all instances in which the world pretends events do not occur. Jensen discusses the fact that people know of these issues, but to discuss them is taboo. Like the individuals in Jensen's..."

Tags:society, truth, book

Abstract
This paper explores Trenka's memoir "The Language of Blood" from the point of view of her adoptive mother and contemplates the issue of perspective as an integral part of memoir. It looks at how Trenka uses the book to reconcile herself and to appreciate the sacrifices and support made and given by her adoptive mother.

From the Paper
"Trenka, in several instances, admits to her ingratitude towards her "fake" mom, "Of course my "real" mom was never around to say no to me, to tell me I couldn't go skiing with my friends because it was piano lesson day.....No the dirty work was left up to Margaret" (Trenka 60). This comment seems to get glossed over in the body of Trenka's tale. In fact she seems to use this to justify the inflation of her Umma to mythological proportions and immediately moves on to the arrival of Umma's first letter, after which Trenka's suspicions are correct. "

Tags:blood, fiction, genre, honesty, mother, truth

Abstract
This paper analyzes, in depth, Friedrich Nietzsche's arguments in his essay "On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense". The paper focuses on the concepts that Nietzsche describes in his essay, of the creation of the metaphor, the importance of the lie and then discusses the effects that this process has on society.

From the Paper
"Truths shape our world. They are the ideas that impose a unified meaning on the chaos and indeterminacy of our lives. People devote themselves to these truths: wars are fought, Earth is subjugated, and culture is created. These rallying cries of civilization: justice, honor, virtue, stewardship, salvation, are the ghosts of our history who have tricked us into believing they are real and deserving of our attention. Nietzsche rages against this hoax in On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense."

Tags:metaphor, moral, nervous, stimulus, truth

Abstract
This paper explores Nietzsche's essay "On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense" and Plato's books 'VII' and 'X' of "The Republic" where both philosophers explicity explore the man's problematic relationship with reality and consciousness. The author points out that Nietzsche and Plato both argue that man lives in some state of deception or illusion; however, their opinions regarding the true nature of truth and reality differ substantially. The paper relates that both Nietzsche and Plato recognize there is a medium in which human beings are deceived: For Plato, this medium is the ignorance of the visible realm; for Nietzsche, it is the language and concepts, which humans utilize.

From the Paper
"To illustrate Plato's theory of truth and reality, he utilizes his allegory of the cave: he asks his audience to imagine a cave where prisoners sit bound in chains since childhood. The prisoners' lives consist of the observation of shadows, and these shadows are representative of copied forms. All in all, "the shadows of artifacts would constitute the only reality people in this situation would recognize." It is the cave, which to Plato, represents the visible realm, a world of ignorance and false reality."

Tags:cave, language, truth, visible, naivety

Abstract
This paper examines how the media world is well-supplied with instances of uncivilized behavior and general indecency and how name-calling, foul language, and character assassination have become regular things that are justified in the name of truth and freedom of speech. It discusses how media needs to understand its role in promoting healthy social and moral values and how it is our responsibility to make sure that rudeness and incivility are not justified on the grounds of freedom of speech.

From the Paper
"Civility is so important that it should be protected by law. However so far we do not have any laws to ensure civility in the media and any attempt to enforce one is met with stiff opposition on grounds of freedom of speech and Fourth Amendment rights. It is believed here in the United States that people should be allowed to say anything in any manner they like, without much regard for other people's sentiments. For some people, this is actually considered "cool". However now it appears that our coolness has gone a little too far and we do actually needs laws to protect us from a truly uncivil media."

Tags:freedom, of, speech, language