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"The Matrix", Descartes and Hobbes, 2008.
An analysis of the philosophical meaning found in the film "The Matrix".
1,968 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore philosophical questions and issues as they are brought to one's attention while viewing the film "The Matrix" and see the correlations between the film's deeper messages and that of Renee Descartes and Thomas Hobbes. It looks at how the film offers a gradual immersion into a new state of being, a greater state of conscious thought or enlightenment leading to greater understanding of one's self and identity due to the film's content. It also discusses how, like Descartes and Hobbes, the film's directors serve to push the envelope of self-expression and exploration.
Outline:
Introduction
"The Matrix" and Its Themes and Symbolism With Regard to Self-Identity
Descartes and Hobbes and "The Matrix"
Conclusion
From the Paper
"For the purpose of greater understanding philosophy and the film The Matrix, it was important to view and analyze key scenes where the concept of self-identity and one's relationship and expression with world came under scrutiny. There is no question that much is at risk from the beginning of The Matrix that many are fighting within the construct the machines have created to enslave the human race. However the way in which these ideologies are conveyed are jarring and uncomfortable. First of all the world of the matrix, what Neo believes to be the 'real' world is presented in stark contrasts between light and dark almost creating a film noir type quality. In fact, one could argue it is neo-noir, or modern noir with hints of classic noir stuck in to convey older storytelling conventions. Much of the dual life of Neo is lived in contrast. By day is clean cut, professional computer program writer, by night a man who hangs out with gothic and the underbelly of society as a hacker in search of the elusive Morpheous. What really is at play here for the viewer is creating a dual personality of the hero, adding to the myth within subculture and a collective belief. "
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Descartes and Hobbes, 2005.
An analysis of Thomas Hobbes' objections to Descartes' "Meditations".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
In this paper, Descartes' "Meditations" are subjected to critical analysis. The Fifth Meditation is discussed in relation to Thomas Hobbes' objections to it and the question is raised as to whether either of them have contributed anything significant here.
From the Paper
"Someone once answered the objection that philosophy is too obscure for the layman to understand by observing that if the answers to the questions that have fascinated philosophers through the ages were obvious, they would have been .."
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Hobbes and Descartes, 2004.
This paper discusses and compares the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes.
1,040 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Hobbes skeptically believed that all human or life experience was a real perception, and no one could ever acquire real knowledge of this material world. The author points out that, in contrast, Rene Descartes thought that the human mind and God were alike in that both could think but had no physical realities. The paper relates that Descartes saw the mind as pure thought and the body as a mere extension of it.
From the Paper
"Hobbes established a hierarchy of abstract thought levels. At the base was the representation or appearance, the first motion transmitted by the senses to the brain. Upon entry into the brain, it followed a ?trayne (Hobbes)?, which was the course of its motion in interacting with other representations. The power or influence of each motion decreased as it interacted, and he called this interaction imagination, which he viewed as the ?first internal beginning of all Voluntary Motion.? All the different traynes in the mind at one time and not yet deteriorating constituted memory."
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Rene Descartes, 2005.
An analysis of the contribution of Rene Descartes's work on the history of philosophy.
3,012 words (approx. 12.0 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 88.95
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Abstract
This paper provides an overview of Descartes's life and works. It focuses on an analysis of the "Discourse on Method" and the ?I think, therefore I am? statement.
Outline
Descartes?s Background
Descartes?s Philosophical System
Descartes?s Discourse on Method
Descartes?s Method Regarding Knowledge
Descartes?s Influence on Philosophy
Descartes?s Influence on Enlightenment
Works Consulted
From the Paper
"Rene Descartes is widely recognized as the father of modern philosophy. Also known as Renatus Cartesius (a latinization of his name), Descartes was a 17th century French scientist, mathematician and philosopher. His importance in the history of philosophy is so great because he was among the first to oppose scholastic Aristotleianism, which had influenced European philosophy and culture during a period of almost a thousand years. A French gentleman who signed himself ?Lord of Perron? and who lived twenty years of his life (the most productive ones) in the tolerable and hospitable Dutch republic, Descartes remains a crucial figure in the history of philosophy."
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Hobbes versus Machiavelli, 2005.
This paper discusses justice and political reality, through examining the philosophies of Hobbes versus Machiavelli.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 2 sources, $ 89.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that the 17th century British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes presented in his Leviathan a theory of justice and political order based on reason. The writer then points out that in the course of his argument, Hobbes creates the figure of the Fool who contradicts Hobbes' theory of justice and social order and advocates in its place a view of society based upon the selfish pursuit of individual advantage. The writer discusses that while Hobbes' Fool is a rhetorical device designed to better allow Hobbes to present his arguments, many of the views Hobbes' attributes to this Fool, resemble those of the Renaissance Italian political philosopher Machiavelli.
From the Paper
"The 17th century British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes presented, in his Leviathan, a theory of justice and political order based on reason. In the course of his argument Hobbes creates the figure of the "Fool" who contradicts Hobbes' theory of justice and social order and advocates in its place a view of society based upon the selfish pursuit of individual advantage. While Hobbes' Fool is a rhetorical device designed to better allow Hobbes to present his arguments, many of the views Hobbes attributes to this Fool resemble those of the Renaissance Italian political philosopher Machiavelli."
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?Leviathan? by Thomas Hobbes, 2006.
A review of Thomas Hobbes innovative "Leviathan".
3,037 words (approx. 12.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
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Abstract
In this review of Thomas Hobbes" Leviathan", the author describes the book as innovative and a great philosophical work. He describes how Hobbes argues that mankind, in order to live peacefully, ought to submit to the power of an ultimate, sovereign authority. This power would be unlimited and total, the very definition of a tyrannical state. The author tells us that Hobbes states only a "leviathan" can govern man. The author points out how Hobbes argues that without such extreme control to oversee the lives and interactions of men, every society would slowly disassemble and capitulate into a civil war. In conclusion the author discusses Hobbes argument that government is a necessary component in the building of peace and security within civilized groups. He believes that because man is so violent in his "natural" condition, any sovereign that governs man is seen as an overbearing taskmaster.
From the Paper
"The catch lies in the fact that each individual has his own judgment regarding self-preservation. A man, for his own reasons, may decide that the death of another man is a matter of self-preservation. In practical terms, the right to survive can easily become an unrestricted right to an anti-social behavior. (Hobbes calls it the right "to all things.") He not only assumes that man has the impulse to survive, but that man should, as a matter of "practical rationality," adopt behaviors that are necessary for self-preservation. Hence, if man judges another man to be a threat, and judges that killing that man is the only way to eliminate the threat, then by the logic self-preservation, he has a right to commit murder. The problem here is as Williams points out, that "in the state of nature no one is in a position to successfully define what is good judgment."
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Moral Rules and Hobbes' s "Leviathan", 2002.
An overview of Hobbes's social philosophy and views of morality on Western society.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper will show how Hobbes's view of the function and use of morality in Western society was a more complex one than a initial reading of his work would suggest. The moral rules which govern the social order re-visioned by Hobbes come in the form of what Hobbes termed "natural laws" which determine all human behaviour. However, any analysis of these first necessitates an analysis of Hobbes's social philosophy in general. .
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On the Nature of the Supreme Deity - Descartes and Hume, 1990.
Review of the arguments of Descartes and Hume for the existence of God. Descartes' argument from definition and Humes' teleological argument (argument from design) are examined.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 2 sources, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
"Rene Descartes, in his work, The Meditations on First Philosophy (1953) ed., and David Hume, in his work, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1955 ed.), both argue for the existence of a supreme deity. Descartes believes that the deity is a perfect being living in the consciousness of men. Indeed, his God represents the supreme consciousness or all.knowing mind. David Hume sees proof for the existence of God in the perfect and complex order of nature. Thus, the primary difference between the two philosophers concerns where they seek their evidence for the existence of the Deity. Descartes seeks God within man or through internal evidence. Whereas Hume seeks evidence for God's existence through external observations of the world around us. Although to some degree Hume also accepts Descartes' hypothesis that God must exist as long on as man carries awareness of him in his"
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Rene Descartes, 2004.
An overview of the ideas and theories of the philosopher, Rene Descartes.
1,787 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 10 sources, APA, $ 57.95
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Abstract
In attempting to connect philosophy and theology, Rene Descartes made certain novel assumptions that, at the outset, would appear to contradict themselves. He believed that only the physical world could be proved according to mathematical evidence, yet, stated that the very existence or presence of an idea of a perfect God in the mind already suggests His reality and existence. The paper discusses Descartes's views that, in the act of perceiving reality, the human soul goes through activities, such as understanding, conceiving, doubting, affirming, denying, willing, refusing, imagining, feeling, and desiring. These activities share the common quality of deliberate thought or perception. The paper explains Descartes's idea that thought, then, is the essential attribute of the soul.
Paper Outline
Introduction
Rationale for the Choice of the Philosophy
Historical Background
Strong Points
Weak Points
Applicability of Descartes?s Philosophy
Summary
Quotes
Bibliography
From the Paper
"It is however, disastrous to accept Descartes? concept of passions as animal spirits circulated by the blood and originating from our pineal gland. If they were inherently physiological, then we need not worry about being responsible for our deliberate acts. There will cease to be any difference between what is right and what is wrong. Civilization will collapse and life itself will vanish from the planet. We should not blame the bleakness or dignity of human existence to the pineal gland."
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Hobbes, the Legal Positivist, 2002.
Examines Thomas Hobbes's opinion on the laws of nature as seen in his work, "Leviathan".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 2 sources, $ 44.95
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Abstract
Thomas Hobbes, in his "Leviathan", clearly defines himself as a "positivist lawyer" as opposed to one who is an advocate of natural law. This being said, in Chapter 26 of "Leviathan", Hobbes appears to combine the two concepts of law, declaring that "the Law of Nature and the Civil Law, contain each other, and are of equal extent" (26). However, as this essay will argue, Hobbes does not mean by this that the sovereign cannot enact laws that contradict the laws of nature. Rather, as will be seen, Hobbes here indicates the considerable overlapping of the two forms of law - although he is clear that "natural law" is not technically law - with the understanding that the sovereign may enact civil law that interprets or abridges the laws of nature, although such sovereign laws are not always "right".
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Descartes: A Thinking Thing, 2005.
An analysis of Descartes statement that he is a "thinking thing".
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 0 sources, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how in "Meditation II" Rene Descartes states that he is a "thinking thing" (Descartes 16-18). It analyzes what Descartes meant by this statement and how it has worked into Descartes other meditations on truth, reality and existence.
From the Paper
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Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes, 2005.
This paper describes and compares the political philosophies of Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes.
3,765 words (approx. 15.1 pages), 15 sources, MLA, $ 103.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Machiavelli lived during the Renaissance, nearly 150 years earlier than Thomas Hobbes, yet it was he who envisioned the basis for the political pragmatism of the twentieth century; while Thomas Hobbes, who lived in the 16th century, was a political materialist in the classical tradition of Plato and Galileo. The author stresses that Machiavellianism, as a term, has been used to describe the principles of power politics and the type of person who uses those principles in political or personal life is frequently described as a Machiavellian. The paper includes a comparison of the Table of Contents of "De Cive" by Thomas Hobbes and of "The Prince" by Machiavelli to demonstrate that Hobbes is looking for a universal law of politic; whereas, Machiavelli is looking for a practical means of surviving real politics. Several very long quotes.
From the Paper
"For Machiavelli, historical change has two forms: (1) the motion of nature and, (2) the order or ordering that man intends. Nature's changes are unreliable; they can be good or bad, but man does not feel safe or grateful. Machiavelli lumps unreliable nature with fickle fortune as the first element of his view of the opposing forces of history. Human order, or as Machiavelli describes it, "orders and modes" (Preface), is devised by human virtu to overcome this sense of being at the mercy of nature or fortune and is the second element of the equation. Simply put, his context of history is a contest between virtu and fortuna. Machiavelli is not a mere observer of this contest. As a humanist historian, he bases his advice, or lessons if you will, on the contest. But unlike the other historians of his day, he does not teach the lesson by what was done, but rather by what should have been done. This clearly places Histories in the political instead of historical genre by modern standards."
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Locke And Hobbes On Property - A Natural Right?, 2002.
This paper discusses property as discussed by John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 5 sources, $ 62.95
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Abstract
It focuses mainly on the latter's views, but uses Hobbes as a point of comparison. In his "Two Treatises of Government" (1690), Locke sets forth a view that the state exists to preserve national rights of citizens. This was significant in his views on property, as we will see. Property is inherently the joining of the earth - which is common to all men - and the application of one's body - or his/her labor. The fruit of that union is considered property by Locke, who goes onto argue that property was, therefore, a natural right. Hobbes, on the other hand, argued that property was the effect of the commonwealth, which exists only through civil laws given by the sovereign. This essay will argue that Locke's account of the methods of and limits of property acquisition in the state of nature differ from those of Hobbes. Locke argued that property was a natural right; Hobbes did not.
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Descartes and 'I', 2007.
An analysis of Rene Descartes' approach to the knowledge of the 'I'.
1,660 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Descartes' procedure towards the knowledge of the 'I' is extraordinary in that to discover the fundamental principles of philosophy, Descartes skillfully evoked a radical philosophical and scientific method of doubt, classically referred to as hyperbolic doubt. The paper contends that what is radical about Descartes' method of doubt is that it refuses to accept the knowledge and authority of previous philosophers as well as the obviousness of his reasons and senses. For Descartes, anything that could be doubted must be rejected.
From the Paper
"Descartes fantastically opens his Meditations by stating his desire to have only true beliefs. In applying the method of hyperbolic doubt, Descartes is following rules set out by himself into exploration of mathematics and philosophy in Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Searching for Truth in the Sciences. Descartes started his line of reasoning by doubting everything, so as to assess the world from a fresh perspective, clear of any preconceived notions. Descartes' ultimate aims however are constructive. Unlike common sceptics who doubt purely for the sake of doubting, Descartes aims to reach certainty-to cast aside the "loose earth and sand so as to come upon solid rock" ( Discourse 3, 6:28,29). Descartes' philosophical method was also intended to be a method for science."
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Hobbes and Hart on Law, 2002.
Shows the interpretation of two philosophers on the subject of law, Thomas Hobbes (in "Leviathan") and English legal philosopher, H.L.A Hart.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, $ 44.95
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Abstract
In "Leviathan", Thomas Hobbes presents an understanding of the law as a concept that distances human beings from their natures, thus saving the integrity of civilization. Hobbes envisions the human being as naturally flawed and brutish and it is only the development of law and the strict adherence to these principles that a healthy civilization can exist. Hobbes argues, moreover, that situational legislation would be the decline of the integrity of a civilization. English legal philosopher H.L.A. Hart disagrees with Hobbes on this point. Hart argues for the privacy of one's personal conduct and states that if it does not infringe upon the rights of others, it should not be subject to public legislation. Hart relies strongly on the notion of "internal perspective" as a concept, which establishes the parameters of obligation for a legal system.
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