Consciousness

Both Descartes and Locke attempt to clarify what the self is and how the psyche and body are connected. It is clear what Descartes supposes he (the self) is. In his Second Meditation, he states that he is a ``thinking thing'' (Descartes, 82), a thing that considers: ``doubts, comprehends, confirms, denies, is eager, is unwilling, and furthermore envisions and has tangible discernments'' (Descartes, 83). Not exclusively does Descartes view the self as a reasoning thing, yet he trusts that is his…

Success is not just wealth or placement in society. It is achieving a goal that will always be present to life no matter what age. Nobody can truly enjoy life itself if not having something to achieve as a contribution to society or self. Charlie Gordon, from the book Flowers for Algernon, is a prime example of determination along with ambition, but not truly realizing what would come of this goal. But achieving the goal of intelligence is something that is comprehensively his most prized…

Personal identity is elaborate in its description. Philosophers in history have debated on what exactly defines human identity. Is it a deception? It is a sort of mist, something dispelled easily? Is it a collection of senses from the past? How do we know there is an actual identity? In this doc, Hume examines the processes that assist in producing the identity, and then the properties of an identity. He states that basis for identity is produced by various bundled experiences, and the identity…

The most significant part of As I Lay Dying is located on page 177. In the point of view of Whitfield. His line states “When they told me she was dying, all that night I wrestled with Satan, and I emerged victorious. I woke to the enormity of my sin; I saw the true light at last, and I fell on my knees and confessed to God and asked his guidance and received it. “Rise, “ He said; “repair to that home in which you have put a living lie, among those people with whom you have outraged My Word;…

Humans fear the inevitable - that all living beings will die. The topic of death is perceived as a societal taboo in any given discussion, making it difficult for the living to cope with death. Eventually, this cold relationship with death influences people to be ignorant. This is demonstrated in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, which depicts teenage protagonist Holden Caulfield and his unsuccessful interactions with adults. This is because the protagonist illustrates the general…

The Mind-Body Problem, and Human Understanding Rene Descartes (1998) believed that the mind and body were two separate things, which could exist without each other, a type of dualism known as interactionism (Kardas, 2014, pg. 174). His theory, however, came to be known as the mind-body problem, due to the lack of any clear, concrete understanding of his ideas (Kardas, 2014, pg. 174). In contrast, John Locke’s (1998) theories showed that the mind used the body to obtain sensory information,…

Kid Cudi, the Man on the Moon, or even Mr. Rager are a few of the nicknames artist Scott Mescudi is known by. His influence and talent has been appreciated by many since he first emerged as a rapper from Cleveland in 2008. Since then, he's produced countless classics for our generation and has experimented with different sounds for our hearing pleasure. Last week I got the chance to see him perform for the second time at Revention Music Center and he had me leaving the venue an even bigger fan…

Death comes for some in an instant, and for others over a period of suffering. It may be foreseen or come without warning. It is almost never a choice and is known as one of mankind’s deepest fears. Murder, and more specifically, genocide, has ended many innocent lives. One of the most well known events that demonstrated the sickening act of genocide is the Holocaust. The Angel of Death was the most horrific and feared aspect of the Holocaust amongst the Jews in Auschwitz. It was known as an…

An exercise in class allowed me to understand my own reasoning for helping others as well as what may be my own selfish reasons for seeking this profession. For example, at one point in the exercise, I broke ground into my own self-assessment and found insight that I was partially seeking the profession for money and for my savior complex. I felt that this observation of myself showed that I was overall, functioning normally with both healthy and minimal unhealthy motivations. Another concern…

Billy Jean-King aside, nobody expects women to be able to compete with men in sports. Men produce higher testosterone levels than women, giving them an athletic advantage, therefore men and women must be segregated in sports to keep the playing field even. However, testosterone levels in men and women vary. For example, Caster Semenya won gold in the 2009 women’s world championship in the 800m swim. The International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) tested her for enhancing drugs…