Philosophical Investigations

Is certainty necessary for knowledge? To really answer this question, we have to define what knowledge really is. Then in turn, we have to define what certainty really is. Truth also should be defined in order to help better understand the question. Once all three of these terms are defined then the main question can be dealt with. Truth should be dealt with first since it is the underlying aspect of the question. Some people could consider certainty truth. However, I do not feel as if…

One can argue that man’s human nature is both inherently good and evil, but it is through the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that each generation born after them was no longer born without shame, which Hsun Tzu does a great job of showing how man’s nature is inherently evil. Hsun Tzu was a Chinese scholar who followed the Confucian belief who lived from 300-230 BCE. He wrote this piece of literature explaining how man is not born with an innocent or pure nature, meaning that in the…

1.Event-Causal Model of Human Agency and Its Difficulties Davidson proposes a ‘single line’ event-causal model of human agency, attempting to bring intentional states and actions into a single causal chain: an agent’s intentional states (or events), such as beliefs, desires and intentions, cause some bodily movement called ‘basic action’ to happen. There are different descriptions of this basic action, and under some of them, this action is intentional. (Davidson 2001/1963, 2001/1971) Even…

In the article “Ethical and Social Issues in Antidoping Strategies in Sport” by Norman C. Fost, it gives reasons about how the prohibition drugs in athletics have moral principles. Fost is arguing about how prohibiting such drugs is no clear moral principles. I will be analyzing two argument claims in the article of Fost and will also be evaluating Frost’s argument in agreeing with his arguments and reasons. Fost argues about what things are harmful and explains why it is not a good moral claim…

Austin Briffa Professor Lund Honors Philosophy of Science 12-04-16 Miracles: A Scientific and Religious Analysis The concept of a miracle has been etched into our society for centuries. It’s a word that is used quite often in colloquial language, such as when one hears good news. To many, they are attributed to supernatural entities, saints, and prophets, such as those found in Judeo-Christian scripture. From parting the Red Sea to turning water into wine, these mystical events have captured…

Is the evil in this world justified? Richard Swinburne argues that, the existence of evil, positive bad states like suffering, is a necessary condition for the existence of a deep good then the existence of evil is justified. But others like Ivan Karamozov believe that the evil in this world is not justified because if evil is justified then it has to be a positive consequence, everyone deserves to experience the evil they experience, or the evil is a result of carelessness that can be…

In Plato’s Republic, Socrates rejects Polemarchus’s definition of justice – doing good to friends and harming enemies – because one cannot know good from evil unless they have knowledge of the nature of the good. Mistakes can be made in choosing good from evil if knowledge of the good is not obtained. In Mill’s Utilitarianism, Mill sees that actions are good if they tend to promote happiness (pleasure and the absence of pain) and bad if they tend to promote the opposite. This principle is what…

Real Identity Do we really know who we really are as humans in this world? We will be faced with a great number of challenges in life, where we are forced to be stronger and must learn to make it through. There will be many people trying to get in our way of success. The first thing we must do is find ourselves. If we truly know who we are, there will not be anyone who can stand in front of us and limit our capabilities of who we are. Having a sense of identity consists of knowing our…

Writing Sample 2: Identity Prompt Imagine if everyone in the world all had the same identity. Nothing and no one would be unique or be the amazing person you are today. Identities are what makes you yourself and it shows what actions you make. There's a ton of different identities some of mine include family, and interests. Everyone has a different identity and we all had the same the world would be a boring place. I´m a very imaginitive person and I like to dance and be with my friends and…

What makes someone who they are? Is a person defined by their appearance, their characteristics, or maybe even their beliefs? These are questions that society has been asking for years, and—due to the complexity of the answer—various interpretations have been made. Many factors are involved with identity such as social and cultural notions of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Although determining ones self-identity can be rather difficult, there are artists that focus on…