Philosophical Investigations

Our identity is like a kaleidoscope. With each turn, we reset it not to a former or final state but to a new one that reflects the here-and-now positions of the pieces we have to work with. Firstly we must understand the concept of who is "I". Identity or "I" usually refers to certain properties to which a person feels a sense of attachment or ownership. A personal identity in this sense consists of features a person uses to "define themselves as a person". Even if the identity may feel…

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”-Albert Einstein (BrainyQuote.com). This quote is important in the story of Gil Pender. The bad spirit is driven without much thought and is instinctual and pleasurable. While the good spirit usual can take more time to develop because it can be the hardest decision to make. People and experiences in life drive good and bad spirits to formulate our decisions. To discern which spirit is the right one, we need to take in…

In this essay, I will show that Derek Parfit is wrong to think that without perfectionism we cannot avoid the repugnant conclusion. My first step in defending this thesis will be to review Parfit’s argument on the repugnant conclusion and the way perfectionism helps us avoid it. I will then try to undermine his view by showing it supports implausible claims. For example, the premise of Parfit’s argument is that perfectionism does provide a full means of avoiding the repugnant conclusion. However…

Kant’s thoughts do apply today because we as college students face the challenge of learning to think for ourselves despite the self-imposed obstacles and the authorities that compel us to remain ignorant or self-assured in one way of thinking. Also, as students with the opportunity to learn and enlighten ourselves, we must promote a society where the freedom to rationalize and learn is protected and available. Many self-imposed distractions threaten our learning at college as well other…

I am following up on my final report by providing information in regards to the exhibit of “The Celebration of Writing” I attended. As you have requested, I have attended this festival and am reporting to you on the positives and negatives of what I saw and by using my observation and thoughts about the exhibition. These observations will provide you with information to create a visual exhibition on the ethical issues of payday loans. I know you are looking to make an exhibition on the final…

1) In Nietzsche’s first treatise, he elaborates on the notions of slave and master morality. He opens his argument for these concepts by observing that his take on morality will be passed on the history of morality to provide a better insight unlike the English psychologists. (I:1) Nietzsche mentions a very powerful thought that permeates history that the strong and the winners are who writes history. In this sense, he states that it was the nobles; the ones in charge were the ones to associate…

In the following essay, I will explain how Aquinas thinks God is not responsible for moral evil. On Aquinas’s account, everything in the universe aims for the good. And to be good means to be desirable. For example, a good husband is a man who has achieved perfection in terms of the duties he ought to perform towards his wife by virtue of being married to her. If the good thing is able to manifest its desirability, it follows that the good thing should also necessarily exist. Aquinas argues…

as questioning or doubting unempirical knowledge, beliefs, or opinions stated as facts and refrains from claims of truth or knowledge. Skepticism, however, does not state that truth or knowledge is impossible. The difference between these two philosophical ideas can be seen in examples of everyday life. Using a hypothetical example of skepticism and common sense as well as the viewpoints of Moore and Lehrer, I will demonstrate the difference between skepticism and common sense. A…

Skepticism is the theory that people have either no knowledge, or very little knowledge. In this essay I will discuss one particular type of type of skepticism, called “brain-in-a-vat” skepticism, which denies that we can know whether the external world (anything outside our minds) exists as we think it does. I will examine two attacks that have been made on this sort of skepticism, and argue that both fail to defeat it. The brain-in-a-vat skeptic argues that no person knows that his/her body,…

Flexibility of your beliefs, alignments, and interest are the only ways to be truly authentic. No one should be ascribed a definition. The human spirt is simply too intertwined with others and with the world to limit its itself. However, at a specific moment people can take up an identity. The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguist states that “identities are how we represent who we are to ourselves and others and how we interpret who others are” (Joseph 2006). More importantly, a flexible…