Western philosophy

After a comprehensive shift in the culture and values of the western world nearing the end of the 20th century, postmodernism revolutionised literature. Texts became a form of communication that extended past earlier two-dimensional literary conventions and metanarratives. Unprecedented holistic philosophies brought about unorthodox forms of literature through imaginative powers, stylistic ingenuity and linguistic playfulness. Texts encouraged responders to challenge accustomed notions and…

The Renaissance was probably one of the most known epochs in human history. But what most don’t know about is the Baroque Era and the Enlightenment Era. There were a lot of events that occurred during this time period that make it slightly different than the Renaissance, and a lot of it had to do with social aspects. One of the most controversial events that was happening was the Thirty Years’ War. According to the textbook, it took place “from 1618 to 1648, a series of wars raged throughout…

Whilst The Hobbit offers a Western interpretation of good and evil, Le Guin’s The Wizard of Earthsea propose an alternative perspective of what good and evil entail. These two worlds differ in many different ways. For example, the landscape of the Hobbit tends to resemble that of Europe and all the characters tend to be described with European colouring. Whereas Earthsea is a mixture of islands that house “isolated communities”, the cultures and people of each islands ranging from “pale haired…

Most people agree our culture has been shaped by philosophy in one form or another throughout history, however, may people tend to reflect on specific philosophers. Eastern culture tends to reflect on eastern philosophy, dating back to Confucius and the Buddha, and western culture with western philosophy, dating back to Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato. Is there a reason for this? Is it fair to say that our different cultures have more or less accepted the philosophical principles of our own…

THE GREATER INFLUENCE OF PERSIA OVER GREECE IN WESTERN CULTURE USAACE SFC Eric A. Curfman 15ZSLC 17-002 SFC Maradol History repeatedly tells us that ancient Greece is the cradle of modern democracy, and is one of the most influential cultures to modern western civilization (Borbor, 2008). Hollywood has popularized Sparta as great defenders of freedom and democracy, two pillars of our own way of life, while portraying Persia as a tyrannical empire bent on the destruction and assimilation…

The ancient Polis of Athens was the fount head of philosophy and democratic ideals in the ancient world. Since it’s very beginning the Hellenistic world saw the development of a radical and unconventional art and way of thinking and appreciation of wisdom. This art of thinking and achieving wisdom is Philosophy. Philosophy comes from the Greek word of Philosophia which literally translates to the love of wisdom. In the ancient Hellenistic world especially in mainland Greece on the Attica…

approach can be applied to many different areas of teaching to enhance the educational delivery and the resulting understanding of the students. Idealism is possibly the oldest Western philosophy we know and study in the present day. It traces back at least to Ancient Greece and Plato. It was once the dominant philosophy of Western culture and is still influential today. Idealism naturally takes its name from the root word idea. Idealists believe that ideas are reality. They typically reject…

The notion and study of orientalism in the West reached a different understanding from an iconic book called „Orientalism“, written by Edward Said. Nevertheless, contemporary discussions have highlighted various types of orientalism in the Western world, their perception of the „East“ , frailty of epistemological distinction made between "the Orient" and "the Occident“ and have moved way further than Said's description of the phenomenon. The author, Vera Tolz, wrote this book as a study of…

Introduction Throughout the course of this class, we have learned about numerous individuals and topics, which have had an immense influence on molding western civilization. It has been built upon the achievements of history’s greatest leaders, ideas and documents. The most important, however, was that of Greek mythology, the philosophies of Socrates, and Augustine’s, Confessions. From the beginning of the belief in higher powers, to the philosophical advances and growth of religion, it is…

More than Genies and Spirits: The presence of Feminist Characters in old Arab Stories In her book titled The Hidden Face of Eve, Naawal El Saadawi an Egyptian writer writes that “Woman is at her best and most powerful when she takes on the form of a genie or spirit in A Thousand and One Nights. Men fall victims to her beauty and her spells and go through suffering and even torture to gain her favour.” (, P. 162) In this passage, El Saadawi expresses an opinion that is very popular within the…