When I was a child I viewed everything from a child's point of view. If I was afraid of the dark it was because I believed that monsters dwelled under my bed and in my closets. If I was afraid of loud noises it is because I believed with all my little heart that they led to danger. As I aged an...

Pre-Socratic Philosophy: ParmenidesParmenides (pronounced as: parmenidz) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and poet, as well as a leading figure of the Eleatic school of philosophy. Son of Pyres, Parmenides was born of an illustrious family in Elea between B.C. 505-515. Elea was a colony locate...

The 1999 science fiction movie, \"The Matrix,\" is interesting because it addresses some important philosophical questions. The existence of human being, the reality of this world we live and the questions of the reliability of human mind are examined during the movie. When examined deeply, it is fo...

Socratic philosophy has two divine sources because it questions the meaning of a conventional Athenian god. This questioning makes two opposing sides, the diamonic voice vs. Apollo's oracle. Socrates begins his defense speech justifying the fact that he will tell the truth "by Zeus...

David Hume was one of the greatest thinkers in Western History. He was an 18th century philosopher who looked at the world in logical terms. He was a realist who, through philosophy, sought to distinguish between the impression of human experience and the ideas, which are changing repre...

Imagine a hostile courtroom filled with hundreds of jurors and politicians who only wish harm upon the defendant. A rowdy audience is present, with only a scattering of supporters of the defendant and in a definite minority. This is what Socrates faced when he was the defendant, refuting charges o...

\"They fear and see philosophy as a threat that will shake their sense of spiritual security or fissure their soda-cracker-like faith which is seemingly solid, but just a touch of philosophy\'s sturdy hand crumbles this faith before their very eyes.\" (Velasco, 54) This line struck me when I was rea...

Descartes second consideration on the existence of God relies on his belief of the certainty of clear and distinct perceptions. In the meditations prior to meditation five Descartes emphasized the truth evoked by everything which is clearly and distinctly perceived. Descartes is able to theorize tha...

It seems that the meaning of human nature varies among existentialist philosophers. As a whole, however, existentialism can be characterized as a philosophy that searches for the essential self, or the essential human condition. In this paper, the views of two existentialists will be discussed with ...

Michel Foucault (1926 – 1984) is considered by many the greatest thinker of the 20th century. His most famous work focuses on two things: sexuality and its construction (his concern with this issue was always at hand; he was openly, albeit quietly, homosexual ), which he discusses in three vo...

Descartes' 'Cogito Ergo Sum' (I am, I exist) argument is a complex one. In many ways, he constructs a convincing argument for the existence of the self, and for the process of the thinking being, the essence of that self. In this meditation on his philosophy, Descartes on numerous ...

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." ~Albert Einstein Throughout time, man has taken for granted, that his reality and things that have appeared true, are real. At one point man has ventured to challenge those things asking, what is reality? What is real? What is truth o...

In direct translation, a simulacrum of any form threatens the difference between \"true\" and \"false.\" Simulation is to feign to have what one does not have, thus implies an absence. Religion is seen as a simulacrum. The idea of it is not tangible nor comprehends physical truth. It is something th...

Plato uses the myth of the cave to address several important concerns of philosophy, the role of the philosopher and his journey to Knowledge. The story presents a group of men living in an underground cave. They are chained to a wall such that they can only see the back wall of the cave. There is...

Common Sense: Our Innate Foundation of Knowledge The human brain, as we know it, was created within the parameters of metaphysical laws, which were then built into the architecture of the human mind. Using this theory as a premiss, one could hypothesize that the brain itself, recognizes the param...

Aristotle refutes Plato's Theory of Ideas on three basic grounds: that the existence of Ideas contradicts itself by denying the possibility of negations; that his illustrations of Ideas are merely empty metaphors; and that they theory uses impermanent abstractions to create examples of perception. T...

David Williamson's play Brilliant Lies explores the dynamics of sex and power, questions right and wrong and delves to try and find the truth. An attractive young woman accuses her former employer of harassment and unfair dismissal, demanding compensation of $40,000. Our view of the truth of th...

A WORLD VIEW COMPARISON In breaking down my worldview, I discovered that I am not oriented towards one major view of life but a combination of many. One view that dominates is the Christian theistic view. It is a view that was taught to me from early childhood. I have come to realize and accep...

Simplicity and Complexity "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4)." This seems to be a very simple scripture talking about simple ideas. Children understand the little things that adults have a tendency to exasperate inher...

"Conscience created or innate"To what extent do you think you are dictated by your surroundings and your up-bringing? Do you claim your opinions to be your own? Do you trust your logic and your conscience? These are questions that are seldom asked by ourselves or by others. In fact, these kinds ...