Free essays on Philosophy are essays that are readily available on the internet for anyone to download and use. These essays cover a wide range of philosophical topics such as ethics, logic, metaphysics, epistemology, and many others. They are usually written by students, professors, or scholars who have a deep understanding of philosophical concepts and are willing to share their knowledge with others. Free essays on philosophy serve as an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating philosophical discipline.
The Use of Invisibility in the Hobbit, a Novel by J. R. R. Tolkien
Throughout Tolkien’s The Hobbit, there are many instances of liminality the secret entrance to the Mountain is a door made of rock that is a wall until the correct moment the key is inserted. The opening is also part of the outside and inside; it is both above ground and underground. The tunnel the company becomes trapped in is a liminal space because it is both a passage and a cave these instances of liminality are important because Tolkien uses…...
J.R.R TolkienPhilosophyThe HobbitThought
“To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus Stands For Justice
Andy Biersack once said, “stand up for what you believe in even if that means standing alone” (Goodreads). Often times in novels, characters go to extreme measures for something in which they take pride. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and father, stands up for his beliefs. Atticus believes everyone should be given a fair chance, no matter the situation. Despite the challenges Atticus faces, he still treats everyone equally. Atticus helps others because…...
EthicsFairnessPhilosophyTo Kill A Mockingbird
The Quest of Self Understanding in the Novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The quest for self-understanding is a long, enduring journey, in Siddhartha, an Indian novel by Herman Hesse, a young Brahmin goes on a quest to find Atman, one’s individual self. This Brahmin, Siddhartha, lived with other Brahmins and absorbed much of their knowledge throughout his childhood the Brahmin lifestyle, a highly revered priestly class in India, doesn’t satisfy Siddhartha‘s craving for learning. Siddhartha’s quest to find an understanding of himself leads him down the paths of the Samana, the merchant,…...
Herman HessePhilosophyReligionSpirituality
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Siddhartha’s Timeless Cycle of Life
Sometimes, the best teacher is one’s own self in Herman Hesse's story, Siddhartha. Siddhartha, the main character, undergoes many trials searching for enlightenment, peace, and happiness, sometimes even within himself. Hesse's motif—the river—teaches Siddhartha to embrace the timelessness and cyclic nature of life in order to accept the idea that reaching joy and success is not a destination, but rather a lifelong journey. Like the river flows without end, so do Siddhartha’s opportunities to redeem himself, even though he has…...
HappinessHerman HessePhilosophyWater
The Use of Symbols in Siddhartha, a Novel by Herman Hesse
A symbol is a noun that has a deeper meaning or intentionally represents another noun or concept. ”Things are going downhill for me!” laughing the while; and, as he said this, his glance fell on the river, and he saw the river going downward, too, moving constantly downstream, but singing merrily as it went." Siddhartha, pg 51 In Siddhartha, the reoccurring river arguably represents many overall concepts, but the river especially serves to represent the path of Siddhartha’s enlightenment and…...
CultureHerman HessePhilosophyRiver
Dante’s Religion & Unplanned Event in Monte Cristo
Subsequent to its release in the Journal des Debuts in 1844, the French novel, “Le Comte de Monte» Cristo" was deemed a forbidden book by the Catholic Church due to its discussion of controversial topics In spite of this, the story became popular and continues to thrive over one hundred years following its release, being translated into a plethora of languages, sparking the plot for multiple films and television shows, and being read by students across the globe. The novel…...
Alexandre DumasBeliefPhilosophyReligion
Analysis of The Four Stages of Cognitive Development by Kendra Cherry
In the article, "The Four Stages of Cognitive Development" published in March 2020, Kendra Cherry demonstrates Piaget's Theory on development and presents the four stages of cognitive development. Piaget's theory proposes that children advance through four stages: the Sensorimotor stage, the Preoperational stage, the Concrete Operational stage, and the Formal Operational stage (Cherry, 2020). Cherry gives a great and concise synopsis of each stage while also providing the history of the development of these stages. The Sensorimotor stage occurs between…...
Cognitive DevelopmentPhilosophyScience
Red-White-Blue Gift Statue Of Liberty
During the 1920s the role of women changed drastically. After years of hard work women were finally able to gain the right to vote in the American Government. The political cartoon “To: our daughters” shows the statue of liberty handing a red white and blue gift with the word vote on it to the entire country. The statue of Liberty’s hands look older to symbolize the amount of hard work put into gaining equality. The shift in time of day…...
CultureEthicsPoliticsStatue Of Liberty
Street That Runs Through Times Square
Why I believe horse-drawn carriages are unethical and outdated Good Afternoon class, my name is Kristofer Madu. Today, my sole purpose in talking to you today is to advocate for freedom. A few months ago I took a trip to New York City. I was enamored by the big, flashing lights in the big apple; the city that never sleeps. I remember I was taking a photo in Times Square when I heard it... “Clippity Cloppity Clippity Clop.” I turned…...
EthicsHealthPollutionTimes Square
About Time Mother Teresa
Mahatma Gandhi was a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to making the world a better place. His quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” contains morale that I agree with Gandhi meant that he was constantly changing himself in order to make his dreams come true. He fought against the unfair rule of the British and instilled in others to do the same. Gandhi‘s quote represents that not giving up and pursuing what you…...
EthicsMother TeresaPovertyReligion
The Starlight Tears Response
To me this story is like a fairy tale it is simple, yet interests the reader with its common ideas. In the world that Talon lives, there are the Kind beings of the Light and the Evil creatures of the Dark. This relates to the common opinion that good is represented by light and evil is represented by darkness. In the world of Light are the creatures and gods. There are separate creatures for different parts of nature, and a…...
PhilosophyTearsThoughtViolence
Esperanza’s Self-Realization in ‘The House on Mango Street’
The novel the House on Mango Street tells the story of a young Hispanic girl named Esperanza. As Esperanza matures throughout the novel she discovers several truths about herself. When her family finally earns enough money to move into their own home Esperanza learns to derive new meaning in her life and adjust to the grueling challenges that her life presents she draws nearer to self actualization. Moreover, as Esperanza develops physically and mentally she concedes in her newfound sexual…...
CultureEthicsMangoPsychology
The Morals of the Story in A Poison Tree, a Poem by William Blake
“A Poison Tree” is a poem written by William Blake, and it describes aspects of wrath. The first stanza states that if you keep your wrath a secret, it will deteriorate. The writer explains it in a common scenario, which has probably occurred to most people. In the second stanza, the writer explains how his wrath grows in an extended metaphor, which basically means that he compares wrath to a tree in a series of sentences throughout the poem/stanza. The…...
EthicsLiteraturePhilosophyPoison
Predictive Modeling and Big Data Analysis
With the inception of E-commerce and the abundance of E-commerce website, one thing is exponentially growing and that is data. This data is all about people; what they like what they don’t like and by leveraging this data letting the user know what he or she might like. Having said that, lets delve into how important is Big Data Analysis and Predictive analysis is for E Commerce. Here we will be talking about impact of Big Data Analysis and Predictive…...
BusinessData AnalysisEthicsPrivacy
Utilitarianism and the Scientific Racists on Blacks as Experimental Subjects
This paper is on utilitarianism and the focus will be on scientific racists on blacks as an experimental objects. This paper will be based on arguments between two individuals. First by a utilitarian, John Stuart Mill on chapter 12 from Exploring Ethics and on infection and inequity by Harriet A. Washington (an activist for blacks) on chapter 13 from Medical Apartheid. I will concentrate more on infection and inequity. Utilitarianism is the idea that the sole moral worth of an…...
EthicsHealthMedicineUtilitarianism
An Opinion on Utilitarianism as the Best of the Moral Theories
In my opinion, I believe that Utilitarianism is the best out of the moral theories, The improved version of the Rule Utilitarianism, by John Mill, sounds like the most practical and reasonable option of moral theory to appeal to most people. Of course, it won‘t be perfect and everyone will not participate, but I felt like the Rule version uses the rules of society to shape your morals. This type of society would most likely become a Utopian society, which…...
EthicsPhilosophyThoughtUtilitarianism
Utilitarianism and Happiness
I have dwelt on this point [judging the quality of pleasures] as being a necessary pan of a perfectly just conception of utility or happiness considered as the directive rule of human conduct, But it is by no means an indispensable condition to the acceptance of the utilitarian standard r r r and if it may possibly be doubted whether a noble character is always the happier of its nobleness, there can be no doubt that it makes other people…...
EthicsHappinessPhilosophyUtilitarianism
Moral Theories: Utilitarianism, Deontology, Relativism
In normative ethics, utilitarianism is used to describe a theory that places the center of the right and wrong actions on consequences of choosing either of the choices. The moral normative theory also describes the consequences of not choosing one option over the otheri The theory concentrates on the need to satisfy the needs of the entire society rather than the needs of an individual or an alienated group of people For example, the theory is applicable in the law…...
Moral
Ethical Theories of Utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Ross’ Prima Facie Duties
So far in the class, we have covered the ethical theories of utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Ross's prima facie duties. Utilitarianism, which is a form of consequentialism, is the view that an action is morally required just because it does more to improve overall well-being than other actions that could have been done in the circumstance. In other words, an act is right if it maximizes the overall amount of well-being in the world. Kantianism, a form of non-consequentialism. is the…...
EthicsMetaphysicsPhilosophyUtilitarianism
Process of Mediation in Business
Ethics is an extremely important part of the mediation process, Parties in a mediation expect that the procedures will be ethical and fair and that the mediator themselves will act with a fair and ethical mindset, Considering this, the following essay will examine the five principles of model standards, explaining the significance of each principle and how it contributes to a fair procedure Principles & Their Significance Self-determination refers to a party’s ability to make decisions based on their free…...
BiasEthicsMediationPsychology
Satisfaction, Desire, and Mediation in Hegel’s Phenomenology
In ”B. Self-Consciousness", Hegel writes, "Self-consciousness achieves its satisfaction only in another self-consciousness”. By this he means that self—consciousness can only satisfy its desires in Life (ie. in a physical, limited body in a physical world with other people and things in their limited, physical embodiments) where mutual recognition of others is necessary because with others, one "cannot utilize (them) for its own purpose, if that object does not of its own accord do what the first does to it".…...
EthicsMediationMetaphysicsPhilosophy
What Is Fear and How Is It Conquered?
Fears are defined as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." No matter how big life is, it's always the littlest things and briefest moments that will grab hold viscously, never letting go. The vast heights, darkness engulfing the light, standing alone in the world, lungs burning for air as the merciless waves hit. One can conquer these fears in some form or another. All in all,…...
FearPhilosophyPsychology
The Different Elements of Survival in Maus, a Novel by Art Spiegelman
Courage is always shown as the most important quality of survival, but I disagree with this statement. Survival is not always depending on one thing. What I think is, there are some important qualities, which courage is one of them. In the story of Maus by Art Spiegelman, Vladek is the main character who has shown as a survivor of World War 2. First of all, your knowledge and intelligence would be the first two things in order to survive…...
CourageIntelligenceMausPhilosophy
Socrates vs Hobbes
It is better to mention that Socrates is a philosopher and jurist that lived, while Thomas Hobbes lived between (1588-1679). Both jurist lived on the different era and time line and both of them are exposed to different kinds of legal system and philosophy It is justifiable to say that both of the jurists have different opinion of theories on their own on the aspect of the Law, how and why the law come into being. However, an analysis of…...
JusticeLawPoliticsSocrates
Philosophies of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
Socrates was the earliest great free thinker and philosophical giant. Born in Athens, Greece he lived a rather uncanny existence; dressing shabbily, scorning mammon and pleasure- seeking, and passionately looking to explore the "Unexamined” sides to mankind's existence. He developed a unique approach where he would ask individuals he talked leading questions in order to cause them to closely delve into the truth behind their ideas and beliefs. This would be infamously known thereafter as the Socratic Method. He upheld…...
PhilosophyPlatoScienceSocrates
A Comparison Between the Works of Assata Shakur and Socrates
Assata Shakur and Socrates are both legends in their own aspectsiSocrates’ story comes from the past and Assata Shakur‘s life and incidences happened more recently. However, their stories are extremely similar to one another. They were both placed in predicament of being unfairly imprisoned Although for different reason. Shakur and Socrates also chose different ways to go about solving their problem Socrates chose to follow Athen‘s government decision of death instead of giving in to his supporters ideas to escape…...
EthicsJusticeLawSocrates
The Differences Between Xenophon and Socrates in Philosophy
The excerpt about the ideal household is written by Xenophon, an Athenian, who was born in 431 BC, and was a pupil of Socrates. The excerpt entails conversation between a man named Ischomachus and his wife, illustrating the principles of the science of the household. The conversation is between a man who is accomplished and knowledgeable in the art of household management. Ischomachus states the principles of educating a wife to be the helpmate of a husband, his approach to…...
CultureEpistemologyPhilosophySocrates
Comparing Plato’s Cave with Omelas and Matrix
Imagine what it would be like to see the world differently then all of your peers and colleagues, like you had some superpower or sixth sense that told you: this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. We all curse the geniuses that come up with brilliant life-changing inventions and ideas; where does this magnificent insight come from? Why couldn’t we think of it ourselves? Maybe these intellects are destined for greatness. Maybe they possess a unique quality that calls for…...
PhilosophyPlatoThe MatrixTruth
Plato’s Theory of Forms Applied to The Matrix, a Movie by the Wachowski Brothers
To a casual movie enthusiast, The Matrix may seem like your typical 20‘“ century sci-fi film with never-before-seen visual effects and over-the»top action scenes. However, beyond the superficial, The Matrix actually goes a long way intellectually and philosophically. It strikes curiosity in a particularly controversial question — a simple question which has boggled the minds of many since time immemorial. What is reality? Commonly, we define reality as solely those that are perceived by our senses. Consequently, we know for…...
MetaphysicsPhilosophyRealityThe Matrix
Certainty in The Matrix: Descartes and Plato’s Views
The Matrix, a movie that has been popular and controversial for decades, delved into the field of epistemology by raising an important question to society regarding the certainty of knowledge and the reliability of the human senses. Plato with his Allegory of the Cave from The Republic and Rene Descartes with his Meditation I from Meditations on First Philosophy both provide epistemic platforms to compare and contrast the question of if what humans believe as reality is truly as it…...
PhilosophyPlatoRealityThe Matrix
The Issue of Reality in The Matrix, a Movie by the Wachowskis
The Matrix, a popular movie that hit the big screen in 1999, poses an interesting question of whether humanity’s perceived reality is based on truth, or if it is all an illusion This question is not a new idea. Renowned philosophers throughout history such as Plato and Descartes asked the same question Is the world as we perceive it real? Is our reality just a dream? Are we living in some controlled, videogame-like environment where our freedom of choice is…...
PhilosophyPlatoRealityThe Matrix
A Study of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism
There are numerous types of Buddhism practiced around the world, but the three main schools of Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Each particular branch holds distinctive sets of beliefs, practices, and values. However what they all agree on is the primary goal of human existence 7 that is, to reach enlightenment and escape the cycle of rebirth. In Buddhism, reaching enlightenment is so important because that is how one can ultimately end worldly suffering. In Buddhism, enlightenment is defined…...
BuddhismConfucianismTaoism
Taoism and Confucianism as Chinese Guides
The Tao is a word that signifies the “way” or the “path”, It is the intuitive knowing of life that can be known through the living experiences of one’s every day being. It is the flow of the universe that keeps it balanced and ordered Lao Tzu, the founder ofTaoism and author of the Tao Te Ching, says that the Tao is not a name or a thing but natural order of the universe that can’t be described because it…...
ConfucianismPhilosophyReligionTaoism
Taoism & Confucianism in Li Po & Tu Fu’s Poetry
Taoism and Confucianism have a few similarities but are very different. Although they both were ruling philosophies during the Tang Dynasty, their differences were noticeable in the poetry of the time. Through Li Po’s poem, Sitting Alone by Ching-thing Mountain, and through Tu Fu's Spending the Night in a Tower by the River, we can see many of the characteristics of the two thought processes. Sitting Alone by Ching-t'ing Mountain by Li Po is a poem about being alone, but…...
ConfucianismCulturePhilosophyTaoism
The Principles and Importance of Taoism
Before starting it is important 0 note that Taoism has three very distinct and different sub groups, There is the philosophical Taoism, the vitalizing Taoism and the religious Taoism. Houston Smith focused primarily on philosophical Taoism throughout the chapter and so, although I will quickly touch on the other two groups, my primary focus will also be on the philosophical Taoism. Vitalizing Taoism was the most interesting to me The other two groups focus on conserving and using re, power,…...
MetaphysicsPhilosophyReligionTaoism
Nature vs. Nurture Argument in What Makes You Who You Are by Matt Ridley
Matt Ridley‘s What Makes You Who You Are argues that we're influenced by our genes, but our genes are influenced by our behavior More accurately, it describes how experience can change the way we express our genes 7 that we don't genetically inherit certain traits, but we do inherit a predisposition to develop certain traits based on experience, The author supports this by research done in the Human Genome Project and the work of Craig Venter. The strongest point in…...
HomosexualityNature Vs NurturePhilosophyTheory
The Moment We All Guestion The Lord of the Rings
There comes a point in our lives when we question everything, For some people, this happens more often. We as people naturally question who we are and why we are here on the Earth, I come from a perspective where everything happens for a reason. I myself question why am I here? Why do I continue to live? As Sam from The Lord ofthe Rings puts it, “ there’s some good in this world,“ and it’s worth fighting for” (Jackson).…...
ChildCultureEthicsThe Lord Of The Rings
The Philosophy of Modernism in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
By the end of World War 1 the viewpoints of people in society had drastically changed. People were no longer living their lives with purpose due to the failure of previous beliefs. The people of the world once believe that God was on their side and that he would protect them, but after the first World War, people began to question this and so became the philosophy of "making everything new", the philosophy of Modernism. During this time period, artists…...
Ernest HemingwayModernismPhilosophy
Literary Devices in The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Normality is the halfway point between the perfected personas people portray, and the genuine truths that people hide. It is rare nowadays to wander into the most intimate corners of someone's mind, and to bare witness of people's most truthful feelings. Mask-wearing and secret-bearing are what humans are, but in many ways, their secretive selves are reflections of the complexities of modern society. Arthur Miller's The Crucible takes place in a time of a much greater simplicity, in a community…...
Arthur MillerForgivenessTruth
Los Angeles Ethnic Groups and Religions
In today’s state of increased globalization and inescapable cultural spread, the religious and spiritual face of communities around the globe has dramatically begun to change. Especially in Los Angeles, ethnicities and religions from all parts of the world have been drawn to create one of the most diverse civilizations in history. It is unlikely that any other place can rival the close quartered variety of Los Angeles’ religion, spanning Abrahamic World Religions, representation of local indigenous cultures and lifestyles, as…...
CultureLos AngelesPhilosophyReligion
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