Philosophy Essays

John Stuart Mill was a great philosopher of the nineteenth century and the author of ‘On Liberty.’ In this writing (written in 1850), Mills voiced his ideas on individual freedom, both social and political. His intended audience is educated, healthy and ‘civilized’ adults. He equates our personal freedoms with the …

Rene Descartes begins Meditations on First Philosophy by explaining his basic purpose and how he plans on going about accomplishing this project. Descartes hopes to discover truth and justify human knowledge and belief. In order to find the fundamental truths of life, Descartes believes he must start from scratch so …

Every living being possesses at least one type of faith in many diverse ways. It is defined by The American Heritage Student Dictionary that faith is “A loyalty, confidence, or trust in a person, thing, religion, or set of teachings, principals, or beliefs.” The beginning of faith came when answers …

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that pivots around the belief that morality should be judged by consequence and the way in which an action can be deemed moral or immoral, depends upon the number to which it brings the greatest happiness. A decision can be defined as ethically correct under …

Thus far in class we have learned to increase our problem solving skills by using different critical thinking tools; however, we have not yet broached the subject of ethics. Here now, I will discuss how ethics and decisions blend together to blur the lines of fairness and profitability, in business, …

Being one of the first “self-made men” in America, Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography best portrayed many of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s views regarding transcendentalism. Coinciding with Emerson’s views of self-reliance, Franklin placed a great deal of value on individuality and self worth. He was independent and determined, rising above the …

Throughout literary history, Ralph Waldo Emerson has been considered one of the most influential writers of American Individualism. Emerson defines individualism as man’s ability to think for himself and to not rely on the past to direct his life. Emerson’s essay, “Self-Reliance”, is based on this idea of individualism. In …

Throughout the centuries, there have been many economists, who have contributed to the many economic theories. Among them is Adam Smith, also known as the Father of Capitalism. His theory on beneficial workings of the free marketplace and his 1776 Wealth of Nations is what he is most noted for. …

The term “hero” comes from Greek mythology, where the child is the result of the union between a human and a god or goddess. Superhuman characteristics and exceptional feats of bravery, strength, and military endeavor frequently display a hero, so the term “hero” means anyone displaying exceptional traits. A hero …

Utilitarianism was Originally formulated by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century, and fully developed by John Stewart Mill in the 19th. It Asserts that we should always act so as to produce the greatest ratio of good to evil for everyone concerned with our decision and As with all moral …