Can the mind (or the soul) exist without the body? If it can, how is that possible? Is there something beyond the physical world and if the answer is yes, what could it be? Rene Descartes thought so and he was a dualist. Why was he a dualist and was he right in being one? In this essay, I will expla...

1) Introduction Through out history, as man progressed from a primitive animal to a "human being" capable of thought and reason, mankind has had to throw questions about the meaning of our own existence to ourselves. Out of those trail of thoughts appeared religion, art, and philosophy,...

Ideas of the Parthenon The Greek people of the 5th century BC created a culture that was deeply rooted in philosophy and the arts. Their endless search for their place in the grand scheme of the universe and in nature around them influenced everything in their lives especially their love of th...

Descartes' Method of Doubt "I think, therefore I am" (32) is the principle in which Descartes uses to build any foundation for the ideas in his meditations. The human being is in essence a thinking thing in which the mind has the ability to deceive a person. He may in his youth hav...

The poetry of Carlos Williams is some of the most intriguing yet odd works of literature that I have ever encountered. Untraditional in nature, Williams awed me with his unique style and at the same time, left me shaking my head with a smile at some of his pieces. In the video we viewed in class, Wi...

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...

Throughout time, humankind has always had to struggle with control. At first, we learned to control one's self, so that one may think and act independently and intelligently to survive. Then humankind has learned to control most aspects of the awesome power known as nature. From taming animals, ...

I belief that not everything in this world needs to be proven, God for example. Not everybody believes in God even if people saw him some will still deny. We do not need to prove it, and why should we care if someone doesn't believe it. Believing in God is a personal faith and everyone is free to ...

Introduction Thinking is a daily process that always accompanies the human being. Like walking, thinking is a natural action we perform permanently. Because it is a vital process that every body needs, thinking became the subject of discussion for ages. Since the Greek philosophers until today no ...

The way Descartes chose to write this piece literature captivated me. Descartes was a very intelligent man who wanted to make sense of the world he lived in. The format he used was unusual. It seems to me that he may have used this format, which is a replication of the book of Genesis in t...

Perfect Misunderstanding: As Understood by Epistle I of "An Essay on Man" Alexander Pope's "An Essay on Man" is a crowning achievement, as it enjoys, simultaneously, the arching comprehensiveness of a distinguished volume, and the judicious simplicity of poetry. Bri...

The article I have chosen, entitled "Designer People", covers the issues of designer babies and the melding of man and machine. Both of these issues are very controversial and the article contains arguments for each side in the two topics. Designer babies are a new "fad" that may be up an...

Scientology is a fairly new religion. Founded in the twentieth-century by a man by the name of L. Ron Hubbard. He began his studies long ago and wrote a book in 1950 called Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. He claimed that this book was one of the first tools used to solve the ...

Personal Identity Philosophers have argued about what it is that makes us who we are for a very long time. What is it that sets us apart not only from other species, but also from each other as individuals? There are many ways to approach this issue, which can be first separated into two cate...

Why Think? Uniqueness is a personal quality many people strive for. It is defined in the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary as: being without a like or equal. One can acquire this quality by thinking. When one thinks they express their opinions, ideas, intentions, expectations, judgments, conce...

Descartes Meditation Two Descartes comes up with the wax argument in order to explain what he is – what man is. His certainty that he exists, that he can even utter or conceive the thought in his mind allows him to consider this idea and further develop it coming to his conclusion. But...

Moses Virella Inst: Nicole G. Fernandez "How Far Have We Gone?" Audience: Government Agencies English I Birth is one of Gods greatest and oldest ...

"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe deals with a man's mental deterioration and his descent into madness. The story focuses on the narrator and his obsessions. It is told from a first person point of view by the protagonist himself. The point of view of the story is importa...

Ecstasy Sometimes when I'm watching the news or flipping through newspapers I stop and realize how many sick and deranged people there are in this world. If you open a newspaper or turn on the news any day of the week there is always some situation going on that just makes you sick or mak...

The transformation from a teenager to an adult often involves lots of emotions and events that are unforgettable in a person's life. The changes in emotions and behaviors are sometimes strong enough to temporarily push a person away from his/her normal life. I myself experienced quite an intere...

Montaigne in his Apology for Raymond Sebond begins his exploration into the human capacity for knowledge with this belief that only though God can one achieve true knowledge. God is the only infinite, all seeing, being with divine wisdom. He is not subject to the laws and rules of the huma...

An Invincible Killer The Indian Killer was a spiritual incarnation developed due to years of abuse and mistreatment of Native Americans, and created through a ritualistic dance known as the ghost dance. There are many reasons I believe the killer is not a human and actually some supernatural enti...

The Study of the Mind: Mind & Thinking The objective of The Mind is to provide the reader with a unique overview of the thinking of human kind. Self-understanding is one of humankind's most ancient quests. Who am I? What is my relationship to the world around me? These questions marked ...

Pascal builds his argument in "Man and the Universe" out of a series of paradoxes, seemingly contradictory truths. In writing, "Man and the Universe," Pascal reflected his views on what is our place in the world as human beings. Pascal's writing shows a harmony be...

Are We Already Just? Aristotle once said "How can we be good without being good already?" (C&C 238) This brings about a puzzle sounding much what came first the chicken or the egg? Is there a definite answer? If so, how can it be justified to all? Aristotle felt as though he cou...