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...

It is my conclusion that dualism does not provide a satisfactory account of the nature of the mind, and I shall attempt to illustrate the major flaws in the argument for dualism as Descartes puts forward. As hinted to above, the argument for dualism is effectively put forward in Rene Descartes&ap...

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, ...

What does it mean to be what we are? What is it that makes us human? Is there some facet of existence beyond our fragile corporeal vessels that separates us further from what we perceive as other species? More importantly is exactly why we are what we are, while others are not. Such is the primary ...

The concept of freedom is not a skill to be learned, practiced or improved upon. Nor could it be utilized or withheld upon volition. It is only optional either in its existence or in its exercise. It can either be increased or diminished by wish or labor. The idea of being free begins when we ...

It is my intent to analyze Disabled by Wilfred Owen, the majority of which focused on a soldier's present condition rather than the past; the part that did focus on the past were more pessimistic that this portion. The poem seemed realistic and personal as it portrayed an image of one man'...

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...

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...

The Similarities Between the Narrator in Araby and I At some point in ones life, one must come to a crossing ground where one must choose to grow up and become an adult. All have either experienced this or will experience this later on in the future. In the story Araby, the narrator is going alo...

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 ...

The Agony of Waiting The dictionary defines the verb to wait as the looking forward to the probable occurrence of an outcome and or event. In life there are many things that people find themselves waiting for. People wait in line to check out, for the weekend, for another year to go by, to grow ...

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...

Building the Future I am writing this because I feel there is something I must pass on, a terrific contagion that has the potential to change the world. I have experienced something quite beautiful and I want to ensure that others receive that same blessing. I am talking about optimism, not in th...

Proactive. Covey tells us how we should be taking more initiative and control of our lives. We are the only ones that have control over our lives. Covey uses the story of Victor Frankl to explain the total control we have to shape our own thoughts and feelings. Victor was a Jew held in a German deat...

Mersaults' Animal Nature Albert Camus' The Stranger starts with the death of a mother, maybe. Her son, Mersault, is unsure. He is also oblivious to the concepts of marriage, God, and repentance, as well as other institutions of society. According to social law, this is reason to execute him for...

How To Obtain Knowledge To obtain wisdom one must have good judgment, pure confidence, and knowledge. When a person has obtained these three traits then and only then, will a person experience true wisdom. Even though these three traits seem to be easily obtainable most people will never truly expe...

Little Red knew exactly what her mother wanted since she had gone along to Grandma's house many times before. Being in the phallic stage, Little Red was always modeling her mother's behavior. As Little Red skipped along the path, a big, but not too bad looking, wolf approached her and ...

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...

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...

Walt Whitman's 'This Compost", similar to most of his poetry, is written is free verse; therefor, instead of using rhyme and meter to create an underlying rhythm, he creates a rhythm with his gradual flow of thoughts and abundant use of repetition. Also similar to many of Whitman&ap...

In David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Cleanthes' argument from design is successful in supporting the idea that the universe has an ordered arrangement and pattern. This argument is not sound in its ability to prove the existence of the Christian God. However, Cleanthes...

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...

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...

The Origins of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Cognitive behavior therapy was devised in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Albert Ellis, Ph.D. in New York and by Aaron Beck, M.D. in Philadelphia. Although they worked independently of each other, both Ellis and Beck had grown dissatisfied with the tradit...

A hero is a symbol of courage, hope, and victory. When I think of a hero, I think of firefighters, polices, nurses or doctors which are all people skilled in helping people in need. Anyone can be a hero. I have a friend who I recently met who has become my hero. He's always there when I really ...