Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
- Keyword
-
- Philosophy (3)
- Ethics (2)
- Morality (2)
- Abstracta (1)
- Activism (1)
-
- Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl (1)
- Aesthetics (1)
- Akira Kurosawa (1)
- Anti-black racism (1)
- Argument (1)
- Aristotle (1)
- Authenticity (1)
- Beauvoir (1)
- Biology (1)
- Bushido (1)
- CRISPR (1)
- Camus (1)
- Chattel slavery (1)
- Colorism (1)
- Comparative Literature (1)
- Concreta (1)
- Corporations (1)
- Cultural Heritage Law (1)
- Cultural Identity (1)
- Deconstruction of García Márquez and Rosario Ferré: deconstruction (1)
- Demythologization (1)
- Différance (1)
- Dostoevsky (1)
- Duty-to-Act (1)
- Egypt (1)
Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Liberation Chronicles: Reformulating Black Liberation In The Face Of Persistent Oppression, Nia P. Gadson
Liberation Chronicles: Reformulating Black Liberation In The Face Of Persistent Oppression, Nia P. Gadson
Honors College Theses
Liberation movements for Black people have been prominent throughout American history. Chattel slavery and Jim Crow laws caused centuries of anti-black oppression. They continuously evolved into other anti-black structures – mass incarceration, predatory loan companies, and healthcare inequalities, to name a few – that require us to address these issues still today. The most recent Black liberation movement, Black Lives Matter, experienced a brief uptick in support after George Floyd’s murder but, overall, failed to address these issues. This thesis outlines three approaches to Black liberation in the U.S. to determine the most effective. First, drawing on Frederick Douglass’ autobiographies, …
Uncomplicating The Complicated: The Definition Of Life, Jennifer S. Primatic
Uncomplicating The Complicated: The Definition Of Life, Jennifer S. Primatic
Honors College Theses
The issue of defining life has long been debated by biologists and philosophers alike, but the issue surrounding it has been that the definition is overcomplicated and attempts to include so many definitions from previous scientific discussions. The proposed definition is– a living thing consists of an organic entity which, taken out of the ideal condition, will work toward sustaining itself without outside influence. This definition addresses many issues present in the previous definition, while also including organic entities which should be considered alive.
Bearing The Benefit: An Evolution Of Passing To Trespassing & How We Got Here, Kennedi J. Williams
Bearing The Benefit: An Evolution Of Passing To Trespassing & How We Got Here, Kennedi J. Williams
Honors College Theses
In recent years, we have seen a shift in the social treatment of white people in America. The desire to be politically correct at all times, in hopes of avoiding becoming the next viral “Karen” or racist has become imperative. The following thesis will explore the latest trend of white women buying racial capital by producing mixed-race children. At first glance, this idea can be a bit problematic. How can we assume the reasoning behind a woman choosing to bear a child? With this in mind, I would like to emphasize that individuals do not have to consciously be racist …
A More Modern Prometheus: What Frankenstein Tells Us About Genetic Modification, Allison M. Ambrose
A More Modern Prometheus: What Frankenstein Tells Us About Genetic Modification, Allison M. Ambrose
Honors College Theses
Mary Shelley’s famous novel, Frankenstein, is often hailed as the first true science fiction novel. In my thesis, I use the premonitive lens towards creation of life provided in Frankenstein to evaluate the morality of genetic modification of children. CRISPR-Cas9 is quickly emerging as the most important development in reprogenetic technology of our time, and many argue for its merits as a method of designing our children. I argue against this trend of “designer babies,” specifically raising questions about the soundness of modifying non-disease traits in future children and encouraging a more cautious attitude in both the scientific and philosophical …
"Fulfil In Beauty My Imperfect Prayer": Mythologization In Santayana's Aesthetics Of Religion, India M. Johnson-Mccauley
"Fulfil In Beauty My Imperfect Prayer": Mythologization In Santayana's Aesthetics Of Religion, India M. Johnson-Mccauley
Honors College Theses
This thesis addresses George Santayana’s theories of art and religion in the context of turn-of-the-century religious thought and introduces the concept of the mythologization of religion. Santayana, the Spanish-American turn-of-the-century philosopher, poet, and novelist, took a naturalist, pragmatist, and religious non-realist approach to understanding the world that prompted works regarding the nature of art, The Sense of Beauty (1896), and the nature of religion, Interpretations of Poetry and Religion (1900). Within these two works, Santayana proposes a theory of aesthetics and a theory of religion that seem to function in tandem with each other. According to his theories, art, particularly …
Is There Really Anything Wrong With That? An Aristotelian Analysis Of Duty, Luke J. Mcgrath
Is There Really Anything Wrong With That? An Aristotelian Analysis Of Duty, Luke J. Mcgrath
Honors College Theses
In the iconic Seinfeld series finale, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer find themselves in a peculiar legal predicament when they mock a crime rather than intervene to help the victim. The show’s commitment to portraying reality, even in its finale, vividly demonstrates the potential consequences of a society lacking the legal obligation to aid others. This comical incident raises a thought-provoking question about the legitimacy of duty-to-act laws in the United States. This thesis examines the application of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics to the concept of duty-to-act laws and argues for the necessity and benefits of such laws in promoting a …
The Gladius And The Katana: Viewing The Seven Samurai Through The Lens Of Roman Stoicism, Joseph White
The Gladius And The Katana: Viewing The Seven Samurai Through The Lens Of Roman Stoicism, Joseph White
Honors College Theses
This paper examines the concepts of traditional Bushido and Roman Stoicism as they relate to the unique interpretation of Bushido by Akira Kurosawa in the movie the Seven Samurai. I explain the main concepts of Bushido and Roman Stoicism, focusing upon the virtues of each, and their connection to Kurosawa’s view on how Bushido should be practiced. I then draw similarities between these two ways of life. I examine how the genre of film dealing with samurai deals with this question.
Sin Without Absolution: A Critical And Comparative Analysis Of Select Works By Albert Camus, Will Hodges
Sin Without Absolution: A Critical And Comparative Analysis Of Select Works By Albert Camus, Will Hodges
Honors College Theses
The Fall by Albert Camus, published in 1956, is cryptic and easily misunderstood. On first reading, it can appear to be a condemnation of modern man, a declaration that all have sinned and there is no divine absolution. However, this bleak misreading is deceptive because The Fall is not a condemnation; it is a warning. It does not condemn modern man as he is, but rather as what he could become if he succumbs to living in bad faith, a cautionary tale that resonates today. Camus presents the same message through his philosophy of revolt in The Plague and The …
Egyptian Etiquette: A Historical Rebuttal To The Genealogy Of Morals, Noah C. Evans
Egyptian Etiquette: A Historical Rebuttal To The Genealogy Of Morals, Noah C. Evans
Honors College Theses
In his book Genealogy of Morals, German philologist and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche posits an understanding of the origin and development of morality that stood in stark contrast to the common understanding of his day. Rather than presuming the existence of some metaphysical, objective reality to morality, Nietzsche outlines a natural development and evolution to the concepts of "Good," "Bad," and "Evil" throughout a nebulously defined period of history, focusing primarily on the psychological conditions surrounding the advent of morality. Following this, he wrote The Antichrist, in which he provided a far more specific historical framework within which the …
Bad Acts, Worse Responses: Reconsidering The Moral Foundations Of The Us Criminal Justice System, Christian N. Futch
Bad Acts, Worse Responses: Reconsidering The Moral Foundations Of The Us Criminal Justice System, Christian N. Futch
Honors College Theses
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the contemporary criminal justice system in the United States, offering moral and pragmatic critiques to its current construction, and proposing an alternative construction that is both more successful pragmatically and morally. In this paper, I first establish the connection between morality and the law through the consideration of jurisprudential theories of law. After arguing for this connection, I then offer critiques of the current criminal justice system in the United States. After this, I evaluate the four general theories of punishment using the scholarship of Thom Brooks, finding that retributive and deterrent …
Ontological Functionalism: You Are An Abstract Computer, William L. Farlow
Ontological Functionalism: You Are An Abstract Computer, William L. Farlow
Honors College Theses
The Following thesis explores the application of machine-state functionalism in ontology. I take the position that physical things are explainable in terms of a Turing machine originating in abstracta and can, therefore, be reduced to abstracta.
Who Is Baby Girl? A Philosophical Discussion Of The Legal Obligation To Define Authenticity, Madison Hayes
Who Is Baby Girl? A Philosophical Discussion Of The Legal Obligation To Define Authenticity, Madison Hayes
Honors College Theses
In the later twentieth century, American law attempted to address legacies of unjust treatment of Native Americans though legislation like the Indian Child Welfare Act, which requires considering Native American identity in child custody decisions. This created some complex legal questions about exactly what constituted Native identity. The Supreme Court case, Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, exposed a number of problems that arose from determining authentic tribal identity. To offer a more precise analysis of the problem of identity in American law, I will engage in philosophical investigations into the nature of authenticity, bringing in the work of the …
Morality From Meaninglessness In Simone De Beauvoir's "The Ethics Of Ambiguity", Victoria L. Riggs
Morality From Meaninglessness In Simone De Beauvoir's "The Ethics Of Ambiguity", Victoria L. Riggs
Honors College Theses
In her book The Ethics of Ambiguity, French existentialist writer Simone de Beauvoir delves into the human condition and the possibilities for morality that arise from her understanding of such. Beginning with the assumption that there is no externally objective meaning or value to humanity, Beauvoir presents humanity as fundamentally free to create meaning and values for themselves. Beauvoir argues that humans are all simultaneously free to choose, yet limited in our choice by the facts of our situations, a paradoxical state of being she labels as our fundamental ambiguity. It is because of this ambiguity, she asserts, that …
Food Waste In The United States: Issues, Ethics, And Solutions, Patrick Erickson
Food Waste In The United States: Issues, Ethics, And Solutions, Patrick Erickson
Honors College Theses
One-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. In North America and Europe, 280-300 kg of food is wasted per capita each year, with more than 40% of the losses occurring at the retail and consumer level. In this paper, I compare the amount of food wasted in the United States to the amounts wasted by different societies around the world, and discuss the reasons for the food waste, and the consequences that the waste has on our society, in terms of resource consumption and production of pollution. The pragmatic philosophy of Richard Rorty states …
"Hail Mary, Full Of Haze": Physicalism And The Knowledge Argument, Jesse R. Powell
"Hail Mary, Full Of Haze": Physicalism And The Knowledge Argument, Jesse R. Powell
Honors College Theses
This project aims to provide a clear and compelling reason for rejecting dualism with respect to the mind, by undermining the support dualist positions receive from so-called knowledge arguments. In particular, I will show the error present in the many forms of what is variously called the “Mary’s Room” or “Mary the Brilliant Color Scientist” thought experiment.
Killing And Letting Die: The Irrelevant Distinction, Sarah Beth Shaw
Killing And Letting Die: The Irrelevant Distinction, Sarah Beth Shaw
Honors College Theses
The object of this essay is to explain why the distinctions made in euthanasia between killing vs. letting die and willingness to kill vs. unwillingness to kill are not relevant to real life euthanasia cases. The specific purpose of the research is to isolate the relevant factor for debate when discussing the morality of euthanasia. It begins with a brief examination of some vocabulary that is commonly used when discussing euthanasia. Following this is a quick overview of what the word euthanasia meant in the ancient Greco-Roman world compared to what it means in the modern vernacular. I use an …
Proper Names As Narrative Gaps: A Deconstructive Reading Of Rosario Ferré And García Márquez, Dora Suarez
Proper Names As Narrative Gaps: A Deconstructive Reading Of Rosario Ferré And García Márquez, Dora Suarez
Honors College Theses
This thesis argues that language in general, and proper names in particular, are surreptitious examples of narrative gaps. In this way, in the context of literature, the narrative gaps enclosed in proper names enable the audience to become an active participant in a type of writing that exceeds the limit of the specific literary text at hand. In deconstructing the way in which proper names and nicknames are used by Rosario Ferré and García Márquez, this exposition shows how names, as conveyors of different identities, systematically enable an exercise of différance: they distinguish subjects while postponing an actual description of …