Tolkien And The Deadly Sin Of Greed,
2017
Liberty University
Tolkien And The Deadly Sin Of Greed, Amanda A. Kieffer
The Kabod
Tolkien’s genius as a writer and insight as a philosopher and theologian (of sorts) are reflected in his subtle yet impactful interweaving of the consequences of greed within the lives of the peoples of Middle-Earth. He shows readers that greed is not simply the love of money. Greed is the root of all evil, and it takes a variety of forms, as represented by Sauron’s desire to possess power over and control others, Saruman’s imitative desire, and Feanor’s over-possessiveness of his sub-creative acts. Tolkien also reveals that a proper relationship with nature can provide recovery from the drab familiarity which …
Tempered Experience: The Educational Foundation Of Democratic Ideology,
2017
St. John Fisher University
Tempered Experience: The Educational Foundation Of Democratic Ideology, Nicholas J. Schwarm
The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research
Democracy is a political ideology, one that requires a person to believe in that ideology for it to exist. The contemporary political landscape is dominated by democracies, and for this reason we need to understand how to build and sustain them. There needs to be a well-educated populace of citizens, who are able to engage in democratic actions, and aid the community. What they need is tempered experience, experience that is understood though the knowledge that a citizen already has.
Oral History Conversation With Jason Buys,
2017
University of San Diego
Oral History Conversation With Jason Buys, Marguerite M. Wallace, Akira Bannai, Devon Parikh, Jason Mendes
Philosophy: All Student Work
This is an oral history conversation with Jay Buys.
Contextual Beliefs: A Creative Interpretation Of The Fictional Emotion Paradox,
2017
Northern Michigan University
Contextual Beliefs: A Creative Interpretation Of The Fictional Emotion Paradox, Amelia Richards
Conspectus Borealis
No abstract provided.
Female Autonomy: An Analysis Of Privacy And Equality Doctrine For Reproductive Rights,
2017
Macalester College
Female Autonomy: An Analysis Of Privacy And Equality Doctrine For Reproductive Rights, Elizabeth Levi
Political Science Honors Projects
What is the constitutional basis for women’s equality? Recently, scholars have suggested that as the right to privacy has floundered against the political undoing of women's access to abortion, equal protection arguments have grown stronger. This thesis investigates the feminist utility and limits of the equality and privacy arguments. Taking liberal feminism and feminist legal theory as analytical lenses, I offer interpretations of gender discrimination, reproductive rights, and marriage equality case law. By this framework, I argue that while an equality argument is less inherently oppressive towards women than the privacy doctrine, equality doctrine has been constructed thus far to …
Think With Your Fork: Five Areas Of Intervention For Kimball Dining Hall,
2017
College of the Holy Cross
Think With Your Fork: Five Areas Of Intervention For Kimball Dining Hall, Kristin Lane, Christina Nee, Julia Metzger
Philosophy Department Student Scholarship
Our goal with the present proposal is to bring modifications to the dining experience in Kimball Hall at the College of the Holy Cross, so to encourage a more well-rounded approach, which would best represent the values of continuous learning and education of the whole person and reflect the mission of the College. In order to meet these goals, we recommend five changes to Kimball dining , which we plan to implement during the Spring 2017 semester in collaboration with two Montserrat seminars.
The Formation Of The Autonomous Woman Through A Hegelian Lens: A Comparative Study Of The British Fin De Siecle "New Woman" And The Post-Mao "Amazing" Woman,
2017
University of Texas at Tyler
The Formation Of The Autonomous Woman Through A Hegelian Lens: A Comparative Study Of The British Fin De Siecle "New Woman" And The Post-Mao "Amazing" Woman, Robyn L. Buro
English Department Theses
This thesis utilizes the Hegelian concept of self-consciousness development to explore the formation of the autonomous woman within the New Woman movement of the British fin de siècle and the literature of women writers in 1980s Post-Mao China. The sexual figuration of the New Woman via an unremitting male gaze as well as the absence of individual awareness due to limited reflective self-assessment lead to a misrepresentation of the female figurehead in fin de siècle Britain. Through an in-depth study of literature by Charlotte Mew, Victoria Cross, George Egerton, and Thomas Hardy, the reader can identify key points of failure …
Arminianism And Molinism On Divine Foreknowledge,
2017
Liberty University
Arminianism And Molinism On Divine Foreknowledge, Nathan S. Justice
Senior Honors Theses
Evidence is examined concerning the coherence of divine foreknowledge as defined by Arminianism and Molinism. Arminianism argues that God has complete and infallible knowledge of the future, and attempts to simultaneously maintain a strong view of libertarian freedom. Molinism agrees with the Arminian stance on foreknowledge and human freedom, but argues that middle knowledge must also be posited for God to have strong providential control over His creation. It is argued that Molinism better accounts for the biblical data and provides a more coherent theological and philosophical position, since Arminianism cannot provide a strong theory of providential control. Subsequently, a …
How Trump Won: Media And The Silent Majority In The 2016 Us Presidential Election,
2017
Liberty University
How Trump Won: Media And The Silent Majority In The 2016 Us Presidential Election, Joshua K. Miller
Senior Honors Theses
Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign ended in victory because of two powerful forces: enormous media advantage gained through sensationalism and a strong coalition made up of evangelicals, pragmatic conservatives, and the silent majority. The work of Neil Postman sheds light on the underlying cultural foundation of Trump’s media advantage. Parallels from the video game industry explain how intentional sensationalism played into Trump’s success in the primary process. Evangelicals and pragmatic conservatives joined Trump’s coalition in spite of his scandals, and Eric Hoffer’s work helps explain his appeal to the silent majority. Ultimately, the patterns of Trump’s victory yield significant learning …
Degrees Of Altruism As Dependent Upon Degrees Of Relations,
2017
University of Missouri, St. Louis
Degrees Of Altruism As Dependent Upon Degrees Of Relations, Bobbi Jackson
Theses
In David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature (1738), he asserts that humans act most altruistically toward people in the closest relations to us, e.g., in family or friendship relations, and somewhat less so toward those who are merely in our own ethnic group, of our own nationality, etc., and least altruistically toward people in the most distant relations to us. But, current empirical data appears to indicate vast multitudes of exceptions to Hume's claim. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to determine the cause of this apparent conflict and suggest potential solutions that might allow Hume's theory …
Realist Nonideal Theory: The Intuition Critique, Reflective Equilibrium And The Role Of Morality In Politics,
2017
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Realist Nonideal Theory: The Intuition Critique, Reflective Equilibrium And The Role Of Morality In Politics, Danny R. Underwood Ii
Theses
In this paper, I explain political realist Raymond Geuss’ critique of John Rawls concerning his use of intuitions when developing a political philosophy. Rawls’ justice as fairness, due to its reliance on moral intuitions, fails to achieve the theory's purported aim and has the effect of affirming the status quo. I use Rawls’ idea of reflective equilibrium, where our theoretical principles are checked against our commitments until a satisfactory balance is reached, as an explanatory framework to discuss various forms of political philosophy. By adopting this framework, the disputes between various approaches to political philosophy are reducible to which initial …
Soldier, Officer, Citizen: Applying Just War Theory To Police Use Of Force,
2017
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Soldier, Officer, Citizen: Applying Just War Theory To Police Use Of Force, Benjamin N. Wisniewski
Theses
A police officer's badge is the emblem of a shield, meant to protect and serve citizens from violence and crime. Yet today, so many citizens feel their shield is absent, if not weaponized against them. This perception of malfeasance has become evident in the waves of outrage and protest that followed high profile applications of coercive and lethal force by the police in recent years. One need only look at the armor and munitions police deploy in the searches of citizens and on perimeters of protests as evidence that the tools of the police mission are converging with those of …
Is Having Children An Essential Part Of A Good Human Life?,
2017
Otterbein University
Is Having Children An Essential Part Of A Good Human Life?, Bethany Blinsky
Undergraduate Distinction Papers
Is being a parent part of living a good human life? In this paper I argue, contra Rosalind Hursthouse, that the answer is no. However, I make the case that something very much like this is essential to living a good human life. I get at this by borrowing Claudia Mills’ account of the value of unchosen relationships. I argue that unconditional and unchosen love is an essential component of a good human life, and while we can get this by having children, we can also get it in other ways.
The Epistemic Status Of Moral Conceptual Truths,
2017
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Epistemic Status Of Moral Conceptual Truths, Kara D. Boschert
Theses
Evolutionary debunking arguments assume that morality could, conceptually speaking, be about anything. A response to this contention is that there are some moral conceptual truths which counter assertions that we could be in error about basic moral truths. According to proponents of moral conceptual truths, some things, by definition, cannot count as moral. Putative moral conceptual truths, such as “stealing is wrong,” are thought to enjoy a privileged epistemic status because anyone who denies them forfeits their ability to engage in competent moral reasoning. This paper explores whether moral conceptual truths can offer a satisfactory response to the debunkers’ premise …
The Life And Death Of Sexual Difference,
2017
Maastricht University
The Life And Death Of Sexual Difference, Louis Van Den Hengel
Criticism
Review of Becoming Undone: Darwinian Reflections on Life, Politics, and Art by Elizabeth Grosz. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011. Pp. 264. $84.95 cloth; $23.95 paper.
Framework For Ethical Decision Making: How Various Types Of Unethical Clothing Production Have Different Impacts On People,
2017
Kennesaw State University
Framework For Ethical Decision Making: How Various Types Of Unethical Clothing Production Have Different Impacts On People, Ebru Pinar
Siegel Institute Ethics Research Scholars
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how various types of unethical clothing manufacturing impacts peoples’ shopping attitude in different ways. The study also focused on if there was an effect on how people decided what they find more important and if there was a change in their decision making after being informed. Using an online survey, Kennesaw State University college students, faculty, staff, and community members (n=78) were conducted randomly. As a result, Fair trade (p=0.032), Sweatshop or Child labor (p=0.007), and Sustainable Material (p=0.020) had statistically significant differences after being informed. …
The Eternal Hero: A Study Of The Evolution Of The Literary Character Throughout History,
2017
Otterbein University
The Eternal Hero: A Study Of The Evolution Of The Literary Character Throughout History, James Simms
Undergraduate Distinction Papers
The Literary character has always existed, and I intend to show how he or she has changed the times, and, in turn, been changed by the times. Literature is a powerful force of culture and morality, liberalism and conservatism, engines of fate, and forces of chaos. As each era has its own values, so each character reflects those values (and might even go against some in order to convey the authors’ understanding of them). The characters, if powerful enough, often cause social change, defining major thoughts of various eras. Literature can both define a period, but can also be the …
Cartesian Method And Experiment,
2017
University of South Florida
Cartesian Method And Experiment, Aaron Spink
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The conception of René Descartes as the arch-rationalist has been sufficiently exploded in recent literature; however, there is still a large lacuna in our understanding of how empirical research and experimentation fits within his philosophy. My dissertation is directed at addressing just this problem. I contend that Descartes’ famed method is not a singular monolith but instead two interdependent methods: one directed at metaphysical and epistemological truth, while the other directed at empirical questions and contingent facts of the world. I claim there is evidence for this position not only in his actual scientific practice, but also in the rhetorical …
Active Suffering: An Examination Of Spinoza's Approach To Tristita,
2017
University of South Florida
Active Suffering: An Examination Of Spinoza's Approach To Tristita, Kathleen Ketring Schenk
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Humans' capacity to attain knowledge is central to Spinoza's philosophy because, in part, knowing things enables humans to deal properly with their affects. But it is not just any sort of knowledge that humans should attain. There are different types of knowledge, but only two of them–rational and intuitive knowledge–enable humans who attain them to know things clearly. Because rational knowledge attends to universals whereas intuitive knowledge attends to particulars, intuitive knowledge is better than rational knowledge at enabling humans to deal with their affects. Most scholars recognize both the importance of knowledge to humans' dealing with their affects and …
Japanese Tarot Cards,
2017
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Japanese Tarot Cards, Laura Miller
History Faculty Works
This essay looks at selected images from tarot decks designed in Japan. Tarot decks reflect a deliberate adaptation process across both cultural and temporal borders, with visual components created and customized for a Japanese viewer. My aim is to consider the nature of these changes in imagery and to focus attention on an under-analyzed and mostly female-gendered domain. In particular, I look at the way the medieval European people and elements originally found on the cards are replaced with images from the world of Japanese art, history, and popular culture. These substitutions either gloss over the gaps between Western and …
