Philosophy Commons^™

Illusions Of Freedom? A History Of Attitudes Toward Death, Dominick Bucca

All Theses

My thesis explores the historical question: “Is there any freedom from death?” through three figures within the Western metaphysical tradition: Thucydides (460-400 BCE), Augustine (354-430 CE), and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616). In so doing, my thesis suggests the following: for Thucydides, freedom from death arose through the immortality of empire; for Augustine, through the immortality of God’s grace; and for Cervantes, through the immortality of narratives/attitudes of immortality. Moreover, I nest my claim within an exploratory narrative. Which is to say that, lifting a page from Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), I have attempted to break away from the near total …

Determinism & Free Will: An Exploration On Gender Identity As Evidence For Compatibilism, Daniel Mangandi-Escobar

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Determinism is a philosophical concept asserting that every event and action in the universe has been determined by previous causes, which has caused considerable debate within philosophy. Two critical issues within this discussion are the implications of determinism for human agency and moral responsibility. In this work, I argue that free ill is possible, rejecting hard determinism. Specifically, I will be arguing in favor of compatibilism, which is the view that free will can exist even within a deterministic world. From this perspective, free will is not opposed to determinism. Instead, our choices and actions can still be considered free …

Prop-Oriented Make-Believe In Metaphor And Morality, Jordan Ray Alexander Corner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

“Bill is such a bulldozer.” How does this metaphor mean what it does? How are we to understand how metaphors work with respect to meaning. In this work, there is an exploration of both of the answers that have already been given to these questions, as well as some reasons to think that those answers are insufficient. Importantly, Kendal Walton has put forward a prop-oriented make-believe account of meaning in metaphor. This account succeeds where others fail, though it is not without its own detractors. Elisabeth Camp and Catherine Wearing both object to Walton’s accounts and their objections require responses. …

Violence As The Imposition Of Difference: A Case Study Of The 2020 Riots In Minneapolis, Jude Sims-Barber

Honors Theses

Violence has received a great deal of study in many disciplines—as an act of force, or as a theoretical concept. Slovenian political philosopher and cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek provides in his work Violence: Six Sideways Reflections a unique typology of violence, building and expanding upon decades of existing research in many areas. In so doing, Žižek establishes uniquely insightful links between different forms of violence that open the opportunity to examine outbursts of violence, be they riots, rebellion, or war, in a new way. Cognizant of the inability for us to simultaneously analyze both the person-to-person violence seen in acts …

The Components Necessary In A Clinical Day Program For A Successful Transition To Traditional School, Erica Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what components of academic and therapeutic clinical day programs ensure success for students with mental health diagnoses as they transition back to conventional educational settings. This study focused on the importance of developing students' capabilities to fulfill their own needs within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs through coping skills, academic skills, and ensuring those skills transition to their traditional home school setting. The research questions guiding this study were: 1. How is “successful reintegration” defined for students with mental health concerns by the students, families, teachers, and other school staff? 2. What program …

Desire, Motivation, And Reasons: A Defense Of Humean Theory, Benton Anderson

Philosophy Undergraduate Honors Theses

The issue of motivation is vital to contemporary debates in metaethics. In this paper, I defend the Humean theory of motivation and one version of the Humean theory of reasons. First, I defend Michael Smith's direction of fit argument for the necessity of desire and Neil Sinhababu's inference that the Humean theory of motivation is the best explanation against objections. Then, I defend a telic desire theory of reasons by arguing against belief-based theories and noting problems with various desire-based, or Humean, theories of reasons. I conclude with optimism for the compatibility of moral reasons and the telic desire theory.

Biological Teleology In The Modern World, Kathryn Siena

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In humans, the heart moves blood through the body. Does the heart therefore have a teleological explanation? Aristotelian teleology (described in Aristotle’s Physics) is the cause-for-the-sake-of-which, or the end towards which something moves. It is evident from current scientific knowledge that there is some sort of orientation of organisms toward an end. This orientation, following Aristotle’s definition of teleology, is conceptually distinct from efficient causation. This orientation is also metaphysically distinct from efficient causation because efficient causal explanations do not properly describe the orientation. However, two common ways of describing teleological explanations imply efficient causation as a metaphysical element. …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

Logical Sense In The Skeptical Self-Refutation Problem: Sextus Empiricus’ Logos And Pathos, Stacy E. Cunningham

Honors Theses

The self-refutation problem is an all too familiar objection to all varieties of skeptical arguments, in fact, it is as old as skepticism itself. My analyses will first focus on the arguments and objections to ancient Pyrrhonian skepticism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes the goal of Pyrrhonian skepticism as “suspension of judgment as a way of achieving calm (ataraxia) in the face of seemingly intractable disagreement.” The position involves a series of arguments, or, “modes”, for evaluating claims in such a way that the evidence for and against accepting a claim are equally balanced, leaving the inquirer with no …

The Phygital Design Process: Using Emerging Technologies To Create A Phygital Fashion Brand Rooted In Nostalgia, Madeline M. Mcdaniel

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This Master's Project is a comprehensive exploration of the intersection of digital fashion design, nostalgia, and sustainable practices. Its primary objective is to create 'project CYBERBAE,' a phygital fashion collection that draws inspiration from early 2000s video game characters, trends, and aesthetics. The project utilizes advanced digital tools like Clo3D to demonstrate a comprehensive digital fashion design process that emphasizes inclusivity and sustainability. It also pioneers the development of a 3D virtual world, providing users with an immersive environment to interact with and experience digital fashion. This virtual space serves as a platform for a community of fashion, technology, and …

Pengaruh Pemikiran Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab Terhadap Kaum Paderi Di Minangkabau, Muhammad Afief Maulana, Letmiros Letmiros

Multikultura

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji keterkaitan antara pemikiran Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab dari Arab Saudi dengan kaum Paderi di Minangkabau. Pemikiran sang tokoh ini, akhirnya disebut dengan pemikiran Wahabi yang diterapkan kaum Paderi, terlihat dalam upaya kaum Paderi membasmi pemahaman TBC (tahayul, bid’ah dan churafat); usaha mengakhiri perang Paderi; serta dampak positif dari peristiwa tersebut terhadap masyarakat Minangkabau berdasarkan analisis teori kebudayaan C.A.Van Peursen. Metodologi yang dipakai dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian kualitatif deskriptif yang menggabungkan antara teori penelitian sejarah dan teori penelitian kebudayaan. Peneliti mengumpulkan data, menganalisis data, melakukan interpretasi data, dan mengakhirinya dengan kesimpulan.. Dalam penelitian ini …

Etnis Tionghoa Dan Dinamikanya Dalam Kesuksesan Bulu Tangkis Indonesia, Michelle Ladykia Naftali, Albert P. J. Roring

Multikultura

Penelitian ini membahas tentang peran etnis Tionghoa dalam perjalanan kesuksesan bulu tangkis Indonesia pada tahun 1966-1998. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menjelaskan etnis Tionghoa dari berbagai bidang dan dinamikanya dalam kesuksesan bulu tangkis Indonesia. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan sejarah. Dalam pengumpulan data akan menggunakan teknik studi pustaka dan wawancara. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah sekalipun di tengah dinamika sosial dan politik pada masa Orde Baru (1966-1998) yang diskriminatif seperti kewajiban memiliki SBKRI dan adanya kekerasan rasial, tetapi etnis Tionghoa dari berbagai bidang tetap melakukan perannya masing-masing dalam kesuksesan bulu tangkis Indonesia …

Narasi Tentang Qatar Sebagai Tuan Rumah Piala Dunia 2022 Di Surat Kabar Bild.De, Bayu Trian Yulianto, Sonya Puspasari Suganda

Multikultura

Penelitian ini mengkaji dua teks mengenai pemberitaan Qatar selaku tuan rumah Piala Dunia 2022, yang terbit di surat kabar Bild.de. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengungkapkan narasi yang dibuat penulis berita atau wartawan pada surat kabar Bild.de dalam memberitakan Qatar. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori analisis wacana kritis dari Teun van Dijk (1988; dan dalam Eriyanto, 2001) dan ditunjang oleh teori dari bidang ilmu tekslinguistik dari Brinker (2010). Teori Brinker digunakan untuk menganalisis tataran bahasa pada teks berita. Ancangan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah negara tuan rumah Qatar dinarasikan dengan kebencian dan ketidaksukaan. …

Respon Warganet Indonesia Terhadap Pelanggaran Turis Rusia Di Bali: Interpretasi Sakral Dan Profan, Arini Apriola, Mina Elfira

Multikultura

Penelitian ini membahas respon warganet Indonesia terhadap pelanggaran turis Rusia di Bali. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui bagaimana warganet Indonesia memberikan respon dalam menanggapi pelanggaran Yuri Chilikin, yaitu unggahannya menurunkan celana di atas Gunung Agung, Bali. Penelitian ini menggunakan beberapa konsep, yaitu Sakral dan Profan, Pancasila sebagai ideologi. Metode penelitian yang digunakan yaitu Analisis Wacana Kritis model Norman Fairclough melalui tiga aspek, analisis teks, praktik wacana, dan praktik sosiokultural. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa respon-respon warganet Indonesia merupakan kekecewaan terhadap pelanggaran yang terjadi oleh Yuri Chilikin, namun tetap mencerminkan nilai-nilai kelima sila Pancasila. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian pula ditemukan bahwa adanya …

Wanita Suriah Pasca Arab Spring Dalam Film Yom Ad’Atou Zouli Karya Soudade Kaadan, Elmaira Ineza

Multikultura

Penelitian ini membahas gambaran wanita Suriah pada masa Arab Spring di Suriah dalam film يوم أضعت ظلي /Yom Ad’atou Zouli/ ‘The Day I Lost My Shadow’ tahun 2018 karya Sutradara Suriah kelahiran Prancis oudade Kaadan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif untuk mengetahui perubahan wanita Suriah dalam film Yom Ad’atou Zouli setelah terjadinya Arab Spring. Penelitian diawali dengan melakukan observasi yang kemudian dilanjutkan dengan pengumpulan dan reduksi data. Peneliti juga memperoleh data melalui studi pustaka dengan menelusuri informasi yang relevan dari sumber-sumber literatur seperti buku dan jurnal artikel, dan kemudian data dianalisis dengan pendekatan sosiologi sastra. …

Kenakalan Remaja Dalam Film Wij (2018) Karya Rene Eller: Sebuah Kajian Sosiologi Sastra, Godeliva J. R. Pardede, Barbara Elisabeth Lucia Pesulima

Multikultura

Film adalah salah satu jenis karya sastra yang digunakan sebagai media untuk memberi gambaran fenomena di masyarakat. Remaja merupakan bagian dari kelompok masyarakat yang tidak dapat dipisahkan. Kehidupan remaja di Belanda dituangkan dalam sebuah film berdurasi 100 menit berjudul Wij karya Rene Eller yang dirilis pada tahun 2018. Permasalahan yang dibahas pada penelitian ini adalah penggambaran kenakalan remaja dalam film Wij (2108) dan representasinya di masyarakat Belanda. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk memaparkan bentuk-bentuk kenakalan remaja dalam film Wij (2018) serta perbandingan penggambarannya dalam film dengan realita di masyarakat Belanda. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif dengan menggunakan teori …

Diskusi Tren Wisata Halal Dan New Southern Policy Di Korea Selatan: Promosi, Prospek, Dan Konsumerisme Agama, Amelia Burhan, Ph.D

Multikultura

Wisata halal menjadi peluang bisnis menjanjikan yang tidak bisa luput dari perhatian para pelaku industri pariwisata. Baik negara-negara Muslim maupun negara-negara non-Muslim berusaha menawarkan layanan dan produk wisata halal untuk memenuhi kebutuhan wisatawan Muslim dan menjadi ‘tujuan wisata ramah Muslim’. Tak ingin melawan arus tren, Korea Selatan (selanjutnya Korea) ikut memberikan perhatian besar terhadap wisata halal. Dikarenakan kelompok wisatawan Muslim terbanyak yang datang ke Korea berasal dari Indonesia dan Malaysia, Korea telah memfokuskan wisata halalnya khususnya kepada wisatawan Muslim dari Asia Tenggara. Mengingat tujuan New Southern Policy (NSP - Kebijakan Baru ke Arah Selatan) untuk meningkatkan hubungan Korea dengan negara-negara …

Intuition In Modal Epistemology: Concept-Based Or Imagination-Based?, Jeremy Bachman

Honors Scholar Theses

In both George Bealer’s moderate modal rationalism (MMR) and Peter Kung’s modal evidence from imagination (MEI) intuition plays an indispensable role in modal knowledge. However, these modal epistemologies differ in whether modal knowledge is based on intuitions yielded by concepts or by imaginations. Both MMR and MEI take intuitions to be sui generis propositional attitudes, basic epistemic units, reasons for belief, and sources of evidence. However, MEI holds that sensory and intellectual content can prompt a rational intuitions. On the other hand, MMR is restricted to intuitions yielded by non-sensory content. According to MMR, intellectual intuitions about privileged concepts give …

Exploring Essentialization, Stereotyping, And Forms Of Dehumanization In American Sign Language, Madeline Haefele

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper investigates the philosophical implications of evolving and removing certain signs in American Sign Language (ASL), with a focus on those considered problematic due to their potential to perpetuate stereotypes or essentialism. Through an analysis of signs for words such as Jewish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Black, this study explores how language shapes and reflects social attitudes, particularly within the Deaf community. The research situates these signs within philosophical frameworks, identifying their potential contributions to social essentialism, prejudice, or forms of dehumanization.

While addressing the challenges of limited first-hand accounts from Deaf individuals, the …

University Sound, Maxwell Teodor Barton

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This civic engagement project (CEP) is varied in its explorations. Philosophically, this paper uses Waltonian aesthetics to critique the concept of "soundscape.". Practically, this paper examines and details my methods for bringing awareness about soundscapes (as both worthy of aesthetic and ethical consideration) to the community of Missoula, Montana. Utilizing a scaffold of Anglo-American analytic aesthetics, philosophy of animals, and environmental aesthetics, I show (1) that the University of Montana soundscape has been neglected in many serious ways (2) why it should be considered as an aesthetic object worthy of aesthetic engagement and (3) how to engage with it in …