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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Wittgenstein On Reasonable Doubt And Calling Bullshit, Frank Hernández
Wittgenstein On Reasonable Doubt And Calling Bullshit, Frank Hernández
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
In this essay I analyze a passage from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s On Certainty. This excerpt contains the expression “O, rubbish!” (Ach Unsinn), which I consider to be closely related to the notions of “bullshit” developed by Harry Frankfurt and Gerald A. Cohen. The relevance of this essay is illustrated with lively examples, both related to contemporary society and identified by Wittgenstein about 70 years ago. The paper is organized in six sections containing 1) an introduction to the topic, 2) an explanation of “bullshit” as found in the works of Frankfurt and Cohen, 3) an explanation of Wittgenstein’s work on …
Palouse Prairie: Ethics Behind The Loss Of An Ecosystem, Hailey V. Smith
Palouse Prairie: Ethics Behind The Loss Of An Ecosystem, Hailey V. Smith
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
There is an ethical tradeoff between growing high-yield agricultural products and the integrity and goodness of an ecosystem. Why must we protect an ecosystem and prevent extinction of other organisms? One might claim that the human benefit gained from environmental destructions for the purpose of agriculture is more valuable than any life or structure that existed in the ecosystem. In the case of the Palouse Prairie in Eastern Washington, early white settlers in the area valued the monetary gains from agriculture more than any goodness of an intact ecosystem. Unlike the benefits gained from farming (which could be attained through …
On The Deconstruction Of Metaphysics: Heidegger’S Critical Ontology In Being And Time, Marshall Pierce
On The Deconstruction Of Metaphysics: Heidegger’S Critical Ontology In Being And Time, Marshall Pierce
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time offers a sustained critique of the Western philosophical tradition. Specifically, Heidegger describes his project as a “deconstruction” of prior ontological systems, whose goal is a positive recuperation and reformulation of the “question of being.” This question, Heidegger suggests, has been obscured and distorted by prior metaphysics. In Division One of Being and Time, Heidegger explicates his own ontology in a critical mode, positioning himself against various canonical figures while forging his own, novel conception of the “being of beings.” This paper offers a focused exposition of Being and Time’s first Division, tracing the …
Laughter As A Critical Tool For Liberation, Jay Nelson
Laughter As A Critical Tool For Liberation, Jay Nelson
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
No abstract provided.
Hegel, Marx, And The Realization Of The Self In Work: Towards A Humanistic Ontology Of Labor, Omar Khali
Hegel, Marx, And The Realization Of The Self In Work: Towards A Humanistic Ontology Of Labor, Omar Khali
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
It has become evident in advanced capitalism that the worker’s relation between their labor and their selfhood remains unclear and distorted. For many, labor is merely a means for putting food on the table and a roof over their head. This does not mean, however, that labor in itself gives rise to this prevailing relation. The objective of this essay is to uncover a fundamental ontological characteristic of labor; namely, its ability to reflect one’s subjectivity and capabilities as a human being. I attempt to demonstrate, through thinkers such as Karl Marx and G. W. F. Hegel, that the worker's …
A Case For Creating Clearly Condemnatory Status Of Wrongdoers, Chloe Berger
A Case For Creating Clearly Condemnatory Status Of Wrongdoers, Chloe Berger
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
In recent work discussing how we should address public statues of wrongdoers, people typically argue for either removing statues or retaining them, often with the addition of a contextualizing plaque, counter-commemoration, or other alteration.1 In contrast to mere removal or modification, I argue that one permissible alternative is to create clearly condemnatory statues of wrongdoers, but only for wrongdoers with already existing statues. That is, we need not create statues of every wrongdoer; we should only create them following removal of the originals. While my arguments apply to wrongdoers generally, including confederates, colonizers, and genocidaires, I focus on Columbus as …
Letter From The Editor, Mac Neaville
Letter From The Editor, Mac Neaville
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
No abstract provided.
Acta Cogitata - Volume 9, Mac Neaville, W. John Koolage
Acta Cogitata - Volume 9, Mac Neaville, W. John Koolage
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy
No abstract provided.