Faculty Research Directory, Akadimia Filosofia Staff

Akadimia Filosofia

No abstract provided.

Harry Potter, Master Of Love, Charles S. Holland

Akadimia Filosofia

Love can be differentiated into two main categories: “action love” and “emotion love.” “Action love” spurs us to act for the betterment of some cause, but it is empty without “emotion love,” which encompasses the feelings we have for those close to us. Likewise, “emotion love” by itself is not true love, either. As Harry Potter shows, the ultimate love combines these two categories.

The Possibility Of The Gift, Bruno Cassara

Akadimia Filosofia

Like many others who work in continental philosophy, Jean-Luc Marion has written on the gift and its possibility. His essay attempts to refute Jacques Derrida’s conclusion that the gift as such is impossible, as its structure is in fact always one of exchange within an economic horizon. Marion first presents the gift as it appears within the horizon of economy and identifies the reasons for the impossibility of the gift. He therefore reasons that the gift must be examined under another, more primordial horizon—givenness, where the gift becomes possible as non-self-identical and unconditioned possibility. This paper provides an alternative solution …

Aristotle’S Category Construction And The Why Behind It, Margaret Rae Titcomb

Akadimia Filosofia

Aristotle’s Categoriae, or the Categories, is a comprehensive classification system for every object of human understanding that can be either a subject or a predicate of a proposition. There are ten categories: Substance, Quantity, Qualification, Relative/Relation, Place, Time, Position, State (Condition), Action, and Affection. The first part of this paper will explain each of the categories in the order in which they are presented in the chapters of Categoriae. The second half of the paper will discuss the question of ambiguity in the approach Aristotle uses to both construct and find meaning in these categories. Fr. Joseph …

Ignorance Is Not Bliss, Tommy Tsang

Akadimia Filosofia

This paper will examine the concept of evil through the lens of Saint Augustine's view of evil in Confessions and Socrates' view of evil in Meno. To do so, this paper will attempt to dissect both philosopher's argument regarding the obtainability of evil and take a logical, step-by-step approach to reach its conclusion. Ultimately, this paper will challenge Augustine's belief that it is possible to desire evil and instead argue for Socrates' belief that evil only exists insofar as we are ignorant of the good. After all, arguing for Socrates' belief on evil over Augustine's seems to be the …

John R. Searle. Seeing Things As They Are, Michael S. Dauber

Akadimia Filosofia

No abstract provided.

A Critique Of Bourdieu And Passeron’S Educational Reform In The Inheritors, Daniel Mccabe

Akadimia Filosofia

Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron’s The Inheritors critically examines the French education system in the 1960s. The Inheritors is a compilation of sociological studies on university students in the Arts which the authors use a premises for their education reform citing issues in the traditional system that allow bourgeois students to have an unfair advantage due to their cultured upbringing. The main systemic problem within French education is identified by Bourdieu and Passeron as the charismatic ideology that awards cultural, theoretical knowledge over merit and effort. To resolve the bias within the traditional French education system, a revolutionary new education …

Our Time: Existentialism In The Age Of Fear, Michael S. Dauber

Akadimia Filosofia

This paper focuses on re-awakening existentialism from its realm of philosophical inactivity over the past few decades. Existentialism is still very much a “committed” philosophy, providing us with an approach to life that gives us courage in the face of tremendous adversity. Indeed, this philosophy enables us to focus on what matters most in our own lives by freeing ourselves from the burdens of fear and unrealistic expectations given to us by those who seek to control our futures. Such a conception of modern existentialism introduces the notion of existential courage: what the modern existentialist must overcome is the fear …

Anxiety, The Most Revelatory Of Moods, John T. Whalen

Akadimia Filosofia

This paper sets out to explore what, for Heidegger, gives anxiety such revelatory power. I would especially like to pay attention to Heidegger’s distinction of anxiety and fear, to further stress anxiety’s unique revelatory power. Furthermore, I will address how Heidegger’s analysis of anxiety and moods generally (an ontological analysis) is distinct from what is understood by moods in the empirical (and ontic) discipline of psychology. Heidegger’s analysis of anxiety in Being and Time bridges the first half of the work with the second half of the work. In short, Heidegger needs a mood to allow for an analysis of …

War, Kyle Pritz

Akadimia Filosofia

This paper is an effective meditation on the morality and justification of war. Moreover, this paper explores the ways in which war is a pointless concept, an endeavor that can never be justified and is certainly not brought on by the everyday person. Rather, war is an exercise of power that only benefits the rich elite and the powerful authority figures of the world. We must strive to reveal the underlying truth in our social reactions, that we always have the power to find peace and resolve differences. Only then can we finally move beyond war.

Ethics Of Thailand's Tourism Industry, Ganjanaporn Lertpipat Luther

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how ethical sales behavior related to the likelihood of tourists to return to Thailand. The Ethical Tourism Industry survey used was adapted from previous studies found in the literature. The sample of 300 participants was drawn from international tourists who travelled in the North, Central, and South regions of Thailand. Tests of correlation used Pearson, logistic regression, and linear regression to analyze the research questions in this study. An analysis found that most tourists who were revisiting Thailand were male, and 49% of tourists came from Europe and Africa for leisure purposes. …

Contents, Akadimia Filosofia Staff

Akadimia Filosofia

No abstract provided.

Book Review: How To Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration Of The Mathematics Of Mathematics, Darren B. Glass

Math Faculty Publications

If you think about it, mathematics is really just one big analogy. For one example, the very concept of the number three is an drawing an analogy between a pile with three rocks, a collection of three books, and a plate with three carrots on it. For another, the idea of a group is drawing an analogy between adding real numbers, multiplying matrices, and many other mathematical structures. So much of what we do as mathematicians involves abstracting concrete things, and what is abstraction other than a big analogy? [excerpt]

The Influence Of Peer Educators In A First-Year Seminar On Freshman Preparation For Collegiate Challenges: A Qualitative Investigation Of Observational Learning, Sarah A. Forbes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most high school students have not spent deliberate time preparing for their transition to college. Knowing this, institutions have developed a first-year seminar geared toward transitional issues inherent to a specific institution. While the research on these programs illustrates their utility, there appears to be an opportunity to further their success by incorporating peers as educators in the classroom. Bandura (1986) saw the potential of observational learning through peer modeling, though few researchers have studied first-year seminars from this theoretical perspective. Through a postpositivistic philosophical paradigm, this exploratory qualitative study utilized a phenomenological design to investigate two research questions: what …

Ua68/11/1 Philosophy & Religion News, Vol. 7, No. 3, Wku Philosophy & Religion

WKU Administration Documents

WKU Philosophy & Religion newsletter regarding activities of faculty, staff, students and alumni.

The Performance Of Leadership: All The School’S A Stage And The Teachers And Students Are Merely Players, Christi Anne Fenton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and better understand the performance qualities that are prevalent in successful principals. Specifically, acting and leadership tools previously identified and compared by Dunklee (2000) were used to gain a better understanding of the interview process utilized to hire K-12 principals in school districts with more than 10,000 students in the state of Indiana. Arguably, the roles of the principal are much like those of an actor who must think on his or her feet in multiple situations. It is hoped that this study contributes new knowledge to assist in the …

Effective Practices For Student Success In Algebra, Michelle M. Ginkins

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to better understand the instructional strategies of Algebra I teachers and leadership characteristics of administrators among secondary public schools with high and low performance on Algebra I End-of-Course Assessments (ECAs). The impact of poverty on student achievement was also investigated in relation to first-time test taker Algebra 1 ECA passing rates. The study south to determine if schools’ free and reduced lunch rates, teacher characteristics, and/or principal characteristics were significant predictors of first-time test taker Algebra 1 ECA passing rates. Whether there were significant differences in implementation of Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock’s (2001) …

How The Phoenix Took Wing: An Examination Of The Humanities Canon As It Relates To The Psychology Of Posttraumatic Growth, Stephen Dalton

Senior Theses

The investigation of posttraumatic growth as a psychological principle is giving researchers new ways to understand how it is that some people seem to thrive following events that are normally perceived as tragic and wholly negative. These survivors do not just bounce back from their tragedies; the researchers describe these people as “bouncing forward” – that is, the survivors report that their lives now are profoundly better than they were before the trauma. While the psychological research into posttraumatic growth is relatively new, the field of Humanities has conducted this same inquiry for several thousand years. For example, Friedrich Nietzsche …

Das Gestell And Human Autonomy: On Andrew Feenberg's Interpretation Of Martin Heidegger, Zachary Peck

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In my thesis, I examine the relationship between modern technology and human autonomy from the philosophical perspective of Martin Heidegger. He argues that the essence of modern technology is the Gestell. Often translated as ‘enframing,’ the Gestell is a mode of revealing, or understanding, being, in which all beings are revealed as, or understood as, raw materials. By revealing all beings as raw materials, we eventually understand ourselves as raw materials. I argue that this undermines human autonomy, but, unlike Andrew Feenberg, I do not believe this process is irreversible from Heidegger’s perspective. I articulate the meaning of the …

Modal Logic And Ontological Arguments, Alex Yousif

Masters Theses

In this thesis I will evaluate various modal ontological arguments for the existence of God. I will evaluate Kurt Gödel’s modal ontological argument (as preserved by his student Dana Scott), and Anthony Anderson’s emendation of it. I will conclude that both Gödel’s argument and Anderson’s emendation fail. I then propose a revised version of C’Zar Bernstein’s ontological argument. I conclude that while this argument is not rationally compelling, it is more plausibly sound than not. Finally, I will demonstrate that some extant general objections to modal ontological arguments are unconvincing.

Buddhist Meditation And The Possibility Of Free Will, Rick Repetti

Publications and Research

I argue that an analysis of Buddhist meditation theory and practice may be used to ground a model of the possibility of free agency that stands up against four powerful arguments for free will skepticism in contemporary analytic philosophy: Peter van Inwagen’s consequence argument, which asserts that if choices are lawfully necessary consequences of prior events, then they are unfree; Derk Pereboom’s two arguments for hard incompatibilism: the manipulation argument, which asserts that manipulated choices are unfree, determinism is functionally equivalent to manipulation, and thus determined choices are unfree; and the randomness argument, which asserts that we cannot claim authorship …

Examining The Role Of Consciousness And The Absurd In Suicide, Alexandra R. Azevedo

Senior Honors Projects

In order to emphasize the significance of suicide as a subjective experience, this research project explores suicide through a philosophical lens, primarily focusing on the absurdist school of thought that gained prominence with the twentieth century French philosopher and writer Albert Camus. Despite recent advances in the scientific study of suicide, I argue that many of the historically divisive questions surrounding suicide are rooted in philosophy. My original work attempts to rectify the current disconnect between suicidality and philosophy through the analysis and application of Camus’ chief work on the subjects, The Myth of Sisyphus. Recognizing the efficacy of …

The Square Of Opposition: Innovations In Teaching Logic, Marc R. Dimartino

Senior Honors Projects

Teaching classical logic can often be challenging, especially when working with students who lack any prior experience with the more technical aspects of critical thinking. The abstraction of statements into logical symbols and the implementation of various diagramming methods can be enough to frustrate novice logicians, leading to a lack of hope and sometimes failure of mastery. The unique difficulties in teaching classical logic can, in addition, exacerbate tricky pedagogical issues that arise on a day to day basis in the critical thinking classroom. For example, it can be challenging to convey complex information in a meaningful way when dealing …

The Theology And Agency Of Love As The Substance Of Kingian Non-Violent Philosophy And Activism., Matthew Quainoo

Senior Honors Projects

The theology of Love focuses on King’s understanding of God as love:

A Research Abstract (Project Summary)

Problem: Almost 50 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., controversy continues to swirl around the motivational forces that inspired the nonviolence approach employed by King in his fight for equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest. Some scholars argue that Kings was inspired by such advocates of nonviolence such as Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha Shakyamuni. Others believe that Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence was an expression of the Christian theology of God …

Toward A More Intuitive Virtue Ethics: A Perspectival View, James Fanciullo

Philosophy

No abstract provided.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving, On Food Stamps, Sam L. Mccaughey

Senior Honors Projects

Food insecurity has been a persistent element in the history of the United States. Efforts to address the problem - and the larger issue of poverty - have been wide-ranging, but the debate about how best to respond to hunger has often centered on the relative roles of government and charity. Often that debate has led to hybrid solutions that combine government sponsored welfare such as food stamps and community-based food relief programs such as food banks. Yet, even such complementary approaches leave many people’s needs unmet, and there remains a significant population, both across the country and in Rhode …

An Exploration Of The Societal Impact Of Neuroethics In Scientific And General Communities, Katelyn Marie Edel

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Neuroethics serves as a roadmap for maneuvering the difficult and often personal concerns that arise concurrently with advancements in neuroscience. It is important to consider these issues at present and to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach towards assuaging fears and hesitations related to the quickening applications of neuroscience into the non-scientific community. This Capstone explores recent suggestions made by prominent scholars in the neuroethics field related to the integration of neuroscience into society. Three cogent issues in neuroscience are discussed, with a focus on the possible effects that neuroscientific advancements have on society. Using a framework of human …

Revision Of United States Drug Law, Alexander Fernandez

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In this essay I will lay out two distinct but associated arguments that will show that United States drug policy on is both in principle and in practice unjustifiable. I will be focusing specifically on marijuana cocaine and heroin. While there are many controlled substances in the DEA schedules, I take it that showing current policy to be unjustifiable for these three substances will be sufficient to show that the policy of total prohibition and harsh punishment is wrong. The first section will normatively analyze the current policies of prohibition and punishment for use and sale of illicit substances. I …

A Qualitative Historiographical Case Study Of The Educative Properties Of Eugene V. Debs And John Dewey: 21st Century Implications For Education, Bradley Countermine

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to shed light on the current state of educational reform rhetoric through an analysis of previous attempts to shape public education for the benefit of all. Analyzing Eugene V. Debs’s and John Dewey’s views on democracy and education during the Progressive Era promotes a version and vision of education that inspires people to think critically, to navigate contemporary society, and to acknowledge current issues within public education and United States society at large. Because education both reflects society and has the power to transform it, the struggle for fair, equitable, and enlightening education is paramount to the …

Camus, Existentialism, And The Absurdity Of Tyler Durden, Jordan William Reece

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In this paper, I make an argument that Albert Camus was not an existentialist despite the common stance that he was. I then examine Tyler Durden of David Fincher's "Fight Club" to show what an absurd hero looks like.