Philosophy Commons^™

Oikos And Polis In The Medea: Patterns Of The Heart And Mind, Debra Blankenship

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

In Euripides’s The Medea, the dichotomy of traditional values associated with oikos and polis serves as a means by which to comment on the issues of fifth century Athenian life. This paper shows how oikos the private domain) and polis (the public domain) come to be separate and conflicting concepts in the democracy of Athens. Euripides shaped The Medea around the idea of Medea throwing off the bonds of oikos as a result of her desire for revenge on Jason. Medea knowingly denies the bonds of oikos in order to assert her power. This paper finishes with a nod towards …

The Gorgias Explained, Dan Zajdel

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

In Plato’s The Gorgias, five forms of language serve to explicitly inaugurate Socrates as a mythic hero. This paper traces these forms, along with allusions to myth and the known body of literature at the time, and shows how Plato achieves his goal.

Protagoras: Recollection Of Return, Roger Zemke

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

The Homeric forms that Plato uses as a template for the Dialogues all contribute to a fictional recasting of the historical figure of Socrates as an epic Hero: the philosopher-king. This paper traces the idea of a recollection of return in the Protagoras as a means by which Plato creates this fictional image of Socrates. The traditional Greek notion of agon, with all its attendant functions and forms, helps Plato reveal a Socrates whose divine right as a philosopher-king would be the best hope for a return to the power and glory of Athens.

The Protagoras: Judge ... Jury ... And Explication, Patrick Hamilton

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

The idea of a trial is a strong aspect of the structure of Socrates’s direct conversation with Protagoras in Plato’s Protagoras. Each character in the dialogue assumes a particular role within the trial, with Socrates not as accused but as questioner. This paper uses the trial concept as a means in which to get inside the Protagoras and pry open the differing aspects of its characters.

Euripides: Master Of The Discrepant Event, Osa Skyberg

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

In Euripides’s Medea, a seemingly normative form of a traditional Greek tragedy is disturbed by a disruptive layer that shakes the audience to its core. Integral to the story of Medea is her revenge on Jason. One knows this, but Euripides adds a disruptive layer that increases the tragic tension of the story. This disruptive layer is the killing of innocent boys by their mother. And not only that, but the Mother being rewarded for this act. This paper shows how Euripides takes the traditional form of the Greek tragedy, adds disruptive layers, and makes the form his own.

Macintyre's Nietzsche: A Critique, R. Kevin Hill

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

In Alastair MacIntyre's "After Virtue", Nietzsche is presented as (1)an emotivist, (2) the culmination of the liberal tradition, and (3) fundamentally opposed to Aristotle. All three claims are criticized, thus casting doubt not only on MacIntyre's interpretation of Nietzsche, but also on his larger account of the history of Western ethical theory and practice, as well as on his proposal that we return to the tradition which Nietzsche has called into question.

Formal Analysis Of Plato's Gorgias, Karen M. Burton

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

Plato’s Gorgias is set up, from the beginning, to have an atmosphere of agon. The Socratic persona presented in the Gorgias is unlike any of the dialogues. Socrates is conceited, contradictory, and undefined in his language. In the end, the underlying dramatic elements of agon play themselves out as Socrates undermines his own conclusion to prove the flaws in rhetoric. Teasing out the language forms and other structural concerns show the layers of meaning embedded within the Gorgias.

The Use Of A Predecessor In Boethius' On The Consolation Of Philosophy, Mark Arvieux

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

By interrogating the idea of a predecessor in Boethius’s On the Consolation of Philosophy, this paper investigates the underlying concepts present in the work. It suggests that there is a shift throughout the Consolation from Stoic thought to Neo-Platonists thought and that this shows the effect a predecessor, or a preceding tradition, can have on the creation of philosophical works. In the end it suggests that no literature is independent of its environment and history, but is rather a reflection of it.

Explication: The Cratylus, Joseph S. Gray

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

Plato’s Cratylus is a dialogue on language involving Cratylus, Hermogenes, and Socrates. The issue at hand involves the correctness and truth in names and whether modification of names changes their meaning. This paper reflects on how the Cratylus presents Socrates’s argument and then goes on to suggest that Plato’s description of Socrates’s use of myth suggests that he was subtly pointing out the human-like quality of gods and the godlike qualities of man. For Plato all of this is framed and informed by the discussion of truth in naming.

Plato's Phaedo: Tragedy, Philosophy, And Backstabbing, Melody Wilson

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

Plato’s Phaedo, the final dialogue of the trilogy dealing with Socrates’ trial and death, show the extent to which Plato idealized and idolized Socrates. This paper asks the question, who exactly was Plato’s Socrates? It traces these themes of idealization and idolization throughout the Phaedo and suggests that, perhaps, Plato’s over-emphasis of these led to the less-than-stellar reception of the Phaedo during its time. In addition to this tracing of the above themes, the paper discusses the importance of the real-life characters that Plato leaves out of the Phaedo, again suggesting that this leads to a kind of idealization of …

Shameless Shame: St. Augustine's Confessions, Regina Eastman

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

his paper suggests that the “Shameless Shame” of Augustine’s manipulatory language and rhetoric in the Confessions serves the distinct purpose of converting the reader to Catholicism. By tracing the way in which St. Augustine uses diverse literary forms to appeal to his readers and guide their path. This paper suggests that there is a particular reason for the rise of Catholicism, and it’s not just faith. Augustine’s use of language that could appeal to multiple strata of society allowed each to take their path to conversion, but ultimately conversion comes to be seen as a social act. One imbued with …

John Rawls, The Conception Of A Liberal Self, And The Communitarian Critique, Johnathan Edward Mansfield

Dissertations and Theses

John Rawls' A Theory of Justice stands as the single most important work in the Anglo-American liberal tradition after World War II. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls revives the social contract doctrine in order to determine principles of justice that would be chosen by persons who are free and equal moral individuals. Since Rawls believes that no single conception of the good can establish justice in a pluralistic society, he posits a set of principles of right which are prior to any particular good. Thus his theory, which he calls "justice as fairness," is deontological. Since its publication …

Intellectual Traditions As Predecessors To St. Augustine, Jennifer Lovell

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

St. Augustine both explicitly and implicitly relied on existing intellectual traditions in the construction of his Confessions. He not only explicitly references Neoplatonic thought, he also implicitly constructs his argument around Neoplatonic ideals. He also used rhetorical and epic traditions to create his Christian Doctrine. By blending the teachings of the Bible with these traditions, this paper argues that St. Augustine effectively appealed to the intellectual elite.

Creative Suffering: The Theme Of Mediation In Pascal's Pensées, Kathleen Merrow

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

The idea of mediation runs through Pascal’s Pensées and is an important part of his contribution to western thought. This paper traces the concept of mediation through the theme of creative suffering and the figure of Christ in Pensées. In addition, Pascal’s particular concept of mediation can be found as a supporting concept to the philosophies of such diverse early 20th century figures as Poincare, Blondel, and Bergson. In the end this paper traces a complicated and complex problem for Pascal, that of Mediation, and suggests that it ultimately had tragic consequences for him.

The Story In Kierkegaard And Newman, Laura Gill

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

Kierkegaard and Newman might seem strange bedfellows, but both draw on stories from the Bible to inform their moral and ethical arguments. This paper shows how both philosophers use storylines and figures from the Bible to "gain a better understanding of the concept of faith for themselves as well as others." While both philosophers use the storylines to differing ends, this paper argues that the understanding of both philosophies is enhanced by viewing them both through this particular lens.

The Use Of Vergil's Aeneid In St. Augustine's Confessions, Jennifer S. Oberst

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

In his Confessions, St. Augustine draws a parallel between his own conversion to Christianity and Dido’s suicide in Vergil’s Aeneid. This paper traces the many connections between Dido’s suicide and Augustine’s conversion and suggests that his use of the conventions of her story would have appealed to pagans and thus furthered his effort to broaden the Christian faithful.

Nietzsche's "Woman" : A Metaphor Without Brakes, Kathleen Merrow

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis reconsiders the generally held view that Friedrich Nietzsche's works are misogynist. In doing so it provides an interpretation of Nietzsche's texts with respect to the metaphor "woman," sets this interpretation into an historical context of Nietzsche reception and follows the extension of Nietzsche's metaphor "woman" into French feminist theory. It provides an interpretation that shows that a misogynist reading of Nietzsche is in error because such a reading fails to consider the multiple perspectives that operate in Nietzsche's texts.

Die Kunst Als Ausdrucksmittel Der Inneren Welt Hermann Hesses, Debra Lynn Vaul

Dissertations and Theses

Das von Hermann Hesse im Jahre 1920 veröffentlichte Buch Wanderung ist eine Form der Reisedarstellung. Es ist jedoch mehr als die Beschreibung einer Reise. Vielmehr ist Wanderung eine interessante Zusammenstellung von Gedanken, Überlegungen und Fragen in den unterschiedlichen Kunstformen wie Malerei, Prosa und Dichtungen. Das Buch ist ein Ergebnis Hesses persönlichen Versuches, einen Teil seines Lebens zu erklären. Anders gesagt, es ist eine Reise auf dem Weg in das eigene Innere, wo der Mensch mit seinem Dasein um eine Antwort auf die Fragen des Alltags ringt.

The Philosophy Of William James As Related To Charles Renouvier, Henri Bergson, Maurice Blondel And Emile Boutroux, Peggy Lyne Hurtado

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis argues two issues: William James' philosophy was-to a great extent derived from his interaction with the French philosophers, Charles Renouvier, Henri Bergson, Maurice Blondel and Emile Boutroux. Correlative to the fact that these five figures have an intellectual relationship with one another, I also argue that in order to understand James, he must be placed within the context of these relations. These five philosophers, as a group, can be clearly seen and understood in the context of an identifiable movement. Each one was a part of a whole reality with their own slightly different perspectives. However, the context …

Information, Constraint, And Meaning, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the familiar and correct disclaimer that information theory (Shannon and Weaver, 1949) does not concern the semantic level of communication, the technical definition of information nonetheless bears directly and importantly on the subject of meaning. Meaning, at least in one sense of the word, is the recognition of constraint and is based on isomorphism of structure. Constraint reduces information yet information is also the very substrate of meaning. Meaning is thus the union of the informative and the intelligible (Moles, 1958), the reconciliation of this dialectical opposition being achievable in several different ways.

"Is Human Understanding Finite?", Peter Brian Medawar

Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers

No abstract provided.

Dialectical Laws And Elementary Catastrophes, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the newly developed Catastrophe Theory of Rene Thorn and E.C. Zeeman, it is possible to find mathematical interpretation of certain aspects of Hegelian and Marxist dialectics. Specifically, the three "classical" dialectical principles, (1) the transformation of quantity into quality, ( 2) the mutual interpenetration(or - the unity and struggle) of opposites, and (3) the negation of the negation, can be modeled using the seven "elementary catastrophe " given by Thom , especially the catastrophe known as the "cusp." Far from being an empty metaphysics or scholasticism, as critics have argued , these principles embody genuine insights into a class …

The View Atop The Ladder: Wittgenstein's Early Aesthetics, Graham P. Conroy

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Essay which examines Witgenstein's Tractatus, especially as it serves to illuminate Wittgenstein's aesthetics, and outlines the limits of what can be known through ethics.

Lebendiger Klang Der Natur: Herders Begriff Des "Primitiven" In Der Literatur, Judy A. Lorenz

Dissertations and Theses

Johann Gottfried Herder, ein Vorromantiker, führte eine neue Bewegung, eine Volksbewegung, in Deutschland ein. Herder interessierte sich für die Sprache im Allgemeinen und insbesondere für die "primitiven" Elemente in der deutschen Sprache, die am besten in Volksliedern erscheinen. Seine Bedeutung liegt in der Umwertung des Wortes "primitiv" durch seine Sammlung von nationalen und internationalen Volksliedern.

Herder ruft den Deutschen zu, ihren eigenen Volkscharakter wieder durch ihre eigene Muttersprache zu entdecken. Die Muttersprache ist am besten durch Volkslieder aufbewahrt. Herder betont die Haupteigenschaften solcher Lieder als "primitiv": lebendig, klangvoll, kraftvoll, original, bildlich, spontan und fürs Hören bestimmt. Dort in den eigenen …

Hegel And The Concept Of Religion In Greek Tragedy, Barbara Scot

Dissertations and Theses

A parallel can be drawn in intellectual development between ancient Greece and late eighteenth century Europe concerning the secularization of the religious myth. This parallel is illustrated in a literary mode in Greece and in a philosophical mode in Europe. In both historical situations the intellectual development of a society was posited in a delicate balance of religious mythical interpretation of human existence and in a growing assertiveness of the self-consciousness of the individual. A significant point of analogy is the similarity of the Greek tragedians' attempt to define man in relation to the gods and Hegel's formulation of a …

"A Philosophy For Complexity", Charles West Churchman

Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers

No abstract provided.

"Public Evil And Private Responsibility", George Saslow

Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers

No abstract provided.

Ernst Cassirer And The Synthesis Of The Past: A Paradigm In The History Of Ideas, Mart Stewart

Dissertations and Theses

The problem of a method of historical analysis played an integral part in the scholarship of Ernst Cassirer, German philosopher and historian. An Essay on Man, the work for which he is best known in the United State, includes his most lucid discussion of the tasks and aims of the historian. The historian must reconstruct the past, infusing it with the immediacy of a living expression. "Rebirth of the past" gives man a better view of his potentialities, a freedom to see beyond the demands, characteristics, and contingencies of the moment.

This view of history and the historian's task …

The Doctrine Of Experience In The Philosophy Of Jonathan Edwards, Puritan Divine, Joseph S. Trachtenberg

Dissertations and Theses

A number of basic themes suggest themselves as focal points for a study of the thought of Jonathan Edwards. The dissertation is an attempt to argue that experience is one of them, and that an attentive eye to the doctrine of experience will reveal it as the unifying theme of his philosophy. Specifically, at the center of Edwards' aesthetic and religious vision there lies a rich and profound sense of experience, and of the relation of all things to some form of perception.

The evidence is to be found in Edwards' extensive published and unpublished writings. Among the several editions …

George Berkeley And The Jacobite Heresy: Some Comments On Irish Augustan Politics, Graham P. Conroy

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay is an attempt to explain Berkeley's connections with the Augustan Circle and to mitigate the criticisms brought against him by those opposed to the views of some of that group.