Philosophy Commons^™

Attacks On The Idea Of Substance, Alex Wilmer

Bachelors’ Theses

The attacks on the validity of the Scholastic idea of substance have their origin in the false theory of knowledge of Descartes and its step-child the Idealism of Locke, Berkeley and Hume. The attack on the validity is to some extent due to a failure to understand the idea of substance, but to a greater extent to the false theory of knowledge that logically developed from Descartes philosophy.

The Tendencies Of American Philosophy During The Nineteenth Century., Lawrence Anthony Sadlek

Bachelors’ Theses

Before giving a detailed description of the tendencies of American thought during the nineteenth century, I shall give a brief outline of the philosophic tendencies before this time. Puritanism was the dominant school of thought in America during the first century of our existence, and did not die out till the time of the American Revolution. It's chief principles were the passivity of man, determinism and pessimism. They considered man a dull--instrument in the hands of God and his acts predestined; his life was a vain show and this world a vale of tears. They_ believed in a deity separate …

The Will Of Man, Harris George Aschenbrener

Bachelors’ Theses

In the popular philosophy of today, namely Mat­eralistic Evolution, attempts have been made to explain everything as the result of the forces of "matter and motion". In rejecting all that the sages of old have offered towards the explanation of phenomena, there are certain problems which are stumbling blocks to this form of philosophy. Many and various theories have been offered but none has been found that will satisfy. Re­alizing their inability to explain these problems, one of their number has summed them up and termed them seven riddles for which science has no answer, and which will always remain …

A Comparative Study Of The Stoicism Of Seneca And Marcus Aurelius, Helen Caroline Boemer

Bachelors’ Theses

Socrates it was who taught men to think aright, to love knowledge and goodness, to realize the worth of friendship, courage and wisdom. To him as a consequence many subsequent philosophers went for their ideas. Hence after his death we find that many schools of philosophy came into existence. Besides the schools of Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus, there arose also the Cynic School of Antisthenes and the Megaric School of Euclid, all of which incorporated some of the fundamental doctrines of Socrates or contained elements of pre-Socratic systems, modified by the influence of their common master.

Criteria Of Morality, Thomas Francis Flynn

Bachelors’ Theses

Here is a paradox. The child is father to the man, and philosophically considered, this is doubly true. During that short journey between the advent of that immacu­late 'tabula rasa' and the age of reason, the 'homo sapiens' accepts great truths and rests satisfied, seeming to grasp intuitively the profound logic and recondite study behind them. For example, the child of four or five years is app­rehended in the replete pantry busily consuming a jar of jam; mother reprimands it severely,saying that it should not do such a thing. "Why?", is the spontaneous and wholly innocent question. "Because jam is …

Is The Criminal Morally Responsible?, Donald Ryan

Bachelors’ Theses

Re live today, but tomorrow shall judge us by the criterion of yesterday, by that norm which is universal, eternally and abidingly true, the end of man completely and objectively considered. We say that we have progressed. We gaze in derision at primitive man, at the barbarians, at our ancestors, and at the natives of out-of-the-way places today. Yet well may they pity us, for if we have advanced so much farther than they, our responsibility for our talents is proportionately greater. Whether we have progressed or not, I shall not discuss; but assuming such a fact on the basis …

Women And Mathematics, Mary Gertrude Salm

Bachelors’ Theses

Modern women in her enlarging sphere is engaged in manifold lines of work,- endeavor in municipal progress here in America and elsewhere in the world; delvings into the mysteries of astronomy, natural history, physics, chemistry and the other sciences; essays in the educational and philanthropic fields; research work and heavier production in scientific and philosophic literature.

The Influence Of Montaigne On English Essay Writers, Howard E. Graham

Bachelors’ Theses

It is usually the case that men, who have lived in the past, are remembered down to the present day for one particular reason, and if it were not for this, their names would have long since been forgotten. It is unusual to find a person who is accomplished and excels in several lines of work. It is true that Michael Angelo was a great painter and sculptor, and wrote beautiful sonnets.

Platonic And Aristotelian Universal Concepts, George E. Toner

Bachelors’ Theses

Presenting a subject as abstract as that of Universal Concepts would indeed be tiresome, were it not for the direct almost personal contact with two of the greatest sages that found their problems and solved them while Philosophy was still in its infancy. Plato and his brilliant scholar Aristotle stand out as radiant figures on a somber background, for they did not think for their own age only. Even today in what is called this modern day and age, frequent reference is made to one or another of their theories. It seems strange that pupil and master should have been …

There Is A Natural Law, Ambrose H. Sullivan Jr.

Bachelors’ Theses

Is this great cosmos in which we live controlled by blind unintelligent forces? Is it possible to concede that the unity of action of the forces of nature is the result of chance? Can the effect so produced be the result of mere accidental causes? There seems to be a lack of consistency between cause and effect, if such is the case. We cannot dismiss this by saying that it just happened! That is just evading the issue. Let us get down to bed rock principles and face this problem with an unprejudiced and unbiased mind. We have immediate and …

The Scholastic Concept Of The Human Soul, Harold Vincenz Shoenecker

Bachelors’ Theses

"If not here, then elsewhere," (Stoddard). Judging from a purely physical and material basis, death seems to be the end of all; but if we fix our thoughts upon that bit of consciousness within us, that something which recognizes the Moral Law within our breasts, that, which at some time or other has asked in many ways, "whence have I come, and whither will I go?", that something, does it exist? The mere fact that our consciousness prompts us along these lines, ought to encourage us to continue the thinking process, and look a little deeper into the questions, and …

There Exists A Natural Law, Joseph Erhardt Koperski

Bachelors’ Theses

In this thesis it is maintained, that the natural law is universal, that is to say, that the natural law is promulgated or made known to all men and that no one possessing the use of sober reason can doubt or be invincibly ignorant of the natural law. Thus we speak of its universality by reason of its promulgation. However, this does not signify that all men have the same knowledge of the natural law, nor that all men know all what the natural law prescribes. But it does mean that all men enjoying the use of sane reason can …

The Philosophy Of Herbert Spencer, Joseph B. Coleman

Bachelors’ Theses

It might be well at the beginning of this discussion on the philosophy of Herbert Spencer to give a brief biographical sketch concerning his earlier life.

He was born at Derby, England on the 27th of April, 1820. His father, William George Spencer, was a schoolmaster. The religious convictions of his parent familiarized him with the doctrines of the Methodists and Quakers. He declined an offer from his uncle to go to Cambridge and as a result, was practically self taught.

For a few years he was employed as an engineer and giving this up, he became sub- editor of …

There Is A Natural Law, Anthony Francis Makowski

Bachelors’ Theses

Law in its widest sense is a rule of action; it is some norm regulating how a thing should act. In This sense all existing things act according to some rule or norm. Experience abounds with sufficient proof of this. Scientists moreover attest to the existence of such laws and the object of the natural sciences is to search these laws out. Thus men, eminent in that field, have discovered and formulated such laws as, the laws of inertia, falling bodies, light, levers, etc. In this sense we speak of chemical laws, meaning the constant uniform norm according to which …

Craniotomy And Abortion Are Moral And Social Evils, Alvin Ralph Kutschera

Bachelors’ Theses

An artificial division of arguments has "been essayed in this thesis for two external reasons: physicians and physicians. The physician performing craniotomy adopts the operation as the last resort in a "bad case, when death is imminent whereas the abortionist operates for many and sundry reasons,some good and many bad, base, and criminal. The two types of operators being entirely different, the operations they perform have been kept apart, tho craniotomy and direct abortion are direct attacks upon the life of the fetus, and an argument against one is a lance in the side of the other.

The Neo-Stoicism Of Seneca, Emily E. Ruetz

Bachelors’ Theses

Before endeavoring to formulate certain decisions of the Neo-Stoicism of Seneca it will be most advantageous to discuss fundamental Stoicism. Stoicism was that system of philosophy which gripped the worlds of Greece and Rome for a number of centuries and claimed many eminent men among its followers. The doctrine set forth by the Stoics was essentially a practical one since it laid most stress on a proper mode of life.

A History Of The Origin And The Development Of Blank Verse, Margaret E. Willaert

Bachelors’ Theses

The range of human thoughts and emotions greatly transcends the range of such symbols as man has invented to express them; and it becomes, therefore, the place of art to use these symbols in a double way. They must be used for the direct representation of thought and feeling; but they must also be combined by so subtle an imagination as to suggest much which there is no means of directly expressing. And this can be done: for experience shows that it is possible so to arrange forms, colours, and sounds as to stimulate the Imagination in a new and …

The Subconscious Mind, Stuart Johnston

Bachelors’ Theses

The Subconscious Mind exerts a powerful influence over human activities, mental and physical. This we will endeavor to show in the following study of the most authentic material available, at the present day concerning this little known but vastly important subject.

The Family. The Evolution Of The Family As Illustrated And Explained By Herbert Spencer Is False, Desmond T. Mccarthy

Bachelors’ Theses

The family is the foundation of society and the state. As such it possesses a prominent position in our sphere of things. The family in a philosophical discussion may be observed from many points of view; ethical, sociological, biological, religious and economical. Each of these views may be equally interesting. They are all important and excellent papers could easily be written on any one of them. By research and investigation into these various topics personal information and interest are increased. In what ever view is taken, it is sometimes difficult to remain in one's own field without transgressing to another …

The Power To Appeal To The Emotions, Joseph E. Skwerski

Bachelors’ Theses

In this thesis, we shall attempt to show, that the power to appeal to the emotions gives a book permanent interest and consequently literary quality. From the very outset of our discussion, we shall deal entirely with the emotions in general and the elements involved in emotion. After this consideration we shall spend some time upon the literary emotions and their appeal, the sense of beauty, the power to appeal to the emotions as exhibited in the works of Poe and Pope, and gradually arise to the proof, that the power to appeal to the emotions gives a book permanent …

The Existence Of The Natural Law Among Primitive People, Ernest Frederick Kremer

Bachelors’ Theses

As men we are concerned with everything that concerns man. Having to some degree satisfied our instincts on that score we commence to wonder how long it has concerned man. With this thought in mind we wonder if Primitive man was bound by any law. We say that there existed among primitive people a natural law. In the following pages we will attempt to prove that statement.

The Human Will Is Free, Richard V. Carpenter

Bachelors’ Theses

The freedom of the will is one of the most important questions in philosophy. So much has been written on the subject that it hardly seems worth while to treat it in a thesis in which nothing can be said which has not already been said a number of times. The two opposing parties in the controversy have completed their respective cases; they have fully entrenched themselves behind volumes and volumes of weighty libraries and are now but waiting new recruits. As a matter of fact, though both sides of the debate seem to have exhausted their arguments, though they …

The Relation Of Psychology To Medicine: A Philosophical Thesis, Stephen A. Knaisel

Bachelors’ Theses

No abstract provided.

The Human Soul Is Simple, Spiritual, Immortal, Robert S. Mccarthy

Bachelors’ Theses

Much of our thinking today is regulated by propaganda. Propaganda is not confined to patriotic bureaus of any one nation, or to the espionage department of the army and navy of any one government; neither is propaganda limited to national affairs, nor to the field of politics. Propaganda of a certain type has found its way even into the sacred sanctum of philosophy. Think of how many philosophical theories we have today, which in final analysis are intended to serve the purpose of a well-directed campaign of proselytising "right thinking". Theories arising from predjudiced minds are spread broadcast, whose mission …