Philosophy Commons^™

The Real Presence Of Christ In The Eucharist, Samuel French

Aristos

The dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium describes the Eucharist as “the source and summit of the Christian life.” It is not hard to imagine then, that this subject of principal importance is still being debated two millennia after its institution. Even when it was taught from the lips of Jesus himself, there were many disciples who grumbled saying: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (Jn 6:60) Unfortunately, this is still the case today. There are some among the faithful who no longer believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and others who simply misunderstand …

Epicureanism: The Pursuit Of Eudemonia, Annetta Kassis

Aristos

Since ancient times, the study of eudemonia has been paramount in the discipline of philosophy. Various schools of thought have developed ideas and theories that discuss the nature of this happiness and methods of attaining it.

A famous school of thought, which presents such theories, is that of Epicureanism; founded by Epicurus. Epicureanism asserts a strong focus on the necessity of ‘ataraxia’ and the fulfillment of necessary pleasures for the acquisition of eudemonia. The human condition is explored to understand the nature of happiness and discover methods of achieving this happiness, which according to Epicureanism, heavily involves ones beliefs …

Vulnerability, Preventability, And Responsibility: Exploring Some Normative Implications Of The Human Condition, Daniel E. Wueste

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Presented March 17, 2015. Papers presented for the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Western Michigan University.

Heraclitus On The Logos: Unity In Opposition, Nathan Hall

Aristos

The Logos, to Heraclitus, is a universal Law of becoming, conceived from the perpetual motion of opposition within all things. This relationship of opposites finds its locus in Fire, as, to Heraclitus, all things are modifications of Fire.[1]

Understanding Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos requires the analysis of obscure fragments (denoted by fr.) which riddle and perplex. However, these fragments are the means by which Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos is to be found.

This paper will analyse four fragments, aiming to demonstrate Heraclitus’s interpretation of the Logos, with particular focus on the nature of unity in opposition. Appropriately, …

Aristotle's Illicit Quantifier Shift: Is He Guilty Or Innocent, Jack Green

Aristos

In accusing Aristotle of committing an illicit quantifier shift, some scholars point to I.i.1094a1-3 of the Nicomachean Ethics and others point to I.ii.1094a18-22. The author of this paper analyses the logical translations of both passages in order to determine the success of the cases for and against Aristotle.

Wading through the various translations found in the secondary literature and also analysing the primary text, the author of this paper argues that the correct logical translation of both passages frees Aristotle from the accusation of an illicit quantifier shift. The first passage does not present an argument, but a description of …

Aristotle's Κινησις-Ενεργεια Distinction And The Ends Of Human Action, Joseph Murphy

Aristos

A key passage in the development of Aristotle’s argument in book Θ of the Metaphysics is the distinction between the concepts of κίνησις and ἐνέργεια (1048^b18-35).

The distinction is made initially on the basis of particular grammatical features of verbs denoting human actions/states: some verbs in the present tense necessarily imply the contemporaneous achievement of the same verb in the Greek perfect tense (e.g. If x is seeing y, then it is the case that, at the same time, x is in a state of having seen y), whereas other verbs in the present tense are …

Logic Versus Science, Graeme Wertheimer

Aristos

To comprehend St Thomas Aquinas’ statement that, “A student should address themselves to logic before the other sciences, because it deals with their common procedure”[1] this essay argues that it is necessary to ask the question of whether one’s world view comes before science or whether science forms one’s world view.

A world view that comes before science first requires understanding and logic to make a hypothesis which is to be confirmed through scientific experiment. If science forms one’s world view, however, conversely, scientific experiments create our logical thoughts and world view.

This essay will analyse St Thomas Aquinas’ …

What Is Grace And What Grace Is Given In The Sacraments?, Rosamaria Agostino

Aristos

The Catholic understanding of the word grace is extremely rich and multifaceted. A more focused exploration of grace from its biblical roots to its use in the sacraments provides one with a profoundly humble appreciation of how deeply grace is interwoven into the faith and how undeserving yet privileged one is to be able to receive it. This understanding allows grace to manifest itself more clearly in the everyday life of the believer and continue to deepen their faith. The sacraments play an important role in this as they are where grace is received, restored, nourished and maintained.

The Spirit Molecule: Dmt, Brains, And A Theoneurological Model To Explain Spiritual Experiences, Shaun Smith

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to address the philosophical implications of the N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) research of Dr. Rick Strassman. Strassman concludes that the psychedelic properties of DMT represent a proper biological starting point for discussing spiritual and near-death experiences. My research attempts to incorporate philosophical elements from the philosophy of mind and philosophy of religion/mysticism to give an accurate account of some of the philosophical issues worth exploring for future research. One of the essential patterns in this thesis is to trace the research and conclusions of Strassman, compare them with the philosophical issues in the contemporary philosophy of mind and …

Improvisation In The Arts, Aili W. Bresnahan

Philosophy Faculty Publications

This article focuses primarily on improvisation in the arts as discussed in philosophical aesthetics, supplemented with accounts of improvisational practice by arts theorists and educators. It begins with an overview of the term improvisation, first as it is used in general and then as it is used to describe particular products and practices in the individual arts. From here, questions and challenges that improvisation raises for the traditional work-of-art concept, the type-token distinction and the appreciation and evaluation of the arts will be explored. This article concludes with the suggestion that further research and discussion on improvisation in the arts …

Locke, Judgment, And Figure: A Consistent Answer To The Molyneux Problem, Jamale Nagi

Anthós

John Locke has been famously credited with resurrecting the distinction between common and proper sensibles, better known in the Essay as primary and secondary qualities. Although some argue that Locke’s adherence to the doctrine of the common sensibles is in conflict with his empiricist sensibilities, I will show this is not likely to be the case. In order to achieve this I will argue that Locke held there to be cross-modal connections in the mind for the representational content of ideas of primary quality, through the relation of resemblance, but that these representations need to be empirically verified to …

Interactions And Complexity In Multi-Agent Justification Logic, Antonios Achilleos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Justification cation Logic is the logic which introduces justifications to the epistemic setting. In contrast to Modal Logic, when an agent believes (or knows) a certain claim, in Justification Logic we assume the agent believes the claim because of a certain justification. Therefore, instead of having formulas that represent the belief of a claim (ex. □_ø or K_ø), we have formulas that represent that the belief of a claim follows from a provided justification (ex. t : ø). The original Justification Logic is LP, the Logic of Proofs, and was introduced by Artemov in 1995 as …

Two Interpretations Of Charity Lamb's Personal Diary, Preston Turner

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

These two interpretations of the imagined diary of Charity Lamb suggest the variety of ways in which historical texts can be read.

Syllabus: Faith And Science, Nicanor Austriaco

Spring 2015, Faith and Science

No abstract provided.

Giving A Voice To The Powerless: Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation As A Tool For Inclusive Development Through Microfinance, Evan T. Burke

Capstone Collection

The greatest experts on the situation of the marginalized peoples of the world are the marginalized communities themselves. This paper explores how participatory monitoring & evaluation can be a powerful tool for giving voices to marginalized communities, ensuring that the voices of beneficiaries and local stakeholders are heard and inform sustainable project design. It analyzes a participatory monitoring and evaluation methodology implemented for women’s credit cooperatives in Gujarat, India by the Human Development & Research Centre, and examines lessons to be learned to design evaluations facilitating inclusive development.

Strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of microfinance have evolved along with …

Why Simpler Arguments Are Better, Moti Mizrahi

Arts and Communication Faculty Publications

In this paper, I argue that, other things being equal, simpler arguments are better. In other words, I argue that, other things being equal, it is rational to prefer simpler arguments over less simple ones. I sketch three arguments in support of this claim: an argument from mathematical proofs, an argument from scientific theories, and an argument from the conjunction rule.

Bound To Aim At Good Generally: A Sidgwickian Argument For Rational Impartialism, Tyler Stephen Paytas

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I defend an unorthodox theory of practical reason called Rational Impartialism. According to this view, one ought to have equal fundamental concern for the equal good of everyone. Central to my argument for Rational Impartialism are two of Henry Sidgwick’s axioms of ethics. According to the axiom of Equal Good, one ought to have equal fundamental concern for equal portions of the good. According to the axiom of Personal Irrelevance, the equal good of any two individuals is exactly similar qua portions of universal good. Sidgwick claims that from these two axioms we can deduce a principle …

Why Philosophy Is Important For Administrators In Education, Nicolas Michaud

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

The fact that “philosophy,” to many people, is just a mysterious word that brings to mind images of white beards and mysticism is no surprise. Contemporary society seem to have little reason to value a field devoted to ideas rather than production. Simply, philosophy is impractical, a distraction from the important world of growing an economy and living real life. What, perhaps, is more surprising is that philosophy is now, also, a dying field within academia itself. As research and inquiry becomes more specialized, there is little reason to indulge the pedantic meanderings of those who do not wish to …

Does The Iranian Model Of Kidney Donation Compensation Work As An Ethical Global Model?, Jordan Potter

Journal of Health Ethics

Throughout the world, there is a massive global shortage of viable organs available for transplantation, and systems of cadaveric organ donation have thus far been unable to address this shortage. One potential remedy to this problem is to incentive live organ donation via cash incentives and other benefits, i.e. an organ sale, and this is the type of system Iran has used to effectively eliminate its national kidney waiting list since the late 1990s. In this article, the Iranian model of kidney donation compensation will be analyzed for its ability and effectiveness as an ethical global model, and this is …

Csr Activity Of Tobacco Companies In Indonesia: Is It A Genuine Social Responsibility?, Harsman Tandilittin, Christoph Luetge

Journal of Health Ethics

The adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in the tobacco industry has sparked a contentious debate in the international community. Tobacco industry’s CSR activities are honored by the government and Indonesian community with CSR awards due to their positive contributions. To assess the CSR activities of the tobacco companies and whether they are genuine forms of social responsibility or business motivation, we have collected the CSR activities and compared them with the negative impact of the tobacco industry in Indonesia. The CSR activities are in no way related to the negative impacts of tobacco in Indonesia. Therefore, CSR programs …

Silence Of The Lambs, Ruby Guyot

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

This collection of poetry and short prose seeks to build on the idea that so little is actually known of Charity Lamb — her thoughts and ideas about everything, from her perspective on life to the killing of her husband, Nathaniel. This collection honors these unknown pages of history by providing several different states of mind on behalf of Charity Lamb, including guilt (or lack of it), relief, fear, and loneliness.

Poems From Charity Lamb, Amy Patterson

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

These poems were written from the perspective of Charity Lamb.

Lamb Poster, Heather Mcnutt-Kaestner

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

This movie poster was created as an accompaniment to the short film Another Sacrificed Lamb.

Charity Lamb's Diary, Amy Patterson

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

This imagined diary traces the life of Charity Lamb over a 20-year period (1834-1854).

Another Sacrificed Lamb: Process Of Making A Short Film, Adrian Iu, Justin Grodem, Riley W. Brown, Preston Turner, Heather Mcnutt-Kaestner, Courtney Hicks, Miranda Gill

The Case of Charity Lamb (2015)

This presentation documents the process of making the short film Another Sacrificed Lamb.

In Defense Of Alain Badiou, Robert M. Ruehl

Philosophy and Classical Studies Faculty/Staff Publications

In lieu of an abstract, here are the article's first two paragraphs:

In Issue 107, Philosophy Now published James Alexander’s ‘A Refutation of Snails by Roast Beef', an article decrying con temporary French philosopher Alain Badiou (b.l937). Alexander’s jumping-off point was Roger Scruton’s unfavorable review of Badiou’s The Adventure of French Philosophy (2012). He acknowledges that Scruton “obviously dislikes everything Badiou stands for” but takes Scruton to task for being too polite; he writes that “Badiou deserves derision.” A few sentences later, he claims that “a lot of Badiou is rubbish. There is nothing to Badiou be done with it …

Does The Dao Support Individual Autonomy And Human Rights?, Caroline M. Carr

Summer Research Program

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) lists what have come to be called “first” and “second” generation rights. First generation rights are civil and political (for instance, the right to vote, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble); second generation are social, economic, and cultural (protection against unemployment, universal healthcare, equal pay). However, Western and Asian nations are in disagreement about whether or not all of these generations of rights should be universal. While Western nations strongly believe that first generation rights should be universal, Asian nations insist that their unique “Asian values” require second generation rights to precede first …

Philosopher's Stone: The Faustian Geist Of Development, Salikyu Sangtam

Dissertations

The present study juxtaposes scientific rationality with polyphonic rationality in respect to societal development. This is done to illuminate how scientific rationality provides a narrow and truncated view of development. In order to explicate the exclusion of polyphonic rationalities/knowledges in favor of scientific rationality, several development scholarships are examined along with an episode of developmental scheme and two episodes of development programs. This is done to expound (note: ‘→’ = influences) how scientific rationality → scholarships → organizational/institutional schemes, such as the MDGs → actual applications of development schemes, such as transmigration and compulsory villagization. The present inquest, …

Youth Graffiti Vandalism : Liminal Perspectives In The Light Of Masculinity, Social Contract Theory And Transformative Process., Alton C. Frabetti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American adolescents experience liminality as their rights, obligations and cognitive development place them in a transitional life-period between childhood and adulthood. This liminal period inspires compensatory activities, such as identification with mainstream popular styles, radical adherence to an ideology or religion, or, for those especially struggling, destructive behavior. Graffiti is one such compensatory activity. Its practitioners' risky conduct, as well as their overall claims to exalted artistic activity, are especially appealing to certain males attempting to construct a retrogressive notion of masculinity and self-esteem in response to the further condition of male liminal identity. The practice of graffiti confronts the …

The Heart Of Human Rights By Allen Buchanan, Sandra Raponi

Publications

Review of Allen Buchanan's The Heart of Human Rights. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.