Philosophy Commons^™

A Bad Time To Name Your Pet: Pet Names In The Age Of Witches, Evan Velez

Emerging Writers

In early America, there were many strange superstitions about witches. Colonists looked for all sorts of forms of witchcraft “evidence”. According to The Penguin Book of Witches, the nature of pet names may have served as an unconscious form of evidence (Howe 239). While the author thought of this suggestion as a form of social logic, this essay investigates it as a phenomenon of language. Pet names had a key role in influencing negative feelings towards animals labeled as “familiars.” This affected colonists’ perceptions of an animal, and resulted in the familiar eventually becoming a hated “pet.”

Heart Hurts From Higging, Nia Pettway

Emerging Writers

This essay examines an emotion that does not have a word and offers a neologism to apply. "Higgs," the neologism in question, defines a feeling of nostalgia for the present that blends itself with a fear of moving into the future. With the word having such a timeless, yet relevant application, this essay takes readers through its creation, examples in contemporary media, as well as how implementation of the word may help users better understand the emotion it describes.

The Merits Of Merit: Book Review, Neil Fulton

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Equality And Justice In Aristotle's Theory Of Friendship, Mark Christopher Brennan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In this dissertation, I offer an interpretation of Aristotle’s account of friendship thatemphasizes the importance of fairness in understanding the connection that he draws between friendship and justice. Many contemporary interpretations of Aristotle conclude either that the connection between friendship and justice is primarily relevant in the context of political friendship or is primarily a concern for friendships between virtuous individuals. Such interpretations, however, tend to diminish the importance of friendships on account of usefulness and pleasure in Aristotle’s account, as well as the importance of friendships in associations other than the political association.

Causal Exclusion And Free Will Arguments, Nicholas Jacobson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACTIn my dissertation, I defend a compatibilist conception of free will against a variety of arguments against compatibilism, and free will more generally. In the process of defending compatibilist free will against these arguments, I will be fleshing out some details of what I think free will is. Along the way, I will be developing and defending some views on related concepts, such as the concept of control. An important theme I will be revisiting throughout is that these arguments against compatibilist free will assume certain things about causation, and particularly how different kinds of phenomena causally compete with each …

From Dissenting-Voice To Democratic Bureaucracy : Three Essays On Bureaucratic Whistleblowing, Minsung Michael Kang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Public administration scholars have long believed that bureaucratic whistleblowers help make bureaucracies more democratic, effective, and accountable. With these firm convictions, the U.S. federal government has introduced a series of whistleblower protection systems to balance administrative power and external political accountability of public organizations. Building on this intellectual history of public administration scholarship on whistleblowing, this dissertation aims to: 1) understand bureaucratic whistleblowing at the theory-level, 2) examine the effects of whistleblower protection laws on bureaucrats at the individual-level, and 3) investigate how whistleblowing outcomes can reshape bureaucracies at the organizational-level.

Wittgenstein On Miscalculation And The Foundations Of Mathematics, Samuel J. Wheeler

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics, Wittgenstein notes that he has 'not yet made the role of miscalculating clear' and that 'the role of the proposition: "I must have miscalculated"...is really the key to an understanding of the "foundations" of mathematics.' In this paper, I hope to get clear on how this is the case. First, I will explain Wittgenstein's understanding of a 'foundation' for mathematics. Then, by showing how the proposition 'I must have miscalculated' differentiates mathematics from the physical sciences, we will see how this proposition is the key to understanding the foundations of mathematics.

How Epistolary Novelists’ Literalizations Of Moral Sense Philosophy Dramatize The Long-Eighteenth Century’S Gender Battles, Melissa Stacey Bishop-Magallanes

CGU Theses & Dissertations

While some might consider epistolary novels of the long-eighteenth century as the sentimental purview of women readers, this research proposes that many of these epistolary novels serve as powerful markers in the gender wars of this era. While an overall sense of optimism pervaded Britain’s long-eighteenth century, people still grappled with foundational moral questions. These questions came to be addressed in increasingly secular ways by moral philosophy. As these philosophers occupied influential government, law, and publishing positions, their ideas and works greatly influenced the public imagination. The publications of moral philosophers—such as John Locke, the third Earl of Shaftesbury, Joseph …

Healing Through Mother Earth, Taylor A. Russell

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis deals with mental health, with a focus on Black women. Historically, Black women are often so compromised, being constant caregivers and helping everyone else, that they forget to help themselves, not having the time and financial means to do so. If we go back in the time of slavery, many Black women were taking care of slave owners' children and suckling the white women’s babies instead of their own. By the time they got home and after diligently caring for other people’s children they were focused on their own children, who they had been away from for hours …

Perceiving The Good: An Agent Relative Account Of Desire, Paul R. Pistone

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In this project I investigate and develop a theory of desire primarily focused on the metaphysics of desire. Since my theory of desire is an evaluative theory, I address discussions concerning value and goodness, and its relation to the ethics and metaphysics of desire. Defining a desire is a complex endeavor and so is determining how desires fit within our mental economy. To locate my position, I begin with an investigation of various, often opposing, theories of desire. I examine motivational theories, pleasure-based theories, reward/learning accounts, and evaluative models. Ultimately, I argue that none of these theories provides adequate explanation …

Decision Making By Law Enforcement Supervisors Regarding Professional Courtesy And Discretion, Jennifer Marie Hollifield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRecent studies suggest a negative shift in the way the public views U.S. law enforcement officers (LEOs), including an increased lack of trust. Mistrust may be attributed to misuse of power, abuse of discretion, or the extension of professional courtesy by LEOs. While discretion, and the misuse of discretion has been studied by many scholars, decision making process related to professional courtesy has not been studied as a contributing factor. The problem addressed in this study is the negative environment of mistrust between law enforcement and the public that can make it difficult for an officer to do their job …

Age And Pain Predicting Hospital Length Of Stay Among Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease, Tyanna Qualls

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), especially those from low socioeconomic status, experience financial constraints in meeting their hospital bills resulting from prolonged hospital stays. The research was guided by Andersen’s (1995) behavioral model of health services (BMHS) as the theoretical framework. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative correlational study was to evaluate whether and the extent to which age and pain crisis affect the length of hospital stay among patients with SCD in the United States. Secondary data were collected from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). A chi-square test was used to test the relationship between …

Plato And The Justice That Is Harmony, Lois Eveleth

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

Plato treats of the topic justice in the Republic, offering the concept of harmony as a perspective from which to examine this difficult concept. An ideal existing in a realm that is separate from the human and physical cosmos, justice is difficult to explain and even more so to achieve. Plato's disenchantment with his beloved city urges him on in this difficult task, especially difficult because the word harmony refers to tuning patterns for lyres and not to agreeable blending of musical notes. Does he achieve his goal?

A Marxist Re-Imagining Of Capitalism, Alejandro Villegas

CMC Senior Theses

This paper explores the reasons that Hegel and Smith were optimistic about the promise of capitalism. I identify the virtues and characteristics that capitalism would provide in theory which focused on the potential benefits it would have for average person. I then examine capitalism in practice and identify the ways that Hegel and Smith were wrong. I use Henry Hansmann model of the firm and his account of cost, which fits well with the problems I hope to address. With the help of Henry Hansmann’s account of ownership and cost, I offer potential methods to address the failures of the …

The Female Perspective On Self-Worth, Zixuan Wang

CMC Senior Theses

How do we determine the value of ourselves? It is intuitive that our perception of self-worth has an implicit effect on our development as individuals. This thesis explores the process through which women determine their self-worth and why it is problematic.

The Power Of The Influencer: Old Gods, Rejected Elites, And Secular Idols, Laura Brenalvirez

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the phenomena of influencers in America, and what makes their power distinct from institutional forms of authority. As we are disillusioned by the establishment, we turn to influencers, since we have greater exercise of autonomy and agency in our deference. Our parasocial relationships demonstrate an anti-elitist desire to feel truly represented by our authorities. I aim to open scholarship about celebrities through a more charitable lens than many condescending takes.

Speaking Silently: Nagarjuna And The Paradox Of Ultimate Reality, Paris Masiel

CMC Senior Theses

I will explain the core project of ancient Mahayana Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna’s central work, the Mulamadhyamakakarika, or MMK. The MMK is a dense, spiraling text which has confounded scholars since it was written in the 2nd century. It simultaneously argues for the emptiness of conventional concepts, and for the emptiness of emptiness itself. It at once uses logic to break down concepts we typically take for granted, while also seeming to embrace logical contradictions. By investigating two eminent interpretations of the book and one part of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy, I will show that Nagarjuna purposefully charts paradoxical ground in the …

Time To Stop Pretending We Don’T Know Other Animals Are Sentient Beings, Marc Bekoff

Animal Sentience

Rowan et al.’s target article is an outstanding review of some of the history of the science of sentience, but one would have liked to see a much stronger “call to action.” We don’t need any more data to know that many other animals are sentient beings whose lives must be protected from harm in a wide variety of contexts. It is not anti-science to want more action on behalf of other animals right now.

Sentience Politics : A Fishy Perspective, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

The plight of fishes has almost certainly got worse since Bentham (1789) coined the phrase “The question is not Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but Can they suffer?” Despite the fact that fishes are increasingly recognised as sentient animals worthy of protection under animal welfare legislation in many countries around the world, fishing practices are almost universally exempt activities. The human population continues to grow, and, surprisingly, per capita intake of fish is still increasing (FAO 2020). The source of this fish is not wild stocks (catches of which have remained more or less stagnant for …

The Question Is Not “Can Humans Talk?” Or “Can They Suffer?” But “Can They Reason?”, Clive Phillips

Animal Sentience

In their target article, Rowan et al (2022) make a welcome attempt to chart the development of Western progress over the past two hundred years toward formally recognizing that animals feel. They outline the heroic efforts of Compassion in World Farming to gain for animals the status of sentient beings rather than merely human property. A broader view exists, from human prehistory to the present day, in which animals have been (and still are) understood to be sentient by indigenous peoples as well as by some Eastern religions. Growing recognition in the West that animals feel represents a new age …

The Science Of Animal Sentience And The Politics Of Animal Welfare Should Be Kept Separate, Marian Stamp Dawkins

Animal Sentience

Although linked historically by Rowan et al., the scientific study of animal sentience and political campaigns to improve animal welfare should be kept separate, for at least two reasons. First, the separation makes it clear that standards of evidence acceptable for ethical or political decisions on animal welfare can be lower than those required for a rigorously scientific approach to animal sentience. Second, it helps to avoid confirmatory bias in the form of giving undue weight to results that are in line with pre-conceived ideas and political views.

Animal Sentience Science And Policy, Andrew Crump

Animal Sentience

Animal sentience research cannot be divorced from its ethical and political implications. For example, discovering which animals are sentient is vital for deciding which require welfare protection. Two legal case-studies illustrate the importance of scientists in such debates: the UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 had input from animal sentience researchers, whereas the US Animal Welfare Act 1966 did not. The former defined sentient animals much more plausibly than the latter. I accordingly argue that sentience researchers should inform policy, and that this is achievable without sacrificing scientific integrity.

Wild Animal Welfare, Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe

Animal Sentience

Rowan et al’s article provides an overview of developments in the science of animal sentience and its links to animal welfare policy, especially regarding farm animals. But changing ideas of animal sentience and welfare are also important for managing wild and other free-living animals. We ask how the welfare of these animals differs from that of farmed animals, especially how the ability to make autonomous choices may matter. We suggest that more research into wild animal welfare is needed to make informed policy decisions, for example, about using animals in rewilding projects and choosing between policies of culling and fertility …

The Reality And Prevalence Of Animal Sentience, Antonio Damasio

Animal Sentience

Rowan et al use findings from neurobiology, clinical neurology, and general biology to argue for the extensive presence of sentience in animals, but they are wisely cautious concerning when in the phylogenetic scale that emergence occurred.

Revisiting Donald Griffin, Founder Of Cognitive Ethology, Carolyn A. Ristau

Animal Sentience

Donald Griffin’s writings, beginning with The Question of Animal Awareness (1976), strove to persuade scientists to study the possibility of animal sentience, the basis of Rowan et al.’s efforts to promote animal well-being. Facing great hostility (but also some acceptance) for his ideas, Griffin initially avoided animal welfare advocacy, fearing it would further undermine his efforts to gain recognition of animal sentience. In later years, however, he began to ponder the ethical implications of animal sentience, intending to study wild elephants’ communication and social behavior to better understand their experienced life and apply it to improving conservation methods. As he …

Actualization Through Constraint: An Analysis Of Hegelian Self- Consciousness In Fascism- Exclusionary Expression And In Modular Orchestral Composition, Marisa Kaye Janke

2022 Symposium

How does a conscious entity become aware of itself and its place in the world? According to German Idealist Philosopher G.F.W. Hegel, there are required conditions that facilitate this movement of awareness. Recognition serves as a central requirement, for a consciousness cannot progress in an isolated space. Coexistence allows for referential points, and is often necessary for the actualization of concepts by providing social interactions wherein recognition both of and by others can occur.

This paper illustrates the progression of two such concepts, discourse and musical composition as forms of freedom “in-itself”. They are both imperfect for the promotion of …

Perceptions Of Shifting Time: Life Crossing The Edges Of Conflict ; A Phenomenological Study Of The Changing Nature Of Worldview Schema And Temporal Constructs When Experiencing Cultural Conflict, Ian D. Edgerly

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The conflict process has numerous facets and characteristics, but one of the least discussed within conflict or peace studies literature is the effect that time has upon, or within the conflict continuum. This project’s focus was the identification of changes within certain temporally sensitive worldview schema by members of the Charlotte, North Carolina area refugee community when entering cultural conflict. This exploration specifically focused on the shifts that occur between moving from their transient locations prior to coming to the United States, whether that be a refugee camp or living in another country under refugee status, and their final relocation …

Healing Sanctuary, Kammy Downs

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The natural world has hidden wisdom and resources that are disregarded as we misuse our responsibility to care for them. The benefits of being in tune with nature have been traded for a culture that manipulates nature on the altar of expediency, waste, and unquenchable desire. Healing Sanctuary presents a duality. My work speaks about the relationship between the seen and unseen, represented by ten larger-than-life drawings of medicinal herbal plants that have had a profound physical healing effect on me. At the same time, plants, roots, and seeds create visceral metaphors for mental health. Our accomplishments, outlook on life, …

Ethnic Nationalism In Postcolonial Disputes: The Epistemic Re-Evaluation Of Interest-Driven Knowledge Claims, Hahyeon Lee

Senior Independent Study Theses

This thesis combines the disciplines of political science and philosophy to illuminate the conceptual links between ethnic nationalism, postcolonial disputes, and epistemology. In doing so, it proposes a novel understanding of postcolonial disputes that moves beyond the politics of national sentiments and socially constructed historical memory to one that also recognizes the epistemic stakes in the contestation. To this end, the research question is stated as, “If postcolonial disputes are intensified by ethnic nationalism, are postcolonial disputes an instance of epistemic subjectivism?” To answer the question, the thesis pursues two objectives (the empirical and the philosophical) that ultimately tie in …

Mental Disorders, The Positivity Effect, And Questions Of Identity And Responsibility, Liam Jones

Pitzer Senior Theses

In order to judge how behavior caused by the positivity effect should be considered, comparisons were made between the positivity effect and two mental disorders. These disorders, Tourette’s syndrome and psychopathy, were selected due to their extreme differences in what Strawsonian attitudes they inspire and how they are perceived relative to disordered patients’ will. Disorder-affected behavior of Tourette’s patients inspires the objective attitude and is seen as a condition affecting an individual’s will, while disorder-affected behavior of psychopaths inspires the interpersonal attitude and is seen as a character trait. Relevant distinctions between psychopathy and Tourette’s syndrome were found to include …