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The Brain And Mind Identity
Nothing in the world is more mysterious than the human mind but without the brain how do you have a mind? The brain sends and receives
information by electrical impulses around the human body allowing us to see, move, feel, hear and think. If the brain is removed from the human body
these impulses will cease, thus there will be no mind. Philosophers like Place, Smart, and Armstrong support this claim through the notion of identify
theory and type physicalism. Brain and mind identity is a very controversial topic with some philosophers arguing that because people can have
knowledge of a specific mental state without being affected in the physical state, mind and the brain may well be different. However with significant
breakthroughs in neuroscience in the last century, such as Dr. Penfield's Montreal procedure it is safe to say that the brain has direct control over the
mind thus the two being in/distinguishable.
The brain has been determined to be the control centre for all nervous messages in humans. The complexity of the brain allows us to interpret these
nervous messages into thoughts which in turn allow us to respond to them. To be able to have a sense ofconsciousness the brain must receive some
form of stimulus. Type physicalism/identity theory which was first developed by Place (1956), which describes how different mental states are
triggered due to the firing of the corresponding fibres. Philosophers like Place (1956), Smart (1959), Feigl (1972), and Armstrong
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Why Do We Not Eat Our Dead According To Diamond
1. Why do we not eat our dead, according to Diamond? a) because we have a special relationship with them.
2. Explain Kant's example of the false promise. Why is it wrong to deceive others according to him? Within Kant's example of the false promise, you
may make a false promise in order to benefit yourself. Looking at this decision in a universal manner, if everyone falsely promised, promises would
then be meaningless therefore you should not act on the maxim of making the false promise. This example expresses that when a maxim is created,
you must explore whether the maxim could be applied universally. If you would not make this maxim into a universal law, you must not act on that
maxim. Deceiving others is a way of treating those others ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It only covers cases where the woman is not responsible for her pregnancy.
4. What is the highest good for Aristotle? How can we pursue it? The highest good according to Aristotle is happiness. Happiness is the highest good
because the goal for everyone in life is to be find happiness. In order for us to achieve the highest good of happiness we must practice. By practicing
and improving our well–being through good virtues, even in the hardest times, we are able to achieve the sense of happiness.
5. What's the difference between etiquette normals and moral norms, for Boghossian? d) etiquette norms are relative to a particular society at a certain
time and place, while moral norms are absolute.
6. What is the main reason why the mind–body debate in its current state is hopeless, according to Montero? According to Montero the mind–body
problem in its current state is hopeless because in order to solve the mind–body problem, we must first be able to solve the body problem. Without the
being able to solve the body problem first, we do not have a definitive answer as to what is physical. Without know what is physical, we are unable to
differentiate the difference between the mind and the body
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The Power Of The Image Within The Realm Of Media And The...
Most media scholars assert that contemporary culture is dominated by images. Furthermore, it is widely understood that images articulate ways of
seeing the world. Given that the average American is confronted with up to 5,000 advertisements a day, it is difficult to refute the legitimacy and
impact of these claims. Advertising, film, print media, and the digital world all rely on the visual to transmit potent messages to the public. These
images are rarely just aesthetic displays. Each visual put before us is replete with meaning– cues that tell us what to think, how to feel, and how to act.
Enveloped within images are social, political, and cultural ideologies. Images, in short, are dominant vessels of persuasive communication and
influence, dictating social norms, communicating rhetoric, and acting as representations of values implicit in culture. In this colloquium and rationale,
I aim to explore the power of the image within the realm of media and the ways in which this power is created, exercised, and then negotiated by the
viewer. What is the power of the image? This is a question addressed significantly in Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida. The author tells us that paintings
are powerful in that they can reproduce fictional representations; they can portray that which is not there. However, it is the photographic image that
contains genuine power because of its indexicality, that is, the viewer always connects the image to the notion that "the thing has been there"
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Theories of Marx
In this seminar, I seek to analyse, discuss and evaluate the theories of Marx. Firstly, I will analyse the relationship between human action and social
structure. Having completed the analysis, I will move on further to discuss and exemplify his theory of alienation. Lastly I will evaluate his theory of
false consciousness.
Question 1
Human action and social structure are extremely prevalent in the works of Marx. In terms of the workers and capitalist classes, he postulates that they
are not free but rather actors of the capitalist system. The workers are forced into labour to make a living, the force of circumstance (Elster, 1986:29)
while the capitalist is forced to keep themselves in business. Elster (1986:29) argues that this is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He has thus become alienated from normality and has become an appendage of the machine.
In the movie, "Daens" we see the women and children working on the machines in the factory, not able to communicate amongst themselves and in the
case of the government coming to investigate them, they weren't able to converse in French as they could only speak Flemish, thus further enforcing
the disconnection factor.
In order to become un–alienated and work toward becoming the 'whole man' where everyone is part of one class, is able to support their family and
their every need and has enough free time and is still able to work as Marx wished in his efforts, the workers would have to take risks to get out of
their situation and keep trying to overthrow capitalism, as in the case of the movie, "Daens" where we witness them taking the dead child out on to
the streets. This risk however is quickly averted by the capitalists as they have the means, the money and the knowledge to get their workers back to
work. They simply call in a favour from the local police and then fire all those who marched. The instigator or initial risk taker (the woman who met
Daens) is then punished further with rape as a means of enforcing their domination over the working class.
Question 3
False consciousness is termed in the context of the work of Marx as a statement of our existence, it is not our consciousness that determines our
existence, but
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Of Identity And Diversity John Locke
In his essay Of Identity and Diversity, Locke talks about the importance of personal identity. The title of his essay gives an idea of his view.
Identity, according to Locke, is the memory and self consciousness, and diversity is the faculty to transfer memories across bodies and souls. In
order to make his point more understandable, Locke defines man and person. Locke identifies a man as an animal of a certain form and a person as a
thinking intelligent being. Furthermore, to Locke, a person has reasons and reflections and can consider itself as being itself in different times and
places; and he/she does it with his/her consciousness (429). Basically, personal self is a particular body and personal identity is consciousness. In this ...
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On the one hand, if in the past one lived by acting in a
good way one hopes to be rewarded in the future. And on the other hand, if one lived by acting in a bad way one fears to be punished in the future.
For instance, John acted in a bad way when he was 20, he committed war crimes; hence, he should expect to be punished for his actions. But Locke's
analysis is not that simple; according to his definition of personal identity, people should be held responsible for their actions only if they remember
doing those actions. Consequently, based on Locke's view, John should not be punished for the war crimes he committed since he does not remember
what he did at 20. In this example, Locke does not punish John, who committed terrible war crimes, just because he does not remember. Is Locke's
judgment fair to people who committed the same crimes but remember what they did? Or, is his judgment fair to the victim's families? Locke's
judgment is only based on whether or not the wrong doer remembers his actions; it does not take into account other important elements; that is one of
the reasons why Locke's theory about personal identity has been criticized.
Locke's view on personal identity has strengths but it also has several weaknesses or limitations. One important strength is when Locke states that a
person should be held responsible for his/her actions if he/she recalls doing those actions. In this case, the person
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Personal Identity : The Vehicle Of Consciousness
Introduction I will be arguing that the essential component of personal identity is the not the vehicle of consciousness, but rather the collection of
experiences, personality traits, and ethical beliefs, individual hold. I will show that though the vehicle of consciousness may be a substantial visual
and sentimental sense of the self, it is not as necessary experiences and personality traits to the extent of personal identity being present and
maintained through space and time. Who am I? Individuals have a sense of who he or she is. For example, I am a male human who is 20 years old.
I have blue eyes and brown hair. I have experiences and memories of past experiences. I have a collection of beliefs, ethics, memories that have given
me a... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, this is not the whole sense of who we feel like we are. It is true that we feel that these aspects are inherently important though there is a sense
of a deeper sense of what makes you the human different than all other humans in a non–trivial way. This version of an individual is the essence of
their being, or the self. The self is the non–biological internal aspect of the human. This may be considered consciousness and all the things that are
thought to be a part of consciousness, however the self isn't necessarily synonymous to consciousness. Consciousness is not the result of your
environment effects, though the self is sculpted through interactions with your surrounding environment and other individuals. This, as stated earlier,
is done through the compiling of memories, beliefs, and ethics, as well as character traits. Beliefs, ethics and character traits are all derived by taking
interactions experienced with others or interactions witnessed between two or more other individuals and form emotions to these interactions.
Additionally, these emotions are used to form memories. Although these attached emotions do not directly cause memories, the memories of the
emotion attached to some interaction is the basis of how an individual feel about what is true or false, right or wrong, and ultimately shapes their
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John Locke : Locke And His Own Body Switching Experiment
3 / 9
Locke then presents his own body switching experiment to further strengthen his argument. The experiment is about switching souls between a
Prince and a Cobbler. In this experiment, Locke takes the soul of the Prince and puts it in the body of the Cobbler and takes the soul out of the
Cobbler and puts it in the body of the Prince. The result is that the Prince has the body of the Cobbler and the Cobbler has the body of the Prince.7
Both the Prince and the Cobbler feel normal because their consciousness goes along with their soul. Though the Prince and the Cobbler are in
completely new bodies, they are still the same person because the soul that transferred from one body to other still has the same consciousness.8 Locke
is trying to prove through his body switching experiment that personal identity goes where your consciousness and memories go. It doesn't matter what
body contains what soul because each person has their own consciousness and that makes them able to identify themselves.9
Bernard Williams replicates Locke's theory about personal identity through his very own body switching experiment. The experiment is about two
bodies that are labeled person A and person B. In Williams argument the brains between person A and B are switched. Therefore, person A has person
B's brain and vice versa.10 Before the switch takes place, there are two treatments that will take place. One person can get $100,000 while the other
inevitably gets
7 Ibid. 458
8 Ibid.
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Criticism Of Reductive Physicalism
In this paper, I will defend the claim that reductive physicalism is false. I will argue for this by presenting Rene Descartes conceivability argument that
because we can imagine having a mind but no body then the two must be distinguishable, Frank Jackson's knowledge argument that because it is
possible to have full physical knowledge of a phenomenon yet lack qualitative or experiential knowledge of that phenomenon then not all phenomenon
can be physical, and Thomas Nagel's consciousness argument that because we cannot capture the true subjective experience of living thing then there
is no way to reduce consciousness to an objective analysis. Before I begin explaining my arguments, however, it is best if I first define and explain the
meaning of reductive physicalism in relation to philosophy. Reductive physicalism (or sometimes called physicalism) is the belief that everything
which exists can be reduced down to the physical or can be explained in terms of the physical. Although the word "physical" has various meanings,
in this paper I will be referring to "physical" as relating to the subject of physics or relating to the body as opposed to the mind. An opposing view to
physicalism is dualism which is the belief that there exists both physical and nonphysical things. In this paper, I will not be defending dualism or trying
to argue for its truth, but instead, I will argue why physicalism must be false and highlight the many flaws that physicalism fails to address. The
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Mr Leibniz, Philosopher And Philosopher
"Forgive me, sir, but I must point out that when you contend that there is nothing in the soul of which it is not aware, you are begging the question ...
it is impossible that we should always reflect explicitly on all our thoughts; for if we did, the mind would reflect on each reflection, ad infinitum,
without ever being able to move on to a new thought. For example, in being aware of some present feeling, I should have always to think that I think
about that feeling, and further to think that I think of thinking about it, and so on ad infinitum. It must be that I stop reflecting on all these reflections,
and that eventually some thought is allowed to occur without being thought about; otherwise I would dwell for ever on the same thing."
(NE II.i.19, 118)
To Mr Leibniz, Philosopher in Hanover
Sir,
You have attempted to show that we can think and not be aware of it by showing that Locke's conception of consciousness leads to an infinite regress of
reflections. If you had been successful in showing it absurd that we explicitly reflect on all of our thoughts, Locke would have had to accept the idea
that we can think and yet not be aware of it. Therefore, it may be the case that the soul is indeed in perpetual motion. The first premise of your
argument is your interpretations of Locke's conception of consciousness; the mind's explicit reflection of thoughts. On this account, whenever there is a
thought in my mind, there is a higher–order reflection of that thought. It
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Summary Of What It Is Like To Be A Bat By Nagel
Nagel's thesis begins by invalidating reductionism. A physicalist reductionist's approach to the mind–body problem is that the mental processes that
humans experience as consciousness can be understood through physical processes in the brain and body. Nagel argues against this, and believes that
every human and conscious being has its own special subjective character of experience. There is something that it is like for the being to be itself,
which cannot be explained through just physicalism, or objective reductionist means. It's foolish for consciousness to be explained from a reductionist,
or physicalist viewpoint. Nagel disputes that every subjective experience is connected with a "single point of view" making it impossible to
consider an experience as "objective," (Nagel, 441). To further illustrate his view, Nagel uses the example of "what it is like to be a bat" to further
clear up the distinction between subjective and objective concepts. Bats are assumed to have conscious experience and Nagel uses bats as an example,
since they use sensory apparatus that is much different from any other species; echolocation, to see objects and navigate. While its possible to imagine
flying, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Nonetheless he may say it is pointless to argue that we cannot know what it is like to be Mary or the Bat, in their point of view, since this is
impossible to do. He might further suggest that my objection is not successful because Mary still lacks the knowledge of experiencing the colour
red, in real life, rather than in her imagination and thus his argument is still valid. Physicalism must be false, because although her knowledge
allowed her to know what it might be like to see red, she still has not seen it yet. When she does see it, she will be gaining new knowledge about what
it is like to see
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Taking a Look at Phenomenal Consciousness
Phenomenal consciousness is defined as simply the raw experiences that we have. These experiences can be hearing sounds, seeing colors, feeling
emotions and sensing sensations. Throughout this course we've been introduced to different types of phenomenal consciousness as defined by different
philosophers. The philosophers and authors we've discussed have provided several different views, some of which coincide with each other and some
even disagree with one another.
In philosophical terms, dualism is the idea that something can exist with two different components. Rene Descartes, a philosopher in the 16th century,
took this idea of dualism and proposed that the mind and the body are two different things, separate entities. Although they are separate entities, they
indeed work together to carry out bodily functions and processes. Descartes believed that all material things occupied space and cannot share the
same space with other material things. Thus, he concluded that the body takes up space and is a material object. The mind, however, along with
emotions and beliefs, were not material things because they did not take up physical space, cannot be measured and do not have dimensions. He
concluded that they were not material substances. The mind, which is not physically part of the body, is thought of as being conscious and aware,
unlike the brain, which is part of a physical body and does not have such feelings as
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Personal Identity : Identity And Identity
Personal identity is essential in the human experience. Identity is complex and can be broken down into two main groups: introspective identity, and
bodily identity. Introspective identity is based off of the groups, mentalities, or beliefs that you align yourself with, and bodily identity is based off of
the physical side of yourself. Whether physical or introspective, your identity impacts every action you take. Whether choices ranging from what
colors you prefer to which college you want to attend are primarily based off of your introspective identity, which is a combination of both memory
and consciousness, physical identity impacts how others perceive you. Consciousness is mainly the awareness of bodily identity as well as continuous
introspective identify, while memory is awareness of introspective identity. These two different facets of identity are imperative in the distinction
between bodily identity and introspective identity. In means of personal identity introspective identity (which is evident in memory), is essential, while
bodily identity (based partially in consciousness) has less credit. Plutarch brings up the question of bodily identity and numerical identity in Theseus.
Theseus' ship needs repairs and so he begins to replace the old parts, piece by piece, building an additional ship with the old pieces. In the end he has
two ships, one old and one new. Both have the same function, and form, and are therefore qualitatively identical, however the question
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George Orwell 's Dystopian Classic, 1984
A central concept in George Orwell's dystopian classic, 1984, was the memory hole; a censoring garbage chute in which all documents deemed
unacceptable, inconvenient, or even embarrassing by Big Brother went down to be destroyed. The people in power were able to control the past,
present, and future using the memory hole to create a history as they wished it to be. Although this novel was fictional, the reality of 1984 is not too
far from our own. Orwell's central quote of the novel was "Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past" (Zinn
479). The notable quote holds wisdom and a message of exercising caution when it comes to history. Dominant ideologies and widely–accepted views
of history have had calamitous consequences when gone unchallenged by society. Marchak examines who creates and governs the dominant ideology in
society, as they are the ones 'who control the present'. As the dominant ideology grows in a community, it makes it harder to challenge it. Free thought
is continually celebrated and fought for in first world countries such as ours, but counter–ideologies are suppressed when inconvenient for those in
control of the present. Zinn illustrates this oppression in his piece about the native and the colonialist perspective of Columbus' story. The colonialist of
today continue to provide Christopher Columbus with delusions of self–grandeur, and conveniently exclude the Native's side of the story. However this
is not the
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The Bats, the Blind, and the Butterflies Essay
No one can deny that science has evolved rapidly throughout history. One question, however, has not been able to be answered, even though it has
been asked from times as far back as Plato. Do humans have minds; a separate entity from the physical brain that allows us to think? Or is there only a
brain, controlling everything including choices and emotions? Thoughts have no physical properties, so how is it that they reside in a physical
container such as the brain? These questions all describe the "mind–body problem."
In the article, "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" author Thomas Nagel provides his own view on the mind–body problem. He begins by stating that
consciousness is the reason why the mind–body problem is so controversial ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Next, Nagel refers to an animal in particular: bats. He chooses the bat because it is a mammal that is closely related to humans but has an absolutely
different perception of the world. Bats, by using echolocation rather than sight, are able to navigate in even the darkest locations. How a bat "sees"
objects in its own mind is something that humans could not even begin to fathom. Humans cannot know what it is like to have wings, catch
insects, hang upside down, and use bat sonar to navigate. We can try to imagine what it is like for us to be bats, but the question is what it is like for a
bat to be a bat. Imagination can only go so far, since it is based from our own experiences. No one except a bat can know what it is like to be a bat (307).
Nagel provides another example. A man that is deaf and blind from birth cannot experience the world in the same way as a man who is not deaf nor
blind. They have different perceptions of the world and therefore, are not able to access the subjective views of the other (308).
Despite his argument, Nagel does not claim that physicalism is false. Rather, he writes that we could not begin to understand it because we cannot
visualize how it would be true. Physicalism claims that mental states are physical states of the brain, but Nagel says that the word "are" is deceiving
(310). He relates this to an analogy of a caterpillar in a closed box. When the box is opened weeks later, a butterfly
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Consciousness and the Placebo Effect Essay
Consciousness and the Placebo Effect
In controlled studies, experimenters use placebos as medium to compare the efficacy of a drug. Double–blind controlled studies provide information
on whether a drug is effective or if it is not better than placebo. The results of double–blind studies usually depict the latter. Rarely are drugs found to
be significantly more effective than placebo because of the placebo effect. The phenomenal effectiveness of the placebo in controlled experiments is
mind boggling. Experimenters can not fully understand the etiology of the placebo effect in relation to the nervous system but they have proposed
plausible suggestions to the underlying mechanisms involved. An intriguing question raised is the placebo's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By controlling for subject expectation, experimenters are trying to eliminate the placebo effect. The placebo effect occurs when the placebo, which
can not on its own merit have any affect, does in fact have the same or similar affect as the experimental substance or procedure (1). However, some
double–blind control studies use active placebos. Active placebos contain compounds which warrant side effects so that the subject feels as though they
are receiving therapeutic treatment. The efficacy of the placebo in experiments, commonly account from 30–40% and sometimes up to 75% or 80% (2).
In the early 18th century, the word placebo was associated with quackery (3). Although the reason for the high success rate of the placebo is yet to be
explained, experimenters have hypothesized plausible explanations for its effect. Advanced models attempting to explain placebo effects emphasize the
role of expectations, anxiety and learning (3).
The placebo effect illustrates the effectiveness of the physician's role in 'healing' a patient. Past research show that a patient's high opinion of the
physician prescribing the treatment (4) as well as the doctor's personality can invoke the placebo effect. Furthermore, research has shown that an
amiable doctor with a positive outlook of a drug treatment would induce the placebo effect.
The power of the placebo is more readily explained as a function of the individual because the
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Argument Of Panpsychism
There is an argument out there that Panpsychism is the best way to view the world, but there is also the objection that this view may not be correct as
it is just a last–ditch effort to try and explain consciousness. This objection can be overcome with logic in the end. Panpsychism is the overall view that
consciousness is a fundamental and pervasive feature of the world, meaning that everything has a consciousness. As explained by Keith Frankish in
his article "Why panpsychism fails to solve the mystery of consciousness", Panpsychism follows with the concept of idealism. Idealism says that
consciousness is the only thing to exist therefore it must be a fundamental and pervasive feature of all things. Panpsychism is also able to explain the
major flaw of physicalism which is trying to figure out how consciousness fits in. This view has come about as all the other views that try to explain
consciousness appear to fail. The general argument for this form is "1. Either some theory to explain consciousness or Panpsychism. 2. There is no
other way to explain consciousness. 3. Therefore, Panpsychism must be true." Since all other forms to try and explain consciousness have failed,
including explaining it through physics, saying sense–qualities don't exist as Galileo did, Berkley's argument for idealism, etc, Panpsychism is the only
option left. It is the option that addresses all the issues and flaws with the previous arguments and explains them. Although Panpsychism can
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The Problem Of Other Minds
Problem of Other Minds
We all go through our life's as individuals. We are present in our life's at the time of our birth, though we do not recall being there. We are present in
our life's at the time of death. There have thoughts and experiences of interacting with other objects, animals, and humans. But is this reality? Can I
be certain, without a doubt, of the credibility of my experiences? Are there other beings and if so do these beings have conscious experiences?
Furthermore, I will question that if these other conscious beings do exist then are the experiences of these being similar to my experience and can I
observer these experiences to predict what the being is experiencing. Everyone has the experience of interaction with another person. To be certain of
the existence we perceive of theses experiential beings that are human I must first prove, or assume, that my experiences are real. Let's assume that
my experiences of the world are not true. This world and everything in it would not exist. All my experiences are just a phenomenon inside my
head. I am not aware of what this would look like, perhaps a computer program or a brain in a vat scenario. However, I can try to make sense of this. In
this world that does not exist. As I am typing this paper I see a table holding my computer up. That is to say, I have the phenomenon of seeing a
table, but as we have already established I do not really see a table. Instead, I just seem to be seeing a table. Though I may be
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An Awareness Of A False Consciousness
There has been a significant rise in non–religious people, this rise can be seen within the millennial generation, which is different from prior ones who
were predominantly Christian. What is it that the millennials can be aware of or, influenced on, that causes this non–conformity towards religion?
There has been a decline in Christianity and a rise in non–religious, this can be due to the awareness of abuse in Christianity, the removal of Christianity
from public schools, and a new generation of its own community.
There has been an awareness of the abuse from the Christian religion. There is an awareness of a false consciousness, which is, "the belief that
something is in its best interest when it is not" (Steckley, Letts, 2013, pg.171), however in a religious view it can look at like, "God planned society
to be this way, members were acting in the nest interest" (Steckley, Letts, 2013, pg.286). Look at with false consciousness is in the form of abuse
that has happened within this organization, and how it has been done through manipulation or giving a sense of false consciousness to the victims.
False consciousness lies within places such as boarding schools, or regular churches, here is where pastors have abused children by telling them that
what they are doing is Gods choice, or that it is what God wants from them. According to PBS.org (2014), Between 1950 and 2012 there were 16,787
people that have come forward about child abuse from church officials, the majority of
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What is Physicalism?
Physicalism is the notion of the entire world being physical. Through physicalism, even human experiences are interpreted as physical. The world is
physical in nature and anything included in the world is physical, including thoughts and emotions. Every action and state is reduced to a physical
occurrence. For example, a thought is composed of a neurons being in a certain state, creating the way the person thinks. Animals and their actions are
physical due to their senses understanding the environment around them and their brain acting accordingly. The physicalist understanding of the mind
and body problem is that both are not separate entities. The mind is just a part of the body: a physical entity. Thomas Nagel is a philosopher concerned
with consciousness and the mind–body problem. Nagel states that consciousness is overlooked from the physicalist standpoint of understanding the
mind. Thomas Nagel believes that the inability to imagine what it is like to be a bat is a problem for physicalism. The human mind is capable of
understanding what it would be like as a bat, but is incapable of thinking how a bat experiences being a bat. Nagel discusses the idea of subjective
character of experience. Being able to think like about a bat's life from the point of a bat involves a breach of consciousness. A person cannot implant
his brain into that of a bat in order to understand the life of a bat. In order to understand the life of the bat, the viewer would have to experience the
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Class Poweedness And False Consciousness
Class consciousness and false consciousness are two concepts from Marxist theory. According to Marx' s sociological view, social class was the
influential principles of social life. The phenomenon of inequality always exits in the society. There is more inequality pressing against within rich
people and poor people. The upper class owns resources and labours and they get more benefits and rewards. However, the working class is hired
and gets salaries from the upper class, which means they can be considered as labour force. In Marx's view, capitalism caused that the gap between
rich and poor is increasing and the rich people become richer and the poor people become poorer. The capitalism could be changed only if the working
class starts a revolution.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The concepts of class consciousness and false consciousness are related to the video because it shows the conflict between the rich and poor
countries. Although the richest is less than poor, they own most of the world's wealthy. The poorest people cannot afford the living expenses and
cannot pay for education or basic medicines, but the wealthy people accumulated about 43% of world wealth and 300 rich people have the same
wealth that equals to 3 billion poor people. False consciousness exists in the social inequality between poor and rich. From the video, 2 % richest
people own 43% wealth shows the wealthy people get their benefits and profits from the working class through their labour force, but the poor people
do not have any resources and they only get salary from them. Meanwhile, developed countries make rules, such as trade mispricing, which only
benefit them and poor countries do not have positive consequences. Poor people are living under and follow the rules, which made by the wealthy
people. According to the concept of class consciousness, the rules need to be changed that will happen if poor people realize the reason of poverty is
the rule that against them. The working class must do something to get themselves a rule that benefit them and struggle for their own rights through the
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Spiritual Opportunity For A Transition
spiritual opportunities inherent in life's changes and helps us discover how to use them as a gateway to greater personal and spiritual growth." (FYIT,
back cover)
The objective of this class is to develop the knowledge and skills that ease the transitions we all go through. With this work we will come to
understand the paradox of change and gain a deep understanding of the process of transitions. In using Robert Brumet's book Finding Yourself in
Transition as our guide, we will join with the Israelites of Scripture as they move from an ending, into the void (the wilderness), to a new beginning (the
Promised Land). transitions offer the opportunity for a breakthrough into a whole new dimension in living
Self Reflection: Points to Ponder (See Appendix)
Create and write a ritual for a transition each is experiencing
Group Guidelines: All information shared in the group is confidential. We recognize that love is listening, and we agree to listen with an open heart, to
give mutual support and to practice non–judgmental listening and sharing. We are here to heal ourselves. We are not here to give advice or to change
anyone's belief or behavior. Being accepted as we are makes it easier for us to accept rather than to judge others. We share from our own experience.
By intentionally taking the risk to expose our own inner journey with others, we find common ground that allows for a mutual joining of equals. We
respect ourselves and each other as unique. We recognize
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Sociological Perspective Of False Consciousness
False consciousness is sociological concept that I can personally identify with the most. False consciousness acording to the text book is a condition in
which people, usually in groups that are relatively powerless, accept beliefs that work against their own self–interests. False consciousness has to do
with myself because of my evangelical parents that defined my childhood due to their ideology and how so many of peers act against their self
intrests due to a toxic ideology given to them by the ruling class. False Consciousness supports my view that the world is filled with many
deceived subgroups that act in False consciousness. This sociological concept allowed me to learn more about why False Consciousness occurs and
strengthened my view of the perceived power that the ruling class has over working class but the actual untouched power the working class has
over the ruling class. As I grew up I saw how the church created an ideology for my parents that justified its excessive exploitation of them and how
they simply accepted this ideology even though it went against many of our best intrests. We missed meals on a regular basis because the church
demanded 15% of all of our income when we had very little to give. In the text book it gave an example of medival European society; "the ruling class
could promote its interest through the Church". My parents church promoted it's intrests and my parents simply accpted this ideology that caused
major finacial strain on them and on
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Devorah Kalekin-Fishman False Consciousness
In False Consciousness written by Devorah Kalekin– Fishman, the author talks about whether or not the body and mind is dualistic or monistic. False
consciousness comes in because of the fact that if the body and mind are connected, then bodily experiences experiences are more authentic than the
mind. For example on page 540 the author writes, "The Cartesian dic– tum, 'cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am'), establishes that in order to be
known to exist, the body has to be seen/interpreted/understood by a mind." (Fishman. 540), this relates back to the concept that the body and mind are
connected, and one cannot exist without the other. On page 541 the author writes," Others (e.g. Dennett, 2005) insist that every aspect of consciousness
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On page 107 the author writes, " As adults, men are expected to be strong, athletic, and skilled in diverse realms of their life – work, sexuality, and
fatherhood. These physically embodied dimensions of masculinity are mixed with the psychological and social dynamics of masculinity, which can
lead men to feel they are unable to live up to their image or expectations" (Clow&Ricciardelli 107.), this proves that those unreal expectations do
effect males psychologically. Men feel like they are not able to achieve that, which further causes damage to their self esteem. Later on page 108 the
authors write, "Overall, the hypervisibility of the male body has played a role in the emergence of a new trend, where men are focusing more
attention than ever before on their physical appearance and attractiveness." (Clow & Ricciardelli 108.), because of the new trend, men are now going
to the gym more and trying to look more attractive and masculine. This article was also really organized and easy to follow, however it was quite
repetitive. They kept mentioning the same couple of facts. The authors also overwhelmed the reader with tons of information, which got quite
overwhelming. This article was useful because their findings were
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Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence; A paper on...
Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence? A paper on Animal Consciousness      Consciousness is a difficult term
to grasp; so much so, that many scientists will not even attempt to define the term, much less search for it's evidence. Most however, do agree that
consciousness must include certain aspects; specifically cognition, self–awareness, memory, and abstract thought.
     Lesley J. Rogers describes consciousness as, "related to awareness, intelligence, and complex cognition, as well as
language. Consciousness may be manifested in self–awareness, awareness of others, intentional behavior, including intentional communication,
deception of others, and in the... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
     In Dr. Pepperberg's book, The Alex Studies, she taught the parrot to be able to recognize different objects
by color, shape, and material. He was even able to eventually distinguish between concepts such as "bigger," "smaller," "same," "different," "over,"
and "under." When asked to identify objects, Alex correctly identified, on first try, 80% of all objects presented in over 200 tests (45). He was also
able to correctly pair different labels together to fit a certain object; for example color and material. After only two years of training, Alex was able
to communicate with contextual and conceptual use of human speech. He could identify, request, and refuse a set of objects for play or food (50).
Dr. Pepperberg also took precautions to ensure that she had not allowed for any "cues" to tip off Alex to a correct answer, as in the case of "Clever
Hans."      These animals also demonstrated memory, another of the aspects of consciousness. Many behaviorists
believe that animals act only on instinct, or on conditioned responses to stimuli. Others, like Lesley J. Rogers, believe that memories actually play an
important part in an animal's behavior. "The uniqueness of an individual is not simply encoded in the enormous diversity of our genetic code (our
inheritance) but is established by our unique
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The One Truth Of Reality Essay examples
The One Truth of Reality
The one single truth of reality is not measured or distinguished –– it is the ultimate paradox. The journey by which one achieves this truth can be a
journey of increasing realizations of paradoxes, and finally, freedom from the bubble of limitation of a mind that would perceive such paradoxes as
paradoxes in the first place.
Truth is the same as spiritual feeling. Of spiritual perception. Of clear perception. Of freedom of the mind. Freedom of the soul. Freedom of the Heart.
It is ultimate love and empathy. The end of struggle. Fully knowing the truth is to be enlightened. Fully realizing the truth is having transcended the
distortions of the Machine (see The Machine at my web site given below). Truth
means ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When these things are reacted to and conformed to by behavior in some way, it indicates a mind in a limited bubble, bound by the illusion of duality
–– and in this way, not privy to ultimate truth; and in this way, not free, subconsciously lonely, and in the dark–– all, obviously, to varying degrees
with each person, depending on how much, for whatever reason, he focuses on his duality and reacts to it.
In what I refer to as the "Mindscape", where what is inherently consciousness is free of the struggles of the illusion of a distinct self and
self–protection and fulfillment, there is the plane that is transcendent of perception based in the
"tangible" or more "physical". This place is like an infinite blue sky that is as infinitely large as it is small. In perception of
this is a place where consciousness dwells, a place beyond time, beyond space; thus there is no time, and no space. All reality is held in a expanse of
nothingness wherein everything within it touches everything else. Total knowledge is here –– it is the realization of one truth, it is what to more
muddled perceptions might be referred to as omnipotence, enlightenment; and when perceived is perceived means to communicate telepathically, to
know clairvoyantly and prophetically, and to control and manipulate the various tangible (physical) and non–tangible
"distinguishments" that are the reality on the "! lower"
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I 'm Still Working On A Good Title
Lucy Ma
Section 1G
Dec. 4th, 2015
Draft
(I'm still working on a good title)
As you laid eyes on this paper, you may feel stress for having to grade, or tired because this is the nth paper you have had to read. Oh, and do not
forget, you may still have a looming amount of work left despite the fact you deserve a break. Then, you start reading the content of the paper and start
to process the meanings of each word while piecing the big picture of what the words mean together. However, where do these emotions and thoughts
running through the mind come from? They are not direct products of observation but abstract concepts derived from past experience and memory.
The past experience of heavy workloads or poor writing may have led to the dread of having to read student written papers, and past memorization and
learning of vocabulary led to grasping the concepts discussed. This phenomenal is inspired by a physical observation that leads to abstract concepts.
How perception transitions into cognition is a mystery, but this process, influenced by subjective experience, is consciousness.
However, perceptions and senses could oftentimes be false, but the ability to introspect helps one to regain clarity on his or her environment. Thus, one
essential condition of human consciousness is that one must be able introspect and have a sense of self. Rene Descartes' famous "I think, therefore I
am" is an example that supports this condition. (I will and need to expand on this)
Contrarily,
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Analysis Of John Locke And The Problem Of Personal Identity
Fatima Binyamin
500700419
Professor David Checkland
PHL 201 – Problems in Philosophy
John Locke and the Problem of Personal Identity
Personal identity, in a philosophical point of view, is the problem of explaining what makes a person numerically the same over a period of time,
despite the change in qualities. The major questions answered by Locke were questions concerning the nature of identity, persons, and immorality
(Jacobsen, 2016). This essay will discuss the three themes John Locke presents in his argument regarding personal identity, which are, the concept of
categories, substance vs. man vs. person, and the continuity of consciousness.
Categories
Locke argues that we cannot compare something until we have an idea of what category the thing being discussed will the placed under. He
elaborates on this notion and argues that asking whether something is the same or not is very blunt and open. When asking a question about
sameness, one could ask, "Is Professor Checkland the same person as he was five years ago?" instead of "Is Professor Checkland the same as five years
ago?" The latter question is not acceptable, according to Locke, because there is no category under which Professor Checkland is being judged upon.
The former, however, implies that Professor Checkland is being judged on the basis of whether he is the same person as he was five years prior.
Identity of substance, man, and persons The categories substance, man, and person all have different requirements
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Descartes Dualism Essay
The main argument Descartes used to prove dualism is that he could doubt everything, including the existence of his own body, and that of the
material world, for he could be dreaming or being fooled. The only thing he could not doubt was the existence of his own mind, for in order to doubt,
it is necessary to exist. He concluded that his mind (the thing that thinks), was a distinct and independent entity from the physical world, although
interaction between the two existed somewhere in the pineal gland.
Thus, if we consider that Descartes' dualism is right, and mind is distinct from body, then mental events cannot be verified by science (which is
physical), for they are not of material origin, but products from the mind. How, then, could our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, having origin in the mind,
affect the physical world, and what if a brain suffers a sort of trauma, would the mind still be intact/ would it affect the mind?
According to Gilbert Ryle, the explanation was possible. Dualism and its variations are false, and the dualist commits a 'category mistake', that is, a
property is wrongly associated to something which cannot possess that property. He illustrates two examples to simplify his view. The first is the
concept of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thus: Cartesian theory is not wrong in its details, but it is corrupted in its principle, for being derived through a series of categorical mistakes. And
apart from the interaction question, there's yet another problem from an empirical point of view. As far as we know through neuroscience, when the
brain is affected in some way, consciousness and other mental states are also affected, e.g. the use of
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Sartre's Conception Of Human Consciousness
A question that continues to puzzle scholars (and Honors students, alike) is that of what defines human consciousness. It would be simple to say that it
is defined by one's awareness of itself and of its surroundings. What makes the question so difficult to answer, though, is that consciousness is much
more than an acute awareness; it is the process of becoming aware, finding the purpose of our consciousness, and building morals and intelligence from
that awareness that entangles those who search for answers in a web of utter confusion. In beginning my search for the understanding of consciousness,
I chose to look into the thoughts and beliefs of Karl Marx and Jean–Paul Sartre. Marx and Sartre are similar in their philosophy in that ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Starting with Sartre's existentialist point of view, consciousness is defined as being–for–itself. When we are for–itself, we recognize our consciousness,
but also understand that we are incomplete (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). This notion of being–for–itself is what makes clear Sartre's belief that
existence proceeds essence; we aren't born with innate traits, but rather, we create our consciousness. We are free to choose how we will interpret
our surroundings, what we will believe, and what type of personality we wish to have in accordance to those beliefs and interpretations. Sartre
further explains that this freedom comes with heavy responsibility. Once we make a choice, we cannot make excuses for ourselves or put the
blame on someone or something else if the choice turns sour or ends up being faulty; when we accept the freedom, we accept the full responsibility,
too. If we fail to take up this responsibility and live dishonestly about inevitabilities, such as death, or possibilities, we are living in "bad faith", as
Sartre says. On the other hand, to live in good faith is to understand and acknowledge that control of the outside world is not in our hands, yet to still
take the responsibility and freedom of choices that we have over ourselves. Living nobly in good faith may be what is troubling about existentialism to
some people, especially those who are religious. I believe that Sartre feels that humans are innately good and have the
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The Mind Body Problem Is Soluble
Despite the current scientific and philosophical blockades, I will argue that the mind–body problem is soluble. The mind–body problem concerns how
consciousness fits into the scientific and physical world. Consciousness seems to many to be irreducible past the point of subjective character
experience. It is scientifically baffling at this point in time that the firing of neurons can give rise to this qualitative experience. Physicalists believe
that everything can be explained once a language of perfect physics is developed; a seemingly logical conclusion given the constant overturning of
previously believed non–physical facts by physics. However, as I will outline, respected philosophers such as Frank Jackson, Joseph Levine, Thomas
Nagel and Colin McGinn believe that there are rational reasons to deny physicalism; their arguments complicate the solubility of the mind–body
problem. I will explore each of those philosopher's arguments below then move on to explain why I believe the mind–body problem is soluble. Firstly,
I will briefly discuss physicalism, the most promising lead on route to the solution of the mind–body problem. Physicalism is a theory of the mind that
is an evolved version of the theory of materialism. Materialists believe that everything essentially is physical material. With the more recent
developments in the field of physics, answers to important questions consisted of the immaterial. Things such as gravity, energy and time are
scientifically
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Is Consciousness A Brain Process Analysis
U.T. Place argues in Is Consciousness a Brain Process? The claim sensations are brain processes is logically possible. In other words, the claim itself
has no contradiction built in it. Place hypothesizes the truth of the claim is contingent. Identity statements are neither necessarily true nor false. So,
scientific research might reveal phenomena of consciousness are brain processes.
Place begins by distinguishing two kinds of conscious phenomena. He classifies phenomena as either inward or outward kinds of conscious
phenomena. Outward phenomena refers to behavior of the body. Behaviorists talk only about the outward aspects of consciousness. A theory limited to
outward aspects of consciousness attempts to explain all aspects of consciousness ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They do not share predicates. So, the identity hypothesis must be false. Despite our different usage of the names in the statement, a scientific theory
could prove the names denote the same thing. 'Lightning is an electric discharge' is not necessarily true. Any event of lightning is an event of an
electric discharge. Does that mean 'lightning' and 'electrical discharges' have the same logical meaning? Lightning implies electrical discharge. The
implication does not seem to work the other way. Electrical discharges happen without being considered cases of lightning. Static shocks, for example,
do not normally imply lightning occurred.
Place's second reason why an identity thesis is logically possible. Statements about consciousness as a brain process are not confirmed in the same way
red is a color is confirmed. "His table is an old packing–case" is confirmed by observation. It is not necessary or impossible for us to observe
otherwise. Analogously, science might confirm by observation consciousness is a brain
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Is Personal Identity in the Mind of the Beholder?
Personal identity is a very controversial aspect of life. Who are we? What defines us? According to John Locke, psychological continuity is what
defines our personal identity. Locke discusses the case of the prince and the cobbler to help shape his theory. However, I absolutely disagree with
Locke's theory. Locke's theory of personal identity creates many problems, such as the duplication problem. By reformulating Locke's theory of
personal identity, we still come across these problems that prove Locke's theory false.
Summary:
Locke's argument for the memory criterion of personal identity, is that psychological continuity (the consciousness of past experiences) is the aspect
that preservers our personal identity. Locke ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The duplication problem, is one in which we assume you (A) have a terrible illness and the only solution is to split your body into two and see which
will survive. You enter the operation and the doctors divide your body into two. Each halve–body is artificially completed, but somehow both halves
are cured and both survive. Now you have two persons (B and C), with your original hemisphere. According to Locke's theory on psychological
continuity, a past person (P1) is numerically identical to the future person (P2) iff the future person remembers the past persons memories,
experiences, etc. Therefore, we can assume A is psychologically continuous and numerically identical with B and A is also psychologically
continuous and numerically identical with C. By the transitivity of identity, B and C must be numerically identical. However, it is impossible for B
and C to be numerically identical. At the exact moment of the split, B and C can be qualitatively similar, but not be numerically identical, for it is
impossible to have two different people and consider them both numerically the same person. This is proven by assuming: Charles (B) is numerically
identical with Guy Fawkes (A). Robert (C) is numerically identical with Guy Fawkes (A).Therefore; Charles (B) is numerically identical with Robert
(C). This argument is valid, but unsound. A valid argument is one in which, if the premise are all assumed to be true, the conclusion must be true. If we
assume, Charles (B)
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Homo Zapiens : An Analysis Of The Control Of The Human...
Homo Zapiens: An Analysis of the Control of the Human Mind by the Media Virtual reality is the new reality. Everyday, millions of people turn on
their televisions and computers to be sucked into an unreal world controlled by a simulated reality. Instead, people lose control of their minds, allowing
the media and money to infiltrate their consciousness. This loss of control to technology is explored in the novel Homo Zapiens by Viktor Pelevin.
The story follows Babylen Tatarsky, one of the many displaced citizens of Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Originally a scholar at a literary
institute, Tatarsky finds himself in the advertising industry as a copywriter attempting to cater Western products to the Russian people. In this process,
it becomes apparent that the aim of Tatarsky and his advertising concepts is solely to bring in more money and increase the influence of certain
companies without regard for morals and ethics. Even the consumers in the general population experience this absence of humanity as they become
subject to the media; they enter a whole new world once the television or computer is turned on. Essentially, Pelevin uses the medium of the technology
to create a virtual reality. Through this simulated world, he demonstrates the loss of conscious control of one's mind and thoughts to the media and
money. Pelevin first introduces the idea of the mind falling to the media and money through Tatarsky's shift in work from print to the computer. Soon
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Reality As The Product Of Human Consciousness
PART THREE– REALITY
REALITY AS THE PRODUCT OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS
Since the Scientific Revolution, humanity has adhered to a supposedly reasonable rationalist philosophy–characterized by a preference for reasoning
over experience–which inevitably arises in impersonal fields such as the sciences. Although science avoids preternatural speculation on principle,
quantum theory's implications alter the fundamental way in which we understand what is at a quantum level, and such a revelation transcends any
reifications participated by preceding generations. Fortunately, English philosopher Owen Barfield's Saving the Appearances transcends temporal
reality, bridging 1965 and 2015, while his book serves as a template through which we begin to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Within a given reality, aspects indeed exist independent of humanconsciousness, but principal causality belongs to consciousness. In short, society
experiences phenomena and, seeking to understand the world, its members then create representations, which define former unnamed phenomena. By
participating previous generations' representations, society becomes temporally distanced from its representations' arbitrary nature, and succeeding
generations participate those representations. For this reason, alpha–thinking's generational prominence will result in intermittent generations deciding
that reality exists external to them. At that point, they forget that human consciousness produces existing representations, which echo society's
collective memory. Compounded with previous generations' reifications, participating current representations lays idolatry's foundation for subsequent
generations. In this way, our idolatries and representations ascribe historicity to a given reality, which lends a false credibility to that reality. As an
example, those who live in comfortably defined realities easily become complacent and display remarkable passivity to reality's potential implications,
thus ensuring pre–existing paradigmatic reifications will continue to thrive as present idolatries. Such inactivity in a complacent static society acts to
preserve, but subtly warp
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Marchak's View Of History
Our lives are divided periodically into three segments of time: the past, present, and the future. These segments are ordered in this particular way
because the events from the past lead humanity towards an unpredictable future. The first segment is proclaimed to be a subject of history. History by
definition has occurred in the past, comprising individuals or an entire society. To obtain a better understanding of the relationship between these three
interconnected periods, it is important to recognize that history is derived from the past. However, in our daily lives we learn new perspectives from
our successors who are creating history. That being said, the people who have been known to have influence in history have significance or relevance...
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Other parts are more casually conveyed through example; the unspoken assumption and attitudes of those around us" (Marchak, 1). This quote by
Marchak portrays society as how much it relies on the past. As a child, we grow into an ideology taught from our parents, teachers, friends and the
media. Thus, our thought of the past is influenced by present thoughts. This is evident when relating back to Zinn's piece on Columbus and Western
civilization, as we consider the discourse of today's society to distinguish the past since it is the "ideology" we were born into. As a result, I can attest
and agree upon the fact that the present is in control of the past with the understanding of the "current" ideologies which have a huge impact on our
future.
The past, present, and the future are all inter–related with one another. How history is told comes down to the "ideology" you are exposed to and I
believe that is is important to seek the truth in the story so that you would not be locked into one ideal perspective. Zinn, McNeil, and Marchak
demonstrate that history is written in favour of the historians and as a result, society is tied down to one–sided information and a partial truth. We as a
society should not be overthrown by dominant ideology, which is a set of false
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Philosophy Of Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes is an extremely influential philosopher from the 17th century and is widely considered the father of modern philosophy. One of
Descartes's most famous philosophies is his cogito ergo sum statement: I think, therefore, I am (Descartes, 2008). He believed that because he is a thing
that thinks, then he must have some kind of consciousness or awareness of the world. Because he has consciousness, he reasons that he must exist,
especially since he is aware that he is a thing that thinks. His physical body, on the other hand, has no awareness. From this stems another critical part
of his philosophy which states that the mind and the body are two separate substances. This concept is called dualism. Minds are indestructible and ...
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It is well described in philosopher John Searle's work Mind: A Brief Introduction. Searle writes about many materialistic theories that counter the
Cartesian dualism theory. These theories connect the mind and the body through the relationships between the brain, its functions, the mind, and its
awareness of the world in ways that Cartesian dualism cannot.
One primary materialist theory that John Searle discusses is the identity theory. The identity theory argues that mental states are simply material,
physical states of the brain. This theory affirms an identity between mental and brain states and accounts for the inner experiences that may not always
be portrayed by behavior. It fortifies the idea that mind, consciousness, and the body are not, in fact, separate substances, but connected through their
physicality and the causal relationship between inner and external experiences (Searle, 2004). Another aspect that the identity theory elucidates is that
changes in brain states results in changes in mental states. For example: Brain state one will provoke mental state one. When brain state one changes to
a different brain state, brain state two, then the mental state changes to a different, new mental state, mental state two, directly correlating with the
brain state change. When compared to Cartesian dualism, the identity theory suggests that Rene Descartes's
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Lisle's False-Consciousness
Lisle's False–Consciousness Are opinions really owned by the people or are they formed by society as a way to control the populace? In M.
Rickert's "Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment", the protagonist Lisle's perception of herself and the theocratic society she lives in is heavily
molded by the bureaucratic authority governing her country. As strong minded as Lisle is, her opinions simply reflect the false–consciousness
interpellated in her community and this demonstrates the power of a bureaucratic government upon the ideals of individuals. Lisle's comprehension of
her beliefs, self–worth and identity are all instilled in her by the ruling class. Throughout the narrative, Lisle's personal righteous beliefs are displayed
in her observations... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When her father suggests that she may have a chance "to be a breeder" (43), she is disheartened as this means that she will not be able to raise her
own children and not being a wife devalues her. In response she says "I hate mom" (43), showing how she blames her mother directly for putting
her in this position. Lisle's devaluation of herself is however also conjoined with her devaluation of other women. When Lisle's mother finds the
list of "baby names [she] was considering for when [her] time came" (41) it is notable that they are all male names. Lisle only hopes to give birth
to boys in the future because she believes that they are more important than girls and in this way she devalues herself for being a girl. This comes
from the government's attempts to keep the society patriarchal by only allowing men to have jobs and positions of power. Lisle also degrades herself
to the value of a tool when she reflects on when her mother brought her home from executions. She described how her mother "[pressed her] head tight
against her shoulder...so hard that [Lisle] started crying, which, [Lisle] now [realizes], served her purpose" (44). In this she realised that her mother
used her crying to make a point to people attending the executions that it was upsetting to children even if
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Max Weber And The False Consciousness Of Karl Marx
As a practical sociologist, Charlie Chaplin's film Modern Times embodies the ideas of hyper–rationalization of Max Weber and the false consciousness
of Karl Marx. His film critiques the structural evolution caused by modern society. Through satire, the film reflects the lived reality of modernity by
showing how individuals fail to realize that their agency succumbs to ruthless pragmatism because of their false consciousness. Europe's shift from
Roman Catholicism to Protestantism facilitated the creation of hyper–rationalism. Through the practice of Protestantism, Max Weber conjectures that
citizens were encouraged to show their faith in God through hard work and perpetual reinvestment in their business(Weber, 377). Through the
accumulation of capital, business owners were supposed to increase their capacity production to greater benefit society. Over the centuries this idea
manifested itself into hyper–rationalism where everyone from business owners to members of the bureaucracy made their decisions in increasingly
rational yet myopic ways. They decision making became increasingly precise and qualitative, relied on long term cost benefit analysis, and lost sight of
the original intent of the businesses and government and bureaucracy. The hyper–rationalization of the world prompted the shift from Mercantilism to
Capitalism. The transition from Mercantilism to Capitalism facilitated the creation of false consciousness as it gave people agency over their own lives
without
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John Locke's Person Identity
Identify is needed to determine existence. How to you determine the existence of an object according to John Locke it must be compared in a state
via a determine place and time, to itself at a separate place and time (Locke 367L). An object cannot exist at the same time in two separate places. For
example, a 20 ounce bottle of coke at a gas station in Kentucky and another 20 ounce bottle of coke in an airport in Denver do not share the same
identity. This is because while they may share every single trait, the fact that they exist in separate places at the same time makes them separate objects
that do not share the same identity. From this brief understanding of identity Locke creates his theory of personal identity. Locke first makes the
important distinction between non–living objects and living objects. The identity of a non–living object, a bundle of atoms, changes, "if one of these
atoms is taken away, or one new one added, it is no longer the same mass or the same body." (Locke 368R). In Locke's theory the moment the atoms
change even in the slightest bit with one atom being lost or added the bundle of atoms are no longer the same bundle that existed before the addition
/subtraction of atoms. For example, if a stick of chalk made a line on a blackboard for every time one atom of chalk left stick to form the line a
completely new stick of chalk would exist. This concept of constant changing identity with the slightest modification does not extend to living
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The Brain And Mind Identity

  • 1. The Brain And Mind Identity Nothing in the world is more mysterious than the human mind but without the brain how do you have a mind? The brain sends and receives information by electrical impulses around the human body allowing us to see, move, feel, hear and think. If the brain is removed from the human body these impulses will cease, thus there will be no mind. Philosophers like Place, Smart, and Armstrong support this claim through the notion of identify theory and type physicalism. Brain and mind identity is a very controversial topic with some philosophers arguing that because people can have knowledge of a specific mental state without being affected in the physical state, mind and the brain may well be different. However with significant breakthroughs in neuroscience in the last century, such as Dr. Penfield's Montreal procedure it is safe to say that the brain has direct control over the mind thus the two being in/distinguishable. The brain has been determined to be the control centre for all nervous messages in humans. The complexity of the brain allows us to interpret these nervous messages into thoughts which in turn allow us to respond to them. To be able to have a sense ofconsciousness the brain must receive some form of stimulus. Type physicalism/identity theory which was first developed by Place (1956), which describes how different mental states are triggered due to the firing of the corresponding fibres. Philosophers like Place (1956), Smart (1959), Feigl (1972), and Armstrong ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 2. Why Do We Not Eat Our Dead According To Diamond 1. Why do we not eat our dead, according to Diamond? a) because we have a special relationship with them. 2. Explain Kant's example of the false promise. Why is it wrong to deceive others according to him? Within Kant's example of the false promise, you may make a false promise in order to benefit yourself. Looking at this decision in a universal manner, if everyone falsely promised, promises would then be meaningless therefore you should not act on the maxim of making the false promise. This example expresses that when a maxim is created, you must explore whether the maxim could be applied universally. If you would not make this maxim into a universal law, you must not act on that maxim. Deceiving others is a way of treating those others ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... It only covers cases where the woman is not responsible for her pregnancy. 4. What is the highest good for Aristotle? How can we pursue it? The highest good according to Aristotle is happiness. Happiness is the highest good because the goal for everyone in life is to be find happiness. In order for us to achieve the highest good of happiness we must practice. By practicing and improving our well–being through good virtues, even in the hardest times, we are able to achieve the sense of happiness. 5. What's the difference between etiquette normals and moral norms, for Boghossian? d) etiquette norms are relative to a particular society at a certain time and place, while moral norms are absolute. 6. What is the main reason why the mind–body debate in its current state is hopeless, according to Montero? According to Montero the mind–body problem in its current state is hopeless because in order to solve the mind–body problem, we must first be able to solve the body problem. Without the being able to solve the body problem first, we do not have a definitive answer as to what is physical. Without know what is physical, we are unable to differentiate the difference between the mind and the body ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 3. The Power Of The Image Within The Realm Of Media And The... Most media scholars assert that contemporary culture is dominated by images. Furthermore, it is widely understood that images articulate ways of seeing the world. Given that the average American is confronted with up to 5,000 advertisements a day, it is difficult to refute the legitimacy and impact of these claims. Advertising, film, print media, and the digital world all rely on the visual to transmit potent messages to the public. These images are rarely just aesthetic displays. Each visual put before us is replete with meaning– cues that tell us what to think, how to feel, and how to act. Enveloped within images are social, political, and cultural ideologies. Images, in short, are dominant vessels of persuasive communication and influence, dictating social norms, communicating rhetoric, and acting as representations of values implicit in culture. In this colloquium and rationale, I aim to explore the power of the image within the realm of media and the ways in which this power is created, exercised, and then negotiated by the viewer. What is the power of the image? This is a question addressed significantly in Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida. The author tells us that paintings are powerful in that they can reproduce fictional representations; they can portray that which is not there. However, it is the photographic image that contains genuine power because of its indexicality, that is, the viewer always connects the image to the notion that "the thing has been there" ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 4. Theories of Marx In this seminar, I seek to analyse, discuss and evaluate the theories of Marx. Firstly, I will analyse the relationship between human action and social structure. Having completed the analysis, I will move on further to discuss and exemplify his theory of alienation. Lastly I will evaluate his theory of false consciousness. Question 1 Human action and social structure are extremely prevalent in the works of Marx. In terms of the workers and capitalist classes, he postulates that they are not free but rather actors of the capitalist system. The workers are forced into labour to make a living, the force of circumstance (Elster, 1986:29) while the capitalist is forced to keep themselves in business. Elster (1986:29) argues that this is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... He has thus become alienated from normality and has become an appendage of the machine. In the movie, "Daens" we see the women and children working on the machines in the factory, not able to communicate amongst themselves and in the case of the government coming to investigate them, they weren't able to converse in French as they could only speak Flemish, thus further enforcing the disconnection factor. In order to become un–alienated and work toward becoming the 'whole man' where everyone is part of one class, is able to support their family and their every need and has enough free time and is still able to work as Marx wished in his efforts, the workers would have to take risks to get out of their situation and keep trying to overthrow capitalism, as in the case of the movie, "Daens" where we witness them taking the dead child out on to the streets. This risk however is quickly averted by the capitalists as they have the means, the money and the knowledge to get their workers back to work. They simply call in a favour from the local police and then fire all those who marched. The instigator or initial risk taker (the woman who met Daens) is then punished further with rape as a means of enforcing their domination over the working class. Question 3 False consciousness is termed in the context of the work of Marx as a statement of our existence, it is not our consciousness that determines our existence, but
  • 5. ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 6. Of Identity And Diversity John Locke In his essay Of Identity and Diversity, Locke talks about the importance of personal identity. The title of his essay gives an idea of his view. Identity, according to Locke, is the memory and self consciousness, and diversity is the faculty to transfer memories across bodies and souls. In order to make his point more understandable, Locke defines man and person. Locke identifies a man as an animal of a certain form and a person as a thinking intelligent being. Furthermore, to Locke, a person has reasons and reflections and can consider itself as being itself in different times and places; and he/she does it with his/her consciousness (429). Basically, personal self is a particular body and personal identity is consciousness. In this ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... On the one hand, if in the past one lived by acting in a good way one hopes to be rewarded in the future. And on the other hand, if one lived by acting in a bad way one fears to be punished in the future. For instance, John acted in a bad way when he was 20, he committed war crimes; hence, he should expect to be punished for his actions. But Locke's analysis is not that simple; according to his definition of personal identity, people should be held responsible for their actions only if they remember doing those actions. Consequently, based on Locke's view, John should not be punished for the war crimes he committed since he does not remember what he did at 20. In this example, Locke does not punish John, who committed terrible war crimes, just because he does not remember. Is Locke's judgment fair to people who committed the same crimes but remember what they did? Or, is his judgment fair to the victim's families? Locke's judgment is only based on whether or not the wrong doer remembers his actions; it does not take into account other important elements; that is one of the reasons why Locke's theory about personal identity has been criticized. Locke's view on personal identity has strengths but it also has several weaknesses or limitations. One important strength is when Locke states that a person should be held responsible for his/her actions if he/she recalls doing those actions. In this case, the person ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 7. Personal Identity : The Vehicle Of Consciousness Introduction I will be arguing that the essential component of personal identity is the not the vehicle of consciousness, but rather the collection of experiences, personality traits, and ethical beliefs, individual hold. I will show that though the vehicle of consciousness may be a substantial visual and sentimental sense of the self, it is not as necessary experiences and personality traits to the extent of personal identity being present and maintained through space and time. Who am I? Individuals have a sense of who he or she is. For example, I am a male human who is 20 years old. I have blue eyes and brown hair. I have experiences and memories of past experiences. I have a collection of beliefs, ethics, memories that have given me a... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... However, this is not the whole sense of who we feel like we are. It is true that we feel that these aspects are inherently important though there is a sense of a deeper sense of what makes you the human different than all other humans in a non–trivial way. This version of an individual is the essence of their being, or the self. The self is the non–biological internal aspect of the human. This may be considered consciousness and all the things that are thought to be a part of consciousness, however the self isn't necessarily synonymous to consciousness. Consciousness is not the result of your environment effects, though the self is sculpted through interactions with your surrounding environment and other individuals. This, as stated earlier, is done through the compiling of memories, beliefs, and ethics, as well as character traits. Beliefs, ethics and character traits are all derived by taking interactions experienced with others or interactions witnessed between two or more other individuals and form emotions to these interactions. Additionally, these emotions are used to form memories. Although these attached emotions do not directly cause memories, the memories of the emotion attached to some interaction is the basis of how an individual feel about what is true or false, right or wrong, and ultimately shapes their ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 8. John Locke : Locke And His Own Body Switching Experiment 3 / 9 Locke then presents his own body switching experiment to further strengthen his argument. The experiment is about switching souls between a Prince and a Cobbler. In this experiment, Locke takes the soul of the Prince and puts it in the body of the Cobbler and takes the soul out of the Cobbler and puts it in the body of the Prince. The result is that the Prince has the body of the Cobbler and the Cobbler has the body of the Prince.7 Both the Prince and the Cobbler feel normal because their consciousness goes along with their soul. Though the Prince and the Cobbler are in completely new bodies, they are still the same person because the soul that transferred from one body to other still has the same consciousness.8 Locke is trying to prove through his body switching experiment that personal identity goes where your consciousness and memories go. It doesn't matter what body contains what soul because each person has their own consciousness and that makes them able to identify themselves.9 Bernard Williams replicates Locke's theory about personal identity through his very own body switching experiment. The experiment is about two bodies that are labeled person A and person B. In Williams argument the brains between person A and B are switched. Therefore, person A has person B's brain and vice versa.10 Before the switch takes place, there are two treatments that will take place. One person can get $100,000 while the other inevitably gets 7 Ibid. 458 8 Ibid. ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 9. Criticism Of Reductive Physicalism In this paper, I will defend the claim that reductive physicalism is false. I will argue for this by presenting Rene Descartes conceivability argument that because we can imagine having a mind but no body then the two must be distinguishable, Frank Jackson's knowledge argument that because it is possible to have full physical knowledge of a phenomenon yet lack qualitative or experiential knowledge of that phenomenon then not all phenomenon can be physical, and Thomas Nagel's consciousness argument that because we cannot capture the true subjective experience of living thing then there is no way to reduce consciousness to an objective analysis. Before I begin explaining my arguments, however, it is best if I first define and explain the meaning of reductive physicalism in relation to philosophy. Reductive physicalism (or sometimes called physicalism) is the belief that everything which exists can be reduced down to the physical or can be explained in terms of the physical. Although the word "physical" has various meanings, in this paper I will be referring to "physical" as relating to the subject of physics or relating to the body as opposed to the mind. An opposing view to physicalism is dualism which is the belief that there exists both physical and nonphysical things. In this paper, I will not be defending dualism or trying to argue for its truth, but instead, I will argue why physicalism must be false and highlight the many flaws that physicalism fails to address. The ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 10. Mr Leibniz, Philosopher And Philosopher "Forgive me, sir, but I must point out that when you contend that there is nothing in the soul of which it is not aware, you are begging the question ... it is impossible that we should always reflect explicitly on all our thoughts; for if we did, the mind would reflect on each reflection, ad infinitum, without ever being able to move on to a new thought. For example, in being aware of some present feeling, I should have always to think that I think about that feeling, and further to think that I think of thinking about it, and so on ad infinitum. It must be that I stop reflecting on all these reflections, and that eventually some thought is allowed to occur without being thought about; otherwise I would dwell for ever on the same thing." (NE II.i.19, 118) To Mr Leibniz, Philosopher in Hanover Sir, You have attempted to show that we can think and not be aware of it by showing that Locke's conception of consciousness leads to an infinite regress of reflections. If you had been successful in showing it absurd that we explicitly reflect on all of our thoughts, Locke would have had to accept the idea that we can think and yet not be aware of it. Therefore, it may be the case that the soul is indeed in perpetual motion. The first premise of your argument is your interpretations of Locke's conception of consciousness; the mind's explicit reflection of thoughts. On this account, whenever there is a thought in my mind, there is a higher–order reflection of that thought. It ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 11. Summary Of What It Is Like To Be A Bat By Nagel Nagel's thesis begins by invalidating reductionism. A physicalist reductionist's approach to the mind–body problem is that the mental processes that humans experience as consciousness can be understood through physical processes in the brain and body. Nagel argues against this, and believes that every human and conscious being has its own special subjective character of experience. There is something that it is like for the being to be itself, which cannot be explained through just physicalism, or objective reductionist means. It's foolish for consciousness to be explained from a reductionist, or physicalist viewpoint. Nagel disputes that every subjective experience is connected with a "single point of view" making it impossible to consider an experience as "objective," (Nagel, 441). To further illustrate his view, Nagel uses the example of "what it is like to be a bat" to further clear up the distinction between subjective and objective concepts. Bats are assumed to have conscious experience and Nagel uses bats as an example, since they use sensory apparatus that is much different from any other species; echolocation, to see objects and navigate. While its possible to imagine flying, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Nonetheless he may say it is pointless to argue that we cannot know what it is like to be Mary or the Bat, in their point of view, since this is impossible to do. He might further suggest that my objection is not successful because Mary still lacks the knowledge of experiencing the colour red, in real life, rather than in her imagination and thus his argument is still valid. Physicalism must be false, because although her knowledge allowed her to know what it might be like to see red, she still has not seen it yet. When she does see it, she will be gaining new knowledge about what it is like to see ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 12. Taking a Look at Phenomenal Consciousness Phenomenal consciousness is defined as simply the raw experiences that we have. These experiences can be hearing sounds, seeing colors, feeling emotions and sensing sensations. Throughout this course we've been introduced to different types of phenomenal consciousness as defined by different philosophers. The philosophers and authors we've discussed have provided several different views, some of which coincide with each other and some even disagree with one another. In philosophical terms, dualism is the idea that something can exist with two different components. Rene Descartes, a philosopher in the 16th century, took this idea of dualism and proposed that the mind and the body are two different things, separate entities. Although they are separate entities, they indeed work together to carry out bodily functions and processes. Descartes believed that all material things occupied space and cannot share the same space with other material things. Thus, he concluded that the body takes up space and is a material object. The mind, however, along with emotions and beliefs, were not material things because they did not take up physical space, cannot be measured and do not have dimensions. He concluded that they were not material substances. The mind, which is not physically part of the body, is thought of as being conscious and aware, unlike the brain, which is part of a physical body and does not have such feelings as ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 13. Personal Identity : Identity And Identity Personal identity is essential in the human experience. Identity is complex and can be broken down into two main groups: introspective identity, and bodily identity. Introspective identity is based off of the groups, mentalities, or beliefs that you align yourself with, and bodily identity is based off of the physical side of yourself. Whether physical or introspective, your identity impacts every action you take. Whether choices ranging from what colors you prefer to which college you want to attend are primarily based off of your introspective identity, which is a combination of both memory and consciousness, physical identity impacts how others perceive you. Consciousness is mainly the awareness of bodily identity as well as continuous introspective identify, while memory is awareness of introspective identity. These two different facets of identity are imperative in the distinction between bodily identity and introspective identity. In means of personal identity introspective identity (which is evident in memory), is essential, while bodily identity (based partially in consciousness) has less credit. Plutarch brings up the question of bodily identity and numerical identity in Theseus. Theseus' ship needs repairs and so he begins to replace the old parts, piece by piece, building an additional ship with the old pieces. In the end he has two ships, one old and one new. Both have the same function, and form, and are therefore qualitatively identical, however the question ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 14. George Orwell 's Dystopian Classic, 1984 A central concept in George Orwell's dystopian classic, 1984, was the memory hole; a censoring garbage chute in which all documents deemed unacceptable, inconvenient, or even embarrassing by Big Brother went down to be destroyed. The people in power were able to control the past, present, and future using the memory hole to create a history as they wished it to be. Although this novel was fictional, the reality of 1984 is not too far from our own. Orwell's central quote of the novel was "Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past" (Zinn 479). The notable quote holds wisdom and a message of exercising caution when it comes to history. Dominant ideologies and widely–accepted views of history have had calamitous consequences when gone unchallenged by society. Marchak examines who creates and governs the dominant ideology in society, as they are the ones 'who control the present'. As the dominant ideology grows in a community, it makes it harder to challenge it. Free thought is continually celebrated and fought for in first world countries such as ours, but counter–ideologies are suppressed when inconvenient for those in control of the present. Zinn illustrates this oppression in his piece about the native and the colonialist perspective of Columbus' story. The colonialist of today continue to provide Christopher Columbus with delusions of self–grandeur, and conveniently exclude the Native's side of the story. However this is not the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 15. The Bats, the Blind, and the Butterflies Essay No one can deny that science has evolved rapidly throughout history. One question, however, has not been able to be answered, even though it has been asked from times as far back as Plato. Do humans have minds; a separate entity from the physical brain that allows us to think? Or is there only a brain, controlling everything including choices and emotions? Thoughts have no physical properties, so how is it that they reside in a physical container such as the brain? These questions all describe the "mind–body problem." In the article, "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" author Thomas Nagel provides his own view on the mind–body problem. He begins by stating that consciousness is the reason why the mind–body problem is so controversial ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Next, Nagel refers to an animal in particular: bats. He chooses the bat because it is a mammal that is closely related to humans but has an absolutely different perception of the world. Bats, by using echolocation rather than sight, are able to navigate in even the darkest locations. How a bat "sees" objects in its own mind is something that humans could not even begin to fathom. Humans cannot know what it is like to have wings, catch insects, hang upside down, and use bat sonar to navigate. We can try to imagine what it is like for us to be bats, but the question is what it is like for a bat to be a bat. Imagination can only go so far, since it is based from our own experiences. No one except a bat can know what it is like to be a bat (307). Nagel provides another example. A man that is deaf and blind from birth cannot experience the world in the same way as a man who is not deaf nor blind. They have different perceptions of the world and therefore, are not able to access the subjective views of the other (308). Despite his argument, Nagel does not claim that physicalism is false. Rather, he writes that we could not begin to understand it because we cannot visualize how it would be true. Physicalism claims that mental states are physical states of the brain, but Nagel says that the word "are" is deceiving (310). He relates this to an analogy of a caterpillar in a closed box. When the box is opened weeks later, a butterfly ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 16. Consciousness and the Placebo Effect Essay Consciousness and the Placebo Effect In controlled studies, experimenters use placebos as medium to compare the efficacy of a drug. Double–blind controlled studies provide information on whether a drug is effective or if it is not better than placebo. The results of double–blind studies usually depict the latter. Rarely are drugs found to be significantly more effective than placebo because of the placebo effect. The phenomenal effectiveness of the placebo in controlled experiments is mind boggling. Experimenters can not fully understand the etiology of the placebo effect in relation to the nervous system but they have proposed plausible suggestions to the underlying mechanisms involved. An intriguing question raised is the placebo's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... By controlling for subject expectation, experimenters are trying to eliminate the placebo effect. The placebo effect occurs when the placebo, which can not on its own merit have any affect, does in fact have the same or similar affect as the experimental substance or procedure (1). However, some double–blind control studies use active placebos. Active placebos contain compounds which warrant side effects so that the subject feels as though they are receiving therapeutic treatment. The efficacy of the placebo in experiments, commonly account from 30–40% and sometimes up to 75% or 80% (2). In the early 18th century, the word placebo was associated with quackery (3). Although the reason for the high success rate of the placebo is yet to be explained, experimenters have hypothesized plausible explanations for its effect. Advanced models attempting to explain placebo effects emphasize the role of expectations, anxiety and learning (3). The placebo effect illustrates the effectiveness of the physician's role in 'healing' a patient. Past research show that a patient's high opinion of the physician prescribing the treatment (4) as well as the doctor's personality can invoke the placebo effect. Furthermore, research has shown that an amiable doctor with a positive outlook of a drug treatment would induce the placebo effect. The power of the placebo is more readily explained as a function of the individual because the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 17. Argument Of Panpsychism There is an argument out there that Panpsychism is the best way to view the world, but there is also the objection that this view may not be correct as it is just a last–ditch effort to try and explain consciousness. This objection can be overcome with logic in the end. Panpsychism is the overall view that consciousness is a fundamental and pervasive feature of the world, meaning that everything has a consciousness. As explained by Keith Frankish in his article "Why panpsychism fails to solve the mystery of consciousness", Panpsychism follows with the concept of idealism. Idealism says that consciousness is the only thing to exist therefore it must be a fundamental and pervasive feature of all things. Panpsychism is also able to explain the major flaw of physicalism which is trying to figure out how consciousness fits in. This view has come about as all the other views that try to explain consciousness appear to fail. The general argument for this form is "1. Either some theory to explain consciousness or Panpsychism. 2. There is no other way to explain consciousness. 3. Therefore, Panpsychism must be true." Since all other forms to try and explain consciousness have failed, including explaining it through physics, saying sense–qualities don't exist as Galileo did, Berkley's argument for idealism, etc, Panpsychism is the only option left. It is the option that addresses all the issues and flaws with the previous arguments and explains them. Although Panpsychism can ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 18. The Problem Of Other Minds Problem of Other Minds We all go through our life's as individuals. We are present in our life's at the time of our birth, though we do not recall being there. We are present in our life's at the time of death. There have thoughts and experiences of interacting with other objects, animals, and humans. But is this reality? Can I be certain, without a doubt, of the credibility of my experiences? Are there other beings and if so do these beings have conscious experiences? Furthermore, I will question that if these other conscious beings do exist then are the experiences of these being similar to my experience and can I observer these experiences to predict what the being is experiencing. Everyone has the experience of interaction with another person. To be certain of the existence we perceive of theses experiential beings that are human I must first prove, or assume, that my experiences are real. Let's assume that my experiences of the world are not true. This world and everything in it would not exist. All my experiences are just a phenomenon inside my head. I am not aware of what this would look like, perhaps a computer program or a brain in a vat scenario. However, I can try to make sense of this. In this world that does not exist. As I am typing this paper I see a table holding my computer up. That is to say, I have the phenomenon of seeing a table, but as we have already established I do not really see a table. Instead, I just seem to be seeing a table. Though I may be ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 19. An Awareness Of A False Consciousness There has been a significant rise in non–religious people, this rise can be seen within the millennial generation, which is different from prior ones who were predominantly Christian. What is it that the millennials can be aware of or, influenced on, that causes this non–conformity towards religion? There has been a decline in Christianity and a rise in non–religious, this can be due to the awareness of abuse in Christianity, the removal of Christianity from public schools, and a new generation of its own community. There has been an awareness of the abuse from the Christian religion. There is an awareness of a false consciousness, which is, "the belief that something is in its best interest when it is not" (Steckley, Letts, 2013, pg.171), however in a religious view it can look at like, "God planned society to be this way, members were acting in the nest interest" (Steckley, Letts, 2013, pg.286). Look at with false consciousness is in the form of abuse that has happened within this organization, and how it has been done through manipulation or giving a sense of false consciousness to the victims. False consciousness lies within places such as boarding schools, or regular churches, here is where pastors have abused children by telling them that what they are doing is Gods choice, or that it is what God wants from them. According to PBS.org (2014), Between 1950 and 2012 there were 16,787 people that have come forward about child abuse from church officials, the majority of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 20. What is Physicalism? Physicalism is the notion of the entire world being physical. Through physicalism, even human experiences are interpreted as physical. The world is physical in nature and anything included in the world is physical, including thoughts and emotions. Every action and state is reduced to a physical occurrence. For example, a thought is composed of a neurons being in a certain state, creating the way the person thinks. Animals and their actions are physical due to their senses understanding the environment around them and their brain acting accordingly. The physicalist understanding of the mind and body problem is that both are not separate entities. The mind is just a part of the body: a physical entity. Thomas Nagel is a philosopher concerned with consciousness and the mind–body problem. Nagel states that consciousness is overlooked from the physicalist standpoint of understanding the mind. Thomas Nagel believes that the inability to imagine what it is like to be a bat is a problem for physicalism. The human mind is capable of understanding what it would be like as a bat, but is incapable of thinking how a bat experiences being a bat. Nagel discusses the idea of subjective character of experience. Being able to think like about a bat's life from the point of a bat involves a breach of consciousness. A person cannot implant his brain into that of a bat in order to understand the life of a bat. In order to understand the life of the bat, the viewer would have to experience the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 21. Class Poweedness And False Consciousness Class consciousness and false consciousness are two concepts from Marxist theory. According to Marx' s sociological view, social class was the influential principles of social life. The phenomenon of inequality always exits in the society. There is more inequality pressing against within rich people and poor people. The upper class owns resources and labours and they get more benefits and rewards. However, the working class is hired and gets salaries from the upper class, which means they can be considered as labour force. In Marx's view, capitalism caused that the gap between rich and poor is increasing and the rich people become richer and the poor people become poorer. The capitalism could be changed only if the working class starts a revolution.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The concepts of class consciousness and false consciousness are related to the video because it shows the conflict between the rich and poor countries. Although the richest is less than poor, they own most of the world's wealthy. The poorest people cannot afford the living expenses and cannot pay for education or basic medicines, but the wealthy people accumulated about 43% of world wealth and 300 rich people have the same wealth that equals to 3 billion poor people. False consciousness exists in the social inequality between poor and rich. From the video, 2 % richest people own 43% wealth shows the wealthy people get their benefits and profits from the working class through their labour force, but the poor people do not have any resources and they only get salary from them. Meanwhile, developed countries make rules, such as trade mispricing, which only benefit them and poor countries do not have positive consequences. Poor people are living under and follow the rules, which made by the wealthy people. According to the concept of class consciousness, the rules need to be changed that will happen if poor people realize the reason of poverty is the rule that against them. The working class must do something to get themselves a rule that benefit them and struggle for their own rights through the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 22. Spiritual Opportunity For A Transition spiritual opportunities inherent in life's changes and helps us discover how to use them as a gateway to greater personal and spiritual growth." (FYIT, back cover) The objective of this class is to develop the knowledge and skills that ease the transitions we all go through. With this work we will come to understand the paradox of change and gain a deep understanding of the process of transitions. In using Robert Brumet's book Finding Yourself in Transition as our guide, we will join with the Israelites of Scripture as they move from an ending, into the void (the wilderness), to a new beginning (the Promised Land). transitions offer the opportunity for a breakthrough into a whole new dimension in living Self Reflection: Points to Ponder (See Appendix) Create and write a ritual for a transition each is experiencing Group Guidelines: All information shared in the group is confidential. We recognize that love is listening, and we agree to listen with an open heart, to give mutual support and to practice non–judgmental listening and sharing. We are here to heal ourselves. We are not here to give advice or to change anyone's belief or behavior. Being accepted as we are makes it easier for us to accept rather than to judge others. We share from our own experience. By intentionally taking the risk to expose our own inner journey with others, we find common ground that allows for a mutual joining of equals. We respect ourselves and each other as unique. We recognize ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 23. Sociological Perspective Of False Consciousness False consciousness is sociological concept that I can personally identify with the most. False consciousness acording to the text book is a condition in which people, usually in groups that are relatively powerless, accept beliefs that work against their own self–interests. False consciousness has to do with myself because of my evangelical parents that defined my childhood due to their ideology and how so many of peers act against their self intrests due to a toxic ideology given to them by the ruling class. False Consciousness supports my view that the world is filled with many deceived subgroups that act in False consciousness. This sociological concept allowed me to learn more about why False Consciousness occurs and strengthened my view of the perceived power that the ruling class has over working class but the actual untouched power the working class has over the ruling class. As I grew up I saw how the church created an ideology for my parents that justified its excessive exploitation of them and how they simply accepted this ideology even though it went against many of our best intrests. We missed meals on a regular basis because the church demanded 15% of all of our income when we had very little to give. In the text book it gave an example of medival European society; "the ruling class could promote its interest through the Church". My parents church promoted it's intrests and my parents simply accpted this ideology that caused major finacial strain on them and on ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 24. Devorah Kalekin-Fishman False Consciousness In False Consciousness written by Devorah Kalekin– Fishman, the author talks about whether or not the body and mind is dualistic or monistic. False consciousness comes in because of the fact that if the body and mind are connected, then bodily experiences experiences are more authentic than the mind. For example on page 540 the author writes, "The Cartesian dic– tum, 'cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am'), establishes that in order to be known to exist, the body has to be seen/interpreted/understood by a mind." (Fishman. 540), this relates back to the concept that the body and mind are connected, and one cannot exist without the other. On page 541 the author writes," Others (e.g. Dennett, 2005) insist that every aspect of consciousness ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... On page 107 the author writes, " As adults, men are expected to be strong, athletic, and skilled in diverse realms of their life – work, sexuality, and fatherhood. These physically embodied dimensions of masculinity are mixed with the psychological and social dynamics of masculinity, which can lead men to feel they are unable to live up to their image or expectations" (Clow&Ricciardelli 107.), this proves that those unreal expectations do effect males psychologically. Men feel like they are not able to achieve that, which further causes damage to their self esteem. Later on page 108 the authors write, "Overall, the hypervisibility of the male body has played a role in the emergence of a new trend, where men are focusing more attention than ever before on their physical appearance and attractiveness." (Clow & Ricciardelli 108.), because of the new trend, men are now going to the gym more and trying to look more attractive and masculine. This article was also really organized and easy to follow, however it was quite repetitive. They kept mentioning the same couple of facts. The authors also overwhelmed the reader with tons of information, which got quite overwhelming. This article was useful because their findings were ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 25. Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence; A paper on... Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence? A paper on Animal Consciousness      Consciousness is a difficult term to grasp; so much so, that many scientists will not even attempt to define the term, much less search for it's evidence. Most however, do agree that consciousness must include certain aspects; specifically cognition, self–awareness, memory, and abstract thought.      Lesley J. Rogers describes consciousness as, "related to awareness, intelligence, and complex cognition, as well as language. Consciousness may be manifested in self–awareness, awareness of others, intentional behavior, including intentional communication, deception of others, and in the... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...      In Dr. Pepperberg's book, The Alex Studies, she taught the parrot to be able to recognize different objects by color, shape, and material. He was even able to eventually distinguish between concepts such as "bigger," "smaller," "same," "different," "over," and "under." When asked to identify objects, Alex correctly identified, on first try, 80% of all objects presented in over 200 tests (45). He was also able to correctly pair different labels together to fit a certain object; for example color and material. After only two years of training, Alex was able to communicate with contextual and conceptual use of human speech. He could identify, request, and refuse a set of objects for play or food (50). Dr. Pepperberg also took precautions to ensure that she had not allowed for any "cues" to tip off Alex to a correct answer, as in the case of "Clever Hans."      These animals also demonstrated memory, another of the aspects of consciousness. Many behaviorists believe that animals act only on instinct, or on conditioned responses to stimuli. Others, like Lesley J. Rogers, believe that memories actually play an important part in an animal's behavior. "The uniqueness of an individual is not simply encoded in the enormous diversity of our genetic code (our inheritance) but is established by our unique ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 26. The One Truth Of Reality Essay examples The One Truth of Reality The one single truth of reality is not measured or distinguished –– it is the ultimate paradox. The journey by which one achieves this truth can be a journey of increasing realizations of paradoxes, and finally, freedom from the bubble of limitation of a mind that would perceive such paradoxes as paradoxes in the first place. Truth is the same as spiritual feeling. Of spiritual perception. Of clear perception. Of freedom of the mind. Freedom of the soul. Freedom of the Heart. It is ultimate love and empathy. The end of struggle. Fully knowing the truth is to be enlightened. Fully realizing the truth is having transcended the distortions of the Machine (see The Machine at my web site given below). Truth means ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... When these things are reacted to and conformed to by behavior in some way, it indicates a mind in a limited bubble, bound by the illusion of duality –– and in this way, not privy to ultimate truth; and in this way, not free, subconsciously lonely, and in the dark–– all, obviously, to varying degrees with each person, depending on how much, for whatever reason, he focuses on his duality and reacts to it. In what I refer to as the "Mindscape", where what is inherently consciousness is free of the struggles of the illusion of a distinct self and self–protection and fulfillment, there is the plane that is transcendent of perception based in the "tangible" or more "physical". This place is like an infinite blue sky that is as infinitely large as it is small. In perception of this is a place where consciousness dwells, a place beyond time, beyond space; thus there is no time, and no space. All reality is held in a expanse of nothingness wherein everything within it touches everything else. Total knowledge is here –– it is the realization of one truth, it is what to more muddled perceptions might be referred to as omnipotence, enlightenment; and when perceived is perceived means to communicate telepathically, to know clairvoyantly and prophetically, and to control and manipulate the various tangible (physical) and non–tangible "distinguishments" that are the reality on the "! lower" ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 27. I 'm Still Working On A Good Title Lucy Ma Section 1G Dec. 4th, 2015 Draft (I'm still working on a good title) As you laid eyes on this paper, you may feel stress for having to grade, or tired because this is the nth paper you have had to read. Oh, and do not forget, you may still have a looming amount of work left despite the fact you deserve a break. Then, you start reading the content of the paper and start to process the meanings of each word while piecing the big picture of what the words mean together. However, where do these emotions and thoughts running through the mind come from? They are not direct products of observation but abstract concepts derived from past experience and memory. The past experience of heavy workloads or poor writing may have led to the dread of having to read student written papers, and past memorization and learning of vocabulary led to grasping the concepts discussed. This phenomenal is inspired by a physical observation that leads to abstract concepts. How perception transitions into cognition is a mystery, but this process, influenced by subjective experience, is consciousness. However, perceptions and senses could oftentimes be false, but the ability to introspect helps one to regain clarity on his or her environment. Thus, one essential condition of human consciousness is that one must be able introspect and have a sense of self. Rene Descartes' famous "I think, therefore I am" is an example that supports this condition. (I will and need to expand on this) Contrarily, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 28. Analysis Of John Locke And The Problem Of Personal Identity Fatima Binyamin 500700419 Professor David Checkland PHL 201 – Problems in Philosophy John Locke and the Problem of Personal Identity Personal identity, in a philosophical point of view, is the problem of explaining what makes a person numerically the same over a period of time, despite the change in qualities. The major questions answered by Locke were questions concerning the nature of identity, persons, and immorality (Jacobsen, 2016). This essay will discuss the three themes John Locke presents in his argument regarding personal identity, which are, the concept of categories, substance vs. man vs. person, and the continuity of consciousness. Categories Locke argues that we cannot compare something until we have an idea of what category the thing being discussed will the placed under. He elaborates on this notion and argues that asking whether something is the same or not is very blunt and open. When asking a question about sameness, one could ask, "Is Professor Checkland the same person as he was five years ago?" instead of "Is Professor Checkland the same as five years ago?" The latter question is not acceptable, according to Locke, because there is no category under which Professor Checkland is being judged upon. The former, however, implies that Professor Checkland is being judged on the basis of whether he is the same person as he was five years prior. Identity of substance, man, and persons The categories substance, man, and person all have different requirements ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 29. Descartes Dualism Essay The main argument Descartes used to prove dualism is that he could doubt everything, including the existence of his own body, and that of the material world, for he could be dreaming or being fooled. The only thing he could not doubt was the existence of his own mind, for in order to doubt, it is necessary to exist. He concluded that his mind (the thing that thinks), was a distinct and independent entity from the physical world, although interaction between the two existed somewhere in the pineal gland. Thus, if we consider that Descartes' dualism is right, and mind is distinct from body, then mental events cannot be verified by science (which is physical), for they are not of material origin, but products from the mind. How, then, could our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, having origin in the mind, affect the physical world, and what if a brain suffers a sort of trauma, would the mind still be intact/ would it affect the mind? According to Gilbert Ryle, the explanation was possible. Dualism and its variations are false, and the dualist commits a 'category mistake', that is, a property is wrongly associated to something which cannot possess that property. He illustrates two examples to simplify his view. The first is the concept of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Thus: Cartesian theory is not wrong in its details, but it is corrupted in its principle, for being derived through a series of categorical mistakes. And apart from the interaction question, there's yet another problem from an empirical point of view. As far as we know through neuroscience, when the brain is affected in some way, consciousness and other mental states are also affected, e.g. the use of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 30. Sartre's Conception Of Human Consciousness A question that continues to puzzle scholars (and Honors students, alike) is that of what defines human consciousness. It would be simple to say that it is defined by one's awareness of itself and of its surroundings. What makes the question so difficult to answer, though, is that consciousness is much more than an acute awareness; it is the process of becoming aware, finding the purpose of our consciousness, and building morals and intelligence from that awareness that entangles those who search for answers in a web of utter confusion. In beginning my search for the understanding of consciousness, I chose to look into the thoughts and beliefs of Karl Marx and Jean–Paul Sartre. Marx and Sartre are similar in their philosophy in that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Starting with Sartre's existentialist point of view, consciousness is defined as being–for–itself. When we are for–itself, we recognize our consciousness, but also understand that we are incomplete (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). This notion of being–for–itself is what makes clear Sartre's belief that existence proceeds essence; we aren't born with innate traits, but rather, we create our consciousness. We are free to choose how we will interpret our surroundings, what we will believe, and what type of personality we wish to have in accordance to those beliefs and interpretations. Sartre further explains that this freedom comes with heavy responsibility. Once we make a choice, we cannot make excuses for ourselves or put the blame on someone or something else if the choice turns sour or ends up being faulty; when we accept the freedom, we accept the full responsibility, too. If we fail to take up this responsibility and live dishonestly about inevitabilities, such as death, or possibilities, we are living in "bad faith", as Sartre says. On the other hand, to live in good faith is to understand and acknowledge that control of the outside world is not in our hands, yet to still take the responsibility and freedom of choices that we have over ourselves. Living nobly in good faith may be what is troubling about existentialism to some people, especially those who are religious. I believe that Sartre feels that humans are innately good and have the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 31. The Mind Body Problem Is Soluble Despite the current scientific and philosophical blockades, I will argue that the mind–body problem is soluble. The mind–body problem concerns how consciousness fits into the scientific and physical world. Consciousness seems to many to be irreducible past the point of subjective character experience. It is scientifically baffling at this point in time that the firing of neurons can give rise to this qualitative experience. Physicalists believe that everything can be explained once a language of perfect physics is developed; a seemingly logical conclusion given the constant overturning of previously believed non–physical facts by physics. However, as I will outline, respected philosophers such as Frank Jackson, Joseph Levine, Thomas Nagel and Colin McGinn believe that there are rational reasons to deny physicalism; their arguments complicate the solubility of the mind–body problem. I will explore each of those philosopher's arguments below then move on to explain why I believe the mind–body problem is soluble. Firstly, I will briefly discuss physicalism, the most promising lead on route to the solution of the mind–body problem. Physicalism is a theory of the mind that is an evolved version of the theory of materialism. Materialists believe that everything essentially is physical material. With the more recent developments in the field of physics, answers to important questions consisted of the immaterial. Things such as gravity, energy and time are scientifically ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 32. Is Consciousness A Brain Process Analysis U.T. Place argues in Is Consciousness a Brain Process? The claim sensations are brain processes is logically possible. In other words, the claim itself has no contradiction built in it. Place hypothesizes the truth of the claim is contingent. Identity statements are neither necessarily true nor false. So, scientific research might reveal phenomena of consciousness are brain processes. Place begins by distinguishing two kinds of conscious phenomena. He classifies phenomena as either inward or outward kinds of conscious phenomena. Outward phenomena refers to behavior of the body. Behaviorists talk only about the outward aspects of consciousness. A theory limited to outward aspects of consciousness attempts to explain all aspects of consciousness ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... They do not share predicates. So, the identity hypothesis must be false. Despite our different usage of the names in the statement, a scientific theory could prove the names denote the same thing. 'Lightning is an electric discharge' is not necessarily true. Any event of lightning is an event of an electric discharge. Does that mean 'lightning' and 'electrical discharges' have the same logical meaning? Lightning implies electrical discharge. The implication does not seem to work the other way. Electrical discharges happen without being considered cases of lightning. Static shocks, for example, do not normally imply lightning occurred. Place's second reason why an identity thesis is logically possible. Statements about consciousness as a brain process are not confirmed in the same way red is a color is confirmed. "His table is an old packing–case" is confirmed by observation. It is not necessary or impossible for us to observe otherwise. Analogously, science might confirm by observation consciousness is a brain ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 33. Is Personal Identity in the Mind of the Beholder? Personal identity is a very controversial aspect of life. Who are we? What defines us? According to John Locke, psychological continuity is what defines our personal identity. Locke discusses the case of the prince and the cobbler to help shape his theory. However, I absolutely disagree with Locke's theory. Locke's theory of personal identity creates many problems, such as the duplication problem. By reformulating Locke's theory of personal identity, we still come across these problems that prove Locke's theory false. Summary: Locke's argument for the memory criterion of personal identity, is that psychological continuity (the consciousness of past experiences) is the aspect that preservers our personal identity. Locke ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The duplication problem, is one in which we assume you (A) have a terrible illness and the only solution is to split your body into two and see which will survive. You enter the operation and the doctors divide your body into two. Each halve–body is artificially completed, but somehow both halves are cured and both survive. Now you have two persons (B and C), with your original hemisphere. According to Locke's theory on psychological continuity, a past person (P1) is numerically identical to the future person (P2) iff the future person remembers the past persons memories, experiences, etc. Therefore, we can assume A is psychologically continuous and numerically identical with B and A is also psychologically continuous and numerically identical with C. By the transitivity of identity, B and C must be numerically identical. However, it is impossible for B and C to be numerically identical. At the exact moment of the split, B and C can be qualitatively similar, but not be numerically identical, for it is impossible to have two different people and consider them both numerically the same person. This is proven by assuming: Charles (B) is numerically identical with Guy Fawkes (A). Robert (C) is numerically identical with Guy Fawkes (A).Therefore; Charles (B) is numerically identical with Robert (C). This argument is valid, but unsound. A valid argument is one in which, if the premise are all assumed to be true, the conclusion must be true. If we assume, Charles (B) ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 34. Homo Zapiens : An Analysis Of The Control Of The Human... Homo Zapiens: An Analysis of the Control of the Human Mind by the Media Virtual reality is the new reality. Everyday, millions of people turn on their televisions and computers to be sucked into an unreal world controlled by a simulated reality. Instead, people lose control of their minds, allowing the media and money to infiltrate their consciousness. This loss of control to technology is explored in the novel Homo Zapiens by Viktor Pelevin. The story follows Babylen Tatarsky, one of the many displaced citizens of Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Originally a scholar at a literary institute, Tatarsky finds himself in the advertising industry as a copywriter attempting to cater Western products to the Russian people. In this process, it becomes apparent that the aim of Tatarsky and his advertising concepts is solely to bring in more money and increase the influence of certain companies without regard for morals and ethics. Even the consumers in the general population experience this absence of humanity as they become subject to the media; they enter a whole new world once the television or computer is turned on. Essentially, Pelevin uses the medium of the technology to create a virtual reality. Through this simulated world, he demonstrates the loss of conscious control of one's mind and thoughts to the media and money. Pelevin first introduces the idea of the mind falling to the media and money through Tatarsky's shift in work from print to the computer. Soon ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 35. Reality As The Product Of Human Consciousness PART THREE– REALITY REALITY AS THE PRODUCT OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS Since the Scientific Revolution, humanity has adhered to a supposedly reasonable rationalist philosophy–characterized by a preference for reasoning over experience–which inevitably arises in impersonal fields such as the sciences. Although science avoids preternatural speculation on principle, quantum theory's implications alter the fundamental way in which we understand what is at a quantum level, and such a revelation transcends any reifications participated by preceding generations. Fortunately, English philosopher Owen Barfield's Saving the Appearances transcends temporal reality, bridging 1965 and 2015, while his book serves as a template through which we begin to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Within a given reality, aspects indeed exist independent of humanconsciousness, but principal causality belongs to consciousness. In short, society experiences phenomena and, seeking to understand the world, its members then create representations, which define former unnamed phenomena. By participating previous generations' representations, society becomes temporally distanced from its representations' arbitrary nature, and succeeding generations participate those representations. For this reason, alpha–thinking's generational prominence will result in intermittent generations deciding that reality exists external to them. At that point, they forget that human consciousness produces existing representations, which echo society's collective memory. Compounded with previous generations' reifications, participating current representations lays idolatry's foundation for subsequent generations. In this way, our idolatries and representations ascribe historicity to a given reality, which lends a false credibility to that reality. As an example, those who live in comfortably defined realities easily become complacent and display remarkable passivity to reality's potential implications, thus ensuring pre–existing paradigmatic reifications will continue to thrive as present idolatries. Such inactivity in a complacent static society acts to preserve, but subtly warp ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 36. Marchak's View Of History Our lives are divided periodically into three segments of time: the past, present, and the future. These segments are ordered in this particular way because the events from the past lead humanity towards an unpredictable future. The first segment is proclaimed to be a subject of history. History by definition has occurred in the past, comprising individuals or an entire society. To obtain a better understanding of the relationship between these three interconnected periods, it is important to recognize that history is derived from the past. However, in our daily lives we learn new perspectives from our successors who are creating history. That being said, the people who have been known to have influence in history have significance or relevance... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Other parts are more casually conveyed through example; the unspoken assumption and attitudes of those around us" (Marchak, 1). This quote by Marchak portrays society as how much it relies on the past. As a child, we grow into an ideology taught from our parents, teachers, friends and the media. Thus, our thought of the past is influenced by present thoughts. This is evident when relating back to Zinn's piece on Columbus and Western civilization, as we consider the discourse of today's society to distinguish the past since it is the "ideology" we were born into. As a result, I can attest and agree upon the fact that the present is in control of the past with the understanding of the "current" ideologies which have a huge impact on our future. The past, present, and the future are all inter–related with one another. How history is told comes down to the "ideology" you are exposed to and I believe that is is important to seek the truth in the story so that you would not be locked into one ideal perspective. Zinn, McNeil, and Marchak demonstrate that history is written in favour of the historians and as a result, society is tied down to one–sided information and a partial truth. We as a society should not be overthrown by dominant ideology, which is a set of false ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 37. Philosophy Of Rene Descartes Rene Descartes is an extremely influential philosopher from the 17th century and is widely considered the father of modern philosophy. One of Descartes's most famous philosophies is his cogito ergo sum statement: I think, therefore, I am (Descartes, 2008). He believed that because he is a thing that thinks, then he must have some kind of consciousness or awareness of the world. Because he has consciousness, he reasons that he must exist, especially since he is aware that he is a thing that thinks. His physical body, on the other hand, has no awareness. From this stems another critical part of his philosophy which states that the mind and the body are two separate substances. This concept is called dualism. Minds are indestructible and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... It is well described in philosopher John Searle's work Mind: A Brief Introduction. Searle writes about many materialistic theories that counter the Cartesian dualism theory. These theories connect the mind and the body through the relationships between the brain, its functions, the mind, and its awareness of the world in ways that Cartesian dualism cannot. One primary materialist theory that John Searle discusses is the identity theory. The identity theory argues that mental states are simply material, physical states of the brain. This theory affirms an identity between mental and brain states and accounts for the inner experiences that may not always be portrayed by behavior. It fortifies the idea that mind, consciousness, and the body are not, in fact, separate substances, but connected through their physicality and the causal relationship between inner and external experiences (Searle, 2004). Another aspect that the identity theory elucidates is that changes in brain states results in changes in mental states. For example: Brain state one will provoke mental state one. When brain state one changes to a different brain state, brain state two, then the mental state changes to a different, new mental state, mental state two, directly correlating with the brain state change. When compared to Cartesian dualism, the identity theory suggests that Rene Descartes's ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 38. Lisle's False-Consciousness Lisle's False–Consciousness Are opinions really owned by the people or are they formed by society as a way to control the populace? In M. Rickert's "Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment", the protagonist Lisle's perception of herself and the theocratic society she lives in is heavily molded by the bureaucratic authority governing her country. As strong minded as Lisle is, her opinions simply reflect the false–consciousness interpellated in her community and this demonstrates the power of a bureaucratic government upon the ideals of individuals. Lisle's comprehension of her beliefs, self–worth and identity are all instilled in her by the ruling class. Throughout the narrative, Lisle's personal righteous beliefs are displayed in her observations... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... When her father suggests that she may have a chance "to be a breeder" (43), she is disheartened as this means that she will not be able to raise her own children and not being a wife devalues her. In response she says "I hate mom" (43), showing how she blames her mother directly for putting her in this position. Lisle's devaluation of herself is however also conjoined with her devaluation of other women. When Lisle's mother finds the list of "baby names [she] was considering for when [her] time came" (41) it is notable that they are all male names. Lisle only hopes to give birth to boys in the future because she believes that they are more important than girls and in this way she devalues herself for being a girl. This comes from the government's attempts to keep the society patriarchal by only allowing men to have jobs and positions of power. Lisle also degrades herself to the value of a tool when she reflects on when her mother brought her home from executions. She described how her mother "[pressed her] head tight against her shoulder...so hard that [Lisle] started crying, which, [Lisle] now [realizes], served her purpose" (44). In this she realised that her mother used her crying to make a point to people attending the executions that it was upsetting to children even if ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 39. Max Weber And The False Consciousness Of Karl Marx As a practical sociologist, Charlie Chaplin's film Modern Times embodies the ideas of hyper–rationalization of Max Weber and the false consciousness of Karl Marx. His film critiques the structural evolution caused by modern society. Through satire, the film reflects the lived reality of modernity by showing how individuals fail to realize that their agency succumbs to ruthless pragmatism because of their false consciousness. Europe's shift from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism facilitated the creation of hyper–rationalism. Through the practice of Protestantism, Max Weber conjectures that citizens were encouraged to show their faith in God through hard work and perpetual reinvestment in their business(Weber, 377). Through the accumulation of capital, business owners were supposed to increase their capacity production to greater benefit society. Over the centuries this idea manifested itself into hyper–rationalism where everyone from business owners to members of the bureaucracy made their decisions in increasingly rational yet myopic ways. They decision making became increasingly precise and qualitative, relied on long term cost benefit analysis, and lost sight of the original intent of the businesses and government and bureaucracy. The hyper–rationalization of the world prompted the shift from Mercantilism to Capitalism. The transition from Mercantilism to Capitalism facilitated the creation of false consciousness as it gave people agency over their own lives without ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 40. John Locke's Person Identity Identify is needed to determine existence. How to you determine the existence of an object according to John Locke it must be compared in a state via a determine place and time, to itself at a separate place and time (Locke 367L). An object cannot exist at the same time in two separate places. For example, a 20 ounce bottle of coke at a gas station in Kentucky and another 20 ounce bottle of coke in an airport in Denver do not share the same identity. This is because while they may share every single trait, the fact that they exist in separate places at the same time makes them separate objects that do not share the same identity. From this brief understanding of identity Locke creates his theory of personal identity. Locke first makes the important distinction between non–living objects and living objects. The identity of a non–living object, a bundle of atoms, changes, "if one of these atoms is taken away, or one new one added, it is no longer the same mass or the same body." (Locke 368R). In Locke's theory the moment the atoms change even in the slightest bit with one atom being lost or added the bundle of atoms are no longer the same bundle that existed before the addition /subtraction of atoms. For example, if a stick of chalk made a line on a blackboard for every time one atom of chalk left stick to form the line a completely new stick of chalk would exist. This concept of constant changing identity with the slightest modification does not extend to living ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...