Analysis Of Descartes Dreaming Argument - 812 Words

Descartes dreaming argument suggests that perhaps our senses cannot be fully trusted because we cannot be certain we are not dreaming, and this means we therefore cannot be certain of anything. His evil demon argument is similar but uses the idea of an evil demon deceiving you instead of your senses. These sceptical arguments mean that we cannot be certain of anything at all for it may be happening whilst we are dreaming, or we are being tricked into thinking it is happening. I do not agree with Descartes because I feel that I can be certain I am not dreaming, and I do not believe that other supernatural creatures; such as an evil demon exists. In Descartes’ First Meditation, (Reason and Responsibility, Feinberg and Shafer-Landau, 2015,†¦show more content†¦This is also means that I do not think his argument is sound. An argument is â€Å"sound if and only if it is both valid, and all of its premises are actually true† (Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, Ano nymous 2017). This means that the dreaming argument is not a passable philosophical theory because it is not sound- however, philosophy is based on individual’s perspective which means that some people may find the dreaming argument valid and sound and therefore a good philosophical theory. Descartes’ Evil Demon argument is the idea that instead of his God deceiving him- because he is too good to do so – that perhaps there is an evil being of a similar power to God who is in fact deceiving him to believe falsehoods as fact (Reason and Responsibility, Feinberg and Shafer-Landau, 2015, 242-244). The premises for this go like 1. If I am to be certain of anything I need to be certain I am not being deceived by a powerful evil demon, 2. I cannot be certain I am not being deceived by a powerful evil demon, therefore 3. I cannot be certain of anything. This is harder to argue against because there is no evidence for an evil demon existing- however this does not stop Descartes from believing in God. This is a valid argument because the premises do follow on from each other however, it is not a sound argument because premise 2 isShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Descartes And The Dreaming Argument1390 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will take a look at Descartes Drea ming argument and Evil Demon argument. As well as discussing their weaknesses and strengths to later decide which argument is the best. Despite my belief of subjective truths, the reason for doing this is to establish both arguments on an equal basis and to determine which would be best in an argument. The Dreaming argument first showed up in Descartes First Meditation, where he focusses on the task to educate himself on his own doubt. When meditatingRead MoreDescartes Was A Metaphysical Philosopher Whose Main Goal1371 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes was a metaphysical philosopher whose main goal was to obtain and isolate lasting scientific knowledge due to the long-held beliefs that were being disproved during his lifetime. However, this proved to be quite difficult as the majority of his previously held beliefs were either doubtful or able to be proven false. In an attempt to work towards his goals, Descartes developed his Dream Doubt argument. When first analyzing this argument, it is important to analyze it for all its premisesRead MoreAn Analysis of Descartes’ First Meditation Essay example1448 Words   |  6 Pages13th, 2012 An Analysis of Descartes’ First Meditation In Descartes’ First Meditation, Descartes’ overall intention is to present the idea that our perceptions and sensations are flawed and should not be trusted entirely. His purpose is to create the greatest possible doubt of our senses. To convey this thought, Descartes has three main arguments in the First Meditation: The dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the evil demon â€Å"or evil genius†. Descartes’ dream argument argues that thereRead MoreThe Dream Inside Of A Dream By Christopher Nolan1683 Words   |  7 PagesFinal Paper: Descartes The possibility of having a dream inside of a dream is an idea that has been discussed far and wide. However, before Inception came out in 2010 by director Christopher Nolan, many people in the modern world may not have ever considered this idea. Nonetheless, this idea of â€Å"a dream inside a dream† has been around since 1640, when Rene Descartes published Meditations. In Inception, Christopher Nolan uses Descartes ideas to enhance the storyline of his film. In this paperRead MoreDescartesMeditations, To What Extent Are We Able To Distinguish Between Reality And Illusion1482 Words   |  6 Pagesreference to Descartes’ ‘Meditations’, to what extent are we able to distinguish between reality and illusion?† ‘Meditations’ outlines Descartes’ method of justifying, through reasoning alone, his initial beliefs concerning the existence of reality as he perceives it. This challenge of scepticism is itself achieved through adopting a temporary sceptical approach in meditations 1 and 2. By way of mental deconstruction and evaluation of all that he had previously considered true, Descartes is left withRead MoreComparing The Matrix With Readings From Plato And Descartes1023 Words   |  5 PagesComparing and contrasting The Matrix with readings from Plato and Descartes This essay will discuss The Matrix, from synopsis of the following; The Republic by Plato, depicting the famous cave allegory, and Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes, offering doubt that some senses are accurate. By examining these two readings, and the movie, it will allow the author to show some comparisons, and to show how they are also different as this essay indicates the world is very real. Read MoreDescartes Notion Of Why We Exist935 Words   |  4 Pagescoincide this with Rene Descartes’ notion of why we exist. It is fascinating to examine the process by which Descartes took to completely dismantle everything he knows in his pursuit towards explaining different truths throughout the world. I think Descartes came to the realization that he was perceiving things incorrectly in his life which disappointed him. Descartes understands this because he is basing all of his incoming information about the world through his senses. Descartes is puzzled by hisRead MoreDescartes Six Meditations on First Philosophy Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the six meditations on First Philosophy, French philosopher Rene Descartes seeks to find a concrete foundation for the basis of science, one which he states can only include certain and unquestionable beliefs. Anything less concrete, he argues will be exposed to the external world and to opposition by philosophical sceptics. The sense of the Cartesian reform is the imposition of a new method of thinking. Descartes’ method to begin with is reductive, removing all knowledge acquired withoutRead MoreDescribing a System of Knowledge 1447 Words   |  6 Pagesbehind Rene Descartes’, who is recognized as a prominent philosopher of the 17th century, attempts at creating a system of knowledge that can withstand even the most skeptical disbeliever in absolute truths. It is best to begin by describing this system of knowledge through the qualifications that an idea must pass in order to be in the system. An idea must be able to be defended in every way by a skeptic and in no way present any situation in which the idea could be proven false. Descartes describesRead MoreIs Global Skepticism Justified? Essay1625 Words   |  7 PagesIt might seem that we really know a lot about this planet we live on. But how much do we really ‘know’ the things of this world? Could it be that the things we thought we knew with certainty is really not as absolute as we thought it is? In Rene Descartes’ â€Å"Meditation on the First Philosophy,† he says as follows about fundamental knowledge: â€Å"Certainly, up to now whatever I have accepted as fully true I have learned either from or by means of the senses: but I have discovered that they sometimes deceive

Fahrenheit 451 - 801 Words

Megan Wright Mr. Owens English 9 14 April 2013 Rough Draft #1 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which book-paper catches fire, and burns (Lenhoff). In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury is trying to teach the reader about the dangers of books and history as seen in characters, symbols, and events. Bradbury’s novel is about a future American society where books are outlawed and firemen are told they have to burn any house that has books in it. Books are banned because they contain contradictory ideas and can confront the comfortable prejudices and ignorance that abounds (Zacharias). Beatty is the chief at the firehouse. Fahrenheit 451 describes a country caught in the grip of both an external war with another power, and a civil†¦show more content†¦The hearth, or fireplace, is a traditional symbol of the home (Sparknotes Editors). The salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen (Sparknotes Editors). Firemen also name their fire trucks after the salamander (Sparknotes Editors). Both of these symbols involve fir e which is a big part of Montag’s life. The hearth contains the fire that heats his home and the salamander because they believed that salamanders live in fire and are unable to burn. â€Å"The Sieve and the Sand,† comes from Montag’s childhood memory of trying to fill a sieve with sand on the beach to get a dime from a mischievous cousin and crying at the futility of the task (Sparknotes Editors). Montag compares this memory to his attempt to read the whole Bible as quickly as possible on the subway in the hope that, if he reads fast enough, some of the material will stay in his memory (Sparknotes Editors). The sand is a symbol of the tangible truth Montag seeks, and the sieve is a symbol of the human mind seeking a truth that remains elusive and, the metaphor suggests, impossible to grasp in any permanent way (SparknotesShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 4511365 Words   |  6 PagesBradbury s novel, Fahrenheit 451, was written at the onset of the fifties as a call t o the American people to reflect on how the dominant social values of their times were effecting both the lives of individual Americans and their government. Fahrenheit 451 attacks utopian government and focuses on society s foolishness of always being politically correct. (Mogen 113). According to Mogen, Fahrenheit 451 depicts a world in which the American Dream has turned into a nightmare because it has beenRead MoreFahrenheit 451704 Words   |  3 PagesSTUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR FAHRENHEIT 451 As you read each section of the novel, answer briefly the following questions. Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 1-65) 1. What do the firemen do for a living? In our world, firemen fight fires. In â€Å"Fahrenheit 451, â€Å"the firemen burns books. They do this to fight ideas and to keep their society safe from disruptive influences. 2. What is never washed off completely? In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag says that â€Å"you never wash it off completelyRead MoreFahrenheit 4511345 Words   |  6 PagesBethany Edwards Censorship or Knowledge Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451 is a good example of censorship and restriction and the results of what can happen because of this. Ray Bradbury predicts in his novel that the future is without literature -- everything from newspapers to novels to the Bible. This novel is about a world that is so structured and censored that even a common fireman exist not to fight fires, for all buildings are fireproof, but instead to burn books. Books are made toRead MoreFahrenheit 4511651 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Dream. We are told that these achievements can be done by adapting to America’s ideals and cultural norms. The ‘American Dream’ is attainable for those who fall in step with the majority. This conformity is illustrated in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. In the novel, Guy Montag becomes disillusioned with the illiterate ignorance of his society. Through a series of tragic events, Montag finds the vapid world must be changed. This change will be the only way to attain true knowledge, thus freedomRead MoreFahrenheit 4511858 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Jhoan Aguilar Mrs. Armistead English III H (4) October 24, 2013 The Exhort of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury created the novel Fahrenheit 451 as a way to admonish future generations against social and economic trends that would emerge during the twentieth century. I. Introduction II. Reasons behind novel A. World events B. Personal events III. Economic trends of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries A. The economics of consumerism B. Economic effects on society IV. Social trendsRead More1984 And Fahrenheit 4511505 Words   |  7 PagesOrwell, and Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the concepts of totalitarianism and censorship are addressed in various ways. Both texts are of dystopian fiction, set in post-nuclear war nations, although they are somewhat of a different nature. The concepts of totalitarianism and censorship are explored throughout the texts by addressing the issue of ‘knowledge is power’, the use and abuse of technology and the desensitising of society. Although these are mentioned in both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, they areRead MoreEssay On Fahrenheit 451833 Words   |  4 PagesWhy shouldn’t Fahrenheit 451 be banned? Ban books or burn them? Ray Bradbury wrote his famous novel Fahrenheit 451 in 1953 fantasizing about a world in which books were banned, and when a book was found it was burnt and destroyed. Little did he know that his thought of books being banned could actually happen and that it would be one of his own. Today Fahrenheit 451 is being banned and challenged in schools all across America. How ironic that a book about books being banned is now being banned aroundRead MoreFahrenheit 451 - Symbolism1432 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, perhaps one of the best-known science fiction, wrote the amazing novel Fahrenheit 451. The novel is about Guy Montag, a ‘fireman who produces fires instead of eliminating them in order to burn books (Watt 2). One night while he is walking home from work he meets a young girl who stirs up his thoughts and curiosities like no one has before. She tells him of a world where fireman put out fires instead of starting them and where people read books and thinkRead More`` Fahrenheit 451 And The Sniper ``1643 Words   |  7 Pagesabilities. It can be difficult to determine what elements make up a hero. However, by examining heroes in different stories, the elements of what makes a hero can become clearer. Classic heroes in The Odyssey can be examined, along with the heroes in Fahrenheit 451 and The Sniper. By taking apart the characteristics and traits of these heroes, a deeper understanding of a hero can be found. Rather than by a character s physical abilities, a hero c an be defined by their displays of courage, determinationRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Essay1076 Words   |  5 PagesAs renowned author Ernest Hemingway said, â€Å"There is no friend as loyal as a book†. This can be true at times, but in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, many people in the novel’s dystopian society think otherwise. In this essay I’ll be discussing the 5 books I’d save from the firemen if I was Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451, and which of the 5 I’d choose to remember and â€Å"become†. The books I’d save would be Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give

Mount Plesant Free Essays

Opgave A – Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant from 2005 is an odd little short story. The story’s narrative technique and language is very unique, because it allows you to see a child’s world from its perspective. The way the story is written makes you think of your own childhood where ghosts and the darkness were the scariest things in the whole wide world. We will write a custom essay sample on Mount Plesant or any similar topic only for you Order Now Below, I will analyze this odd little short story, and also give you an interpretation of Mary-Louise Buxton’s Mount Pleasant where she so curiously write about Elizabeth and her imaginative everyday life. The short story is about a girl Elizabeth who narrates the reader through her every day life. How she discovers the world, how she see her parents and how she interpret things. This short story is not like any other short story, because normally you would have this big climax, with life-changing experiences, and a main theme to tell you how to live your life. This story is â€Å"just† a little child’s experiences. The thing that makes this story interesting is the extraordinary first-person narrator. The story is in a way written like some sort of diary by a six-year-old. I think the narrator is about six because she talks about the boy on the picture and he looks around 9-10 not much older than her: â€Å"He’s maybe nine or ten, not that much older than I am† The Narrator does not alter the spoken language; it makes the story seem a bit messy but also childish. The language is a big part of this short story because the writer, Mary-Louise, plays with names for objects and concepts, words and the way the different parts of the story are put together. Talking about names, it could be names such as: â€Å"Mammy† â€Å"The Look† â€Å"Granny ‘Omi’s Duckering Ball† â€Å"Babby† â€Å"Boo Boo† Playing with nicknames like this gives the story a childish feeling, and if Mary-Louise had chosen to use a â€Å"grown-up† language the story would not have been the same, so this is most likely why this kind of language is chosen. You instantly know the narrator is a child, because the little girl are having a constant urge for being entertained. It is hard for her to focus. It is seen a couple of times in the story, at first it is kind of confusing, but the second time you read the story the meaning of it gets more clear. The best example is when she is talking about her mother’s behavior, in the situation where her dad puts the picture of the little boy on the mantelpiece. Then out of nowhere our protagonist begins talking about the area and how everyone know her and her sister, how the nuns treat them, the different shops in the area, and then followed by a very descriptive list of sweets you can get at the corner in the tub shop: And then there’s the tub shop on the corner where you can go in and buy big tubs of ice cream, and get sweets out of great big glass jars behind the counter – raspberry ruffles and chewing nuts and chocolate raisins and liquorice sticks and ice cups and strawberry boot lace† And after talking about the candy she suddenly returns to the time and place she broke loose from. Changing the subjects is c onfusing, but also what you would expect a child to do. Another thing that keeps it childish is the small ‘wake up! ’ line such as Mammy said not to get dirty. † â€Å"We never want to go home. † They spice up the language, and would definitely be something a child would do. It fits very well with the narrative structure of the story If you look at the characters other than the protagonist, you immediately think of the parents. I think it is good writing, because not only is the parents the most important character in a child’s life, it is also two of the most important character in this short story. You get the impression that the mother is the strict one: If I see that bloody picture again at tea time† â€Å"Mammy said not to get dirty† The father is the exact opposite he is the fun one, the one who lets Elizabeth and her sister stay op late and the less strict one. The father has a more childish language saying Boo Boo and Bobby dazzl er. However, the father may not be as sweet and loving as you would expect. One night he takes his two daughters to bed and the dog will no move and instead of calling it by its name he is saying ‘dog’ and then he slaps the dog so hard that it gets scared and hide under the table. I did not notice it at first because our narrator does not make it unusually and a big deal, it makes you think that it could have happened before. All through the story I waited for something bad or devastating to happen, but nothing happened, or maybe the real disaster is hidden? In the end it is mentioned that the mother picks up the picture of the boy and puts it back on to the mantelpiece, and you hear Elizabeth’s thoughts about it dropping down in the night. But earlier in the story it says: â€Å"I run to the mantelpiece and put the picture in the grate† She had put it there herself, so it could be understood as a symbol of disorder. The night where this happens could very well be the night where Elizabeth sees a ghost walking around and locking her to her bed. When you have a child as your narrator, it is always hard to tell if something really happened, maybe Elizabeth did see this ghost, or it could be that nothing happened during that night, it was just normal behavior from a child who were scared in the dark. It is a hard deal knowing when children speak the truth and when they overreact. This story is definitely not like your typical short story, it is cryptic and you have to read it a few times before you get what is going on. Maybe the message is just how a child sees the world and how you have to remember to dream and imagine, with themes such as being imaginative, childhood and fear. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. P. 2 L. 59 [ 2 ]. p. 1 l. 1 [ 3 ]. p. 2 l. 46 [ 4 ]. p. 2 l. 49 [ 5 ]. p. 1 l. 28 [ 6 ]. p. 2 l. 69 [ 7 ]. p. 3 l 91-94 [ 8 ]. p. 1 l. 18 [ 9 ]. p. 3 l. 114 [ 10 ]. p. 2 l. 53 [ 11 ]. p. 1 l. 18 [ 12 ]. p. 5 l. 164 How to cite Mount Plesant, Essay examples

Pig Cruelty Essay free essay sample

Cruelty Around 1. 3 billion pigs are slaughtered annually for meat worldwide. The majority of these are in East Asia, particularly China, which rears around half of the world’s pigs. They are usually slaughtered after 4-7 months. Pigs intended for pork are usually slaughtered 1-2 months younger than pigs for bacon. I think that the way pigs are being raised and slaughtered is corrupt and barbaric. Mother pigs; spend most of their lives in individual â€Å"gestation† crates that are approximately seven feet long and two feet wide, not large enough for them to turn around in. Just before giving birth they are moved to â€Å"farrowing† crates, which also are not large enough for them to turn around in or build nests for their young. The deprived environment produces neurotic coping behaviours such as repetitive bar biting, sham chewing and obsessively pressing on water bottles. Piglets are taken from their mothers when they are as young as 10 days old and are packed into pens until they are separated to be raised for breeding or meat. We will write a custom essay sample on Pig Cruelty Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are too overcrowded and prone to stress-related behaviours, such as cannibalism and tail biting. On a television episode of TV ones Sunday that I watched, the New Zealand pork industry was dealt a shameful and public relations slap-in-the-face after its former comedian celebrity kingpin, Mike King, ousted their farming practises as ‘brutal’, callous’ and ‘evil’. Mike condemned the â€Å"appalling treatment† of factory farmed pigs. He observed inside a New Zealand piggery and found a dead female pig inside a sow stall, lame or crippled pigs and others that could barely stand. Pigs either extremely depressed or highly distressed, pigs that had scars and injuries and a lack of clean drinking water. Mike says â€Å"they were screaming and frothing at the mouth, I was disgusted and I’m sorry I was ever a part of promoting it†. This is no joke, real life ‘Babes’ see no sun in their limited lives, except for when being loaded onto the truck to be slaughtered; they have no hay to lie on, no mud to roll around in, not like in our childhood books and movies. There is no freedom or joy in their short lives; it is a misery from the day they are born to the day they die. Pigs feel pain just as humans do. Imagine living in your own urine and faeces? No one would want to live like that, so why do we do this to them? Bacon, pork and ham are all very lovely food indeed, but is it needed to treat them like this? If this is the case, I’m not sure I want to continue eating these foods. I understand the fact that free range products are expensive, but if the government made factory farming illegal then there would be more competition, so they will have to compete with prices. If we all made a push towards making factory farming illegal then I believe it would be more cost effective. Just think about how much healthier the meat would be. At the end of the day it’s not just the pig farmers that need to wake up, we all do†¦ If we really wanted to we could put a stop to this cruelty, by only buying free range products; starting protesting; making petitions, but we do not and this where collective guilt comes into it. If New Zealanders or better yet, the world started doing these things we could easily stop the market for factory farmed pigs, and farmers would be forced to change their practice. If your packet does not read ‘free range’, you know the truth. Help stop pig cruelty today. Kendell Gaskell