Descartes' Method applied to literary texts
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A five page paper which applies Descartes' Method to a number of texts including More's Utopia and Golding's Lord of the Flies.
Filename: JLdescmeth.rtf

Descartes' Second Meditation
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This 3 page paper examines concepts in this meditation. The soul and mind are evaluated. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: SA717Des.rtf

Descartes' Sense Perception Argument
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This 8 page paper examines Descartes' theories in depth. Different ideas are examined as well. This paper ultimately supports the philosopher's position. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: SA601Des.rtf

Descartes' Views on Knowledge
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This 4 page paper examines Rene Descartes and his views on knowledge. The cogito is discussed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: SA512Des.rtf

Descartes's Meditations and His View of God
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This 5 page paper examines Descartes's mediations and looks at his definition of God, and specifically why God cannot be a deceiver. The philosopher's argument is examined for logic and validity. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: SA239Des.rtf

Descartes's Philosophy of Doubt
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This 14 page paper examines and critiques Descartes's philosophy . The dreaming argument is examined as well. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: SA220Des.rtf

Descartes's Proof of God's Existence
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This 6 page paper focuses on Descartes's proof, but addresses other related issues. Possible motives for Descartes's desire to prove that God exists are a part of the discussion. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: SA109Des.wps

Descartes’ Cogito Argument
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This is a 4 page paper discussing the interpretations of Descartes’ cogito argument. Philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) wrote his Mediations de prima philosophia in 1641 in an attempt to find the basic absolute truths in our beliefs, more specifically into a “belief he can be certain is true, even if he is believing, or God or an evil demon is trying to deceive him as fully as possible”. In Mediation II (1642), Descartes writes that “So after considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind”. There are several interpretations which have arisen from Descartes’ Mediation II, the most common being the idea “Cogito ergo sum” or “I am thinking, therefore I exist”. The two main interpretations of Descartes’ Mediation II involve the emphasis of the “I” within “I am, I exist” and the emphasis of the concept “think” within “I am thinking, therefore I exist”. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: TJcogit1.rtf

Descartes’ Deductive Reasoning, Definitions and Principles Used to Argue the Existence of God
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This is a 5 page paper discussing Descartes’ deductive reasoning, definitions and principles used in proving the existence of God. In Rene Descartes’ Meditation III, he proposes a logical argument to prove the existence of God. To do this, he presents an internally consistent argument through deductive reasoning and in addition provides further clarification for the reader in terms of definitions of formal and objective reality and principles for reality which help clarify his argument. Even without the further definitions and explanations of the principles however, upon accepting the initial premises that “nothing comes from nothing”, “the cause of the effect must have as much reality as its effect”, and “the cause of the idea must have as much reality as the idea itself”, then the introduction of the idea of God, and the cause of this idea is logical in its conclusion that since only God has infinite reality then only God is the cause of the idea of God (also infinite reality) and therefore God exists. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: TJDesca1.rtf

Descartes’ Meditations: “I Think Therefore I Am” and Voluntarism
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A 5 page paper which examines Descartes’ Meditations as they involve the famous statement “I Think Therefore I Am” and the concept of voluntarism. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.
Filename: RAiam.rtf

DESCARTES’ METHODIC DOUBT
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This 3 page paper examples how Descartes may have been influenced by Plato in the formation of his hyperbolic/methodic doubt theory. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: MBdesplat.rtf

Descartes, Kant & Sartre on God
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A 6 page essay/research paper that examines how Descartes, Kant and Sartre argued the existence or non-existence of God. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: khdks.wps

Descartes/ Meditations
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A 5 page essay that examines the logic of Renee Descartes in his famous work Meditations on First Philosophy. The writer traces how Descartes first deconstructs his view of reality down to his perception of himself as a "thinking thing" and then reconstructs it based on reason. No additional sources cited.
Filename: khdesmed.wps

Descartes/ The Nature of Existence
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A 6 page research paper that examines the philosophy of Rene Descartes and his famous argument concerning existence, I think therefore I am. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: khiam.wps

Descartes/Meditation III
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A 3 page essay that discusses Rene Descartes' arguments on the existence of God as outlined in his Meditation III from Meditations on First Philosophy. Drawing on what he intuits to be true of his own mind and perception, Descartes arrives at the conclusion that God's existence is undeniable. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: khdegod2.rtf

Descartes/Third Meditation & Existence of God
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A 5 page research paper that discusses the argument for the existence of God presented in Renes Descartes in his third mediation from his work Meditations on First Philosophy. The writer also discusses the differences between ontological and cosmological arguments. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: khdesgod.rtf

Descartes: Radical Doubt
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A 5 page overview of Descartes’ views on societal truth. Rationalists like Descartes maintained that synthetic judgments could be absolutely certain and that we could use radical doubt to thoroughly test knowledge and allow it to serve as a new indubitable basis for science. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: PPdescar.rtf

Descartes: The Cogito and Communication With Other Minds and Corporealities of Extension
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A 4 page overview of Descartes’ presentation of the cogito or “thinking thing” and the duality of mind and body which results. Details Descartes’ justification of the cogito and his explanation as to how it, separated from the world and its other beings, might nevertheless communicate reasonably with other minds and meaningfully relate to these and other corporealities of “extension”. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: PPdesca4.rtf

Descartes: Dreaming Or Reality?
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6 pages in length. The writer discusses the separation between wakefulness and dreaming as they relate to Descartes' Meditations. No other sources cited.
Filename: TLCdescr.wps

Descartes: His Analysis of Melting Beeswax
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5 pages. This paper examines Descartes' analysis of the perception of melting beeswax and what it might really prove. We must wonder if he has gone too far when he infers that the nature of the wax is "in no way revealed" by the senses and that the perception is by the "mind alone." Other considerations will be his arguments about his awareness of himself as a thinking thing in his second mediation. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: JGAbeewx.wps

Descartes: His Role in Science and Philosophy
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This 10 page paper argues that Descartes was not a great physicist. Rather, his importance is only in the realm of philosophy. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: SA503Des.rtf

Descartes; Perception, Knowledge and the Inspection of Objects
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This argumentative 6 page paper considers the way that we perceive objects according to Descartes. The paper examines the separation of the physical senses and the mind which may use innate knowledge. The writer explains the imperfect and the clear and distinct methods of inspection, arguing that this is not a viable argument, and that innate knowledge relies upon input of the senses and of the corporeal world. The bibliography cites 2 sources.
Filename: TEdescar.wps

Destiny or Circumstance?: Are Human Beings in Charge of Their Destiny?
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A 5 page discussion of destiny as it relates to the actional and nonactional theories. Associates the theory of biological determinism with the nonactional theory but observes other areas of research which indicate numerous factors, particularly parental involvement in our childhood, affect the way we live our lives. Concludes that there is some validity to the Actional Theory, the theory that it is us that determine our destiny. What becomes clear, however, is that our destinies are determined not only by factors which are under our control but also be predetermined factors such as our genes. Destiny therefore is predetermined in some instances but entirely under our control in others. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: PPdestin.wps

Destiny, Doubt & Delusion - The Eternal Question of Existence:
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An 8-page paper that explores man's obsession with his origin, the reason for his existence and his ultimate destiny following death. Included is a discussion of the philosophy of absolute doubt and absolute certainty as developed by Rene Descartes as well as a discussion of man's destiny as outlined in the Holy Bible. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: LCExist.doc

Determinate and Reflective Judgment
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This 3 page paper examines Kant's criteria as applied to the concept of pleasure. The concepts are defined. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: SA414Knt .rtf

Did Descartes Contradict Himself in the Meditations?
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This 3 page paper asks this compelling question and answers with a resounding no. The dreaming argument is the focus of this paper. Other meditations are discussed and Descartes' proof of God's existence is explored as well. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: SA325Des.rtf

Did Descartes Question His Own Thought Process?
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The cogito is discussed as well as an objection to it in this 3 page paper. Did Descartes question the thought process used to come up with his solution? Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: SA710Des.rtf

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship
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This 6 page paper provides an overview of the basic elements presented in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book The Cost of Discipleship. This paper integrates a view of Bonhoeffer as he related many of his principles of religious humanism through his writings. Bibliography lists 5 sources
Filename: MHBonho.rtf

Differences between Eastern and Western Philosophy
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(5 pp) It is silly for us to think, that in a page of two we will be able to encapsulate ideas that have taken lifetimes or centuries to form. However we will make the effort to give some basic differences between the two philosophical approaches to life of the East and the West in this discussion. The 1974 text by Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, will be used as the connecting thread between the two philosophies. Bibliography lists 4 sources. BBzenmtr.doc
Filename: BBzenmtr.doc

Differences in Plato and Aristotle's Views
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This 4 page paper broaches political viewpoints of these two well known Greek philosophers. Political models are discussed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: SA608AaP.rtf

Different Thoughts About Capitalism
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This 7 page paper reports and discusses philosophies regarding capitalism. The philosophers discussed are Locke, Smith, Aquinas, and Marx. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PGcpxla.rtf

Differing Types of Knowledge
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A 7 page overview of knowledge, its variations and the manner that we acquire it. Reviews the contentions of several major philosophers regarding knowledge and details the differences in the inductive and deductive processes. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: PPknowl2.rtf

Dignity in Punishment
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8 pages. There is a relationship of dignity to punishment. We must all have our values and those who will not forsake their values even if it means receiving punishment can still have a sense of dignity for what they have done. On the other hand, those who will give up their beliefs in order to avoid 'breaking the rules' have lost a lot of dignity in the eyes of others. This paper discusses the sense of values our culture has and whether we should adhere to those even in the face of punishment. And if we do, have we saved or given up our dignity? Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: JAdigpun.rtf

Digressions: Machiavelli
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A 4 page paper which examines Machiavelli’s digressions in chapters 1 through 11. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAmach11.rtf

Disagreeing With Plato's Theory of Forms (Ideas)
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A 6 page paper which examines the arguments presented by Plato in his famous Theory of Forms (Ideas) featured in his classic political treatise, "The Republic," then considers arguments which disagree with Plato's conclusions. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: TGforms.wps

Disagreements Between the Disciples of Thomas Hobbes and the Disciples of John Locke
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This 2 page report discusses theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, especially as they relate to positivism and divisibility. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: BWhoblok.wps

Discussions of the Cosmological, Ontological and Teleological Arguments and Criticisms on the Existence of God by Descartes, Kant and Hume
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This is a 9 page paper discussing the cosmological, ontological and teleological arguments and criticisms in regards to the existence of God by Descartes, Kant and Hume. Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant and David Hume among many others have arguments in regards to the existence of God. Descartes offered cosmological and ontological arguments for the existence of God. Descartes’ cosmological argument is causal in its format as it is based on the premise that the idea of infinite perfection could only originate from the real existence of an infinite being. From an ontological perspective, Descartes offers a more simple presupposition in that whatever he clearly can perceive is true and if he can perceive the idea of God, then God exists. Kant argues primarily against the use of presuppositions in Descartes arguments as he notes that “existence is not a property or predicate” but merely a “positing of a thing”. Hume, on the other hand criticizes the arguments on the basis that “matter of fact” can only be based on experience. In addition, “whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existent”. Hume also argues against the analogies used in the teleological arguments for the existence of God because they too can never settle a factual question and to assume that one can know a cause of an action without experiencing it is a faulty and misleading assumption as events or actions can be caused by multiple purposes and no one cause can be assumed. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: TJcosmo1.rtf

Disney’s “Cinderella”: Art or Industrialized Culture
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A 6 page paper which examines various theories and then applies them to Disney’s “Cinderella.” The paper examines if the cartoon film is art or a reflection of industrialized culture, or both. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: RAsnow.rtf

Distributive Justice, Utilitarianism, and John Rawls
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This 5 page report discusses the work of American philosopher and political scientist John Rawls and his 1971 book, A Theory of Justice. In it, Rawls presents an alternative to the fundamental principle of political utilitarianism and keeps his thinking throughout the book within the parameters of the social contract beliefs and attitudes of John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant and then bases his own “system” on two fundamental propositions. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: BWjrawls.wps

Divine Command
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A 4 page research paper/essay that explores the Divine Command theory of morality. This examination, first of all, looks at why few contemporary ethicists defend this system of ethics, and then at whether or not DCT can be justified in some modified form. The writer concludes that it cannot. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: khdct.rtf