A Critical Analysis of Platos and Sartres Views on...

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PLATO’S AND SARTRE’S VIEWS ON EXISTENCE Introduction In order to understand the meaning of existence in relation to philosophy, we need to discuss its ordinary meaning and the various levels of existence. The Chambers Concise Dictionary (1992, 362) defines ‘exist’ as having an actual being; to live; to occur; to continue to live’ and it defines existence as ‘the state of existing or being’. In other words, the Dictionary does not make a distinction between existence and living. However, philosophically there is the view that existence is different from living. What then is the meaning of existence in philosophy? In order to answer this question we shall examine how philosophers have used the term in their†¦show more content†¦Sartre expressed the existentialist position in the phrase that â€Å"existence precedes essence† This phrase means that it is the particular individual existence that is more important than the essence of the individual. As a matter of fact, Sartre believed that h uman beings do not possess any essential quality by which their nature is defined. Thus it is the individual human being who is able to define his/her own existence and whatever the individual is or what she is to become is a product of her own free choice. Sartre’s existentialism is a form of atheism in the sense that God is not recognized as a creator of human beings. This view will not go well with Christians. Thus according to Phelan (2005: 312) â€Å"Sartre’s existentialism is equated with mean, vulgar, ugly and scandalous act and therefore, all moral guidance or comments on other people’s action will be rendered meaningless†. However, in certain situations, it is allowed that criticism can be made of certain human actions with certain degree of consensus that such criticisms are appropriate. Sartre used the ‘Paper Knife Argument’ (Phelan, 2005) to explain his view that â€Å"existence precedes essence†. The paper knife argument i s the argument used by Sartre to define existentialism as a rejection of both theism and essentialism. Sartre’sShow MoreRelatedAllegory of the Cave Plato6021 Words   |  25 Pagesunawareness because it is all we know. Platos Allegory of the Cave† captures the essence of the journey to enlightenment. Clearly, the thought of sameness and normality thinking has transcended from Platos time to today. Thus, the allegory is relevant to contemporary essential life. Organizations are known for fostering a culture of group thinking. The danger inherent in group thinking is the object lesson that Plato tries to convey. When we refuse to engage in critical thinking, we are forced into a false

The World Of The Middle East - 785 Words

Fundamental ideas to bring them closer Palestinian Arabs, and the Nazi political leaders were both adamantly against international Jewry. The Mufti as early as 1933 enthusiastically expressed his support of the Nazi party’s anti-Jewish policies, and requested that Germany no longer send its Jews to Palestine. the Mufti is the most recognized Arab collaborator with Nazi Germany, however other influential Arab and Muslim political leaders held similar fundamental beliefs to those of the Nazis, one example of such leaders was Hassan al-Banna. Al-Banna was a school teacher and scholar who was an avid supporter of Hitler because of their mutual hatred for the Jewish people, and western culture. In 1928 al-Banna at the age of 22 founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It is important to note that Nazism cannot be fully held responsible for the way things have panned out for the Middle East. Though it is evident that the Middle East was somewhat manipulated by the Nazi regime, many of the views they have in common steamed organically. Nazi Feeling towards the Middle East Understanding how the Nazi’s and the middle east felt about one another is fundamental in understanding how they have impacted one another the opinion held by Adolf Hitler of the middle east was†¦.. From 1936 on there was a great effort to through propaganda to win over the Middle East. Though Hitler by no means saw the people of the Middle East as his equals he, along with his military leaders saw that hisShow MoreRelatedThe World Of The Middle East1520 Words   |  7 Pagespeninsula. Although at first glimpse it may have seem as non threatening, soon there after, Islam erupted out of Arabia, rapidly taking control of the Middle East. Subsequently both Persia and the Christian Byzantine Empire were completely defeated and absorbed into the Islamic world. Islamic forces urged there followers to ensure that the world was under their political control. If it must be spread by the sword then so be it. Throughout the rest of the seventh century, Arab armies advanced inexorablyRead MoreThe World Of The Middle East2301 Words   |  10 PagesPilgrimage is no more! For hundreds, even thousands of years, pilgrims across the Middle East have been undertaking immensely costly and onerous journeys to reach holy sites, such as: Mecca, Medina, Damascus, among many others. Alth ough, their reasons for the visit varied, they all shared a common underlying importance— to please God. This great tradition, which brought millions of Muslims spiritual elevation and honor by obeying Allah, does not exist anymore. Colonialism and modernity have takenRead MoreThe Middle East Is A Part Of The World1514 Words   |  7 PagesThe Middle East is a part of the world that is no stranger to visitors. Many different countries and groups of people have found themselves in the Middle East at one point or another. One of the biggest reasons is oil; oil is something that makes the entire world function and the Middle East has some of the largest in the world. This amount of oil has let the Middle East almost control the world’s economy and indirectly controlled security. Many Middle East citizens think very negatively of the westRead MoreWorld History : The Middle East1339 Words   |  6 PagesHow was world history depicted in the past? Was it depicted the same way as it is now? Hitherto, people believe world history is the history of the entire globe, including every country. However, the perceptions and definitions of world history have changed over time. In the past, world history meant Western history and Islam was not included. History was biased and still continues to be due to various factors as Bentley discusses. Understanding the meaning of orientalism and its true definitionRead MoreIslamic and Middle East World Conflicts1048 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Middle East and Islamic world stands as the biggest constraint to peace in the region? Discuss with reference to at least two conflicts. Historically, there have been many problems in the Middle East due to foreign occupation. Middle East has always been hot and it is still hot. However, there seems to be no end to the fire. There have been a lot of peace talk in the region, but the conflicts still is still unresolved. In this paper, I will discuss the top three conflicts in the Middle EastRead MoreThe World War II And The Middle East1332 Words   |  6 Pagesto explore and colonize Central Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In the period of European imperialism, imperialism served as conveyer of status and power in world affairs; the more imperialist territory, a more powerful nation state. Arbitrary boundaries and imperialist expansion into the unknown earth continued until the end of World War II. This disintegration of imperial empires came to be because of the mission of World War II and the weakness of the imperial power post-war. As JohnRead More World War One and The Middle East Essays1845 Words    |  8 PagesFranco-Prussian War of 1871 which created a unified German state. However, World War One is known to have had the greatest impact on human civilization. It dragged in almost every continent into the conflict, halted global trade, led to the demolition of four empires, and gave nationalism everywhere a boost. One interesting factor about the First World War is the extent to which it had a tremendous impact on the Middle East. Many westerners today would only remember it by reading Erich Maria RemarquesRead MoreThe Middle East: The Birthplace of Three Major World Religions834 Words   |  4 Pagesin the Middle East. Throughout history, the Middle East has been a land of conflict and violence. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the source of all of this strife, one could argue that because the Middle East, especially Jerusalem, is a place of importance for three major world religions, this region is bound to have strained relationships. However, in order to fully understand this region, it is necessary to have an understanding of the three religions that lay claims to the Middle East. ThoseRead MoreZionism and the Impact of World War One on the Middle East1534 Words   |  6 Pagesthe emigration of Jews to Palestine, where they organized small farms. During this time Leon Pinsker wrote â€Å"Auto-Emancipation†, a Zionist pamphlet in which he posits an answer to the â€Å"Jewish Question†. He argues that Jews are despised all over the world, and are viewed as aliens that cannot be assimilated. He also states, â€Å"Since it is not to be our mission to reform mankind, we must see what we have to do for ourselves under the circumstances.† Another prominent Zionist activist was Theodor HerzelRead MoreThe New Middle East : The World After The Arab Spring2748 Words   |  11 PagesINTRODUCTION The Middle East has been the center of attention in the world and the theater of many important events. Over the past thirty yeas, people in the Middle East have experienced all kinds of wars, hunger, devastation and brutal dictatorships. Now, after Arab Spring, some of those dictators are gone, and in countries like Tunisia and to a lesser degree Egypt, there are attempts to establish democracy. In his book, The New Middle East: The World After the Arab Spring (2013), Paul Danahar

National Security and Free Press free essay sample

The adage of perception is reality is the impact media has regarding national security and the DoDs response to media. Since John F. Kennedys assignation, through the Vietnam War, OPERATION Desert Storm to the present, people are fascinated with real-time media information for current events; this information is truth in the publics eyes. President Bushs decision to place troops in Somalia and President Clintons decision to remove troops from Mogadishu are national security ecisions made based on public perception (Belknap, 2001, 1). The National Security Council, consists of political officials, with the exception of the chiefs of staff military advisors; these elected officials make decisions in the interest of national security based on public perception derived from free press. Free press impacts national security by decisions based on public perception and the DoD should utilize free press to reveal benefits of military action in relation to national security (Snow, 2006, 4). We will write a custom essay sample on National Security and Free Press or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Imbedded public media deployed with our C-130 unit with the intent of publicizing a soldiers perspective of combat operation. This made us feel our involvement is shared along with the greater media picture to give the public a more complete understanding of war from tactical to strategic perspective. In the book Lone Survivor, a Navvy SEAL Team on an operation in Afghanistan let perception of civilian casualties the media would relay, sway combat decisions to save military lives Lutrell, 2007, 232). This perception is the negative impact soldiers face these days. Media imbed within military operations will relay to the public a tactical level perspective of the national security implications of free press. Overall, public opinion is influenced by free press; national security decisions are influenced by public opinion. The DoD should utilize the freedom of press to influence public opinion in the interest of national security. Belknap, Margaret

Scared Of The Truth Essays - Deception, Lie, Lying, Loveless

Scared Of The Truth People in this world lie for many reasons, most being simple white lies that are told everyday on a regular basis. People tells these lies simply to prevent someone from getting hurt, lies to keep themselves from getting into trouble, and humorous lies. This comes naturally; I believe I catch myself doing this from time to time even though I know that lies can lead to more lies, and long term trouble. Occasionally we tell lies simply to prevent from hurting those that we care about. I myself tend to do it quite often myself only because I take others feelings into consideration from time to time. This comes about a lot when my girlfriend calls me on Skype, and tries on clothes that she just purchased or wants to wear something out. I either tell her that it's pretty, or nice reason being is that I would rather tell her a white lie than to see her sad or make her think that I don't really care about what she's wearing. This to me is just as equivalent as telling someone that everything is ok after being hurt, or injured it's just instincts sometimes to keep people from worrying so much. As we all know lies can be told at different degrees, some of the lies that tend to be the most intense are the lies that are told for someone else's benefit. These are lies normally told to help prevent someone from getting into trouble, or to get someone else out of trouble, but doing this could get more than just one person in trouble. Say for instance a group of people go out simply to have fun, but they end up drinking, driving, and driving reckless then they hit a pedestrian. The driver is taken to jail, and has to wait for their court date, and his friends are told they have to appear in court to testify, and they are the only thing that can determine whether or not the driver will go to jail or if he is set free. Let's say the friends approach the stand to tell their sides of the story, but the officer that arrested the driver shows evidence that opposes what they have stated on the stand under oath. Now they all could end up facing perjury charges and sent to jail. I'm able to relate to relate to telling simple lies simply for humor, because of an even that took place with me and my family at a restaurant. I remember going to Ruby Tuesday, with my family I walked in, and I so happened to run into the manager I thought I could get a laugh out of just simply joking with him. The joke was me telling the manager that it was my brother's birthday, not thinking that he would actually believe me. Soon after our dinner we were just sitting around having a good time, and the manager and his staff came around the corner singing, came with cake, and even drinks. Everyone at the table had a such amazed look on their faces, even myself I quickly got up and told the manager that I was just joking I was even more surprised to see the only way that he could react was by smiling. I'm not saying that his reaction makes lien ok, because I'm sure that a simple lie like that one will make him more cautious when it comes to believing me again. Telling lies have all types of dead ends, no matter if it's by you loosing bonds with friends or family, or simply loosing trust from anyone. I must say that I have learned my lessons from many different occasions about lien, I'm not saying that you shouldn't do it because it's the way of life sometimes you can't help it, but try to remember that the more that you may put into a lie that you tell the more you could possibly loose in the long run.