Online essays.

Introduction to philosophy:
PHIL 101 Essay 1 Option 2 Descartes and morality of certainty

Ethics:

PHI 220 July 2011 essay on three arguments from each of S as ! "riedman and #ilson and their conclusions Phil 220 June 200$ essay on %entham and &ill on utilitarianism

Human Nature:
Phil 1'1 10('(0$ )1 complete essay( "reedom of the *ill and concept of a person Phil 1'1 11(11(0$ )2 essay final ( nature of morality Phil 1'1 12(11(0$ )+ ,uestion 2 essay ( -ompare and contrast ho* Ho..es! Loc/e! and Hume *ould

Jonathan Bean October 7, 2009 PHIL 1710-100 Human Nature Professor Langsam T ! Pau"

Claim # 4 I agree #$th the c"a$m that Harr% &ran'furt states $n h$s #or', (&ree)om of the #$"" an) conce*t of a *erson+, The c"a$m states (-.T/he essence of be$ng a *erson "$es not $n reason but $n #$""-+, 0hen use) here, the #or) (*erson+ $s not meant to be the s$ngu"ar form of (*eo*"e+, In &ran'furt1s essa% as #e"" as $n th$s one, a *erson $s a be$ng that has the un$2ue set of attr$butes that )$st$ngu$sh Humans from other s*ec$es, &ran'furt reasons that the #$"" $s the un$2ue an) essent$a" character$st$c that se*arates the human s*ec$es from other "esser an$ma"s, Th$s ma'es the #$"" an $m*ortant *h$"oso*h$ca" conce*t, To un)erstan) the argument, $t $s necessar% to un)erstan) f$rst #hat $s meant #hen &ran'furt uses the term (#$""+, &ran'furt c"ar$f$es the mean$ng #hen he e"aborates on th$s un$2ue character$st$c of man b% sa%$ng that men are (ca*ab"e of #ant$ng to be )$fferent, $n the$r *references an) *ur*oses, from #hat the% are,+ 3$m$"ar"%, the 4ncarta 5$ct$onar% )ef$nes $t, #hen use) as a noun, as the (*o#er to )ec$)e+, Both the )$ct$onar% an) &ran'furt are s$m$"ar $n the #a% the% )escr$be $t as a un$2ue ab$"$t% an) as a *rocess,

It $s a"so $m*ortant to un)erstan) ho# the #$"" $s )$fferent from ha6$ng a s$m*"e )es$re, The ma$n )$fference $s that of o#nersh$*, ent$t%, On"% humans can ha6e a #$"", )og #$"" ne6er 2uest$on $ts )es$re to run after a ba"", It ma% get t$re) an) #$"" be"ongs to a *erson1s $)ent$t% #here as a )es$re $s an outs$)e force on an

"$e )o#n, If, at the same t$me, $t #ants to "$e )o#n an) chase a ba"", then one )es$re #$"" #$n out because the% are $n conf"$ct #$th each other, The strongest )es$re #$"" "ea) the )og to act$on, &ran'furt uses the term (#anton+ to )escr$be those humans #ho act #$thout a #$"", The #anton )oes not care #h$ch of h$s conf"$ct$ng )es$res #$"" mo6e h$m to act, #anton $s not a *erson, *erson must ha6e a #$""

to gu$)e the$r act$ons, &ran'furt best )escr$bes th$s b% us$ng an e7am*"e $n6o"6$ng a #anton narcot$c a))$ct an) an un#$""$ng narcot$c a))$ct, The #anton engages $n h$s a))$ct$on because the )es$re to )o so $s stronger than the )es$re not to )o so, The un#$""$ng a))$ct )es$res not to be mo6e) b% the )es$re to engage $n h$s a))$ct$on, but he acts on th$s )es$re aga$nst h$s #$"" not to, It $s )angerous to be a #anton, There can be no sat$sfact$on $n fu"f$""$ng a )es$re, If there $s no *art$c$*at$on b% one $n )$rect$ng a )es$re of h$s, then he ma% ne6er e7*er$ence sat$sfact$on $n the fu"f$""ment of that )es$re, 3at$sfact$on $s fee)bac' that te""s one that he succee)e) $n *$"ot$ng h$s )es$res to#ar)s someth$ng mean$ngfu" to h$m, Objections to claim There are man% ob8ect$ons to th$s c"a$m about the essence of be$ng a human, One ma% as' #hat th$s c"a$m a$ms to e7*"a$n, 5oes th$s c"a$m attem*t to ans#er a 2uest$on9 :ore $m*ortant"%, #hat ma% be at the or$g$n of th$s 2uest$on9 0hat $s the un'no#n that th$s c"a$m attem*ts to )$sco6er9 If th$s c"a$m $s true, then #hat are the *oss$b"e conse2uences9 The ans#ers to these 2uest$ons can great"% $m*act both $ts 6a"$)$t% an) acce*tance, Th$s c"a$m can on"% be acce*te) as the truth $f $ts a**"$cat$ons an) conse2uences are mora" for e6er%one, If someone1s #$"" $s not to ha6e one then are the% a *erson9 3omeone can ha6e a #$"" to not ha6e a #$"" because $t $s "ess stressfu" to be a #anton, &ran'furt te""s us that a #$"" can be base) on an%th$ng, so $t )oes not ha6e to be mora" or e6en *ract$ca", 3omeone $n th$s s$tuat$on $s a *erson e6en though the$r #$"" )oes not ha6e a strong base,

Is he;she a *erson, one #ho ne6er consc$ous"% )ec$)es on a #$"", )es*$te act$ng accor)$ng to #$""fu" beha6$or9 <es, &ran'furt sa%s that the #$"" can be unconsc$ous 8ust as some )es$res are, re a"" menta""% cha""enge) *eo*"e unab"e to be *ersons9 :enta""% cha""enge) *eo*"e cannot be *ersons $f the% )o not ha6e the rat$ona"$t% to e6a"uate the$r )es$res, =at$ona"$t% $s a *rere2u$s$te to the structure of the #$"", Is one a *erson $f the% s$m*"% obe% the #$"" of another, the "ea)er9 &ran'furt ac'no#"e)ges th$s *oss$b$"$t% $n a footnote, He chooses not to *ro6$)e the so"ut$on $n h$s essa%, ccor)$ng to h$s arguments, I #ou") sa% the% are not *ersons, If the% ha6e a #$"" $t #ou") on"% be to#ar)s the )es$re to sat$sf% the #$""fu" "ea)er1s #$""e) )es$re, The )es$res that the "ea)er *refers to be h$s #$"" ma% or ma% not be ma)e #$th the fo""o#er $n m$n), 4$ther #a% the fo""o#er $s a #anton, Is one a *erson $f the% ha6e a #$"" but the% )o not a""o# $t to affect the$r act$ons9 The on"% re2u$rement $s that the% )ec$)e #hat )es$res ought to be the$r #$"", &or #hate6er reason, a *erson can choose to be unaffecte) b% the$r #$"", Ho# can th$s c"a$m be )$s*ro6e)9 It $s )$ff$cu"t for th$s c"a$m to be teste), There $s no #a% to test the fact that "esser s*ec$es )o not fo""o# a #$"", >an the effect$6eness of a #$"" be measure)9 I am not a#are of an% metho)s or sca"es that can measure the effect$6eness of a #$"", The strength of the #$"" #ou") nee) to be re"at$6e to $ts effect on the sub8ect1s act$on, Other 6ar$ab"e, such as mu"t$*"e )es$res that "ea) to the same act$on, #ou") nee) to be accounte) for, :an% unreso"6e) $ssues get $n the #a% of measur$ng #$"", 0hat are the "$m$ts of #hat $s an) $s not a #$""9 >an $t be se"f$sh9 One reason $s enough to choose a #$"", The base of the #$"" has no "$m$tat$on, &ran'furt on"% re2u$res that the )es$re that a *erson choose to be the$r #$"" be a (6o"$t$on+ or a )es$re that a *erson #$"" be mot$6ate) b% $n some act$on the% *erform, 0hat about conf"$ct$ng #$""s9 It $s *oss$b"e for a *erson to ha6e conf"$ct$ng #$"" 8ust as the% ma% ha6e conf"$ct$ng )es$res, One #$"" $s boun) to fa$" #hen the other succee)s, Both cannot be sat$sf$e), ?*on act$ng, there ma% be m$7e) fee"$ngs of sat$sfact$on an) )$sa**o$ntment, It ma% be agon$@$ng to ha6e conf"$ct$ng #$""s

*u"" %ou to#ar)s )$fferent )$rect$ons, It $s as $f one has t#o *ersons $n them an) must com*rom$se a *erson, It ma% be a)6antageous for a *erson to choose one #$"" an) #$th)ra# from the other *rom*t"% to a6o$) th$s agon%, 0hat $f someone chooses a #$"" but $s amb$6a"ent to#ar)s the success or fa$"ure of the #$""9 In th$s case one #ou") st$"" be a *erson, The% are s$m*"% choos$ng that emot$ons )o not mot$6ate the$r act$on, Th$s #ou") be a t%*$ca" of a sto$c *erson, 3ome *eo*"e choose to be mot$6ate) b% the e7*ectat$on of sat$sfact$on an) others are )eterm$ne) to be mot$6ate) b% reason a"one, *oss$b"e counter argument ma% be that #e use reason to te"" us #hat #e shou") )es$re, =eason te""s us that $f #e #ant to "$6e a ha**% "$fe then #e shou") gra)uate from co""ege an) start a career, If one #ants to ma'e a goo) "$6$ng then #e must )o #hat reason suggests #e )o to get there, To counter th$s argument I #ou") sa% that reason $s on"% a too" that a )es$re ma% use as a means to meet $ts o#n en)s, It fo""o#s that $f reason )oes not affect our )es$res then $t must not affect our #$"", One cannot ha6e a #$"" #$thout f$rst ha6$ng reason to structure $t, =eason can be use) to te"" one facts about onese"f that one ma% use to e6a"uate h$s )es$res, Th$s e7*"a$ns #h% some *eo*"e, such as ch$")ren, )o not ha6e a #$"", The% ma% a"so ha6e no nee) for $t s$nce fu"f$""$ng the$r )es$res )oes not ha6e much conse2uence for them, :an% arguments ob8ect an) man% su**ort th$s c"a$m about the conce*t of a *erson, &ran'furt ma'es man% goo) arguments, There rema$n a "ot of o*en 2uest$ons, The 6a"$)$t% of the c"a$m $s unreso"6e) unt$" further measures are ta'en, ?nt$" then, I agree #$th the c"a$m,