How Philosophy Has Changed Our Existence - 1932 Words

Philosophy has strived to understand our purpose and reason for being alive. People have long searched for the solutions to the many questions about our existence. Through this search people have formed their own ideas about the possible answers. Until a year ago I had thought that I already knew my position on life and the meaning of our existence. I believed I had all the answers and that I was correct in them. I was an atheist who believed in no god, creator, or an afterlife. To me life could be considered meaningless to a degree. The thought that one lives, dies, and that nothing more would happen was a hard belief to believe in. Despite the sad ending I firmly believed in it. During last years Christmas break however, that all changed. This newfound belief brought about happiness and many possible solutions to our existence. Last year I returned home after my first semester of college. During that semester I had matured greatly. My brother however was failing in school due to some drug abuse. I had taken the lead on getting him back on track. My family and especially my father had noticed a considerable change in me. After several hours of meeting together to discuss the problem my father looks at me and starts to cry out of happiness. I have never seen my father cry before in my life so it was very shocking. The next day my mother hands me a book and tells me that it is a story about my first five years of life. The book begins with my father’s brother Barry. On JulyShow MoreRelatedNow That This Paper Has Evaluated Aquinas’S Summa Contra1444 Words   |  6 PagesNow that this paper has evaluated Aquinas’s Summa Contra Gentiles, it will move on to evaluate his next important work. In the years 1265–1274 Aquinas wrote what is considered one of his most prominent works, The Su mma Theologiae. In Summa Theologiae (also known as Suma Theologica or simply Summa), Aquinas gave five proofs for the existence of God. This paper will first tell why these proofs are necessary then describe the proofs in themselves. These proofs are necessary because Aquinas believedRead MoreReflection Paper On Philosophy730 Words   |  3 PagesOver these past semester of college, my optimism regarding philosophy and taking a philosophy course has drastically grown. I have always been enthusiastic towards philosophy and willing to take the course; however, it never really occurred to me how influential philosophy actually is. As a result of taking a philosophy class, I have had a plethora of epiphanies and realizations about myself and have had the opportunity to develop my own opinions and philosophical beliefs. In this paper I am goingRead MoreExistentialism And The Beliefs Of The Movement1454 Words   |  6 Pagesthe minds of authors and their readers so we could improve our thinking to be more enlightened and free. The movement sparked much alternative thinking to allow our society to grow into what it is today and without it people would most likely be more close minded and less free. Existentialism was a very influential movement with many impactful authors and will forever be remembered in history because of it’s unique ideas about the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determiningRead More Philosophy - Are we Willing to Accept the Changes that Philosophical Thinking can Bring?700 Words   |  3 PagesPhilosophy - Are we Willing to Accept the Changes that Philosophical Thinking can Bring? Philosophy is a general overview of how our society functions, by how we think and the many ways in which we act. It can also be described as the love of wisdom. As individuals we are introduced to ideas that test our knowledge of the different concepts of life, with questions such as who are we and why were we brought here? Philosophical questions have made an impact on us with thoughts that dont usuallyRead MoreEssay on Analysis of Pirandellos The Late Mattia1209 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Analysis of Pirandello’s The Late Mattia Pascal In his novel â€Å"The Late Mattia Pascal†, Luigi Pirandello tells the story of Mattia Pascal, a man that, after having lost everything and recognizing his unhappiness, has the opportunity to start over. The events of Mattia’s life are dictated by a mixture of fortune and decision making during unusual circumstances, where death, especially of the people he loves the most, constantly surrounds him. This leads to a crisis of identity, which is the mainRead MoreJean-Paul Sartre’s Philosophy: Radical Freedom and Responsibility 1253 Words   |  6 Pages(Sartre 32). Radical freedom and responsibility is the central notion of Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy. However, Sartre himself raises objections about his philosophy, but he overcomes these obvious objections. In this paper I will argue that man creates their own essence through their choices and that our values and choices are important because they allow man to be free and create their own existence. I wi ll first do this by explaining Jean-Paul Sartre’s quote, then by thoroughly stating Sartre’sRead MoreMyself As A Philosopher Essay1344 Words   |  6 Pagesstudying and producing results in philosophy. Before this class I had a rough grasp of what philosophy is. Some believe that it philosophy is wisdom and questions about life. Which some of it is those things, I believe that philosophy like other literature is a form of art, but the art in asking and providing theories for questions that show and evaluate the questions of life. Since I’ve started this course and have become a young student in philosophy, philosophy itself will be the teacher in theRead MoreSartres Existentialism1745 Words   |  7 PagesSartre’s Existentialism [1] Philosophy is the manner in which we describe the world around us. We develop our moral code and way of life based off of this definition, so the philosophy that we adhere to is a guiding factor in the way in which we live. In his speech â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism, † Jean-Paul Sartre defends his philosophy, existentialism, against its critics by arguing that for human existence, precedes essence (20) because we have free will. Due to this, our essence is constructed throughRead MoreDavid Hume And Renee Descartes s Theories Of Knowledge And Ideas1356 Words   |  6 Pagesideas. I will then argue how Hume’s philosophy is the more viable theory, and give you my reason’s as to why it is a stronger argument, in comparison to Descartes’ more rational take on the origin of ideas and knowledge. As an Empiricist, David Hume supports the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses. That we are directly aware only of things that exist only in our minds. In, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding he argues that the mind has two perceptions, differingRead MoreFatalism and Determinism1104 Words   |  5 PagesI do not think simply learning philosophy can change the way I live, I know that learning and exploring deeper into specific philosophies can completely alter my outlook on life. Life is a particular type or aspect of people’s existence and all beings are living this life as far as we know. The question I often find myself asking is whether or not we are the ones making our own choices, living life as we so choose, with no free will at all (determinism), or with our fate set out for us (fatalism)