Aristotle Argumentative Essays Samples For Students

St. Anselm's and St. Thomas Aquinas' proofs for the existence of God

The very fact that some people believe in God while others object his existence fostered the need to seek evidence and facts that will proof that God indeed exist. St. Anselm's and St. Thomas Aquinas' are the two renowned personalities that worked to proof the existence of God. These two figures offer a philosophical approach in regards to the existence of God. In an effort to explore their perceptions and insights regarding the existence of God in this paper. I will elaborate and explain the similarities embedded ...

Argumentative essay:

In order to understand Aristotle thoughts on live a happy life it is important to examine Nicomachean Ethics as it contains his definition of happiness as well as the requirements one needs in order to be happy. Aristotle’s definition of happiness as quoted in Nicomachean Ethics as stating that a man can only be able to achieve happiness if he performs all the tasks that he is supposed to in a positive manner (Winter, 32). According to Aristotle’s argument, happiness is the main purpose of human life; therefore, he suggests human should strive to achieve happiness in their lives. Hence, ...

In the Book X of „The Republic“, Plato asks Socrates to explain why philosophy and poetry are opposed. They seem to be on different sides of the same issue. According to Plato, philosophy teaches people the way they should conduct their lives and how to be moral and poetry and art, such as painting, only corrupts people. Plato believes that art „is at the third remove from reality, nothing more than semblances, easy to produce with no knowledge of the truth“ (Plato, 2011, p. 25).
Philosophers offer „moral and religious guides to the conduct of life“ (Plato, 2011, ...

In this paperwork I am going to explicate and criticize the following book-Nicomachean ethics (Aristotle’s Ethics).

The Nicomachean ethics work start with a discussion of eudaimonia that means happiness, and turn to an assessment of the scenery of good quality, thus, bringing out clearly the character traits that people need in order to live life at its preeminent. It is important to note that at the end of each task, a brief discussion is included about the correct connection between the people and the divine.
Through a literature review, it has been depicted that the Nicomachean Ethics is recognized as the most significant books in the world of ethics and undoubtedly the most prominent work of Aristotle. ...

Introduction

There is no denying that Aristotle holds the distinction of being one the greatest philosophers during the ancient Greek world, but his ideals transcends into popularity even to today’s modern age. The tenets of virtue are among the prominent subjects of Aristotle’s philosophical views. However, it is apparent that the philosopher has a rather different treatment of virtues as perceived from his arguments reiterating ethical values as personal dispositions. The focus of this discussion is to argue on the subject of whether or not Aristotle’s treatment of the virtues is in fact satisfactory. Examining the philosopher’s ...

Aristotle ethics refers to the category of practical science, its purpose is not an abstract theoretical knowledge, but doing things. Ethics, therefore, does not apply to an accurate knowledge of her subjects rather vague and full of uncertainties and, therefore, are understood enough about. One cannot demand - says Aristotle - the same rigor in the proofs of geometry and rhetorician. The subject of ethics is good, then, to aspire to every action and every choice (προαίρεσις). By its purpose, and directed all good art, so a lot of these goals, but some art are subordinate to other, that is. E. ...

The word eudaimonia is often translated as happiness or welfare. Some experts say

a better translation would be “human flourishing.” As we read the translation of Aristotle’s Ethics, we understand that happiness as used in English does not fit well with Aristotle’s ideas (Eudaimonia).
In Book I, Chapter 1, Aristotle talks about goods and that every action taken by people is aimed at gaining some good. The goods vary. Some are activities or actions and some are products that are the results of the activities. These goals or goods vary, but in Chapter 4, he says there is general agreement among men that the highest good is happiness. Since all ...

In this essay, I will make a critical discussion about Aristotle’s analysis of virtues and vices regarding correct attitude towards material good, services and money. I will begin by presenting Aristotle’s virtue about generosity, a virtue that talks about how people should spend their money, and I will continue by researching how this issue reflects into contemporary virtue of generosity. I will argue that Aristotle’s ethics are the starting point regarding a good life for a human being, the middle point between deficiency and excess, both being vices. Furthermore, I contend that, even if Aristotle’s virtues were right, we ...

“The wind blew a leaf off of the tree.”

1.
Plato’s metaphysical position is the wind, a leaf, and the tree are mere copies of a perfect form of wind, leaf, and tree. There is in reality only one leaf -- leafness, one tree -- treeness -- on wind -- windness, and so on and so forth. What I see in the world is multiplicity but what holds the diversity of all that I see into a single unified world is made possible by a transcendent world of forms that is more perfect and real than this world. This world changes, which accounts for the wind blowing, and the trees ...

Moral character and virtue were requirements of a good life according to the philosophy of Aristotle as well as his mentor Plato and as expressed by Socrates. The idea has a firm grounding in ancient wisdom and philosophy. The most important virtues and elements of a sound moral character in Aristotle’s opinion were justice, courage, and temperance. All of these virtues can be acquired by regular men without training in metaphysics. The idea that regular men could practice habits that constitute a high moral character and are virtuous was of great importance to Aristotle in making his philosophies accessible and relevant (Stanford ...

The ancient Greek philosophers are commonly taught in philosophy classes in the western world, and their philosophical ideas continue to be important to this day. However, Islamic philosophers did just as much for western schools of thought as the Greeks did, although they very infrequently receive the same amount of focus or attention in academic and educational situations. This may be because traditional education has focused heavily on the Greeks and Romans as thinkers; it may also be a disparity in the educational system that does not place equal value on Islamic schools of thought and Islamic history. Aristotle, one ...

In point of fact, that which defines eudemonia today is different from what defined the same centuries ago. This is the main reason why some of the views of different philosophers are applicable to different extents in the contemporary world. Speaking of eudemonia, Aristotle and Epicurus are among the most noteworthy philosophers. On the topic of the relationship between eudemonia and virtue, the two philosophers agreed to a certain extent. For instance, they both subscribed to the fact that the two concepts had a positive relationship. However, they differed at some point with Aristotle arguing that virtue was a constituent of eudemonia ...

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and a scientist. He wrote on a range of things that included physics, poetry, logic, politics, biology, and ethics among other things. He was an example of an all round philosopher. The works of Aristotle on ethics have been influential since their introduction and most of it has been rejuvenated in the outlining of the modern virtues and ethics. He got his knowledge from his teacher Plato, who started an academy in which Aristotle attended.
A gay is a person who is sexually oriented to someone of the same biological sex or same gender identity. For Instance ...

Online identity refers to a social identity that internet users establish over online websites and communities. This is also an active construction of one’s identity. People reveal their identity online in different ways. There are some people who prefer to use real names while others choose to use synonyms. This causes the variation in online identity for various people. Maintaining one’s identity with clean record defines concrete online ethnicity. Identity has been supported by various philosophers as concrete ethical issue in online communication. Online identity is defined by the status of one’s communication with colleagues and friends ...

As one of the most prominent philosophers of Western civilization, Aristotle had many perspectives on a number of subjects. He was a strong proponent of the people as a group serving each other in a community; to that end, he has discussed the issue of ‘slackness’ at length. To what end are people responsible for their actions? According to Aristotle, these ‘slack’ people are “themselves by their slack lives responsible for becoming men of that kind, and men make themselves responsible for being unjust or self-indulgent, in the one case by cheating and in the other by spending their in drinking bouts and the ...

Introduction

Enthymeme is a form of syllogism which is part of a three sided part deductive thinking and argumentation which has unstated assumptions that must lead to a valid conclusion. The argument in an enthymeme is characterized by an assumption thus enthymeme is more than syllogism. Socrates was among the earliest philosophers to propose the concept of enthymeme famous example of enthymeme is Socrates famous statement that all humans are mortal. Having agreed with that concept he also prove it by stating that he Socrates is human (Grimaldi, 1980) . Being human and the assumption that all humans are mortal it was an enthymeme ...

ABSTRACT

Ancient Greek philosophers had very different concepts of happiness and pleasure from the more materialistic and hedonistic ideas of the modern world. For this reason, many contemporary students read their books without really being able to comprehend their main message, which really viewed philosophy as a kind of religion. Indeed, Plato’s followers did start their own religion, which lasted for centuries and was incorporated into Stoicism and early Christianity. All of them rejected the idea that happiness came from money, material success, sex or physical pleasure, which are the basis for the modern mass consumption economy. That simply did ...

Film Studies

The Big Bang Theory is the best sitcom based on nerd culture. Based on the plot of the story, the four characters in the sitcom named Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon Cooper, Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali. All of the main characters are certified geeks and work a Caltech as they engage in their science-related jobs. This is opposed to the other fifth character, Penny who is an aspiring actress and a waitress by profession and quite known for her common sense. The main theme of the show is physics and the dialogue of the four geek characters is mostly focused on news ...

Aristotle’s view on exchange can be seen as part of the larger ancient Greek discourse on economics. Despite the fact that Greek philosophy did not explicitly come out in discussing particular economic theories; two aspects continually came up. The first was economics, referred to as “oikonomik”, which involved the search and use of wealth to satisfy personal needs. The other concept was chrematistics, which referred to the act of simply gathering wealth .
This is the same view that Aristotle held when it comes to discussing aspects of economics. He saw economics as part of household management and entirely ...

According to Emerson (7), “The higher the style we demand of friendship, of course the less easy to establish it with flesh and blood. We walk alone in the world. Friends, such as we desire, are dreams and fables. But a sublime hope cheers ever the faithful heart, that elsewhere,
in other regions of the universal power, souls are now acting, enduring, and daring, which

The writer of this paper finds Emerson’s claims to be logical and reasonable and is in agreement that indeed friendships are harder to find and establish as our standards for them become higher, ...

The posit that the human person is nothing but a body and that all its components and experiences can be explained regarding the body, without acknowledging the existence of a rational soul, forms the basis of the materialist theory (Cohen 2). The notion of materialism opposes the hylomorphic account of spirit as a reality different from matter a philosophical theory developed by Aristotle. According to Aristotle, living things are compounds of matter and form. He argues that a living thing soul (form) is what causes the existence of the body (matter) defines a soul as that which makes a ...

1. Introduction
Western philosophy has long been preoccupied with justifying the manner in which one should lead one’s life. In order to do this, they have logically often recurred to reason in order to explain why they believe that this particular way is the manner in which one should lead one’s life. Therefore, reason has played a central role in developing ethical theories almost since the inception of philosophy. Nevertheless, different authors have offered varied accounts of what reason means to them. Two of the most important of these thinkers were Aristotle and Kant, who understood this ...

I intend to discuss the ethical implications of euthanasia throughout the course of this essay. Firstly I will be touching on the German philosopher Kant regarding his theories on personhood and consciousness in terms of people in vegetative states such as Terri Schiavo. I then will be moving on to broader issues of euthanasia such as the right to die and the legality of assisted suicide refusal of treatment the utilitarian perspective and the Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle. The purpose of which is to determine whether or not euthanasia is an ethical approach to incurable illnesses or disabilities which ...

The question of morality has been discussed throughout the history of philosophy. These questions cannot be solved through simple logic due to the philosophic difficulty that they present. This is important because in the modern world there are still major issues that challenge the capacity for rational decision making. This is especially true in regards to medical ethics, in which these decisions can often result in the difference between life and death. Should doctors be given the right to end patients lives in cases in which they are going through extreme suffering and are given consent? This brings up ...

Efficient communication is essential to enhance effective co-ordination of the activities within any given setting. It requires the transmission of a clear and understandable message from one individual/office to another. The use of words or rather speech is one of the modes of communication. To be able to pass information in an effective manner, one needs to express the opinion of the majority especially in the political realm. This is particularly essential in political forums. The rhetoric aspect of speech is also considered essential especially when deriving a meaning from a given statement. From a clear understanding of these two aspects, speech is ...

Plato’s Theory of Forms

In Plato’s Book V of The Republic, he defines the idea of a Form as an “idea of a universal, a property that more than one thing can have (Lacewing).” In this case, Forms exist independently and separately from the particulars which are changeable and can be destroyed. Forms are permanent, unchangeable and indestructible. Also, every Form is good, and that the Form of the Good is actually the Form of Forms.

Form of the Good

Plato likens the Form of the Good to the sun. It is in the highest level where the Form of the good is the highest form of knowledge. As ...

Since its 1947 decision in Everson v. Board of Education (with an opinion written by Justice Hugo Black), the Supreme Court has further considered and limited the active role that religion or religious institutions can play in the public sphere” that is, on government property. This paper presents an argument for the position that “faith groups and institutions should not be allowed to form political parties and they should not attempt to gain influence in the workings of government for their views and values by entering the realm of political discourse and attempting to elect their own politicians.”
...

Introduction

The purpose of the following essay is to research one of the central ideas of the Heraclites philosophy – the doctrine of flux, and to argue whether that doctrine undermines the possibility of knowledge. The particular attention is paid to the ideas of the Heraclites` follower, Cratylus, which form the main opposition to the doctrine. The theory is also evaluated through its relation with other ideas and doctrines of Heraclites, like the idea of singularity and the unity of the opposites.
“Everything flows” is one of the most famous sayings of Heraclitus which serves as the basis for a so-called ...

Introduction

Political process is the process in which few representatives of certain political parties or independent candidates are nominated to be elected by general public. The turnout in elections mean the percentage of people from the total eligible population coming out and casting their vote during elections. The number of people participating in the process of electing a candidate depends on various factors. In recent decade, a large number of people have been avoiding to participate in political process due to several reasons. These reasons may include economic, cultural, and many other aspects of life. This paper is aimed at recognizing these ...

Oedipus Rex is one of the great masterpieces by the great dramatist Sophocles. Oedipus the King is a trilogy out of which Oedipus Rex is the first part. The fast pace of this play and the horrible fate of the mighty king grips the reader from the very first word of the play.

After reading the play, some might argue that everything happened because it was supposed to happen i.e. because of the predestination. Furthermore, it is believed that Oedipus’s character had nothing to do with whatever happened with him and he was just a puppet in the fate’s ...

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a famous open letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1963. After he was arrested for participating a nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama as part of the Civil Rights Movement, he wrote this letter to address several concerns he had about the concepts of racial segregation and the ideas of racism present in America at the time, particularly the South. It was published in various newspapers and magazines thereafter, and in his book Why We Can’t Wait.

The primary point of the letter was to respond to the “Call for Unity” that white members ...

Voting on the Internet

Voting on the internet for federal, state and local elections would theoretically see an increase in the number of people turning out to vote. By introducing this new scheme, it would encourage more of the voting public to take an interest in their country’s democracy and the procedure that brings an individual to power – particularly in terms of allowing them to decide who they do or don’t wish to represent their views on the political stage.

1. What is your initial point of view?

Initially, it would seem that introducing and promoting voting on the internet is an excellent idea as it would enable more ...

The human beings are considered as the most intelligent creature in this universe. It is hard to measure the capability and brilliance of the human mind (Voronin et al. 1139-1146). The optimistic factor in human intelligence and brilliance is increasing with the passage of time, and this eventually results in different kinds of innovations around the world. Philosophers and scientists around the globe are making different kinds of claims regarding the development of human intelligence and their claims revolve around different kinds of theories. Due to the complexity in the theories, it is always difficult to believe in one ...

OUTLINE

Introduction

An employer should have the rights to test its employees for drug use.
This is informed by the fact that the market is a free enterprise which entails a willing employee-willing employee concept, otherwise, called the laissez faire.

Body

It is instructive to appreciate the two ethical theories that inform the argument in this paper.
These are the Deontological and the Virtue Ethics theories.
According to the theories, employers have the right to demand certain conditions of their employees.
Conclusion
A conducive environment for working remains a prerequisite for competitive performance.
Drug use remains a hindrance to ...

Anthropology

According to the various studies and observations observed in the contemporary world, the neuroscientists argue that the evolution of humankind had reached the satiation point. It is expected that the mental capabilities and capacities, organ functions and the shape of the body will most probably change into the worse for the coming years. As a result, many people, including Max More believes that technology and science are the fundamental aspects to save the human race. This is most apparent in the contemporary society where human biological bodies are replaced with mechanical or cloned bodies. According to Max, the whole ideology ...

In Plato’s dialogues, there is a particular dramatic setting that sets its literary meaning which the analytically-trained philosophers fail to recognize. The explicit arguments in the dialogues are paid attention to, and the philosophical position of Plato is yet to be determined. Plato chose not to relate his philosophy directly with his name. Philosophers from all around the globe failed to understand the innate philosophy by Plato due to over-generalizations and oversimplifications. The work has been misrepresented, and I believe that philosophers who are trained only analytically cannot be successful scholars on Plato as they must be classically-trained literary ...

Philosophy

Every creature is fundamentally based on two principles that elaborate its being, which is existence and essence. All living beings, God excluded, require both principles that explain the definite existence of individual thing. Each principle is considered dissimilar from the other, but this difference is not merely logical but it is a real one. Aristotle, Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas take the stand on explaining the essence. Both Plato and Aristotle simply explain essence as “the form” (Giles,& Michael, p.40). However, Aquinas argued that if the essence was merely the considerable form, then matter cannot be considered as essence of a ...

On ‘Neighborhood Persuasions’

Act: Do the Right Thing
Agent: Spike Lee as camera, director, creator, and actor
Agency: Harmony is necessary for the success of any society. There should be no discrimination based on culture, race and age.
Unity is important for the peaceful coexisting of people in the society. Persuasion should be used to bring people together whenever there is any misunderstanding. This can be attained if there is love amongst all of them. Despite their diversities, everyone should be ready to live with one another and regard them as their neighbor. There is a need to go beyond ...

Before you are some basic arguments against gay marriage: The first is that it defies what is believed to be an ancient tradition that has always been that of the union of a man and a woman. That definition is very basic and the general idea is if this rule which was supposedly created by god is broken there will be negative consequences. We believe that lifelong heterosexual monogamy is natural; gay relationships are not. Homosexual relationships are not natural in terms of they have no function in relation to procreation, they can’t have kids but that doesn’t make ...

One of the generally established positions considering the scientific revolution of the XVII century is that the European science (primarily related to the classical natural sciences) originated from it. It is interesting that it emerged at once in the interrelation of all components: theoretical knowledge, its rationale and mathematical description, experimental testing, social structure with network of scientific communication and public application. Among the phrases that can best show the way of thinking that started acting at that time, there is one William Gilbert wrote in his Preface: “LIFE is a Chemical Process: In that of every Individual there has ...