Philosophy Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy Midterm - Essay Example Deductive reasoning? (a) A deductive argument will claim to support the truth of the conclusion. It takes general facts and uses them to make specific claims. An inductive argument will use reasoning gathered from particular facts to come to the conclusion. (q) What is epistemology? (a) It is the study of the nature of knowledge. It is concerned with how knowledge is acquired and how it is justified. (q) What is Descartes’ cogito argument? (a) Cogito ergo sum—I think therefore I am. The cogito states because we think, we know that we exist, and that is the one thing that we are unable to doubt. (q) Purpose of evil demon? (a) The evil demon as a thought experiment is used to get to the cogito. Because we cannot prove that some evil demon exists that is tricking us into making us think that reality is in some way different than how it actually is, we do no know whether anything beyond ourselves or beyond our minds is actually true. (q) a prioro vs. a posteriori? (a) These are two different ways in which to justify claims. A priori uses reasoning and logical evidence , and a posteriori uses experience and empirical evidence. (q) Paley’s watchmaker argument? (a) Paley’s watchmaker argument is an argument for the proof of the existence of God from design. If we see something such as a watch, which has many intricate parts and which has obviously been designed, then we should be able to identify other objects which have also been designed. Paley states the human eye has many intricate parts that fit together and therefore should be considered to be designed, thus requiring a God-figure to serve as the designer of the eye. (q) Cosmological proof of God’s existence? (a) This argument states that there needed to be an original cause, that matter cannot create itself, that energy cannot create itself, and that there necessarily needs to be an original cause, an original

Immigration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration - Research Paper Example It is used to describe certain phenomena that are a common place in the societies. It has been described as ‘the expression of individual social life and thought through language’ (Mangaraj, para.1). Literature then becomes an important tool through which critics in a society can express their criticism on a given social issue. This field of art is important because it touches the lives of individuals, speaks to the individuals, and has universal applications (Lombardi, para.4). Whether one uses poems, drama, narrative tales, and many other genres of literature, the artist always reflects on some life story that has occurred or is likely to be witnessed. Literature and Immigration Immigration refers to the migration of individuals into a given country to be come residents of the country. Several reasons can make individuals to leave their native country to travel to foreign countries. Political upheavals, poor social set-ups, and unfavorable economic conditions are among the major factors that can force an individual out of his native country into a foreign country. This movement of individuals into another country also has challenges for the immigrants. The individuals are forced to adopt the culture of the natives of this destination country. Moreover, the immigrants are often likely to be subject of prejudice and may not enjoy all the fundamental human rights while in the foreign state. Literature has been used to tell of the ugly scenarios that immigrants encounter while in the foreign countries. While they flee their native countries to seek better life (socially, politically, or economically), the immigrants often get other barriers to their anticipated fruitful life. They suffer the consequences of the nearly cut link with their family members back at home. Besides, to minimize the level of prejudice on their children, the immigrants assimilate the children into the foreign culture. One of the literary works that express the challenges of im migration is â€Å"Under the Same Moon,† a movie by Kate Del Castillo. This gives insight into the problems encountered by young children left behind by their parents who have migrated into the US to look for jobs to support their families. Another literary work is a poem â€Å"Immigrants† by Pat Mora. In the poem, Mora describes how the immigrants are obliged to have their children grow completely in the foreign culture so that they can be accepted in the society. Under the Same Moon Under the same Moon is a Mexican-American movie that features a nine-year old Mexican moppet who has been separated from his mother since he was five. In order to provide a better life for her son, the mother, Rosario, migrated illegally to the United States from Mexico. Looking for employment is one of the many reasons that see several immigrants into the United States. Rosario gets a job as a domestic worker in Los Angeles while the nine-year old Carlitos stays with his ageing and ailin g grandmother who eventually passes away (The Internet Movie Database, para.1). Even though they are separated, the mother and son have tried to keep in touch. Rosario and Carlitos have been communicating through phone, his mother using the same pay phone every week (Catsoulis, para.2). This would later enable the boy to locate his mother in Los Angeles. After the death of his grandmother,