THE ESSAY OF AFFIRMATION
The essay of affirmation takes the position I agree. If you want to write an essay agreeing with—affirming—the ideas of another, such as a philosopher, a simple statement of agreement…
TRANSCENDENTAL IDEALISM
The philosophical system developed by Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), Transcendental Idealism sought to overcome the epistemological problems of Empiricism while providing…
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EMPIRICISM
EMPIRICISM
Empiricism covers a range of views prioritizing experience as the primary source of knowledge. During the Early Modern Period, this view was expounded by the so-called British Empiricists—Locke, Berkeley, and…
BASIC LOGICAL SYMBOLS
BASIC LOGICAL SYMBOLS
¬ one-place logical connective read as “not” or as “is not the case” ~ alternative notation for “not” & two-place logical connective read as “and” ˄ and
EXISTENTIALISM
EXISTENTIALISM
A broad philosophical and literary movement that flourished during the first half of the twentieth century, Existentialism emphasized the uniqueness of human experience over the generalizations of traditional scientific or…
METAPHYSICS
METAPHYSICS
Metaphysics is the philosophical investigation of reality, including the nature of the world and the entities it contains. While such an investigation inevitably overlaps with natural philosophy—the sciences, especially physics…
HIGHER-ORDER LOGICS
HIGHER-ORDER LOGICS
The language sketched above is better referred to as first-order predicate calculus, as the language only quantifies over (first-order) individuals. A stronger language, second-order predicate calculus, can therefore be constructed…
GOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
GOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
BASICS OF GOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING: A DEEPER DIVE Having surveyed the elements of good writing from 30,000 feet, let’s swoop in on some of the most important specifics. This means…
MODAL LOGIC
MODAL LOGIC
A common extension to the standard formal languages outlined above is to introduce the technical machinery required to evaluate natural language arguments containing modal terminology (that is, talk of possibility…
WHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS
WHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS
Some 2,300 years ago, Aristotle introduced the syllogism into the intellectual world. A threeelement formula, it is the elementary building block of syllogistic logic and deductive reasoning. The syllogism combines…
STRUCTURALISM
STRUCTURALISM
Structuralism refers to research undertaken in the social sciences, predominantly in France, between the 1950s and 1970s, which sought to understand various social phenomena as a “closed system” of elements.
THE ESSAY OF ASSERTION
THE ESSAY OF ASSERTION
The essay of assertion takes the position I believe. It is an argumentative essay in which you convey to the reader some belief or beliefs that you hold. If you…
THE ESSAY OF REFUTATION
THE ESSAY OF REFUTATION
The essay of refutation takes the position “I disagree.” Its objective is to persuade the reader that the argument of another is false, flawed, unlikely, implausible, or in some other…
HOW DO YOU DO PHILOSOPHY?
HOW DO YOU DO PHILOSOPHY?
How do you do philosophy? Unlike many of the questions asked in the name of philosophy, this one has a straightforward answer. You do philosophy primarily through writing. Now, if…
ESSENTIAL READING IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
ESSENTIAL READING IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
A comprehensive list of essential readings in the history of philosophy.
PHILOSOPHICAL FILMS AND TV SHOWS
PHILOSOPHICAL FILMS AND TV SHOWS
Note: Some of these titles may be difficult to find, either in DVD format or streaming. Film Animation Animal Farm (1954)Based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name, farm…
THE SOPHISTS
The Sophists were not a single school but a professional grouping of largely itinerant teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, and legal…
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Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$15.99
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Stillness Is the Key
$7.99
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Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$28.00
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How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
$13.12
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Letters from a Stoic: Penguin Classics
$14.52
Books
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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
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Shadow Work Journal for Black Women: A Guided Spiritual Journal for Healing, Growth, Self-Discovery & Reflection With Prompts to Work Through Past … Self-Love & Spirituality for Black Women)
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The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861
$10.99 -
No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life
$14.65 -
Stoicism: How To Integrate This Powerful Philosophy To Become More Balanced, Productive, And Reach Your Full Potential
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The Uses of Argument
$22.03 -
Ancient Ones Are Calling Us: Learning to Listen Changed My Life
$17.95 -
The Socratic Way Of Questioning: How To Use Socrates’ Method To Discover The Truth And Argue Wisely (Critical Thinking & Logic Mastery)
$17.99 -
Philosophy For Dummies
$20.49 -
I Only Wanted to Live
$15.99 -
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, Third Edition
$35.00 -
Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series (Penguin Books for Art)
$6.67 -
The Philosophy of Spinoza – Special Edition: On God, On Man, and On Man’s Well Being
$18.20 -
Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day
$15.07 -
On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism after Structuralism
$29.95 -
At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Others
$28.59
Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework
Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework
Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework
Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework
Rule-Following and Artificial Intelligence: A Kripkean Perspective
Rule-Following and Artificial Intelligence: A Kripkean Perspective
The Eternal Coexistence of Consciousness and Spacetime: A Philosophical Inquiry
The Eternal Coexistence of Consciousness and Spacetime: A Philosophical Inquiry
Embracing Contradiction: An In-Depth Analysis of Dialetheism
Embracing Contradiction: An In-Depth Analysis of Dialetheism
Analysis of, and Responses to Edmund Gettier’s “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”
Analysis of, and Responses to Edmund Gettier’s “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”
The Unstable Foundation: A Critique of the Ontological Proof of God’s Existence
The Unstable Foundation: A Critique of the Ontological Proof of God’s Existence
Meta-Modal Actuality: A Dynamic Framework for Possibility, Actualization, and Causality
Meta-Modal Actuality: A Dynamic Framework for Possibility, Actualization, and Causality
Killing, Morality, and the Human Condition: A Philosophical Investigation
Killing, Morality, and the Human Condition: A Philosophical Investigation
The Intricacy of Existence: A Philosophical Exploration of Complexity, Contingency, and Divine Agency
The Intricacy of Existence: A Philosophical Exploration of Complexity, Contingency, and Divine Agency
The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s Argument
The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s Argument
Imagination, Consciousness, and the Nature of the Soul: A Philosophical Inquiry
Imagination, Consciousness, and the Nature of the Soul: A Philosophical Inquiry
The Interplay of Karma, Rebirth, and Non-Self in Buddhist Philosophy: A Metaphysical Inquiry
The Interplay of Karma, Rebirth, and Non-Self in Buddhist Philosophy: A Metaphysical Inquiry
Metaphysical Perspectives: A Comparative Analysis of Theism and Atheism
Metaphysical Perspectives: A Comparative Analysis of Theism and Atheism
The Infinite Universe, Death, and the Search for Meaning: A Philosophical Exploration of Existence, the Divine, and Human Mortality
The Infinite Universe, Death, and the Search for Meaning: A Philosophical Exploration of Existence, the Divine, and Human Mortality
The Unconscious Artistry of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Reflection on Spinoza’s God and the Blind Watchmaker
The Unconscious Artistry of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Reflection on Spinoza’s God and the Blind Watchmaker
The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s Argument
The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s Argument
-
Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$15.99
-
Stillness Is the Key
$7.99
-
Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$28.00
-
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
$13.12
-
Letters from a Stoic: Penguin Classics
$14.52
Terms & Concepts
Assertion
A stated position or declaration. Without reasons to support it, an assertion is merely an opinion. Any claim that is either true or false. (See also Statement.) https://youtube.com/shorts/ywCIRa7fQ1I?feature=share
Logical consequence
A statement is a logical consequence of another or others when it is impossible for that statement to be false and if the other(s) is (are) true. (See also validity.)…
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