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Human Nature in Confucian Thought, 2006.
This paper stresses Confucius's positive view of human nature, as it is sometimes not recognized.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, £ 42.95
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Abstract
The Analects of Confucius (551-479 BC) became important after the sage's death and in a fascinating way they continue to influence various persons of Chinese origin or whose cultures have been linked, at some time, to the Sinic world. This paper explains Confucianism's positive view of human nature, despite how the tradition is often stereotyped as rigid or austere, that is perhaps responsible in large part for the tenacity of Confucianism as it has combined with other religions and secular philosophy, through time. Confucius encouraged a positive view of human beings and human nature that may well explain its popularity and ongoing influence.
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Human Nature and Buddha Nature, 2002.
Looks at the differences and similarities between the Confucian concept of human nature and the Buddha concept of Buddha nature.
2,650 words (approx. 10.6 pages), 2 sources, £ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper is a comparison/contrast of the Confucian concept of human nature with the Buddhist concept of Buddha-nature. The two concepts are extremely different, but they still have much in common.
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Confuciani vs. Buddhist Concept of Human Nature, 2002.
Explains both the Buddhist concept of human nature and the Confucian concept of human nature and then compares the two philosophies.
1,900 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 1 source, £ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper compares Confucian concept with Buddhist concept of "human nature". Buddhism emphasizes the spirituality of the individual, and is a more "inward-oriented" philosophy. Therefore, as will be argued, while Confucianism represents "human nature" as external actions and rituals shaping the inner man, Buddhism represents the "Buddha nature" as the inner man achieving ultimate selflessness through meditation and reflection.
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Human Nature in Religion, 2002.
A comparison of Confucian and Buddhist theories of human nature.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 1 source, £ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper will show, Confucianism viewed human nature in its social context. From this point of view, humans are social beings first and individuals second. As a result, Confucianism emphasized proper conduct and outward behaviour as practical virtues. In contrast, Buddhism was a philosophy of the individual. Instead of emphasizing humans' roles as social creatures, Buddhism stressed the spiritual aspect of human life. In particular, it concentrated on meditation and reflection to see beneath the surface of things to the truth of reality.
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Confucian Thought, 2007.
An analysis of Confucian thought and its influence on pedagogy today.
1,885 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the history of Confucian thought. The paper explains Confucius' theory that advocated the creation of a common community of moral teaching, rather than stressing the individual in isolation. It suggest that his influence is felt in the modern educational system today and describes ways in which this is true. The paper also explains the background of many of the cliches about Confucian thought that we have in society today.
From the Paper
"According to the Confucian scholar Tu Wei-ming, Confucius even has a great deal to say to persons involved in the modern debates revolving around multiculturalism. Despite Confucius' place in his own Chinese tradition as a transmitter of culture and a teacher of long-shared values, Wei-ming stresses that "to truly find one's roots, to find inspiration in one's ethnicity and cultural tradition, one must go beyond a closed ethnocentrism or a narrowly conceived culturalism," because cultivation of li, or right teaching is never mere-navel gazing. It is locating the immediate and ancestral family and tradition as part of a greater world community. (Wei-ming, 2006) Knowing family history alone is not enough. Rather, a student must know the collective history of the nation and the world, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, and to replicate the right moral teachings of his or her ancestors. This is underlined in every good civics class in America today, even if avoiding historical mistakes can be difficult."
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Confucian vs. Buddhist Nature, 2002.
A comparative analysis of the Confucian concept of human nature with the Buddhist concept of Buddha nature.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, £ 30.95
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Abstract
This essay will argue that Confucianism saw the concept of human nature in terms of its social context, in which humans are social beings first and individuals second. In contrast, Buddhism was a philosophy of the individual, and instead of attempting to understand human nature preferred to focus on Buddha nature. Rather than addressing people's lives as social creatures, Buddhism looked at the potential for individuals to maximize their potential to transcend reality and becomes Buddha themselves.
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Japanese Thought and Nature in Modern Haiku, 2006.
This article discusses the influences and effects of haiku on Japanese culture and life.
2,635 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 54.95
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Abstract
Through the evolution and literary history of haiku, one can witness the trends in Japanese thought and culture. Among all the modern influences about which to write, haiku poets still find new ways to look at the traditional themes of nature and the natural world. Through their work, Japanese culture and thought is recorded. The relationship between haiku and Japanese thought is a long-standing one. The emphasis on giving up the extra, the nonessential, is simple to see in haiku-nonessential words are eliminated through the strict limits on form. Linkages between cultural understandings in everyday Japanese thought with the words and images used in haiku give an excellent starting point for examining the ways in which the two influence one another. In the article, each of these factors are examined.
From the Paper
"Japanese culture is known for its ability to make superb use of space. Japanese architecture melds form with function to keep Tokyo and other urban centers populous but workable, Japanese cuisine creatively utilizes spices and textures to stay fresh and interesting, and Japanese poetry exudes feeling and emotion with a minimal number of words. Centuries old, haiku is a structured and sparse form of poetry with strict rules regarding form. However, the form is only sparse in its word structure; the poems themselves portray significantly larger emotions and images than their size would suggest."
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Confucianism According to Mencius, 2004.
Discusses the views on human nature held by the Confucian scholar, Mencius.
2,879 words (approx. 11.5 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper talks about the Confucian scholar, Mencius, and his claim that human nature is good. The paper compares this claim with that of Kao Tzu, who disagreed, saying that human nature is neither good nor bad, but it can become good or bad. The paper also examines Mencius's idea of an innate moral sense, which he termed "the four sprouts", Mencius's views on equality, and learning and self-cultivation.
From the Paper
"Human nature (hsing), according to Mencius, is a combination of basic ?humaness? (jen) and a spirit of rightness or good. Kao-tzu's analogy of bowls seems to suggest that these qualities come from a compilation of experiences that make up an artificial or empirical hsing. Human nature is a product of genes (innate hsing) in the context of environment. Mencius counters this point with the assertion that human nature has a purpose and a direction, like water that has to flow downhill, unless it?s diverted by something. The need is innate, while the obstacles may set the hsing on a ?wrong? path. The water will make its way to the ocean, however, because it will follow the laws of its nature to flow downhill. Kao-tzu is left with arguing that hsing comes from the process of living ? not what is born with the child. Humaness is born with the individual (internal) while rightness is learned through experience (external)."
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Nature vs. Nurture, 2005.
Examines the ongoing debate between the nature versus nurture schools of thought.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 5 sources, APA, £ 32.95
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Abstract
The debate over the issue of nature vs. nurture is an intense issue that carries strong points on either side of the argument. The nature school of thought emphasizes the role of instinct, patterns, and the influence of evolution on behavior. The nurture school of thought argues that behavior is learned, modifiable due to experience, and not, at least by humans, constrained by evolutionary history. This paper touches on the points of each aspect of this debate, examines new developments in research, and mentions how nature and nurture can interact.
From the Paper
"Even the most diehard geneticists acknowledge that the environment plays a major role in shaping our behavior, temperament, and intelligence. With so much attention on explaining behavior in terms either of nature or nurture, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco recently described a fascinating example of how heredity and environment can interact. Perfect pitch is the ability to recognize the absolute pitch of a musical tone without any reference note. People with perfect pitch often have relatives with the same gift, and recent studies show that perfect pitch is a highly inherited trait, quite possibly the result of a single gene. But the studies also demonstrate a requirement for early musical training (before age six) in order to manifest perfect pitch. Time will tell whether there is a "perfect pitch" gene, but it seems reasonable to think that many personality and behavioral traits will not be exclusively the province of nature or nurture, but rather an inextricable combination of both."
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Nature in Literature, Drama and Poetry, 2002.
This paper explores how nature is portrayed in different literary works by such authors as Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jack London, Patrick Meyer, Henry David Thoreau and William Wordsworth.
2,100 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper compares and contrast how nature is portrayed in a variety of literary works. The works included in this paper are Elizabeth Bishop's ?The Fish,? Ralph Waldo Emerson's ?Nature,? Oliver Wendell Holmes's ?The Chambered Nautilus,? and Patrick Meyer?s ?K2," Jack London's "To Build A Fire," Henry David Thoreau's "Walden, Or Life in the Woods" and William Wordsworth''s ?The World is Too Much With Us." Some of the topics discussed include cruelty in nature, man's relationship with nature, the different elements of nature, the Romantic and Transcendentalist view of nature and the true communing of individual soul with nature. The paper concludes with the author tying all of these topics together by illustrating the similarities between human nature and nature itself.
From the Paper
"Emerson is most concerned about how Emerson sees nature, and would like to see nature better as an American. Emerson does not consider that while observing nature everyone is not only changed internally by nature, whether by cold or by beauty, but also that the observer changes nature itself, even in as simple as something as walking through the perfect and untrodden snow. Just as animal life impacts and is impacted by nature; human beings exist a part of nature and are subject to natural forces. These forces include but are not limited to cold, illness, injury, death, birth, and seasonal extremes. The metaphor of the only observing eyeball denies such an impact."
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Concept Of Nature In Dickinson And Emerson, 2002.
Analysis of poet Emily Dickinson's view of nature & Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature.
4,275 words (approx. 17.1 pages), 10 sources, £ 93.95
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Abstract
Analysis of poet Emily Dickinson's view of nature & Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature. Emerson's transcendental notion of the unity of nature, humanity and God. Dickinson's image of nature as antagonistic and mysterious. Discusses several poems by Dickinson. Emerson's conception of nature & the poet's role in understanding nature.
From the Paper
The relationship between Emily Dickinson's poetry and Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature and the poet's function is very complex. Despite Emerson's great influence on the poet and the similarity of their conceptions of the poet's role early in Dickinson's career she was eventually to go beyond his light-filled, hopeful conception of the relationship between humanity and nature in her concentration on the questions of loss and death that cast not just human existence but all of nature in a wholly different light. Dickinson did, of course, write many poems that reflected Emerson's Transcendental notion of the unity of humanity, nature, and god. But Emerson's was ultimately a serene conception in which the means of transcendence resided in that relationship among the aspects of creation--nature mediated, he believed, between humanity and deity. Even though Emerson
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The Environment: Nature and Society, 2007.
An examination of man's relationship with nature, and the ways in which modern man has learned to coexist with his environment.
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 2 sources, APA, £ 41.95
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Abstract
The writer proposes that nature and society have not always peacefully coexisted; while one cannot argue that nature does not support mankind's existence, throughout much of early history mankind dominated over nature rather than lived synergistically within the context of natural society. The paper explores how ideas about nature, society and their interconnection have transformed significantly from the early 19th century to the present. While early history in America is marked by a period of ecological imperialism, modern environmental trends are shifting more toward an Arcadian outlook. The paper concludes that mankind has developed a greater appreciation for the interrelationship between nature and society and focuses less on exploiting or conquering the environment and nature, and more on supporting the environment and discovering new ways of coexisting with nature.
Outline:
Introduction
Ideas About Nature and Society Early 19th Century
Contemporary Ideas of Nature and Society
Conclusions
From the Paper
"As time progressed however, society began slowly but surely realizing the devastating effects industrialization had on nature. Slowly people began realizing that industrialization could not exist apart from nature, but rather everything man did to support industrialized processes influenced nature. Nature was not simply a source of natural resources for man to exploit, rather nature provided mankind the very sustenance he needs to survive. Slowly society began adopting a more conservationist rather than exploitative approach to nature. Prominent government agencies and members of ecological groups began realizing that nature and society must coexist in a more Arcadian manner."
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Human Nature, 2006.
This paper explores the issue of human nature and focuses on the views and theories of philosophers Thomas Hobbes and David Hume.
2,540 words (approx. 10.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 52.95
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Abstract
The writer of this well-researched paper defines human nature as the full scale of human behavior that is believed to remain constant for long periods in time and does not differ in the context of the various cultures that are seen in the world. This paper examines various theories on human nature, in which each possesses a distinctive view on the subject, including that of Plato. According to Plato, there is an intellectual soul that is resident in the brain of an individual. This paper analyzes the topic of human nature by focusing on the opinions and theories of Thomas Hobbes and David Hume. Thomas Hobbes is considered one of the individuals responsible for the transition from the medieval way of thinking to the modern thought process in Great Britain. This paper touches on Hobbes' book "Leviathan" and his views on human nature which are very clear. Hobbes' conception of human nature is a mechanistic one. Hobbes contends that the study of the movements of the physical bodies would prove to be enough in explaining all that goes on in the universe. Hume's approach to human nature differs from that of Hobbes. Hume contends that we, as humans, can only make inferences on what would happen in the future by what we have experienced in the past. The writer contends that Hume progresses from there to say that we would be incorrect to believe that this knowledge and experience of the past is enough to justify what would happen in the future.
Table of Contents:
Hobbes
Limitations in Hobbes' View of Human Nature
Hume
Ethics of Reciprocity
References
From the Paper
"There have been several theories that have been put forward on human nature and each of them possesses a distinctive view on human nature. The earliest views on human nature of substance come from Plato, whose thoughts on life were influenced by Socrates. In the view of Plato there is an intellectual soul that is resident in the brain of an individual and an appetitive beast that is to be found in the belly and genitals of the individual. The role of the former was in keeping the latter in check and over a period of time escape from this uncomfortable cohabitation by welcoming death. This dualist theory of Plato did have immense on the thoughts on human nature and that time and this influence can be seen in Christian theology with the Gospel of John. The extension of these beliefs of Plato on human nature had their influence on Descartes and led him to formulate the theory that man is made up of a soul that thinks and a body that is an extension of it."
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The Dis(Unity) of Nature and Humanity, 2005.
An analysis of how modern views of what is "natural" or part of "nature" often clash with classical and currently popular conceptions of those ideas.
1,080 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 25.95
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Abstract
In "The Organic Machine," Richard White ambitiously redefines the natural world in terms of energy transfer. His is one of many contemporary views intended to counter classical conceptions of the natural world, conceptions that are still popularly held by many today. This paper shows that White's version is based on a startling and unique perspective, but one must ask whether it is satisfying and whether it is realistic.
From the Paper
"Perhaps White is correct in stressing the fundamental unity of all action. Perhaps a handmade wooden fish wheel is essentially no different from a massive steel turbine, and perhaps all movement that occurs on the earth's surface can be condensed into simple exchanges of energy. Yet one cannot help think that this simplification somehow removes a vital facet of reality. Are Shakespeare's writings, which Emerson continually praises, mere dashes of ink on a page, fundamentally no different from any other piece of written word? Is a Beethoven Sonata really just a string of 1's and 0's on a compact disc?"
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