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The Paradoxes of American Nationalism, 2002.
This paper reviews Minxin Pei's article "The Paradoxes of American Nationalism" and discusses the two paradoxes Pei has identified regarding American nationalism.
1,900 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 1 source, £ 42.95
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Abstract
Nationalism in the United States is somewhat a blurred idea in the political arena. In the article "The Paradoxes of American Nationalism" Minxin Pei identifies two paradoxes of American nationalism at a general level and at the policymaking level. First, the United States is a highly nationalistic country but it is not regarded as nationalistic. Second, on a similar count policymakers in the United States have a very poor appreciation of the power of nationalism.
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Zeno's Paradoxes, 2005.
This paper discusses the life of philosopher Zeno of Elea and his paradoxes and compares his work with the philosophy of Empiricism.
1,610 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that most of the information known about Zeno, who explained and developed the philosophical system of his mentor Parmenides, is based on the writings of Plato and from other works by Aristotle. The author explains that Zeno wrote forty different paradoxes based on the assumptions of plurality and motion. The paper relates that Empiricists' doctrine, which states that knowledge must be the result of experience, sees Zeno's doctrine as a form of Monism and therefore the paradox's on motion and pluralism fail as a philosophical theory.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Who was Zeno?
Zeno's Paradoxes
Empiricism
Compare the Empirical Argument with Zeno's Paradoxes
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Zeno's argument regarding the idea of not being able to exist without magnitude revolves around adding a thing with no magnitude to something else does not make the receiving thing larger and subtracting a thing of no magnitude will not make the receiving thing smaller. This then entails that since the magnitude-less items do not make things bigger or smaller then the thing of no magnitude most be nothing. Although Zeno's pluralism here is perplexing at the least, his ideas of motion are even more complicated."
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Zeno's Paradoxes, 1995.
This paper discusses Zeno's paradoxes: Ancient Greek philosopher's arguments, meaning, use of reason and experience and critiqued by Aristotle.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 4 sources, £ 47.95
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From the Paper
"Zeno of Elea was a disciple of Parmenides and lived in the fourth century B.C. He set forth a series of paradoxes, logical arguments leading to absurd or impossible conclusions proving that actions taken every day are actually not possible at all. Philosophers who followed had to cope with the logical ramifications of this sort of argument, a form of logic known as reductio ad absurdum. The paradoxes of Zeno differentiate between reason and experience, between what we know to be true through logic and what we know to be true from experience. Aristotle offered solutions to the paradoxes of Zeno in his Physics.
One of Zeno's primary paradoxes can be stated as follows:
Zeno argued that, even granting motion, one could never arrive anywhere, not even to such a simple goal as a ... "
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The Paradoxes of Globalization, 2006.
An essay examining globalization and its cultural, social and economic implications.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 5 sources, £ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper looks into the many paradoxes of globalization, including its different implications for the developed and the developing world. The essay argues that globalization has brought about greater economic inequalities between the rich nations and the poor nations as well as greater inequalities between different social groups within developed countries. Furthermore, the essay argues that globalization of world culture mostly means its Americanization and the economic globalization is underlined by the free capitalism ideology.
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Zeno?s Paradoxes of Motion, 2002.
Examines the teachings of Greek philosopher and author Zeno on plurality and change.
4,421 words (approx. 17.7 pages), 17 sources, MLA, £ 70.95
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Abstract
As an adherent of Greek philosopher Parmenides? teachings that plurality and change are unreal, Zeno (approximately 490 - 430 B.C.E.) set out to prove Parmenides right. His demonstrations attempted to show the absurdities of the opposite view, that the world really contains plurality and change. The paper explains Zeno's methods of taking his opponents? hypotheses and, by deducing from them contradictory consequences, reduce them to absurdity. The paper concentrates on Zeno's set of four riddles which he devised to illustrate the unreality of motion. By means of these riddles Zeno demonstrated that Pythagorean science cannot define motion without running into inconsistency or impossibility. The paper examines why these four short stories are paradoxes and explores some of the solutions put forward to resolve them.
From the Paper
"Brumbaugh says that the Pythagoreans seemed to agree that separate ?points,? and ?moments? make up the physical world, including space and time. They thus would have defined motion as passing through a number of spatial points during a number of time moments, a definition similar to that which we have of velocity today. There was also agreement among the Pythagoreans that any continuous stretch, such as a line, could be bisected. However, the Pythagoreans did not agree on the size of the moments or points. They might have no size, or they might have a minimum, but finite, duration and extension, respectively. Furthermore, Brumbaugh suggests that the Pythagoreans did not agree on how they should think of the points making up or determining a line. Should they be thought of as points next to each other, or as points marking off segments, with spacing filling in the intervals between? (Brumbaugh, 63f)"
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Paradoxes of Giants and Gods, 2001.
A look at the life of satirist Francois Rabelais and analysis of his book "Gargantua and Pantagruel".
1,420 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 1 source, £ 28.95
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Abstract
This essay takes a look into the life of Francois Rabelais and into his book "Gargantua and Pantagruel". Specifically, the focus is on the idea of the curse as mentioned in the book. The curse is that Christians are free and yet they are enslaved. Finally, the paper shows that through his book "Gargantua and Pantagruel", Rabelais examines the curse of Christianity, namely that the Christian has free will, but that the free will he or she is given is limited.
From the Paper
"The book contains the story of the birth and upbringing of a giant child, Gargantua, and illustrates the author?s views on bad education (Medieval) and good education (Renaissance), and how an ideal humanist leader should behave. The character of the battling monk, Friar Jean, is introduced, with graphically detailed anatomical descriptions of his feats of holy combat."
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"The Ravens' Paradox", 2004.
This paper analyzes one of the most well-known paradoxes in philosophy, "The Ravens' Paradox".
2,685 words (approx. 10.7 pages), 10 sources, MLA, £ 48.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Nicod?s criterion of confirmation is one of the most important evidences around which the "Ravens' Paradox" revolves. The author points out that the "Ravens' Paradox" itself seems to revolve around two elements. The first is that the observation of a purple cow really has nothing to do with the generalization of the statement ?all ravens are black?, and the second is that such an observation also proves that ?all ravens are white?. The paper concludes that Hempel?s solution to the problem resides in the fact that he manages to fit in both Nicod?s criterion and the equivalence condition by introducing probabilities.
Table of Contents
Nicod's Criterion of Confirmation and the Equivalence Condition
The Paradox of the Ravens
From the Paper
"Carl Hempel was the first to publish the paradox of the ravens in Theoria, a Swedish periodical, in 1937, and ever since, the paradox has been a source of numerous controversies. In his paper, Hempel concludes that the generalization of a simple statement, such as ?all ravens are black? can be confirmed by another simple observation, such as that of a purple cow. The observation of a purple cow would, in Hempel?s opinion, increase, even slightly, the probability that all ravens are black. Briefly summarizing his paradox, Professor Hempel notes that the statement ?all ravens are black? is logically equivalent to the statement that ?all non-black objects are not ravens? (this is a true logical equivalence). Therefore, finding a purple cow weakly confirms the statement that all ravens are black, because it confirms its logical equivalent that all non-black objects are not ravens."
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Kant's Paradox, 2006.
This paper discusses Immanuel Kant's seemingly paradoxical views on morality and free-will.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Immanuel Kant's "Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals" focuses on the study of morality and tries to give a clearer understanding of moral principles so that people can learn to avoid the distractions offered against true morality, claiming that "a free-will and a will subject to moral laws are one in the same." The author argues that, although Kant's linking of morality and freedom is not paradoxical on the shallow level, on the deeper level, Kant is defying his separation of determinism and free will with his ideas on rationality, which is indeed paradoxical. The paper relates that the way to disprove this paradox would be to show that all moral questions have been answered in the same way, which is not possible, because different cultures have different moral beliefs.
From the Paper
"The first paradox in the above quote is easily explained away with look into Kant's ideas of imperatives. Kant supposed all rational beings act in obedience to objective principles determined by practical reason, act in accordance to a law. However, a rational being will also have subjective impulses--desires and inclinations that may contradict the dictates of reason. So we experience the claim of reason as an obligation, a command that we act in a particular way, or an imperative. Such imperatives may occur in either of two distinct forms, hypothetical or categorical."
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"The Abilene Paradox"--A Review, 2007.
A discussion of the dangers of groupthink as described in Jerry B. Harvey's essay "The Abilene Paradox."
951 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses a phenomenon of groupthink gone out of control known as "The Abilene Paradox." The author combines a review of Jerry B. Harvey's essay of the same name with a detailed analysis of the phenomena. The paper examines the symptoms of the paradox and the need for effective leadership within an organization to avoid it. The paper also discusses the need for organizations to make free expression part of their culture, so that individuals feel comfortable challenging ideas. The writer summarizes Harvey's goal, suggesting that even within the most comfortable organizational culture, no worker loses his or her essential individuality or personal sense of responsibility to ethics and truth.
From the Paper
"At the heart of the paradox, however, is another paradox. On one hand, to prevent a bad group decision from going through, effective leadership is needed. A leader must resist the pressures to go along with the group and speak up, contrary to 'going with the flow,' that a change is needed. However, to gain a sense of what is the right decision, all members of the organization must have some input, and channels of communication must be kept open, so that everyone can volunteer evidence about the real situation, not just ideas that confirm management's assumptions."
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Paradox in "1984", 2002.
A discussion of the concept of paradox in George Orwell's "1984", looking at the plot as well as the characters.
938 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 0 sources, £ 20.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Orwell's "1984", examining how paradox and irony contribute to the general sense of anxiety in the novel. The paper shows how from the names of the Party institutions to doublethink, "1984" is full of paradoxical statements about Oceania and the oppressive regime of Big Brother.
From the Paper
"The Party?s attempts to control language and thus control the basic building blocks of thought are first evident in the ironic Party institution names. The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are anything but truthful, peaceful, loving, and abundant. In fact, their newspeak names more accurately sum up the institutions? objectives: minitrue, minipax, miniluv, and miniplenty represent the miniscule amount of these proposed virtues. Orwell, through Winston, explicitly refers to the paradoxical names: ?the Ministry of Peace...concerned itself with war,? (p. 3). The Ministry of Love?s building is windowless, loveless, and impenetrable, its walls hide a prison that contradicts the concept of love."
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The Paradox of Character and Fate, 2005.
An analysis of the paradox of character and fate in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King", John Skot's "Everyman" and Calderon de la Barca's "Life is a Dream".
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, £ 37.95
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Abstract
The paper examines three noteworthy plays and points out how fate and especially human character are often paradoxical entities. It focuses on Sophocles' "Oedipus the King", John Skot's "Everyman" and Calderon de la Barca's "Life is a Dream". The paper emphasizes how the noble qualities of King Oedipus' character, when taken to excess, lead him to ruin. It also reviews how it is the virtue of Good Deeds, a "companion" forsaken by every man throughout his life, which paradoxically allows every man to find his salvation."
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Kierkegaard's Paradox, 2005.
This paper examines Kierkegaard's philosophy about a paradox between Reason and Passion.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 0 sources, £ 21.95
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Abstract
This paper describes Kierkegaard's basic paradox between Reason and Passion and its ultimate expression. The paper explains that this is the attempt to describe the existence of God, which is the name he gives for the Unknown. The paper illustrates how according to Kierkegaard, it is impossible for human Reason to know or describe the Unknown, yet it is the ultimate goal of Reason. The paper shows how this is what creates the paradox.
From the Paper
"The 19th century Dutch philosopher Sen Kierkegaard believed that paradox was integral to a philosopher or thinking man, because it created passion and without both of those, philosophy and thought was meaningless. This created a paradox for the serious philosopher, because reason being a matter of thought and intellect is the opposite of passion, being of feelings and emotions. He believed that paradox created passion, but without passion the thinker could not be inspired to create his philosophy, but that at some point there would be a "collision" of Reason and passion, and that this would be the undoing of one or both of them, because it is in the nature of the paradox of Reason and passion to try to destroy each other. Kierkegaard said, "The supreme paradox of all thought is the attempt to discover something that thought cannot think.""
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The Environmental Paradox, 2001.
An analysis of the environmental paradox in which technological advancements are in fact beneficial rather than detrimental.
1,520 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 8 sources, £ 30.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the environment and its relationship with technological progress. The author uses figures, numbers and statistics to demonstrate the environmental paradox, the faulty thought that things are worse than they were before, when in fact they are getting better. The author also looks briefly at future advances in technology such as cloning and genetic engineering and argues for the far-reaching advantages it will provide the human race and environmental science.
From the Paper
"In this paper I set out to prove the environmental paradox. The world is getting better and better every day, we live in the greatest time the human race has ever had ? and people say it?s going to the dogs. I would like to end this paper with a quote from P.J. O?Rourke: ?Things are better now than things have been since men began keeping track of things. Things are better than they were only a few years ago. Things are better, in fact, than they were at 9:30 this morning, thanks to Tylenol and two Bloody Marys.? (O?Rourke, p. 2) "
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Paradox of Fiction, 2002.
Asks the question: what is the appropriate solution of the paradox of fiction?
2,900 words (approx. 11.6 pages), 12 sources, £ 64.95
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Abstract
We seem to care about fictional characters even when we know they do not really exist. Why? The following paper discusses the philosophy of aesthetics in relation to the paradox of fiction and seeks to find a possible solution.
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