Francis Williams' Philosophy Blog

  In 'A Treatise of Human Nature', Hume's account of justice reflects a Hobbesean cynicism with regard to mans potential for benevolent actions and responsibility. Despite making it explicit that he does not support the view that man is a 'monster incapable of nothing but vile deeds', his convictions ascribe to the ethical framework of an psychological egoist. His initial move is a stand against deontology: 'To suppose that the mere regard to the virtue of that action, may be the first motive, which produc'd the action, and render'd it virtuous, is to reason in a circle.' 1 A motive is required in which justice can be grounded, and Hume thus starts to eliminate several possibilities in order to arrive at his conclusion that justice and promise-keeping are artificial virtues. The essay will thus deal with his reasoning behind this conclusion and problems underlying them. Hume denies public benevolence as motive on the grounds that a duty made in s...

'Our behavioural dispositions are not merely evidence of the existence of our mental states, they constitute our mental states'. An answer sufficient to appease;  upon first impression of such a contention, would have to be one of compromise. Common-sense tells us that a person's behaviour is a reliable means of understanding their present inward state. To conclude that nothing occurs in the mind except what is observed in its external manifestation, or that behavioural dispositions constitute our mental states (exempting a respective mental cognitive process), as is advocated by many materialist philosophers, is a tougher pill to swallow.  Outward expressions like speech, body language or facial expressions, are essential to every day inter-subjective communication, and one may presume that they are the most prominent means of sharing concepts, and understanding one another's complex inner beliefs and sensations. The issue under dispute is precisely that complexity of ...

 Discuss the contention that, in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevskii challenges the claims of rational philosophy by means of an illustration of mans inherent duality. Illustrate your answer with reference to characterisation and narrative style.   In the broad sense, the rational philosophers involved throughout the essay will refer to those who support the idea of an attainable social utopia on grounds of either utilitarian or socialist principles.  The psychological account of the crtime serves to undermine many misconceptions, in particular Raskolnikov's, about the feasibility of his deed . There are a host of blunders which occur dring the act itself, due to the failure of ‘Will and Reason’. Amidst waking dreams, and delerium, Raskolnikov wakes, an hour before the crime to start his preparations. There is little to suggests that Raskolnikov had made fully consciouss what trauma awaited him: "Even his recent rehearsal (the visit he had made with the intention of making ...

  Perception and inference are, according to Dinnāga, both Pramāņa . What is the knowledge gained through each? The traditional Buddhist epistemological stance on pramāņa is that only perception is a source of knowledge. The pramāņa of conceptual thought fails to grasp the elusive realm of particulars. ‘Concept’ includes language, arithmetic, induction, means-ends reasoning etc. The Buddhist believes that it is futile to apply truth values to our perceptions, since the essence of raw-sense data cannot be comprehended. We can apprehend them through the senses, but beyond this awareness, our knowledge must remain in a realm of concepts. Conceptual thought can be used for communication, sciences, or promoting understanding (but it is at this point that suffering begins). If knowledge gained through perception is fruitful but incommunicable, while knowledge gained through concepts is communicable but pointless, then is there any point in seeking or acquiring knowledge? The Bu...

  The 'Dream of the Rood', with its mixture of Pagan and Roman-Catholic interpretation of the Crucifixion, or, assimilation, of the Roman-Catholic Gospel account, carries with it the partially subdued, yet rebellious character of the cultural intertwining between the Anglo-Saxon literature and the apocalyptic styles of biblical scripture. It highlights the gradual influx of Christian theology into the Anglo-Saxon world, and moreover the success of interpreting the word of God, for the Anglo-Saxons at the time a foreign ethos, into the existing structure of the culture’s arts, society, and belief. The aim of this essay is to remark upon omissions from the Gospel accounts and why; and to what degree the assimilation has captured and changed the original meaning of the scripture. Thereupon focusing on the elements of the Pagan culture, which have altered the Gospel accounts, and how these have helped to create the unique narrative, potpourri of colour and symbolism within 'The...

Both As You Like It and The Taming of The Shrew involve the theme of education in their content in a variety of ways. The themes take place under varying conditions, and come to the fore in the plays under varying guises, some times in a literal sense, other times in the form of witty arguments or shows of intellect. The predominant sense in which it underlies both plays is in the ‘tutor-apprentice’ relationship: as a means to instruct on certain social codes or understandings of love. The essay will handle each play separately as each one has its own humour and nuances which cannot be separated from their context, yet it will also compare the main theme of the essay by comparing the two couples: Katherina and Petruchio, and Bianca and Orlando. The farcical tutoring of Bianca, by her two competing lovers Hortensio and Lucentio, can be viewed as a parody of conventional methods of education. In order to court her in secret both suitors dress up as private tutors as a ploy for their roma...

 nocturnes 1. davao the nightowls are in their element downtown. not only the drunken party-goers but the nightshifters are alive, starting their day.  from the street i observe traces left by people in the objects that are around. a discarded piece of hamburger. dripping clothes hanging from a clothes line across two sheds. the warmth from a police car engine. i do not want ot be a voyeur, but i cant help being curious, wondering what goes on behind the curtains in the privacy of peoples homes. in tiny cubicles, security gaurds are watching movies ont heir laptops and mobiles.  on a rooftop a burly man is lifting weights. some kids are playing basketball in the alleyways between the buildings. by the convenience store some families have gathere their chairs around to gossip. i was not feeling it tonight, i didnt like the darkness int he city, there was something seedy about it. normally i love being out, walkign home late or before dawn (as i used to), but this time, i f...