Philosophy - Student Works
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Item The heroic love of Socrates(2023) Herbert, Austin; Panjvani, CyrusThis presentation draws upon classical heroes in Plato's dialogues to distinguish the role of love in Socrates' philosophical approach to death. By comparing the mythic "labours" of heroes who also risked death, the essay this presentation is based on emphasizes that while Socrates shares some interesting parallels, his philosophizing is unique because it arises out of love. In examining Socrates' love, his calmness in facing death springs from his humility in not presuming ultimate proofs or wisdom. In the dialogues, Socrates approaches death with calmness and hope. Like the heroes, the gods bid him to risk death in performing a "labour." Distinct from heroes, however, Socrates sees this labour as philosophy. The essay argues that Socrates' love interplays with the ignorance of ultimate truths. Socrates ignorance and lack of absolute proof of death, truth, and moral goodness allow him to seek wisdom lovingly by caring for everyone. By examining Socrates' uniqueness within the context of mythic themes, the role of love in caring for everyone's moral well-being is exemplified by Socrates' labour and is central to philosophy. The essay finds that Socrates' example of loving wisdom by caring for others and discussing virtue, yet lacking proof, allows him to embody a calm hope even towards death. In short, Socrates can love wisdom, care for everyone's well-being, and seek moral goodness, as humans lack ultimate goodness. In not assuming proof or wisdom, Socrates can pursue this love by caring for others, rousing them to care for their moral well-being and love truth.Item The heroic love of Socrates(2023) Herbert, Austin; Panjvani, CyrusThis reflective essay draws upon classical heroes in Plato's dialogues to distinguish the role of love in Socrates' philosophical approach to death. By comparing the mythic "labours" of heroes who also risked death, the essay emphasizes that while Socrates shares some interesting parallels, his philosophizing is unique because it arises out of love. In examining Socrates' love, his calmness in facing death springs from his humility in not presuming ultimate proofs or wisdom. In the dialogues, Socrates approaches death with calmness and hope. Like the heroes, the gods bid him to risk death in performing a "labour." Distinct from heroes, however, Socrates sees this labour as philosophy. The essay argues that Socrates' love interplays with the ignorance of ultimate truths. Socrates ignorance and lack of absolute proof of death, truth, and moral goodness allow him to seek wisdom lovingly by caring for everyone. By examining Socrates' uniqueness within the context of mythic themes, the role of love in caring for everyone's moral well-being is exemplified by Socrates' labour and is central to philosophy. The essay finds that Socrates' example of loving wisdom by caring for others and discussing virtue, yet lacking proof, allows him to embody a calm hope even towards death. In short, Socrates can love wisdom, care for everyone's well-being, and seek moral goodness, as humans lack ultimate goodness. In not assuming proof or wisdom, Socrates can pursue this love by caring for others, rousing them to care for their moral well-being and love truth.Item Josef Pieper and the recovery of leisure in the workaday world(2022) Rundell, Lauren; Lorkovic, EdvardIn this paper, I look at Josef Pieper’s conceptualization of what he calls “total work”. In the world of total work, one’s value is reduced to their practical value to society. In this world, Pieper argues that we lose our ability to realize our full humanity by limiting ourselves to only the concerns of the workaday. The missing element that Pieper brings forward is that of leisure. Leisure, Pieper explains, is a time and place in which we are able to be fully human, free from concerns of the everyday. By recovering the practice of leisure, Pieper believes we can recultivate that which makes us distinctly human and reclaim our value as more than just our output. One of the activities Pieper proposes to promote leisure, the example that I will be focusing on here, is his example of philosophy. When properly practiced, Pieper argues that philosophy can lead to the realization of one’s humanity through experiencing a deeper understanding and affirmation of the world. Through looking at Pieper’s writings on total work, leisure, and philosophy, I will argue that the University should be a space dedicated to the fulfillment of the individual by distinguishing it from concerns of the everyday. I will then argue that this should be done by grounding academic disciplines in philosophy and practicing them in a philosophical way. By reuniting the University with its foundation in philosophy, the university can be re-established as a place of leisure, where one can realize their full humanity.Item The pursuit of mathematical truths: a rich and meaningful aesthetic experience of inquiry as an end in itself(2020) Ulliac, KevinGiven a Deweyan philosophy of mathematics, education, and of the nature of experience, the pursuit of mathematical truths can be classified as rich and meaningful aesthetic experiences that are ends in themselves. My argument is that mathematical experiences of inquiry can have a meaningful impact on an individual that is of similar effect on an individual as a work of art, such as a painting, or a novel, or a piece of music. The nature of mathematical inquiry is to expand an individual’s conscious experience of themselves, their relation to other people, and their relation to the world at large.Item Les aspects satiriques, l’identité, la déviance et les structures de pouvoir dans le roman Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise(2018) Seyidova, Leyla; Yegani, Marc M.; Kim-Bernard, KyeongmiDai Sijie's novel takes place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and Balzac and the Chinese Little Tailor indirectly criticizes the communist regime, but in a satirical way. The books of the novel play a central role in the creation and preservation of the personal identities of the characters by means of acts of deviance. They also have a great role in establishing power structures between characters.Item Identité, déviance et les structures de pouvoir dans le Roman Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse(2017) Yegani, Marc M.; Kim-Bernard, KyeongmiDai Sijie's novel takes place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and Balzac and the Chinese Little Tailor indirectly criticizes the communist regime, but in a satirical way. The books of the novel play a central role in the creation and preservation of the personal identities of the characters by means of acts of deviance. They also have a great role in establishing power structures between characters.Item A polemic against those who assert world-bound individuals in Leibniz’s philosophy(2016) Smith, Joshua HenryThe German philosopher, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, wrote his first philosophical work at the tender age of seventeen and died at the age of seventy. Leibniz was able to write much in terms of both quantity and quality. His ideas were on significant and difficult subjects, ranging from philosophy, to mathematics, to physics, and engineering. Because he wrote so much and over such a very long period of time, there is much to be reconciled and understood in Leibniz’s philosophy. A sort of rectification should take place, a cohesion of thought between his seemingly disparate ideas. I will present one such tension in Leibniz’s philosophical writings that requires said careful attention. The tension comes via Leibniz’s thoughts on the individual and freedom.Item The pursuit of mathematical truths: a rich and meaningful aesthetic experience of inquiry(2017) Ulliac, Kevin; Lorkovic, EdvardGiven a Deweyan philosophy of mathematics, education, and of the nature of experience, the pursuit of mathematical truths can be classified as rich and meaningful aesthetic experiences that are ends in themselves. My argument is that mathematical experiences of inquiry can have a meaningful impact on an individual that is of similar effect on an individual as a work of art, such as a painting, or a novel, or a piece of music. The nature of mathematical inquiry is to expand an individual’s conscious experience of themselves, their relation to other people, and their relation to the world at large.Item Item A further account of species being(2009) Mcquade, AndreaItem Compulsory voting: a dialogue(2014) Hammond, GeorgeWritten in a Platonic dialogue format, two long-time friends argue about the pros and cons of compulsory voting.Item Individuality and the actualization of persons in the university(2014) Witiw, TaylorIn order to succeed in the mission of promoting student successes and contributions, universities must consciously adopt a philosophy of human being. Otherwise, a concerted effort is impossible and success is left entirely to happenstance. This paper argues in favour of the philosophy of personality forwarded by Jacques Maritain, which envisions men and women as more than the sum of their parts and having a common destiny worthy of hope. Further, it reveals how orienting students towards individuality instead of personality endangers the success of the university; provides examples of how a philosophy of individuality has arisen in the university; and offers what I take to be the only solution to the problem at hand.