Friday, March 20, 2020

Philosophy Research Paper Topics and Ideas

Philosophy Research Paper Topics and Ideas The philosophy research paper is aimed at an investigation of a specific philosophical issue or idea. Philosophy is quite an ancient branch of science that was trying to explain natural and behavioral aspects that were difficult for people to realize. Famous philosophers were representing their ideas about the human, being, nature, soul, fear, and many other concepts. As a result, the student in a philosophy research paper should analyze the specific idea, compare it with other concepts, and make suggestions regarding its implementation in daily human life. Choosing a topic for the philosophy research paper can become a challenge for a student due to the variety of themes and complexity of the science. As a result, it is important to choose the topic that will be connected with the task of a professor and will be of the sphere of student’s interests. The variety of topics is quite wide and to choose the most interesting and specific, try to make it clear, narrow, and accurate. Topics and Ideas for Philosophy Research Papers: 1. A Balance between Peace and War The problem of peace and war is important to explore due to its determining character for the modern international community. This topic should explore the main works on the issue of peace and war including theories of philosophers and official positions of modern countries and international organizations. The research paper can include an accurate explanation of the topic and definition of its practical implication in modern theories. 2. Modern Moral Theory Morality is considered one of the central topics of various philosophies. Modern approaches to the idea of moral and morality differ from traditional theories due to various social conditions. The philosophy research paper should include an explanation of morality, definition of past ideas about this issue, and comparison with modern ideas of morality. 3. Can Wars Be Justified? Various philosophers explored the problem of wars justification because it can have a significant impact on conflicts between countries. A research paper should include an explanation of wars justification idea, and how different philosophers interpreted it. Besides, it is possible to develop the imaginary situation of complete war justification and a way in which it would change the current situation. 4. Philosophy and Postmodernism Postmodernism is a period that brought many new concepts to various theories and ideas. Philosophy also was under the influence of this period that caused the emergence of new ideas about life, human, nature, feelings, and emotions. The research paper should include a description of postmodernism as a philosophical era, an explanation of how a philosophical thought was changed, and its comparison with previous theories. 5. Life after Death Idea This concept was considered by various philosophers of specific periods. People were trying to find out what is waiting for them after death and developed several philosophical concepts about it. The research paper should explore all these concepts comparing it with modern ideas of the issue. Besides, it is possible to analyze all theories trying to find specific similarities and differences. 6. The Nature of Being This topic is interesting because it is the core element of the main philosophical theories of ancient times. Various philosophers were trying to explain the sense of human existence, their aim, and the role on the planet. The philosophical research paper should consist of an accurate explanation of various theories and views, and comparing these ideas with each other. 7. The Concept of Religion The question of religion is being considered specifically by different philosophers and theories. The paper should be based on the main ideas about the role of religion in human lives, and it can be considered the central set of beliefs for people. Besides, it is possible to include a comparison of these theories, and an explanation of how these ideas influenced modern attitude to religion. 8. The Problem of Beauty Standards This topic is interesting to explore because people often discuss the problem of beauty standards, and this issue often changes. The crucial element of such an essay is proving the idea that beauty standards are an extremely relative concept that cannot be considered the basis for modern social interrelations. The research paper should include various ideas about beauty standard, and how it was depicted in the main theories. 9. The Idea of People’s Duties Philosophers consider that people have specific obligations and duties regarding their families, communities, and regarding society as a whole. The philosophical research paper should be based on an explanation of what is a duty, and how various philosophers understand it. Besides, the duty can also be considered a commitment of the state on the international arena. 10. The Theory of Deconstruction This idea was developed by Jacques Derrida and is connected with the understanding of language and text. The matter is that people can perceive various messages differently and differently interpret the text on the basis of the context. The philosophy research paper should include an explanation of the theory, its critique, and a description of its influence on further theories. 11. The Best Political Organization of the State Various philosophers, who were trying to develop a system that would be the most effective, explored the issue of ideal government. The topic is important to explore due to the significance of political organization for a country and a population. The research paper should include a description of the concept, comparison between different theories, and interpretation of these approaches to modern states and governments. 12. The Idea of Happiness in Visions of Different Philosophers Happiness is the feeling that is quite familiar for every person, and as a result, different philosophers investigate it. The philosophy research paper should be based on different ideas of happiness, how people should perceive it, understand the feeling, and influence of happiness on human lives. The student can also compare ideas of happiness of ancient philosophers and modern attitude to the concept. 13. Philosophy in Literature Famous authors often include specific philosophical ideas in their literary works. Exploration of the issue is quite complicated work because the topic is wide and includes many literature spheres. The philosophy research paper can study works of Voltaire, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Proust. Besides, the research can be done based on the works of one author with an emphasis in his separate writing style. 14. The Idea of Political Philosophy The topic is interesting to study because the concept of political philosophy is an extremely complex and wide sphere. The study can be based on the books â€Å"Political Philosophy† by Jean Hampton and â€Å"History of Political Philosophy from Plato to Burke† by Thomas I. Cook. The research paper should include a general overview of the political philosophy and approaches of various philosophers to definition and understanding of the issue. 15. The Concept of Truth The truth is one of the most popular issues explored by various authors and philosophers. The truth is considered the basis for people’s lives, and as a result, it is interesting to explore. The philosophy research paper should be based on ideas of truth represented by different philosophers. Besides, the text can also include a comparison of ancient approaches to the issue with a modern attitude to the concept. 16. The Idea of Free Will The concept of personal freedom is the core of different philosophical ideas and theories. Famous philosophers determine personal freedom as the most significant aspect of people’s comfortable and full life. The philosophy research paper should include an explanation of the free will concept, understanding of this idea by different philosophers, and interrelation between the free will idea and modern attitude to freedom. 17. Feminist Philosophy Modern society is based on different theories and ideas that explain various aspects of people’s lives. Generally speaking, the feminist theory is mainly connected with equality in rights and is often considered as a theory of international relations. Issues that should be included in the philosophy research paper are feminism as a philosophical theory, postmodern feminism, radical feminism, and its influence on the development of modern society. 18. The Idea of Responsibility The concept of responsibility lays in the activity of the person in different spheres. Responsibility is approached as a feeling, as a duty, or as a theory. The exploration of the concept is important because it can explain the behavior of human and shape the attitude of people to work and various interactions. The research paper should include an explanation of the concept, various approaches to its definition, and theories of responsibility developed by philosophers. 19. Hedonism as a Philosophical Theory Hedonism is a theory of pleasure from physical satisfaction that defines this aspect as the core condition of a happy life. The topic investigation can be based on a book â€Å"Pleasure and the Good Life: Concerning the Nature, Varieties, and Plausibility of Hedonism† by Fred Feldman. The research paper should include the idea of hedonism and approaches of various philosophers to the issue. 20. Naturalism in Philosophy Followers of the naturalism theory consider that everything in our life is connected with natural regularities and main laws of nature. The research paper should be based on philosophical approaches of naturalism and the implementation of these ideas into ordinary human life. Conclusion The philosophy research paper is a task that can be viewed as a challenge for the student due to the variety of topics and issues to study. Although this list of topics is not full, these ideas can be taken as a guide for writing the research piece. Generally speaking, it is important to remember that the philosophy research paper is an interesting task because it provides an opportunity for creativity and representation of personal opinion.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The Chronicles of Narnia and Atuhor C.S. Lewis FAQs

The Chronicles of Narnia and Atuhor C.S. Lewis FAQs What are The Chronicles of Narnia? The Chronicles of Narnia consist of a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C.S. Lewis, including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The books, listed below in the order in which the C.S. Lewis wanted them to be read, are – Book 1 - The Magician’s Nephew (1955)Book 2 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)Book 3 - The Horse and His Boy (1954)Book 4 - Prince Caspian (1951)Book 5 - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)Book 6 - The Silver Chair (1953)Book 7 - The Last Battle (1956). These childrens books are not only very popular with 8-12 year olds, but teens and adults also enjoy them. Why has there been confusion about the order of the books? When C.S. Lewis wrote the first book (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) in what would become The Chronicles of Narnia, he wasn’t planning on writing a series. As you will note from the copyrights in parentheses in the book list above, the books were not written in chronological order, so there was some confusion as to the order in which they should be read. The publisher, HarperCollins, is presenting the books in the order that C.S. Lewis requested. What is the theme of The Chronicles of Narnia? The Chronicles of Narnia deals with the struggle between good and evil. Much has been made of the Chronicles as a Christian allegory, with the lion sharing many of the characteristics of Christ. After all, when he wrote the books, C.S. Lewis was a well-known scholar and Christian writer. However, Lewis made it clear that was not how he approached writing the Chronicles. Did C.S. Lewis write The Chronicles of Narnia as a Christian allegory? In his essay, Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best Whats to be Said (Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories), Lewis stated, Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child-psychology and decided what age group Id write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out allegories to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. How did C.S. Lewis approach writing The Chronicles of Narnia? In the same essay, Lewis stated, Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasnt anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord. Given Lewis’s strong Christian faith, that is not surprising. In fact, once the story was established, Lewis said he ...saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralysed much of my own religion in childhood. How much of the Christian references do children pick up on? That depends on the child. As New York Times journalist A.O. Scott stated in his review of the movie version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, â€Å"To the millions since the 1950s for whom the books have been a source of childhood enchantment, Lewiss religious intentions have either been obvious, invisible or beside the point.† The children I have talked to simply see the Chronicles as a good story, although when parallels to the Bible and life of Christ are pointed out, older children are interested in discussing them. Why is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so popular? Although The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the second in the series, it was the first of the Chronicles books that C.S. Lewis wrote. As I said, when he wrote it, he was not planning on a series. Of all the books in the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe seems to be the one that has most captured the imaginations of young readers. All the publicity surrounding the December 2005 release of the movie version also greatly increased the public’s interest in the book. Are any of The Chronicles of Narnia on VHS or DVD? Between 1988 and 1990 the BBC aired The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair as a TV series. It was then edited to create the three movies now available on DVD. Your public library may have copies available. The more recent Narnia movies are also available on DVD. A more recent movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was released in 2005. My nine-year old grandson and I saw the movie together; we both loved it. The next Chronicles movie, Prince Caspian, was released in 2007, followed by The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, released in December 2010. For more information about the movies, go to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and . Who was C.S. Lewis? Clives Staples Lewis was born in 1898 in Belfast, Ireland and died in 1963, just seven years after completing The Chronicles of Narnia. When he was nine, Lewis’s mother died, and he and his brother were sent to a series of boarding schools. Although raised a Christian, Lewis lost his faith while a teenager. Despite having his education interrupted by World War I, Lewis graduated from Oxford. C.S. Lewis gained a reputation as a Medieval and Renaissance scholar, and as a Christian writer of great influence. After twenty-nine years at Oxford, in 1954, Lewis became Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University and remained there until he retired. Among C.S. Lewiss most well-known books are Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Four Loves, and The Chronicles of Narnia. (Sources: Articles on the C.S. Lewis Institute Web site, Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories)