Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay Plato’s Theaetetus is a dialogue that discusses and attempts to find a definition of knowledge. The two characters, Socrates and Theaetetus, approach the argument with the initial idea that knowledge is the addition of a true judgment and an account. However, Socrates raises some concerns regarding the fundamental aspects that make the definition true. Ultimately, the two characters find that their original definition of knowledge is not as accurate, nor as simple as they once believed. The article opens with Theaetetus recalling a definition of knowledge he once heard, which stated â€Å"true judgment with an account is knowledge [and is therefore knowable], and the kind without an account falls outside the sphere of knowledge [and is therefore unknowable]† (126). Socrates begins to question one’s ability to determine whether something is or is not knowable, and he demonstrates the concept using the relationship between elements and complexes. In doing so, he explains a recent dream of his, which, in turn, is actually an explanation of Dream Theory. Dream Theory states that â€Å"the primary elements, of which we and everything else are composed, have no account. Each of them itself, by itself, can only be named† (126). In other words, as elements cannot be broken down further, elements cannot have an account because that would require the determining of whether or not the said elements exist. The addition of that information onto the original element itself results in something that is no longer in its simplest form. Therefore, no elements can have accounts, nor can they be knowable; elements can only be perceived. Consequently, this poses the question as to whether or not complexes are knowable given that their elements are not. When complexes are viewed as the sum of all their elements, it is safe to conclude that the complexes are unknowable, as their elements are unknowable. This idea allowed Socrates to then consider whether complexes were mere sums or if they should instead be viewed as wholes that cannot be dissected into parts. However, the problem with this idea is that, when viewed as a whole that cannot be separated, the complex is then no different than an element, and therefore cannot have an account. After failing to determine what does and does not have an account, Socrates decides to turn his attention to determining what constitutes an account. First, he defines it as stating one’s judgment through speech. Immediately, this manifests flaws in the sense that any true statement could then be considered an account. If this were the case, there would be no differentiation between an account and a true judgment. Next, he defines an account as listing the elements of the things known. Again, this must be incorrect because the possibility exists that one could simply memorize the elements without actually understanding them. Without understanding, one cannot have knowledge. Finally, he defines an account as differentiating the known thing from everything else. This would require knowledge of the differences, and ultimately would again be a reiteration of the true judgment. Additionally, one would be defining knowledge as true judgment plus knowledge, which would be considered a fallacy. This marks the final turning point in Socrates’s and Theaetetus’s overall definition of knowledge, where the two characters decide that their initial definition could not be considered correct. Through their attempts to dissect the supposed explanation of knowledge, Socrates and Theaetetus finally reach the conclusion that knowledge is â€Å"neither perception, nor true judgment, nor an account added to true judgment† (133).

Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

Absence of Beauty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe sees evil as a living threat to man because he lives in its presence. Parallel with the tragedies in his own life relating to the deaths of his young mother, wife and others he loved in his life. It is no wonder that he sees the absence of beauty as evil, because he felt the terror and tragedy of the loss of his own life. In his stories he illustrates how the absence of beauty is the essence of evil. In “The Tell Tale Heart'; when the old man’s eyes is closed he would not be killed because his eye is not considered ugly. That is why each night the man goes into his room to see if the eye is open. “… but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.';(139) The eye when open represents the ugliness of the old man. When that ugliness is present, beauty is gone and evil is present. The ugliness of the old man’s open eye is the cause for his killer to kill him because evil is present and beauty is no where to be found.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In “The Fall of the House of Usher'; Madeline is beautiful once she gets sick her brother, Roderick, gets sick and everything seems to fall apart. Madeline’s beauty had kept the evil down and covered up. As Madeline gets sicker and sicker it gets worse and worse. Finally when Madeline dies beauty no longer exists Roderick goes crazy and everything is destroyed because beauty was not there to cover up all the evil that they possessed. The absence of beauty caused all evil to break loose. The house collapses and Roderick is destroyed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In “The Black Cat'; the cat to him was beautiful and precious. “This latter was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious to an astonishing degree.';(12) Beauty is what one person sees through his own eyes. “The cat followed me down the steep stairs, and nearly throwing me headlong, exasperated me to madness.';(18) Once he saw that the cat was no longer beautiful it causes him to murder his wife because all his evil was hidden and once that beauty that he saw died and became none existing everything he was hiding especially his evil side came out caused him to kill.

Research Methods Essay

In case where I am taking part in a community mentoring program and have been assigned to help a local high school student who is experiencing difficulty in writing research papers, I am most likely to discuss the research methods that I utilized and why they worked best for me. First of all is experimental method. I will explain to the student that experimental research is a method of research wherein it aims to test a hypothesis in controlled circumstances, which means, â€Å"that all the causes/independent variables are controlled separately from a test variable to investigate the effect on a dependent variable† (Oulu.. 2000). I will also inform the student that the simplest model of laboratory experimentation is where two independent variables are contrasted (Oulu.. , 2000). I will provide examples for the student to understand it better, for instance, subjects are exposed to two different sound stimuli such as tones of different frequencies, to compare the effects on the dependent variable, which in this case is, heart rate (Oulu.. , 2000). It works best for me because the experimental method as a way to research because laboratory experimentation has been used to take a more in-depth look at human and animal behaviors basically because the effects of confounding variables including the influence of observation are controlled (Oulu.. , 2000). Another method of research that I will reintroduce to the student is the one which is technically referred to as â€Å"qualitative research† wherein its findings are not deduced by statistical or any other quantitative procedures (Bureau.. , n. d. ). I prefer this and it works best for me as well because it entails â€Å"detailed verbal descriptions of characteristics, cases, and settings or data deduced from observation, interviews, and document review† (Bureau.. , n. d. ). I will also inform the student about the objectives of the aforementioned method of research including the fact that it aims to: a) develop hypothesis or theory; b) understand behavior in a natural setting; c) study phenomena in their entirety rather than concentrating on narrow aspects of the phenomena referred to as independent or dependent variables (Ipsos, 2007).

Effects Of Human Trafficking in Colorado State - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 483 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/07 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Human Trafficking Essay Did you like this example? Human trafficking is the plague of selling human beings forcefully without their consent across borders or domestically to traffickers with an intention of making money. The victims are exposed to various non-human activities which leave most of them having physical injuries and traumatized minds. In Colorado State, there has been recorded several cases of human trafficking, ranging from trafficking with intentions off shorting pornography, forced labor to trafficking with purposes of commercial sex activities with the traffickers using anybody regardless of their age or gender. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Effects Of Human Trafficking in Colorado State" essay for you Create order This, is as a result of agriculture, tourism and the International Airport that places Colorado an ideal State for human trafficking, A.J Alejano-Steele, This article will look it the effects that the victims undergo while and suggest the measures that can be put in place to curb this menace in the State. Gynecological effects. The sex trafficking victims are exposed to gynecological risks such as unwanted pregnancies which increases high rates abortion, sterilization and infertility. Abortions are carried out with non-qualified practitioners, increasing the chances of the victims dying in the process. The survivors are left traumatized for the rest of their life. Legal consequences Human trafficking has increased the rate of illicit drug trafficking and prostitution in the state. This makes the victims be charged with violation of local law whereby they are forced to sell their drugs openly so as to satisfy their masters. This leads to many victims being forced to be deported to their countries. Economic consequences. Most people from other states and countries are reluctant visiting Colorado States since they fear being captives of slavery. This has slowed the rate of economic growth due to the low inflow of tourists and investors. As people are transported across borders especially to Canada, this poses a major border integrity and economic diversity of US and Canada thus impacting negatively the economy of the State. Threat to human health. Sex human trafficking increases the spread of HIV and other STDs to the people involved. The victims are forced into unprotected sex which increases the risk of contamination. Women are forced to Threat to State, national and Internal Security Human traffickers in the world are mostly connected to organized world crime organizations that may use the proceeds to fund other criminal activities such as terrorisms in across the world. Affects State Human Conscience Human trafficking poses a negative impact of the very health of the State human conscience since its well manifested and routed within the state. This negates the reputation given to the state globally. Human trafficking does not only affect victims. Its widespread on the children, family members of the victims and the entire State since it has far reaching effects. This leaves many people traumatized to the extent that they lack trust towards other people within their residence. The government has a duty to establish laws that will protect citizens from human trafficking.