Explain three arguments against the use of referendums (10) A referendum is a general vote on a singular political question which requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote on the particular issue. The first argument against referendums consists of the idea that unless there is a high overall turnout‚ the results are dubious and do not represent the whole community or country. The 2011 Wales referendum on the issue of giving the Welsh Assembly primary legislative powers only gained a 35% turnout. The effect of
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Knowledge Aquinas and Descartes have different ideas on how humans gain knowledge in the world. Both philosophers need to define what the human body is composed of in order to determine how we gain knowledge. For Aquinas intellect comes from the soul and the body working in unison. The soul is the substantial form of a living material thing. It is the actuality of a living material substance. Even though the rational soul is what differentiates humans from other living things‚ it does not
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of Plato and Descartes share many similar theories on knowledge and being absolute certain about something. For instance‚ in the movie the Matrix Neo has no clue that everything he is experiencing is a dream. But when he is told the truth his knowledge grows which is exactly what Plato proclaims in his writing to the republic. He claims that as the prisoners who have been chained in the cave since childhood begin to ascend their knowledge expands. And in Descartes writing the meditation he begins to
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Both Descartes and Berkeley had a thesis of mediate perception. These theses however‚ were not the same. The difference‚ you see‚ is in how they perceive physical objects. Descartes develops a somewhat realist view in his meditations while Berkeley argues that his non-realist perception can sufficiently account for anything a realist would be able to with their system of philosophy. Essentially‚ Berkeley states that what Descartes believes as corporeal is simply a false understanding of the ideas
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Rene Descartes was a highly influential French philosopher‚ mathematician‚ scientist and writer. Many elements of his philosophy have precedent in late Aristolelianism and earlier philosophers like St. Augustine. Descartes was a major figure in 17th century continental rationalism‚ later advocated by Baruch Spinoza and opposed by the empiricist school of thought consisting of Locke‚ Berkeley‚ and Hume. His most famous statement is: Cogito ergo sum‚ translation in English I think therefore I am.
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Research Paper – Psychoactive Drugs and Meditation Yeaswantie Beekhoo The American University of Peace Studies Clinical Psychology April 12‚ 2011 Psychoactive Drugs and Meditation INTERDUCTION This paper focuses on the different types of Psychoactive Drugs both conventional‚ and medical. In addition‚ the effect these drugs have on the brain‚ nervous system and the mind of individual that are associated with the use‚ whether it is for pleasure or medical reasons. Some of the
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of the first argument claims that God does in fact exist and he is also infinite. The author of the second argument claims that humans are not capable of comprehending the idea of infinite‚ therefore we cannot argue that God is infinite or that he exists at all. Finally‚ Descartes claims that by The Method of Doubt‚ God is the one idea that cannot be doubted. Therefore‚ the disputed question in these three arguments is the existence of God and the idea of infinite. Descartes and the first author
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Compare Anselm and Descartes The proof of the existence of God was a topic of discussion during the early centuries until the first philosophers of the world decided to root for the truth and show the existence of God. In proving the existence of God in certain ways the arguments oppose each other‚ support each other and also some arguments seem to be more convincing than the other. The empirical arguments and the rationalistic arguments are the two types of arguments used in proving God’s existence
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Descartes claims in his Discourse on Method that our dreams and conscious thoughts are untrue‚ but is this truly the case? Because of these questions of existence‚ it seems like‚ if Descartes’s arguments are taken a certain way‚ his arguments might be taken to imply that our lives are just a dream. Are we living in a universal soap opera directed by the Divine‚ and the question of who shot J.R. will never be resolved because we will all wake on Judgment Day from the dream of existence? If we are
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Through Descartes first three meditations he arrives at a conclusion that the only things we know with absolute certainty are‚ that my own thoughts and god exist. He solidifies this stance by two foundational arguments laid out in the first meditation to build off of. I find that these arguments to reach these beliefs to be flawed by Descartes own reasoning and by scientific advancements made since his time. Before I can debate these arguments I need to outline Descartes purpose and reasoning for
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