1. Choose two of the philosophers we've read and compare them on one idea that is most important to you. a. Clearly explain the idea using references to the text. b. Show that each of these philosophers agrees on this particular idea ( e.g., each of these philosophers agrees that...use references from the text to show that this is so ). Do you agree with the view the philosophers put forward? Why, or why not? The two philosophers I have chosen are Kant and Thoreau and Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is defined by the Webster’s Dictionary as: a philosophy that emphasizes the a priori conditions of knowledge and experience or the unknowable character of ultimate reality or that emphasizes the transcendent as the fundamental reality. That being said; and looking at both Kant and Thoreau views we can discern the similarities of their philosophy. First looking at Kant according to The Columbia Electronic encyclopedia in reference to the transcendental movement: The term is now closely associated with Kantian theory, although some conception of transcendent being has been common to most forms of philosophical idealism. Kant argues that perception of sense data depends on a priori intuitions, which include conception of space and time and categories of judgment. For Kant, "transcendental" refers to conditions necessary for the possibility of experience, while "transcendent" refers to a noumenon, in the philosophical system of Immanuel Kant, a "thing-in-itself"; it is opposed to phenomenon, the thing that appears to us. Noumena are the basic realities behind all sensory experience. Now looking at Thoreau according to The Columbia Electronic encyclopedia: “Thoreau is considered one of the most influential figures in American t... ... middle of paper ... ...oper” place in that one needs to stand up for what one believes to understanding that one needs to earn what one receives. The mature me sees how positive optimism making your life worth living in most undesirable situations allows for survival. This insight will cause new growth in self improvement. Works Cited Transcendental movement." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia®. 2005. Columbia University Press 3 Mar. 2011 http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/transcendental%20movement "Thoreau, Henry David." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia®. 2005. Columbia University Press 3 Mar. 2011 http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Thoreau%2c+Henry+David Stevenson, L. and Haberman D. Ten Theories of Human Nature, Oxford University Press 2009 Pieper J. Leisure The Basis of Culture, Ignatius Press 2009 Frankl V. Man’s Search for Meaning, Pocket Books 1984
Thoreau, Henry David. "Walden." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 2107-2141.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. 1862. Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau. Ed. Joseph Wood Krutch. New York: Bantam, 2001.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. 1862. Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau. Ed. Joseph Wood Krutch. New York: Bantam, 2001.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, author, poet, abolitionist, and naturalist. He was famous for his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, and his book, Walden. He believed in individual conscience and nonviolent acts of political resistance to protest unfair laws. Moreover, he valued the importance of observing nature, being individual, and living in a simple life by his own values. His writings later influenced the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, he advocated individual nonviolent resistance to the unjust state and reflected his simple living in the nature.
Jacobus, Lee A. Henry David Thoreau. "Civil Disobedience." A World Of Ideas: essential readings for college writers. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. 141-167
Henry David Thoreau was bon on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, on his grandmother’s farm. Thoreau was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker decent. Thoreau was interested in writing at an early age. At the age of ten he wrote his first essay “The seasons”. He attended Concord Academy until 1833 when he was accepted to Harvard University but with his pending financial situation he was forced to attend Cambridge in August of 1833. In September of 1833 with the help of his family he was able to attend Harvard University. He graduated college in August of 1837.
Much of Henry David Thoreau’s work was affected by his early life and education. Henry David Thoreau was born into a normal middle class family in Concord Massachusetts on July 12, 1817. Thoreau’s family were shopkeepers and later operated a small but profitable business making pencils and selling graphite that later turned out to be very prosperous (Sattelmeyer 1). The fact that Henry’s family had money made it possible for him to get a good education. Instead of following the family business which could have been a prosperous decision, Henry went to better his education in high hopes of making something of himself. This decision marks the starting point of Thoreau’s educational adventure.
John and Cynthia Thoreau gave life to Henry David Thoreau on July second 1871. From infantry Thoreau had the finest education his parents could give him. Thoreau started out at Miss Phoebe Wheeler’s Private Infant School and shot all the way through Harvard. A college graduate could do anything that he wanted, Henry could have been anything he wanted but instead he chose to teach. He taught at the Center School where he realized that children learn in different ways and at different speeds. Thoreau did not believe in the way the school was being run, so he quit and went to work at his fathers pencil factory. When Emerson hears that Thoreau is working in a factory he is absolutely appalled. Emerson gets him to start writing and the journals start to multiply rapidly.
In the 1800s, a philosophy known as transcendentalism arose in early America. This philosophy soon developed into the transcendentalist movement. Followers of this movement sought a spiritual and individualistic lifestyle. Two of the most recognized and influential believers of this movement, or transcendentalists, were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Emerson and Thoreau held significant values about transcendentalism, and believed in questioning the government and politics, assessing nature and its qualities, and focusing on the importance of the individual.
Witherell, Elizabeth and Elizabeth Dubrulle. “Life and Times of Henry David Thoreau.” 1995. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
The American transcendentalism that Emerson proposed is part of the fundamental transcendentalism of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Atkinson, Brooks. Walden and other writings of Henry David Thoreau. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1950.
Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 and died there peacefully on May 6, 1862. He was described by Hawthorne as "ugly as sin." He loved nature, and his constant preoccupation was exploring the woods and ponds making detailed observations of plants and creatures. Henry led a singular life, never marrying, and marching to his own drummer, as he put it. From 1845 to 1847, he lived alone in a small cabin he built by Walden Pond near Concord. He described this unique experiment in natural living in "Walden" criticizing those who "lead lives of quiet desperation" with all the trappings of customary society. His personal independence and straightforward manner was harsh to some people, and he gained very little recognition during his lifetime.
Thoreau, Henry. Walden or, Life in the Woods. 1854. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.
Both Plato and Aristotle are among the most influential philosophers in the history. Socrates was another famous philosopher who greatly influenced Plato. Plato was the pupil of Socrates and later Plato became the teacher of Aristotle. Although Aristotle followed his teachings for a long time, he found many questionable facts in his teachings and later on became a great critic of Plato’s teachings. Since Aristotle found faults in Plato, hence their work is easily comparable as it is based on the common aspects of philosophy. In this paper I will first explain some similarities and then I shall explain the differences between the theories of Plato and Aristotle.