Comprehensive Vocabulary Builder

Verbs with Negative Connotations

• Defile: To make foul, dirty, or unclean.
• Decry: To publicly denounce or condemn.
• Abet: To encourage or assist someone to do something wrong, especially to commit a crime.
• Debase: To reduce in quality or value; to degrade.
• Denounce: To publicly declare to be wrong or evil.
• Botch: To carry out (a task) badly or carelessly.
• Cringe: To bend one's head and body in fear or apprehension or in a servile manner.
• Connive: To conspire to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful.
• Begrudge: To envy someone the possession or enjoyment of something; to give reluctantly.
• Depredate: To plunder or lay waste.
• Cloy: To sicken or disgust with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment.
• Abase: To behave in

Freedom and Imprisonment in "To Althea"

Stanza One — Bondage and Paradox

Throughout the four octaves there is a pattern of antithesis and paradox between freedom and imprisonment. In the first stanza, Lovelace says that he is imprisoned in his love for Althea, and yet he feels free. He uses frequent images associated with bondage, such as "tangled" (verse 5) and "fettered" (verse 6). At the end, he says that, despite being trapped by this love, it makes him feel completely free. He assures this by comparing himself to an element that represents freedom: "The gods that wanton in the air / Know no such Liberty." (verses 7–8). This last verse appears at the end of every stanza; it functions as a chorus.

Stanza Two — Fellowship and the Sea

The... Continue reading "Freedom and Captivity in Lovelace’s 'To Althea'" »

Common Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

Description: Attacking the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself. This fallacy occurs when the attack on the person is completely irrelevant to the argument they are making.

Logical Form:

• Person 1 is claiming Y.
• Person 1 is a moron.
• Therefore, Y is not true.

Ad Populum

Description: Claiming that most or many people accept a belief as true, and presenting this as evidence for the claim. Accepting this without demanding evidence as to why they accept the belief is lazy thinking and a dangerous way to accept information.

Logical Form:

• A lot of people believe X.
• Therefore, X must be true.

Argumentum ad Misericordiam

Description: An attempt to distract from the truth of the conclusion by the use of pity.... Continue reading "Common Logical Fallacies: Understanding Invalid Arguments" »

Persuasion

Persuasion: the process of influencing people’s attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviors

Persuasive Speaking

Persuasive speaking: in a speech

Argument

Argument: articulating a position with the support of logos, ethos, and pathos

Logos

Logos: a means of persuasion in which you construct logical arguments that support your point of view

Ethos

Ethos: a means of persuasion in which you argue that your competence, credibility, and good character should persuade others to accept your point of view

Pathos

Pathos: a means of persuasion in which you appeal to the emotions of others so that they accept your point of view

Reasoning

Reasoning: the mental process of making an argument by drawing inferences from factual information to reach a conclusion

Inductive

Understanding Utilitarianism

The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number

You have probably heard a politician say he or she passed a piece of legislation because it did the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens. Perhaps you have heard someone justify their actions because it was for the greater good.

In this article, we are going to talk about the philosophy behind such actions. The philosophy is known as utilitarianism. Although it is a long word, it is in common usage every day. It is the belief that the sole standard of morality is determined by its usefulness.

A Teleological System

Philosophers refer to it as a “teleological” system. The Greek word “telos” means end or goal. This means that this ethical system determines morality... Continue reading "Understanding Utilitarianism: The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number" »

A Historical and Cultural Perspective of Philosophy II: Renaissance

Classical authors of Greco-Roman culture were explored and studied. During the 17th century, philosophers focused their interest on questions related to our knowledge of reality. During this period, two important branches of philosophy emerged: Rationalism (Descartes' innate ideas res cognition vs res extensa) and Empiricism (Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume) - our knowledge is originated in the sensorial information. There is no knowledge of any other kind. During the Enlightenment (18th century), philosophy believed that society must be improved. Philosophers argued that this improvement of society would be achieved by educating the population and cultivating free thought (Rousseau,... Continue reading "History and Evolution of Philosophy: From Renaissance to Contemporary Times" »

·A just person is happy, and an unjust one wretched. SOCRATES PLATO’S REPUBLIC

·Crooked wood must await steaming and straightening on the shaping frame, and only then does it become straight. Blunt metal must await honing and grinding, and only then does it become sharp. Now since people’s nature is bad, they must await teachers and proper models, and only then do they become correct in their behavior. XUNXI

·Even those who practice justice do so against their will because they lack the power to do wrong. PLATO’S REPUBLIC

·Every man believes that injustice is much more profitable to himself than justice, and any exponent of this argument will say that he is right. The man who did not wish to do wrong with that opportunity, and did not... Continue reading "Quotes on Justice, Virtue, and Human Nature" »

Models of Explanation