Abstract
This paper focuses on the character of Wily Loman and finds out how the man fits the description of a tragic hero as given by Aristotle in his book, 'Poetics.' Willy Loman is the leading character of Arthur Miller's play titled "Death of a Salesman" which appeared in 1949. The author of this paper feels that Willy Loman is unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. Using examples from the play, the author shows how Loman feels that he and his son are successful businessmen but in reality he is a weak fellow who is incapable of turning his dreams into reality.

From the Paper
"Aristotle also clearly said that a tragic hero was not someone who brought misfortune upon himself through some accident. For example while Brutus was a tragic hero, Julius Caeser himself cannot be categorized as one because the latter as killed by those whom he had trusted while the former ruins himself because of a series of errors. Therefore it is clear that a tragic hero is the one who commits series of mistakes and therefore ultimately ruins himself and meets a tragic end. Willy Loman too did not become suicidal all of a sudden, he committed grave errors form time to time because he failed to acknowledge the importance of hard work and thus finally met a tragic death which was more a result of living in an imagery world than anything else."

Tags:play, hero, tragic, grace, personality, flaws, disturbed, mentally, fear, pity, flaw, definition

Abstract
This essay is a comparison study of the works and views of Plato and Aristotle. The author explains that one of the basic ideas that these two great minds disagreed on was the value of art and of poetry, especially the merits of the Greek tragedy. Aristotle believed that art in all of its forms was a beneficial and necessary outlet for the expression of man's innermost feelings and fears. On the other hand, Plato condemned art and poetry. This paper examines the different ways in which these two great minds interpreted the arts and their purpose allows for a greater understanding of the workings of these two great minds and the two great channels of philosophical thought which they produced.

From the Paper
"Three and a half centuries before the birth of Christ, an ancient Athenian known as Plato expressed this negative view of the value of poetry and the arts in an essay he called The Republic. To the occupants of ancient Greece, drama and tragedy were considered part of the poetic arts, and to Plato, the most revered and respected of ancient Grecian philosophers, poetry and art misrepresent heroes, encouraged moral weakness and went against the principles of his notion of the ideal polis, or state. In The Republic, Plato condemns not only the value of poetry, but also the value of art in general. This condemnation was eventually to be refuted in the year 350 BC in an essay entitled The Poetics, an essay written by Plato's philosophical protege, Aristotle."

Tags:Plato, Aristotle, 'The, Republic', 'The, Poetics', Greece

Abstract
This paper discusses Plato's and Aristotle's views on the human soul. The paper makes the basic argument that both philosophers had different positions on the mind-soul relationship, the characteristics of the soul and the origin of the soul. The only thing they agree on is that souls come from other souls.

From the Paper
"The human soul has been a common topic of debate for philosophers ever since philosophers have existed. Both Plato and Aristotle theorized about the human soul. In most cases they presented very different arguments on the nature of the human soul. However, there are also a few similarities between their arguments. This essay will look at the arguments that both Plato and Aristotle made about the human soul. The three areas in which these philosophers differ are in terms of the relationship between the body and the soul, the nature of the soul and the ultimate origin of the soul."

Tags:plato, aristotle, soul

Abstract
This paper compares the qualities of the tragic hero found in Aristotle?s ?Poetics? with the character of Hamlet, and also contrasts how the two differ.

Tags:shakespeare

Abstract
This paper attempts to establish the character Othello in Shakespeare's Othello as a classic tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. The paper gives the various theories of Aristotle as found in his 'Poetics' related to tragedy and tragic hero.

Tags:othello, tragic, hero

Abstract
A critical analysis of the philosophies of Socrates. The author discusses Socrates' ideas and concepts about true happiness and pursuing God's will. It includes criticism and application to today's society.

From the Paper
"Socrates' philosophy has existed since before the birth of Jesus Christ. He recorded his thoughts concerning personal and political issues, giving his detailed and amazingly well thought out positions on each. He questioned everything around him, and discussed them with his friends and students, an exercise known as philosophizing. Socrates deemed that a truly happy man does not require material goods. He argued that it would be in one's best interest to consult a wise person before making an important decision, and that we should each comply with God's intentions above all others?. These arguments have been debated for centuries by many, and should be considered still, since they are important and relevant today, more than 2,000 years later."

Tags:apology, ethic, ethical, history, literature, moral, philosophy, plato, republic, western, wisdom, greek

Abstract
The paper discusses Socrates' assertions that there is a universal longing for happiness, that wisdom is necessary in order for someone to live a happy life and that wisdom is actually the only thing necessary for happy life. The paper examines these arguments and is of the opinion that they are compelling, but contends that Socrates does not adequately defend his proposition that wisdom is sufficient for a happy life. The paper discusses some possible objections to Socrates' beliefs.

From the Paper
"Socrates' arguments effectively support his claim, and clearly demonstrate at least one way in which wisdom enables its possessor to live a happy life. Socrates begins to develop his views by asking Cleinias a number of simple questions. These gently lead him towards ideas which, to begin with, resonate with those stated by Aristotle as being necessary for a life of eudaimonia - namely the possession of "many good things" . Together with Cleinias, Socrates develops a tentative list of what people readily regard as 'good things'. This contains health, beauty, wealth, good birth, power and honour: things that Aristotle labels 'external goods'."

Tags:Plato, Greek, Cleinias, Dionysodorus, Crito, Euthydemus, good, things

From the Paper
"The following research compares and contrasts three essays: "The Crito", by Plato; "Civil Disobedience", by Henry David Thoreau; and "Letter from Birmingham Jail", by Martin Luther King Jr. Socrates, Thoreau and King each addressed issues of freedom, human rights, and individual rights vs. state rights. Each philosopher was accused of having transgressed certain established codes set up by the state.

Socrates was imprisoned "on charges of corrupting youth and believing in gods other than the state's divinities". In his dialogues with Crito, he explores the nature of the ideal state and the individual in opposition to the goals established by the higher authorities. Plato has come to him in prison to urge him to escape, but Socrates' final resolve is not to challenge an authority which he has submitted to by virtue of ... "

Abstract
This paper addresses how Plato and Aristotle, although from similar traditions, differed in their perceptions of happiness. The comparison is done by addressing Aristotle?s ?Nicomachean Ethics? and Plato?s ?The Republic?.

Tags:ethics, greek, nicomachean, philosophy, republic, true, happiness

Abstract
This paper details Descartes's philosophical attempt at an ontological "proof" for the existence of God. Included is an outline of the intellectual and political times in which Descartes wrote, with a brief discussion of the possible impact this had on Descartes's arguments and focus. The history of ontological arguments and their validity is also discussed, as are the criticisms of such arguments.

From the Paper
"Rene Descartes was born in 1596 during a period of great scientific and religious upheaval. Scientific theories which had stood at the very core of society for over thirteen hundred years were being challenged by scientists such as Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei. They argued against the traditional Ptolemaic model of the Universe proposing instead a heliocentric model which suggested the Earth was not central but, along with other celestial bodies, circled the sun. Not surprisingly, this theory directly conflicted with Church doctrines which propagated the centrality of mankind in God's eyes and, consequently, a wide-spread conflict ensued between religion and science. The implications of this conflict led to a rise in speculation during these times regarding man's place in the world and God in relation to man."

Tags:cartesian, circle