http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/philosophy Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:59:15 -0400 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:59:15 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1947/architectural-beauty-as-a-public-good-through-the-lens-of-ritzer-and-kohn By Olivia Sun - After World War II, America’s baby boom and rapid migration into cities sparked a damaging housing crisis. This marked a turning point in architectural style: the rise of modernism. Modernism prioritizes function above all else and believes in the existence of a most efficient, most cost-effective housing blueprint. Hence, America rolled out planned housing developments by the masses with each community constructed in a near-identical fashion. This essay points to the consequential neglect of architectural beauty which is defined as a perfect reflection of the identity of a shared imaginative... Fri, 25 Mar 2022 02:16 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1947/architectural-beauty-as-a-public-good-through-the-lens-of-ritzer-and-kohn http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1927/deconstructing-social-classification-and-mobility-the-hindu-varna-system-platos-magnificent-myth-and-the-british-caste-system By Aadi C. Krishna - This research elucidates the striking parallelism between the Hindu Varna System and Plato's Magnificent Myth through an unorthodox view of their class-based classification, social mobility, and meritocracy while arguing that these stem from the Arguments from Division of Labor and Biological Determinism. Furthermore, it establishes that the Caste System introduced in India by the British in the 18th Century fundamentally differs from the systems followed in ancient India and Athens and investigates the fundamental forces and the motivations behind its implementation. Lastly, the paper conducts... Fri, 10 Dec 2021 02:49 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1927/deconstructing-social-classification-and-mobility-the-hindu-varna-system-platos-magnificent-myth-and-the-british-caste-system http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1902/biologization-of-capital-and-capitalization-of-biopower-connecting-foucault-and-marx By Tianhao Hou - Foucault raised the concept of biopower in the first volume of The History of Sexuality and placed its emergence in the context of capitalism, but he did not fully tackle the relationship between biopower and capitalism. In this article, the author fills this gap through a careful reading of Foucault and Marx, arguing that perpetual spirals are formed between biopower and capitalism and their techniques intersected on the human body. The author first traces the definitions of each concept in order to show that they can be discussed and drawn connection with each other. After that, he expands upon... Tue, 25 May 2021 09:33 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1902/biologization-of-capital-and-capitalization-of-biopower-connecting-foucault-and-marx http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1891/conservative-perspectives-of-political-outsiders By Audrey Cialdella - Western conservatism is often conceived as the philosophy of large landowners in the past and business executives in the present. Heightened awareness of racial and class disparities in recent years has increased the perception that conservatism is the ideology of the elite. In this paper, I will explore the conservative philosophies of three individuals who contradict this notion: Cicero, Edmund Burke, and Alexander Hamilton. I argue that conservatives consider their in-group to be those who share their values and traditions, and those traditions and values are their most salient identity. Disruption... Thu, 18 Mar 2021 04:39 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1891/conservative-perspectives-of-political-outsiders http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1887/reconstructing-ruin-as-future-rethinking-the-spatiotemporality-of-race-and-gender-in-glissant-and-spillers-middle-passage By Yiyang Chen - Intersecting Edouard Glissant’s poetics with Hortense Spillers’ theory of race, gender, and sexuality alchemizes a new conception of the Middle Passage’s spatiotemporality. With the slave trade haunting the living, this paper attempts to orient a rupture in the fabric of spacetime, through which implosion leads to a new future. The destructive and destabilizing abyss of the Middle Passage, in itself, creates a philosophy of alterity, where linear, universalizing logics of the West become ruin through which new paradigms emerge. In Poetics of Relation, Glissant delineates three... Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1887/reconstructing-ruin-as-future-rethinking-the-spatiotemporality-of-race-and-gender-in-glissant-and-spillers-middle-passage http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1886/the-self-cognizant-idea-and-the-methodological-transformation-of-hegel-marx-and-ditltheys-historiography By Youngdahl Kaylee - The transformation of the philosophy of history reveals how and why methodological systems change over time. Methodological systems engage in contemplative action, and strive to assemble a distinguishable pattern of historical study. Though structure develops its own epistemology, without a shared notion of collective human experience there would be no collective history to reflect upon. This study maps the changes of philosophic methodology, within the context of historical study, from 1800-1850, but maintains that the action of reflective contemplation remains. The methodological systems of... Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1886/the-self-cognizant-idea-and-the-methodological-transformation-of-hegel-marx-and-ditltheys-historiography http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1828/humes-law-and-genetic-engineering-considering-the-possible-implications-of-positive-eugenics-in-light-of-our-horrific-past By Chad E. Brack - The eugenics movement of the 20th century epitomizes the danger that is possible when religion and science coalesce. Grounded in the emerging science of evolution and heredity, social Darwinists superimposed beliefs about social worth, racial superiority, and divine providence onto unbiased scientific research. Eugenicists combined religious and cultural ideas about inferior people with pseudoscientific justifications to impart their beliefs onto others in tangible ways. Vestigial eugenics practices still exist in modern American social systems, and new technologies are paving the way for a potential... Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1828/humes-law-and-genetic-engineering-considering-the-possible-implications-of-positive-eugenics-in-light-of-our-horrific-past http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1793/ergodic-textuality-in-egan-and-ozeki-the-rhetorical-dialogism-of-time-being By Taylor G. Hein - Human beings decided that time is linear. We continually assert that is made up of the past, present, and future, proceeding infinitely and mercilessly in an exclusively forward motion. Thus, our lives and our relationships are experienced linearly. Grounded in the fear of its purported rigidity and absoluteness, we lament time’s passing and the war it wages on our bodies and our minds. So, we conclude that we are powerless against it. Over its short history, humanity has proven itself to be epistemologically inclined, desiring to remain in the realm of culturally imposed ideals of &ldquo... Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1793/ergodic-textuality-in-egan-and-ozeki-the-rhetorical-dialogism-of-time-being http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1771/hyperreality-and-the-consumption-of-the-subject-as-object-in-black-mirror By Megan Kirkwood - Jean Baudrillard’s essay ‘The Precession of Simulacra’ from Simulacra and Simulation (1981) is a key postmodern text to understanding the contemporary technological Western world. ‘The Precession of Simulacra’ explores Baudrillard’s central concepts of simulacra, simulation and hyperreality. Baudrillard argues that we now live in a world of signs, that ‘just about everything is a matter of signification, […] obviously connected with an explosive growth in media, but related also to changes in the conduct of everyday life’.[1] In ‘The... Wed, 09 Oct 2019 08:45 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1771/hyperreality-and-the-consumption-of-the-subject-as-object-in-black-mirror http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1764/unveiling-ultimate-reality-in-platos-allegory-of-the-cave-and-the-bhagavad-gita By Rocco A. Astore - Questions regarding the very foundations of our reality abound throughout the history of world philosophies. For example, if we examine Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” as well as the Bhagavad Gita, we find that both masterpieces illustrate a reality of greater perfection than ordinary, everyday existence. In other words, we find Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” expounding the truth of a reality which is everlasting, above and beyond mundane existence, while at the same time ever-present, life-giving, and benevolent. Although surprising to some, we find a similar... Fri, 27 Sep 2019 07:36 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1764/unveiling-ultimate-reality-in-platos-allegory-of-the-cave-and-the-bhagavad-gita http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1656/the-value-and-benefit-of-an-enlightened-people-for-the-continuity-of-democratic-societies By Rocco A. Astore - Political philosophers and theorists alike continue to debate if more enlightened populations would be of value or not. This piece will contribute to that dispute by claiming that an enlightened populace is integral to the progress of free-societies. First, through Kant’s political and moral philosophy this piece will outline what being a free or enlightened person truly involves. Next, by drawing from Rousseau’s On the Social Contract, this essay will describe his vision of a citizen and how one can understand it as the political equivalent of what Kant would call an enlightened member... Thu, 19 Oct 2017 09:34 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1656/the-value-and-benefit-of-an-enlightened-people-for-the-continuity-of-democratic-societies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1628/the-fundamental-illegitimacy-of-facism-and-the-innate-desire-for-freedom By Rocco A. Astore - This piece examines the ideologies and tactics used by fascist governments to validate and enforce their authority through Michael Mann’s work Fascists. By explicating Kant’s view of autonomy and progress, found in “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” and Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, it is demonstrated that people are fundamentally progressive beings with innate capacities for freedom. Moreover, explaining J.S. Mill’s view of the innate progressiveness and value of individuality in On Liberty, it is asserted that fascist demands of obedience... Thu, 27 Apr 2017 10:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1628/the-fundamental-illegitimacy-of-facism-and-the-innate-desire-for-freedom http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1626/the-purposive-power-of-natural-theology-on-moser-and-the-christian-apologetics By Jimmy R. Lewis - In recent years there has been quite a bit of talk in philosophy of religion regarding how relevant and how purposive natural theology is, especially in comparison with experiential evidence. One major proponent of this recent skepticism in relation to natural theology is Paul K. Moser. Moser believes that natural theology may in fact be a satisfactory means to arriving at theism, but not to personal theism. This is problematic for Moser, because he believes that the goal of Christian apologetics ought to be to convince people not only of the existence of a divine being, but also that the divine... Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1626/the-purposive-power-of-natural-theology-on-moser-and-the-christian-apologetics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1609/the-rebel-hero-albert-camus-and-the-search-for-meaning-amidst-the-absurd By Meghan E. Von Hassel - Man in his search for meaning—everyman— is Albert Camus’ rebel. In The Rebel man must accept and seek to encounter the universe as it presents itself in absurdity. He encounters the universe out of a strange love and a need for something in which he can place his hope: “a moment comes when the creation ceases to be taken tragically; it is merely taken seriously. Then man is concerned with hope.”[1] Rebellion in the face of absurdity finds hope in the beauty of solidarity which is rooted in the dignity of man, namely, that there is value in human life. In the darkness... Tue, 04 Apr 2017 02:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1609/the-rebel-hero-albert-camus-and-the-search-for-meaning-amidst-the-absurd http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1629/theistic-explanations-of-the-ontology-of-consciousness By Rashad Rehman - Consciousness is a thought-provoking phenomenon. In recent decades, though, the philosophy of mind has revealed consciousness to be, in the words of Thomas Nagel, "what makes the mindbody problem intractable" (Nagel, 1979). Though consciousness has made the mind-body problem seemingly intractable, to some philosophers, fi nite and irreducibly subjective conscious experiences call for an explanation (Locke, 1959). It seems to some that a scientific explanation will not and cannot provide an adequate explanation for the existence of consciousness. Although this is controversial, the important natural... Sat, 01 Apr 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1629/theistic-explanations-of-the-ontology-of-consciousness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1569/the-telos-of-history-as-understood-by-hegel By Rocco A. Astore - Is there a goal or purpose to history? And if so, how is one to determine its starting point, the ways in which it develops, and how it achieves its aim? Luckily, one philosopher, Hegel, analyzed history philosophically and tried to answer these very same questions. The purpose of this piece is to first investigate Hegel’s understanding of history, its inceptions, its progression, and its goal. Next, by demonstrating how history’s goal is already a conceptual reality, despite the phenomena of its advancement, I will argue that Hegel believes that the telos or finality inherent to the... Mon, 13 Mar 2017 12:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1569/the-telos-of-history-as-understood-by-hegel http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1547/the-value-of-reason-in-the-stoic-philosophies-of-epictetus-and-aurelius By Rocco A. Astore - Philosophers have long debated the meaning of virtuousness and the role that reason plays in achieving it. According to the Stoic philosophers Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, virtue comes through a proper understanding of nature, its processes, as well as one’s place in it. This piece will first explicate Epictetus’ and Aurelius’ views concerning nature, its workings, and the role that reason plays in it. Next, I will explicate both of their views on what one can do to garner rationality, through their shared brand of Stoicism. Finally, I will argue that the ability people have... Wed, 01 Mar 2017 12:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1547/the-value-of-reason-in-the-stoic-philosophies-of-epictetus-and-aurelius http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1499/was-spinoza-a-kabbalist-the-influence-of-jewish-mysticism-in-book-i-of-ethics By Rocco A. Astore - Throughout philosophy’s history, some of its most prominent thinkers have drawn inspiration from sources outside of its canon. It is of my opinion that one of these philosophers, Spinoza, in the first book of his Ethics, borrowed elements of the Kabbalah, to portray his image of God. The first purpose of this piece is to explicate Spinoza’s understanding of God, or Nature so that the reader can assess and become familiarized with his views. Next, by using Daniel C. Matt’s The Essential Kabbalah, the Heart of Jewish Mysticism, I will hope to convey a general idea of the Kabbalist... Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:07 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1499/was-spinoza-a-kabbalist-the-influence-of-jewish-mysticism-in-book-i-of-ethics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1430/genealogy-of-a-crisis-europe-greece-and-the-management-of-the-refugee-population By Helen Makkas - As Europe’s frontier with the Muslim East, Greece has been cast as backward, and not worthy of full sovereignty since the earliest years of its independence from the Ottoman empire. Greece's contradictory position as guardian of the origins of European civilization, and now of Fortress Europe on the one hand, and as pariah on the other, informs the tension between Greece and the EU that unfolds in the management of the current refugee crisis.The designation and self-perception of Greece as a pariah state combined with the exposure of the hypocrisy of EU rights discourse produces a violent... Tue, 26 Jul 2016 07:25 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1430/genealogy-of-a-crisis-europe-greece-and-the-management-of-the-refugee-population http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1426/nagarjunas-idealism-as-a-metaphysical-justification-against-ignorance By Rocco A. Astore - The revered Madhyamika Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna is a central figure in the history of Eastern thought. In his Seventy Stanzas, Nagarjuna shares his views on many eternal questions including inquiries into what it means to have a proper understanding of the mind and the objects that it perceives. Though counterintuitive, he believes that one should regard all objects as being ultimately immaterial because if objects were not ideational, one’s immaterial mind would not be able to perceive them (1). Nagarjuna’s view derives from his belief that the mind is an immaterial sense organ... Tue, 28 Jun 2016 06:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1426/nagarjunas-idealism-as-a-metaphysical-justification-against-ignorance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1410/defining-the-legitimacy-and-power-of-the-state-through-weber-and-foucault By Rocco A. Astore - As a founder of sociology, Max Weber influenced the social sciences immensely. In his “Politics as a Vocation,” Weber claims that one of the definitions of the state is its ability to employ legitimate violence as a means of control in a given territory.[1] He also claims that one can define the state as being a human community where people struggle with one another for what is ultimately a greater share of the power to apply legitimate force.[2] But, should one only support Weber’s claims despite the fact that states also employ knowledge as a means to preserve their power?[... Tue, 24 May 2016 11:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1410/defining-the-legitimacy-and-power-of-the-state-through-weber-and-foucault http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1387/plotinus-ontology-and-the-problem-of-matter By Rocco A. Astore - Within The Enneads, Plotinus claims all existence derives from an entirely immaterial and benevolent source which he calls the One.[1] At the same time, he also states matter corrupts that which is immaterial, and one should not understand it as being good.[2] Therefore, how can one state that Plotinus is being consistent when he claims that all things derive from an all-good One, yet bodies are defective in nature? With this piece, I will first describe Plotinus’ understanding of the One. Next, I will state his notions concerning the nature of souls and bodies. I will then state his views... Wed, 30 Mar 2016 04:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1387/plotinus-ontology-and-the-problem-of-matter http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1380/adam-smith-and-religious-plurality-in-america By Drew Liquerman - Smith's writings, most importantly An Enquiry into the Wealth of Nations,[1] greatly influenced James Madison in his thoughts on the disestablishment of religion as espoused in Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (Remonstrance),[2] in the Federalist Papers (specifically #10 and #51), and in the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. Due in part to Smith’s influence on Madison, our country was founded on the principles of separation of church and state and religious liberty, which has led to the flourishing and acceptance of a multitude of religious... Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1380/adam-smith-and-religious-plurality-in-america http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1370/understanding-nirvana-in-theravada-and-mahayana-buddhism-in-support-of-nagarjunas-mahayana-perspective By Rocco A. Astore - The path towards and the meaning of Nirvana have been central issues to many theorists of the Buddhist Tradition. With this paper, I will describe the path toward and the state of Nirvana from a Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist perspective. By doing so, I hope to show that Mahayana Buddhism’s view of Nirvana, or the altruistic compassion that results from one’s spiritual flawlessness in this life, outdoes the Theravada belief that once a person reaches Nirvana any facet of the human condition can no longer phase them.[1] Finally, by drawing on the writings of Nagarjuna, I argue that... Thu, 25 Feb 2016 02:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1370/understanding-nirvana-in-theravada-and-mahayana-buddhism-in-support-of-nagarjunas-mahayana-perspective http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1367/problematising-the-critical-realist-positional-approach-to-intersectionality By Ioana Cerasella Chis - Intersectionality is a much contested term which has been considered ‘a theory, a paradigm, a framework, a method, a perspective, or a lens’ (449; see Carbin and Edenheim 2013; Davis 2008). Academically, it offers a bridge for both generalist and specialist theorists to discuss the inter-relatedness of oppressive structures, identities, and experiences (Davis 2008:74-76). Hancock wonders whether intersectionality ‘can be the intellectual property of a single demographic group or whether it is in fact a meme’ (2015:624), while Carbin and Edenheim assert that intersectionality... Sun, 21 Feb 2016 02:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1367/problematising-the-critical-realist-positional-approach-to-intersectionality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1354/examining-free-will-through-spinoza-and-descartes By Rocco A. Astore - According to Spinoza, for something to be entirely free it must be uncompelled in all ways and also the cause of itself.[1] Furthermore, because he believes that there is only one substance that causes itself, which is God, or Nature, and since he states it is uncompelled due to its existence being identical to its essence, it follows that due to its essence being of a self-determined nature, it by necessity exists without being dependent on any other being.[2] Also, since God is uncompelled, all things that derive from it are modes of its attributes and are not to be understood as being at the... Sun, 14 Feb 2016 03:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1354/examining-free-will-through-spinoza-and-descartes http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1338/comparing-the-political-theories-of-lao-tzu-and-machiavelli-arguments-in-favor-of-political-rights-and-fair-leadership By Rocco A. Astore - Within Lao Tzu’s Tao-Teh-Ching and Machiavelli’s The Prince, there are similar notions concerning how a ruler should maintain order and how he/she can be an effective leader. According to the former, it is best if people are blind to the operations of the state, so that they may always be in awe of their sovereign, much like the latter’s reasons to conclude that it is safer for a prince to be feared instead of loved.[1] With this essay, I explore how Lao Tzu’s and Machiavelli’s political theories are alike, by explicating their ideas concerning the ways in which a... Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:40 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1338/comparing-the-political-theories-of-lao-tzu-and-machiavelli-arguments-in-favor-of-political-rights-and-fair-leadership http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1327/hans-jonas-critique-of-the-modern-concept-of-causality By Joao B. Farias Jr - Hans Jonas main objective in his book The phenomenon of life is to offer an interpretation of the phenomenon of Being that is neither conditioned to dualism nor to a partial conception of being, such as those developed by idealism and by materialism. This essay presents some considerations concerning the Jonasian critique of the concept of causality as formulated by Kant and by Hume. After all, Jonas maintains that, because his ontology is based in the organic phenomenon of life, it requires a revision of what one understands as causality. The senses, or rather, the body that senses itself, is... Fri, 15 Jan 2016 02:36 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1327/hans-jonas-critique-of-the-modern-concept-of-causality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1385/virtue-ethics-and-its-potential-as-the-leading-moral-theory By Alexandra M. Sakellariouv - There has been a modern revival of interest in virtue ethics as a plausible moral theory. There has been dissatisfaction with the way many modern moral theories emphasize moral obligation and law at the expense, some argue, of the individual (Slote, 1997, p. 175). Hence, virtue ethics now stands as one of the leading moral theories in ethics. This paper will explore the potential of virtue ethics as a plausible moral theory. It will begin by explaining the main arguments of a virtue ethical approach and the advantages it has over other moral theories. It will then go on to discuss three of the... Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1385/virtue-ethics-and-its-potential-as-the-leading-moral-theory http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1140/platos-republic-as-moral-poetry By Benjamin R. Tarr - One of the greatest ironies of Plato's Republic is that, although he condemns the poets and exiles them from his idyllic city, the Republic is perhaps one of the greatest literary works of all time, and a poem in its own right. Although written in prose, it is riddled with intricate symbolism and poetic elements. What sets it apart from the works of poets like Homer is that Plato makes every possible effort to educate his readers in a positive way, rather than presenting them with the dangerous sort of education he finds other poets guilty of. This is clear from many of the arguments presented... Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1140/platos-republic-as-moral-poetry