You will need to pick a topic for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

You will need to pick a topic for me - Essay Example These are just some of the questions that plagued the venerated Philosopher David Hume. In section four of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume states that the majority of people believe that they are the ‘same’ person that they believe they were two, five or even ten years ago. Although many different aspects of themselves will have ‘changed,’ they still feel that their personal identity remains the same.1 So if we do not truly know ourselves, then what is this information that we have about ourselves? What are all these insights that only we have access to that we assume constitutes our identity? In this paper we will examine Hume’s theory that all we observe are our perceptions, not our true self. We will look at what Hume states in his treatise and discuss whether what he says is plausible in any way. Let us begin by examining Hume’s epistemology. Empiricism was a pivotal to Hume’s theories, particularly the work of Locke.2 Empiricism sought to â€Å"discover†¦the original, certainty, and extent of human knowledge.†3 Hume’s treatise was his attempt at â€Å"developing a ‘science of man,’†4 that would show and explain to us â€Å"the extent and force of human understanding†¦which could explain the nature of the ideas we employ, and of the operations we perform in our reasoning.†5 He believed that all human knowledge originates with experience, and that all of our experiences are of our own perceptions.6 It was when Hume applied these ideas to our personal identity and the notion of the ‘self’ that his argument against â€Å"the existence of a substantival mind†7 was born. His argument is a logical one, although worrying (to think that there is a possibility that we cannot know our true ‘self’). Hume believed that because all of our knowledge is derived from our experiences, and that our experiences depend directly upon our perceptions, that these

The use of Cocaine and how it affects our society Research Paper

The use of Cocaine and how it affects our society - Research Paper Example Inside the brain, it makes highly addictive and an intense form of euphoria that only lasts for hardly any instants. After only some seconds when this euphoria swiftly wears off, the individual experiences depression and the craving for more crack is intensified (GEO, 1991). The distribution of cocaine was started in the United States’ major cities from the time period of 1984. In the early years the cocaine was shipped to the USA through Miami from the coast of Dominican Republic and Bahamas. As the supplying quantity of the product increased on the islands, its rate started decreasing at the same time. After looking at the decreasing rate the dealers started making the product in solid form. Its benefit was it could be sold in small quantity to more number of people and it was ready to use (GEO, 1991). In the early years the ratio of purity in the cocaine was as high as 55% per gram in the major cities of USA including Detroit. Since the cocaine was of high purity and it had a very cheap price, it resulted in the addiction of people in a very short time. The first large scale use of crack began in Los Angeles in 1984 and within few years it had its availability in 28 states of USA, in which Detroit was also included (GEO, 1991). The effects of cocaine can be for individual as well as for the society. If the individual is effecting by the abuse of cocaine, this can in turn produce devastating effect on the society at the same time. An effected individual can affect the family, and the community, and thus the whole world is affected by the use of cocaine. The problems can include struggles with work, crime, law enforcement, financial problems, as well as a break down in the communities as well. The use of cocaine not only affects the users but also affects their families. The family suffers along with the drug addict through their ups and downs. This could be very critical for those who care