Philosophy is a study of life, the world, and everything. It is not just confined to pondering over the existence of God or whether one can exist without a mind. This subject matter takes you on a journey all across human knowledge.
Philosophy essays sometimes seem a lot more challenging than they really are. The main reason for this is that students often do not know how to address various topics that philosophy entails. This article will deal with the most common of these that you may be asked about in your essay and provide some ideas on how to cover them adequately.
If you’re asked to write a philosophy essay, it means that the topic will be a broad and open one. Naturally, choosing such a topic can sometimes be difficult and confusing, but you can pay for essay on EssayHub and have a professional writer do it for you. This way, you don’t have to get bogged down by how complex things can get.
So, what are these common topics? What are their main features? And how do we approach them in our essays? Here’s your guide.
Topic 1: Is There A God?
Philosophy has always been preoccupied with life’s biggest question that still baffles humans even today after so many centuries of thought experiments and scientific discoveries: does God exist? This subject takes on this age-old question and evaluates the arguments for and against it.
What are some features of this question?
- It requires you to look at philosophical arguments (and counter-arguments) about God’s existence.
- You can use the Argument From Design and the Ontological Argument for this!
How to Approach This Topic
Your answer should include an explanation of what is meant by God (which will also mean explaining what is meant by ‘exist’). You must then evaluate these proofs/counter-proofs provided for or against the existence of God.
Finally, you should arrive at a conclusion which could be that there is no proof either way. You might even conclude that it is not possible to know whether God exists or not!
Topic 2: What Is Art?
This theme takes on one of philosophy’s oldest questions which have been explained in various ways by philosophers over the centuries. The question here is, ‘what is art?’ And while some might say that there are no boundaries when it comes to defining art, others believe that there are some features present in everything which makes something count as art!
What are some features of this question?
- It requires you to look at how various philosophers have defined art throughout history.
- You will be tested on your understanding of famous philosophers’ views.
How to Approach This Topic
Your response should contain an explanation of what the term ‘art’ refers to. You must then give the different definitions provided by artists and philosophers since Plato. It can help if you provide examples for each definition, so it becomes easier to understand!
Topic 3: What Is Love?
This is one of the most popular discussions in philosophy, and you can write about it from various perspectives (e.g., what is romantic love, parental love, or even how we might define different types of love). Regardless, this concept requires you to examine the different theories surrounding our understanding of love.
What are some features of this question?
- It requires you to analyze the definition(s) given for ‘love’ by philosophers throughout history. You don’t have to agree with these definitions, but you must explain them!
- You will be tested on your ability to evaluate philosophical arguments, so be prepared to explain what’s wrong or right with each theory.
How to Approach This Topic
Your answer might include an explanation of what ‘love’ means and how we can define it. You must then evaluate the different theories that philosophers have put forward (e.g., Platonic, Christian, etc.). Finally, state whether this fits with our everyday understanding of love or not.
Topic 4: What Is Knowledge?
This topic requires you to investigate the different theories surrounding our understanding of ‘knowledge.’ There are two main theories here, known as Reliabilism and Skepticism!
What are some features of this question?
- It forces you to explain and evaluate each theory associated with knowledge (e.g., how do we know what we know?).
- You can use examples from everyday life here!
How to Approach This Topic
Your answer might include an explanation of what ‘knowledge’ means. You must then explain why some philosophers think that knowledge is based on things that are true, correct, or justified (Reliabilism). In contrast, others believe that knowledge is something that is actually real (Skepticism). Finally, decide whether this definition is correct or not!
Topic 5: What Is Reality?
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This topic requires you to investigate different theories that surround our understanding of reality. There are two main theories here, known as Idealism and Realism.
What are some features of this question?
- It forces you to explain and evaluate each theory associated with reality (e.g., what is out there?).
- You can use examples from everyday life (e.g., when I look at this cup, I see a white circular object) or physics (e.g., electrons traveling around an atom) here!
How to Approach This Topic
Your answer might include an explanation of what ‘reality’ means. You must then explain why some philosophers think that reality is based on mental things that only exist within our minds (Idealism). At the same time, others think that reality is a physical thing outside of the mind but not necessarily created by it (Realism). Finally, decide whether this definition is correct or not!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of topics for philosophy essays out there, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one which suits your needs. Just keep in mind that your paper must sound original, even though most of these suggestions require additional explanations. Also, don’t hesitate to ask experts for help if needed since they’re usually happy to lend a hand with any task that might seem challenging at first!