Essays
I don't have a strict rule for deciding what should be put here and what should go into a blog entry, but these tend to be much more in-depth and written over longer periods of time. Some of these are works in progress, or are so old that they may not be representative of my current views.
Darkademic's Philosophy: Pt I: Metaphysics & Epistemology
[ 4th May, 2005 ] First of a four-part essay explaining my philosophical ideas, covering metaphysics and epistemology. Metaphysics dealing with the fundamental nature of reality, and epistemology dealing with knowledge and how it is attained and validated.
Darkademic's Philosophy: Pt II: Ethics
[ 15th May, 2005 ] Ethics is the third major branch of philosophy which studies the nature and purpose of human action. For what end should one live? By what fundamental principle should one act in order to achieve this end? Who should benefit from one's actions?
Darkademic's Philosophy: Pt III: Politics
[ 19th May, 2005 ] Politics is the fourth major branch of philosophy. It is the science that defines the principles of a proper social system, including the proper functions of government. It defines man's relationship among each other by applying ethics to social questions. Politics is the application of ethics to a group of people - to society.
Darkademic's Philosophy: Pt IV: Aesthetics
[ 26th May, 2005 ] Aesthetics is the study of art. It includes what art consists of, as well as the purpose behind it. It also studies methods of evaluating art, and allows judgments of the art. Is art in the eye of the beholder? Does anything that appeals to you fit under the umbrella of art? Or does it have a specific nature? Does it accomplish a goal?
Online Multiplayer Games as Social Environments
[ 28th December, 2007 ] An examination of the nature of online multiplayer gaming in terms of its social characteristics, both positive and negative.
Politics on the Internet
[ 22nd August, 2008 ] An attempt to identify the positive and negative effects of the Internet on the political ideas of those who use it, and on the political system at large, and evaluate the potential the Internet has to shape the future of politics.
Refutation of Racism
[ 30th December, 2005 ] An in-depth analysis of racist premises, claims and arguments covering a broad range of fields including epistemology, biology, anthropology, ethics and politics.