Exact relation between Appearance and reality

[tRand]

I have just been given the assignment to write a short essay comparing and contrasting the exact relation between appearance and reality in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Leibniz's "Discourse on Metaphysics," by focusing on particular passages from each work.

I have a pretty rough idea about what I want to discuss in the paper, but I'm curious to get some of your perspectives on this question.

A Few questions:
How would you approach this essay?
How do you determine an exact relation between these two concepts in a play like Hamlet?
Do you feel that Shakespeare is capable of informing the larger philosophical debates over the nature of appearance and reality?
Which writer is better able to characterize the relationship between these two concepts (i.e. Shakespeare or Leibniz)?

 

[TimeAsylums]

Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Leibniz's "Discourse on Metaphysics"

How would you approach this essay?

I'd begin by masturbating once or twice. If you're in an especially good mood, thrice. This is to be followed by sexual intercourse. I would then procrastinate up until three days before the due date, and then begin conceptualizing. After a day or two of conceptualizing, I would make an operationalization method. In the crunch time, I would then operate by the operationalization method. Celebrate with intercourse.

er, no that's every essay.

Spoiler

idk. Open with definition of "appearance," e.g., personal perception, and "reality," e.g., empirical reality. Start with either Shakespeare or Leib, take what you can from one, then go on to the other, then compare and contrast?

 

[The Gopher]

^ I mean if you think about everything you are going to do and how to do it perfectly before you start you hardly need long to do it, in fact I wish they would take out that requirement.

 

[tRand]

These are some really cute responses, but I already have a method for writing papers, in general. Besides, that much masturbation and sexual intercourse -- three masturbation sessions before intercourse!? -- is not conducive to the kind of lucid thinking I typically put into my academic papers.

I guess I could have been more clear with my first question. I was primarily wondering how to go about explicating an "exact relation" between appearance and reality. What does it mean to have an "exact relation" between two philosophical concepts? Is this an ontological, epistemological, or other kind of question?

As much as I appreciate the two previous responses, I would appreciate some more substantive responses as well.

 

[TimeAsylums]

how to go about explicating an "exact relation" between appearance and reality. What does it mean to have an "exact relation" between two philosophical concepts? Is this an ontological, epistemological, or other kind of question?

Spoiler

Ah, I was wondering whether it was "compare and contrast" or "exact relation."

Feel free to nudge me if I'm going in the wrong direction, but

the "exact relation" between empirical reality and personal/private perception would simply be the relation between

Philosophy of Perception / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception and Reality/Empirical Reality


oops, i'm rambling, so yeah ontological and epistemological

it seems like a routine discussion on perception v/u reality (empirical, phenomenalism, perception, etc), just including leib and Shakespeare

(i honestly have no idea if what I'm saying is helping, if you uploaded the prompt verbatim it might help)

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I was primarily wondering how to go about explicating an "exact relation" between appearance and reality. What does it mean to have an "exact relation" between two philosophical concepts?

How about reality is completely divorced from perception, specifically in that reality is motion and perception is what a single piece of reality sees when it fills in the gaps between other pieces of reality? Holograms, dood.

Any help whatsoever?

 

[tRand]

Thanks for the input. The holograms perspective is interesting, especially for the Shakespearean account of appearance and reality. I'm still trying to sort out what exactly Leibniz is talking about in his Discourse, but I know it's a much more systematic/axiomatic account of the relationship than Shakespeare offers. If anyone is familiar with Leibniz, I would definitely appreciate some insight into how he would characterize the relation between appearance and reality.

Here's the exact prompt:

The difference between appearance and reality, seeming and being is an important theme throughout Hamlet. Identify what you take to be the exact relation between these two concepts by focusing on a particular passage in Shakespeare’s tragedy.
Next choose one other work we've read that you believe treats this issue and discuss how it deals with the relation between appearance and reality. You will need to compare and contrast the texts in order to access a deeper similarity or difference.

 

[Vrecknidj]

How would you approach this essay?

Methodically.

How do you determine an exact relation between these two concepts in a play like Hamlet?

I think your instructor is asking for more than is realistic to expect from the students. That said, if I were a student, I'd just try my best.

Do you feel that Shakespeare is capable of informing the larger philosophical debates over the nature of appearance and reality?

Yes. Shakespeare's influence was/is tremendous.

Which writer is better able to characterize the relationship between these two concepts (i.e. Shakespeare or Leibniz)?

Depends upon the reader. Different readers will be affected differently, and more or less deeply, by different authors.