...Running head: Existence of God The Existence of God Abstract There is always been a curiosity about God, the creator. Some question if it even exists as an entity. Others question of the operation of God, wondering if God is a single being or an umbrella term that describe multiple individual entities that operate as a unit. Regardless of the specifics, there is always been the argument and research/conversation about the existence of a universal God, and a continual search for evidence to prove once and for all if indeed God exists, or not. In this paper I plan to discuss the above topics, and provide evidence to support my assessment. The social influence on religion, the mind and science will be the primary area of focus. The Existence of God Statement of Research Problem Intuition can be defined as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning (Wikipedia). I will also include a personal definition for intuition: Intuition is the inherent spiritual compass that is used by man to guide his/her steps along the proverbial pathway of life. Some to validate their reason for belief in religion uses this spiritual compass. Others believe it only exists on a personal level, independent of any internal or external spiritual influence. Some believe in a spiritual element of life, which is something we cannot see, taste touch or feel; a “God” component that allows us to understand the ethereal...
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...In Two Wolves, in which the author in unknown tells a story about old Cherokee chief who was teaching his grandson a life lesson. He presents this story in the form of a parable in which he shares his thoughts and his analogy regarding a long fight between two wolves. This paper will review the authors ‘main arguments and will evaluate the quality of its original purpose. As described above, the main purpose for writing this parable is to present and analyze the average person’s inner fight with good vs evil. The author presents three main arguments: the evil, the good and who wins. Those three main arguments end up being his presentation and somewhat analysis of how humans have this never ending inner battle. He...
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...his book “The ego and the id” he discusses this theory of instincts at length. Freud[1962] in his discussion of the two classes of instincts states that the first class is the sexual instincts or Eros. This is a "...selfpreservative instinct,..."(P30). On the other hand there is the death instinct whose task it is to, "...lead organic life back into the inanimate state;..."(P30). He is thus entering into the field of the philosophy of opposites. Human nature, life and the universe is unerringly a collection of opposites. The answer to the question, “Is it possible to have something that does not have an opposite?” begs unending cognition. Hyams(1998) notes this in her article on dissociation. She says that the world is full of polarities - good/bad, inhaling/exhaling, high/low and so on. In addition the is yin/yang, protons/electrons, left/right, black/white, matter/anti-matter and so on endlessly. Does something exist that does not have an opposite? I am yet to think of one. As soon as one defines ‘x’, then ‘not x’ is immediately defined as well. However that is for the philosophers to conjugate over. THEORY OF OPPOSITES Freud’s theory of these two instincts certainly is a theory of opposites. One problem with such theories is that they can become static. One discusses what is a manifestation of Eros (the life instinct) and what is a manifestation of Thanatos (the death instinct). Eros = love, procreation, win/win situations, peace and cooperation, god. Thanatos = hate, murder...
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...USED: MLA Nick Barbir Mrs. Horne ENGL 102-B19 6 February 2012 The Most Dangerous Game vs. Young Goodman Brown In two of the most well-known short stories, “The Most Dangerous Game” and “Young Goodman Brown”, there are ironic similarities portraying evil between their settings, characterization, and plot. I. There happen to be different settings in both of the short stories but both of the settings adapt well with their plots. a. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” the setting takes place in the early 1920’s after the First World War on a small tropical island somewhere in the Caribbean, known as Ship-Trap Island by the sailors. b. Whereas, in the short story, “Young Goodman Brown” the story is set in the late seventeenth century in Salem, a small town northeast of Boston in Massachusetts around the time of the Salem witch trials. II. The characters in both of these short stories have close similarities to each other as they both demonstrate good and evil traits, which help the plot flow. a. The main characters in “The Most Dangerous Game” are Sanger Rainsford, General Zaroff, Whitney, and Ivan. b. The main characters in the story “Young Goodman Brown” are Goodman Brown, Faith, The Old Man/Devil Figure, The Minister, Goody Cloyse, and Deakon Gookin. III. The plot of the short stories, although they are different, both exhibit evil conflicts that develop throughout the story. a. The plot in “The Most Dangerous Game” is about hunting...
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...Evaluate a famous action adventure movie and explain why it works for the audience The Lord of the Rings series is one of the most famous action adventure movies of its time and is an acclaimed classic as well. It is an epic tale of action and adventure that goes far and beyond cultural boundaries and leads the audience to a mythical world that is suspended between the world we know and the fantasy we all wish we lived in. This movie has gained international fame and set a benchmark for the action adventure/ fantasy genre with its classic good versus evil plot, the mythical references and the magical realism that is artistically woven into the plot. The film is inspired by the series of books written J.R Tolkien and according to the author, he created ‘a secondary creation' that became reality that pulled the audience in as soon as they start watching the movie. Another reason why this movie was a ground breaking success is that it offers detailed battle scenes, hand to hand combat, thrill, suspense and a splash of romance on the side. Let’s not forget the mind blowing locations, costume and the superb animation that never fails to amaze the viewers of all ages. The audience is captivated by the conflict that arises in the main plot and spreads through the various subplots that are introduced in the later parts of the movie. Each aspect of the storyline is given due homage by the actors. The Middle world also takes on a universal appearance with which the audience can relate...
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...Caleb Robinson Rob Gibney English 260 December 9, 2014 Bless Me Ultima Analysis Bless Me Ultima in my opinion was the best book we read this year. This book had many literary elements for me to discuss. For time sake, I’ll be discussing some of the many themes that were presented in the novel. First theme, the author illustrates a loss of innocence by using the character of Antonio. Also the author shows good versus evil when given power, like the curandero and a witch which hold similar powers, but have used it differently. Lastly, I'll write about is the conflict of how the parents have different views/ influences that will lead Antonio to make a choice on what he wants from life. Since Antonio’s brothers are away at war he is left as the...
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...Cursory Analysis Having finished up with the answer of the evils of religion as opposed to the evils of civilization, Gandhi criticizes the requirement of protection from “the Pindaris, and the Bhils”. He states that suffering their perils would be better than requiring the British protection to repel it, as that would “render us effeminate”. The chapter is concluded by putting forth the idea that home rule can only be achieved when “we” stop fearing our countrymen, whoever or whatever they may be. Now the idea changes from pax britanica being questioned to how “Railways, lawyers, and doctors have impoverished the country”. Consumption is treated as a disease that plagues the population, showing a false pretense of wellbeing as is apparent from the lines “Consumption does not produce apparent hurt – it even produces a seductive color about the patient’s face, so as to induce the belief that all is well”. Now the concept of civilization being the broader umbrella which covers consumption and other such maladies is introduced. The example used to substantiate this assertion comes in the form of the railways, a symbol of modernity which showcases the spread of civilization. Arguments including the spread of germs, the bubonic plague, and evil in general is used to drive the point home. It is further stated that the same cannot be used to spread the word of the “good”, as the virtuous are not selfish and, hence, travel at a snail’s pace, further stating that the obstacle of distance...
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...Bartsch, Christine. “What Is the Theme of ‘Sweat’ by Zora N. Hurston?” What Is the Theme of "Sweat" by Zora N. Hurston? | Education - Seattle PI, Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 21 Nov. 2017, education.seattlepi.com/theme-sweat-zora-n-hurston-6714.html. This text talks about the great virtue of hard work possessed by Delia, who continually “breaks her back” to make ends meet for her family. This text associates Delia’s character with the symbol of virtue and purity which is evident in her religious commitment to church. The text also describes Delia’s struggle and pain inflicted by her husband Sykes and likens this to the universal motif of the struggle between “good and evil” where good always triumphs over evil. In my opinion this source correctly categorizes...
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...Evaluating value of Conflicts Value Conflicts and Key Terms Overview: This page offers a few different ways to use values to explore conflict. Understanding the values that motivate people in various situations helps students avoid oversimplification, damaging vilification, and undue self-congratulation. Building these habits of analysis can help students move away from a “good vs. evil” worldview and to begin seeking and evaluating the enormously complex variables of human behavior. Goals: 1. To give students a vocabulary and protocol to recognize motivating values and anti-values and to dissect conflicts into their component values. 2. To give students tools to analyze value conflicts, to evaluate the assumptions involved, and to generate predictive inferences and concrete steps towards a resolution. 3. Student will be able to recognize and avoid the fundamental attribution error, in which we habitually project personality flaws in others when they struggle, and look for situation-based explanations when we struggle. In short, students will practice perspective-taking, and be better able to put themselves in other people’s shoes. 4. Students will learn to recognize conflicting values within themselves, and to balance and prioritize their needs, goals, and desires. In General: 1. It’s difficult to pull values out of the air when evaluating a situation. There are a lot of them, and they can mean very different things to different people. I regularly use...
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...sessions he would ask questions and answer them the best he could. So I wondered, how different would the education system be if we had follow Socrates way of teaching? Socrates is one of the most important people in western philosophy. I found it interesting that we have no writings from his own hand, from his two students Plato and Xenophon. I agreed with Socrates claim that appearance of the body is less important than how it functions and true beauty comes from spirit and character. I questioned if spirit and character is more important than the physical appearance, why do modern society judge an individual based on their physical appearance? Journal Entry 12. Chapter 6: the Theory of forms. Pages 144. Thursday, February 20, 2014. Knowledge Vs. Opinion Plato is one of the philosophers that interest me the most because of his search for knowledge outside his “comfort zone.” Plato left the Athens and wandered for twelve years and during that time he studied mathematics and mysticism. For me, as a math minor, it was interesting to see how mathematics influenced Plato’s philosophy and I wondered, does an individual’s knowledge in science and math affect their philosophy claims and theories? After he finished most of his writing he founded his academy “Academos.” I was fascinated how Plato lectured without notes for forty years. Does knowledge come from the heart and soul? In Plato’s work theory of Forms he attempted to provide a rational explanation on what knowledge really is and...
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...Is Batman A Realist or Idealist? The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. The film introduces the character of Harvey Dent , Gotham's newly elected District Attorney and the cohort of Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes, who joins Batman and the police in combating the new rising threat of a criminal calling himself the "Joker”. As a society we watch hours of movies but do we really see the underline meaning of the movie; do we see the idealistic or realistic views that are being portrayed in the movie? Or we just watch for the laughs? In the Film The Dark Knight we see the main character who we know as “batman” displaying such character. According to A Novel Approach to Politics (pg. 3) it clearly states that The Dark Knight reflects what we all face in trying to balance the drive to do what we think would be best (idealism) with what we must do or are able to do which is (realism). What makes a person a realist or idealist? According to dictionary.com which is an online source; Idealism is the tendency to represent things in their ideal forms, rather than as they are. According to Action Films thriller 101 “Bruce Wayne is an idealist who believes he can alter the world’s crime ridden roots through the donning of a mask and a cape”. Wayne as an idealist is willing to sacrifice his life and anything he values for the cities future. He represents order and justice but in the same breath he seeks it as a vigilante...
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...Reading Tuvera’s The Virgin and The Sounds of Sunday is a satisfying experience. The reader sees the characters not just as names in the text, but as human beings breathing with life---laughing, crying, thinking, talking, shouting, lying in bed, walking in the streets and doing their daily chores---as if the scenes of their lives are revealed across the pages. What makes Tuvera distinct as a writer, as what the analysis of this study proves, is her simple, naturally flowing descriptive style of writing. It has also been seen in this study how Tuvera manipulates different linguistic elements as strategic devices in emphasizing a certain quality, idea, or issue. As a social realist, Tuvera parades through her masterful craft as a writer what one may fail to closely see in the lives of other people in the society. Reading them in her stories is like seeing them and listening to their experiences. Tuvera’s style as a writer is undeniably superb. The style of other writers are unquestionably masterful but perhaps what will International Peer Reviewed Journal 67 make readers stick with Tuvera is the simplicity and the beauty of her language which can make the reader relate to her immediately. The naturalness of her language is pure beauty. Her descriptions are exquisite. Other stories may carry you away but at times will get you distracted by the writer’s untimely use of high-falluting expressions which instead of adding more finesse...
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...of the world, there is an ongoing discussion about what it means to be a good person. Every society has different expectations and standards that it’s citizens are expected to adhere to, creating discrepancies in what the “proper” meaning of a “good” person is. Throughout different cultures, a common characteristic of a “good” person is someone that wants to help others and commits acts of a selfless nature; so, a good person is someone that lives not only for themselves, but for others, through selfless acts and the desire and drive to bear fruits of a good nature. Good People and Good Character If someone is to be a good person, they must first have good character. By definition,...
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...Nine theories of ethics that rule the world 1. Consequentialism maintains that the majority of an action depends on the nonmoral consequences that the action brings about. Morality of an action consists of the ratio of good to evil that the action produces. We should perform right and only right action in terms of good and evil, as each individual defines good and evil, and right and wrong. There is no objective right and wrong or good and evil. The person defines these. You bump into a car at the mall. You could leave a note, but since there were no witnesses and the owner is not around, you decide not to because you recognize that the damage is low (probably only a couple of hundred dollars). The car owner probably has insurance, and it would be such a hassle for the owner to contact you and your insurance company. You may have to end up paying higher premium, the owner may think ill of you—all of which are nonmoral reasons that may be unpleasant for you. Ethical egoism state that you should always act so that your actions produce what is in your own best long-term interests. Personal egoism states that an individual should always act in his or her own best long-term interests, but that does not say how others should act. Impersonal egoism states that an individual should always act in his or her own best long-term interest. 2. Values Clarification (Philosophical Relativism) teaches that the most important aspect is not what one believes, but being aware one’s...
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...Karthik Keni Phil 21 Greg Antill Part A: 1. The Evil Demon Argument In Descartes’ First Meditation, he completely shatters the foundations of his previous beliefs and then uses the evil demon argument as a platform in which he can explain the source of his beliefs. Descartes proposes the evil demon argument because he wants to instill doubt not only in himself, but also in his audience that God may not be the only “Supreme Being”. He believes God to be a good being that wouldn’t deceive us and lead our thoughts astray. The evil demon argument has the purpose of casting doubt on his belief that God is the only being who has the capability of implementing thoughts into his mind, creating doubt of the existence of an external world, and aiding his pursuit of a strong and certain foundation for all his knowledge and beliefs. In this argument, Descartes doesn’t refute the reality of a God, however I believe he presents the argument as if they both exist and that if he is being deceived it could not be from God, the good being, but the evil genius providing him with false sensory material. The primary claim of this skeptical argument is to doubt the reality of an external world that has the possibility of being created by an evil demon. Deceit could be defined in such a way that our minds are being controlled by an evil demon and that our senses of an external world are mistaken. Depicting the evil demon argument of Descartes in a science fiction way like “The Matrix,” made me...
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