...understanding of what we, and the world we inhabit, are like. The 1st order ethical question asks what to do or be in a certain kind of situation- Sartre uses his answer to give a picture of Human Nature. The cosmic question states: “how can one bring into one’s individual life a recognition of one’s relation to the universe as a whole, whatever that relation is?” Sartre answers this by saying that the cosmic question has no answer, but his sense is that the absence of an answer, even if we aren’t aware of that, is something palpable in our lives and needs to be addressed and we need to cope with it. His idea of human nature is really an exploration of how we should deal with the fact that there is no answer to this cosmic question. For Sartre, to understand the structure of this world as a whole, one has to understand the place consciousness has in the world. He continues to emphasize that our consciousness is what makes us distinct, makes us human. Intentionality, self consciousness, self-determination, and their interconnectedness. Firstly, let me iterate that “intentionality” is being used in a sense NOT related to one of its meanings which means “deliberate”. I am not referring to the “intentional” as “deliberate” in this paper. “Intentionality” is a technical term from Medieval Philosophy. Let’s explore the aspects of intentionality. “Intentionality: a term for the fact that certain relations we stand in have intentional objects” (lecture 4). Sartre believes that intentionality...
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...Basic philosophical questions 5 Effects on society due to the naturalistic worldview 8 Dangers of naturalism to society 9 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 11 Describing Naturalism according to Naugle, Stone and Danto. “Naturalism is an impression determined by the subjugation of the intellectual facts to the mechanical order of things” (Naugle 2002:96) “This is a set of beliefs and attitudes that focus on this world on the negative side it involves the assertion that there seems to be no ontologically distinct and superior realm (such as God, soul or heaven) to ground, explain, or give meaning to this world. On the positive side it affirms that extension should be focused on the events and processes of this world to provide what degree of explanation and meaning are possible to this life” (Stone 2008:1) “Religious naturalisms the type of naturalism which affirms asset of beliefs and attitudes that there are religious aspects of this world which can be appreciated within a naturalistic framework” (Stone 2008:1) “Naturalism, in recent usage, is a species of philosophical monism according to which whatever exist or happens is natural in the sense...
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...(1854) and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature (1836), there are comparable beliefs regarding simplicity and the capacity of the human mind. Transcendentalism is considered a philosophy of self-reliance and individualism, however transcendentalism was often seen as more than a philosophy; it was treated almost as a religion. Nature was viewed as its church and it idealizes God as its sacred being. Emerson’s and Thoreau’s key theme in their writings was to help one reconnect with nature and gain a simpler understanding of life. For instance, Henry David Thoreau experiments the transcendentalist beliefs about nature by living at Walden Woods in a small cabin on Emerson's property. Here Thoreau discovered the simplicity in nature and the exposure it brings to our mind. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that nature is what imposes us not to rely on others' ideas but to establish our own. Nature is always changing so we must keep seeking for the meaning of human life. Thoreau wanted to live a simple life, in order to find a deeper meaning of human existence. He writes, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I...
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...work with a diverse clientele. The decision of what should go in the toolbox is dictated by the social worker’s framework, which is the beliefs, experiences, and theories the social worker possess about society, humans, and their behavior. I will develop my own theoretical framework by discussing the nature of human beings, whether human behavior is purposeful, what makes people change, what the role of the environment is, the effect of human development on behavior, my social work personality and style, my...
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...THOUGHT TOPIC “What is important about any philosophy is not what is explains, but what it assumes”. Discuss this question critically and provide examples of assumptions which underpin Machiavellian & Platonic philosophies. In this paper I will discuss the assumptions which underpin Machiavellian & Platonic philosophies in reference to The Republic and The Prince. My position is that both Machiavallian and Plantonic philosophies make assumptions in exemplifying their notions. Machiavelli’s is intentional while Plato’s is unintentional. Also both philosophies through their assumptions sometimes contradict each other. Well expressed In discussing his notion above it is important to understand the basic theory and ideas of Machiavelli and Plato. Both Machiavelli and Plato produce arguments for order in the state but they have different notions of how to go about order. Plato obsesses with certainty and has an ideal form of order, while order with Machiavelli is learning to live with uncertainty. Machiavelli believes we need to be able to work with insecurity and not try and produce certainty. He believes we embrace uncertainty by developing our own armour. Knowledge is the basis of leadership for Plato while Power is the basis of leadership for Machievelli. In the Republic the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato's views on philosophy. Basically, we are all in the cave and Philosophy is what brings us out of the cave. Plato believes that Philosophy is the...
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...Every Timely and Ever Timeless There are lots of question in our minds that cannot be answered by human reason alone, our mind is not capable of answering and knowing these uncertainties not because of our lack of willingness to know things but through the minds limitations, it’s a fact that there are things that we know and things that we don’t know, to support this statement, The critique of pure reason according to Immanuel Kant is that to point out a knowledge based on experience according to him as posteriori knowledge and that of the universal knowledge we individually experience in turn is the Priori knowledge, my point is that we cannot stop wondering of things since we are imperfect human beings who were not fed with all the mysteries...
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...Natural Law, according to MacKinney (2013) is the moral law written into nature itself, and what we ought to do is determined by considering certain aspects of nature. Specifically, we ought to examine our nature as human beings to see what is essential for us to function well as members of our species. Social Darwinism, as explained by Quist-Adade (2006) is the theory that believes some societies, races, etc are endowed with superior genes, while others inherit inferior genes. In this paper I will talk about the relationship between natural law and Social Darwinism and between Social Darwinism and racism. I will also explain if my opinion about Social Darwinism changed or remained the same after reading the article “What is race and what is racism” by Quist-Adade. Finally I will explain how the theory of Social Darwinism and the information in the article influenced my views on natural law and natural rights, and what problems might arise from trying to apply these theories in society. After reading the article, the relationship of natural law and Social Darwinism did surprise me a little. Professor Bannister writing for Encarta Online Encyclopedia explains Darwin applied his theories of natural selection specifically to people in The Descent of Man, which many critics viewed as justification for the cruel social policies in England at the time, and imperialism abroad. Herbert Spencer used his understanding of Darwin’s evolution theory and combined it with natural law to come...
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...knowing, and all good being. What I want to focus on is God’s son, Jesus. The doctrine in Christianity known as the trinity describes God as being one with Jesus, as well as the Holy Spirit. This union means that Jesus must be a divine being – Jesus is God. Clearly, however, Jesus is also depicted and described as one who is human as well. How can Jesus be both God and a man? How is it that Jesus is seen as having the divine characteristics that are fitting of God, yet has all the characteristics of a mortal? These are the questions I want to focus on and hopefully make some sense out of. Christian theology employs the idea of the Hypostatic union between God and Jesus which means that Christ is in fact one person with two fully complete natures. Jesus is completely human and completely God at the same time. There is no dilution or separation of these qualities. Jesus is simply both with the two distinct natures existing concurrently. However, I find issue with this idea. Is it not contradictory? Jesus obviously takes on the form of a mortal man as evidenced by certain passages in the scriptures. Luke 2:52 says “And Jesus grew in in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” This passage illustrates that Jesus may not have been omniscient. If he was still growing in knowledge, then he must not be all knowing. The passage, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have”, from Luke 24:39 shows...
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...According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, human nature is defined as “the nature of humans, especially, the fundamental dispositions and traits of humans” (Dictionary). Efforts to identify the exact nature of humankind date back centuries ago, as numerous thinkers and theologians debate the topic. The issue whether human nature is programmed in humans’ brains or if it is a decision based on beliefs, society, and the culture is very arguable. Philosophers throughout history, such as Thomas Hobbes, have offered their viewpoints of human nature, eventually reaching Sigmund Freud and other modern philosophers. However, in A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess writes a story of a dystopian future version of Britain with the story revolving...
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... I believe we as human beings have distinguishing characteristic that we passed down to one another since the beginning of time. Things such as the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we act. It’s what we use to provide what we receive as normal when we are judging how best to live amongst our peers and as individuals. Human Nature is the tool we have used since the first human being was crated and placed upon this earth. It is the tool we are all born with that directs us in the decisions we make whether they are wise decisions or bad choices. Human nature is who we are as a species. Human nature is why today’s society is a place where self preservation is first and foremost important over all things. With that said, I know feel I can move onto the topic of my individual world view. I am Christian. I hold a Christians worldview and stand strong behind it. It is very much considered whenever I make decision about my life and I base my life style on it as well. I decided the best way for me to give a vivid account of what it is that I believe, that I should at least supply comparisons to what I believe so that the message that I am trying to get across is clear and understood. I believe that my worldview is the true and only worldview one should process and in my description of three other types of worldviews (New Age Movement, Pantheist, and Atheist), I hope that at the end of my initial statement you come to agree. From what I know of Pantheist and what their...
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...1) I believe that although there is no dialogue or actors in this film, there is still a discernable narrative that guides the film. The first shots in the film are entirely of naturally occurring landscapes and phenomenon that occur on Earth. Although no dialogue is ever spoken, the music combined with the scenic nature shots create a sort of “build up” to the next element introduced to the film, humans. The narrative throughout Koyaanisqatsi, seems to be a reflection of the increasing impact that sentient life has on a planet. It is interesting, however, to observe which footage Reggio used to depict this mounting involvement of humans and technology into the plot. At first, I thought Reggio was attempting to make a statement about the harmful impact of environmental pollution caused by man. However, as the film progressed, the footage of technology and man seemed to play an indifferent role towards nature. The footage of factories and vivid time-lapse shots of city skylines at night are not portrayed in a negative light but instead in more of a chaotic one. In my interpretation, this chaos of the human impact on nature and the growing complexity of technology are depicted because that is simply how life has become for modern humans. Life is chaotic and the addition of increasingly intelligent beings trying to make order out of chaos will ultimately be futile. In other words, the very attempt at creating order out of chaos is chaotic in and of itself. The footage of nature...
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...After the reading I did some research on “Eugenics” define as the belief and practice which aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population. By preventing the procreation of persons socially inadequate from defective inheritance trough eugenical sterilization. I think this is a crucial matter. The major issue on this paper was how intelligence factors is correlated with social class. And what is the clear definition of “improvement of human or better humans”. What criteria define potential person supposedly to carry degenerate hereditary qualities? Now we know that Carrie Buck case was never about mental deficiency but a matter of sexual morality and social deviance. I believe eugenic measure lead inevitable to not ethical reasons. Ecumenists believe that by preventing the reproduction of people with degenerate hereditary qualities, the next generation of human will be improved and better the than previous which in some extend can be consider as the evolution of humankind Nonmoral Nature I used to see the nature as kind and full of moral teaching. I think that is because we only observe the nature in that perceptive “learn from nature”. On the other hand, nature can be cruel. The naturally cruel behavior of the “ichneumon fly” and other carnivore animal illustrate that other side of nature (battle, conquest, horror, survival) However, according to natural theology; this view of nature (senseless cruelty in the animal world and even human world) seems to...
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...Sherman Alexie makes human nature seem like the enemy in the poem. He talks about the Sand Creek Massacre, where Native Americans were killed by soldiers. ”Of Sand Creek where 105 Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho women and children and 28 men were slaughtered by 700 heavily armed soldiers, led by Colonel Chivington and his Volunteers. Volunteers”. He relates this unpleasant clash to the story of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The story involves a man that is named Leatherface, in which he goes around mindlessly killing people with tools used to slaughter animals around his family farm, the main tool being a chainsaw. In the Sand Creek Massacre and in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, people were killed for no justifiable...
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...What is our purpose of life? Where did we come from? What makes us who we are? These are just some questions that are frequently asked in our society. Is there a right or wrong answer? I don’t think we will ever know. There are many different beliefs, such as existentialist philosophies, scientific, and religious. Each one has a different answer to those questions. Some of the first true existentialist thinkers were a man named Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. They both challenged he foundations of Christianity and traditional morality. “Nietzsche was interested in the enhancement of individual and cultural health, and believed in life, creativity, power, and the realities of the world we live in, rather than those situated in a world beyond” (Nietzsche 1). I feel that he was right, many people get caught up in what is going to happen in the future that they miss out on present. Why live a life if all a person is going to worry about is the unknown? “Kierkegaard said that is it especially important for people to have a meaningful existence. And meaning, he said, comes from whether or not people sense that their lives have a permanent significance. The problem is, though, that most people believe that their lives have importance only temporarily” (Kierkegaard 1). I agree with this completely, I feel without having meaning in life we would have nothing to live for. Many people believe that our purpose of life is already chosen for us. I on the other hand don’t agree...
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...Worldview Before three weeks ago, I had no clue what a worldview was, let alone a Christian Worldview. I believe that a worldview is what I perceive through my reality from the prescriptions of my eyes. “A worldview is a set of assumptions or beliefs about reality that affect how we live.” (Cosgrove, 2006) A worldview shapes my moral opinions. We all have a set of beliefs and principles that we have learned from age two and on. We behave according to what we believe not what we don’t believe. Whether these guidelines are to judge right from wrong, what to do at a traffic light, how to color coordinate our outfits, or even how much to tip the waiter or waitress, everyone has their own book of procedures embedded somewhere in their mind and heart. God, knowledge, reality, and human nature can influence the roots of a Christian Worldview in which supports me in blossoming into a lifetime of beautiful flowers. God is the most important factor in sculpting my life. The worldview embraces whether you believe God exists, what you believe about His nature, and the degree to which He influences your life. I believe that God does exist, due to the fact, that, when I attend Church on Sunday morning, it never fails that when I am saying the “Lord’s Prayer,” I begin to cry. At first I thought I was crazy, but then after speaking with Sister, it made sense. I was becoming a Christian. I had accepted the Holy Spirit into my heart and soul. I was touched by the Holy Spirit. We...
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