Week 1 - Logical Possibility vs Physical Possibility This week we covered a variety of different claims and a common fallacious argument used in their favour. Among the topics discussed were claims such as conspiracies, UFOs, homeopathy, Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP) and bigfoot. A common argument used to defend these claims is the assertion that the mere possibility of their existence makes them valid claims. In other words the fact that these things are not logically impossible makes them perfectly
argument is not valid because there could be another possible explanation for the strong tap on his shoulder, or the unknown force that pushed the car into the other lane.. I believe that this argument is invalid because of the lack of potential possibilities that could be a factor when regarding this situation. However, it is a strong argument depending on whom you are arguing against.
The problem of evil, as articulated by J.L. Mackie, concerns the consistency of the following claims typically accepted by theists: God is omniscient; God is omnipotent; God is omnibenevolent; evil exists. If God is omniscient, then he should know about all evil that exists. If God is omnipotent, then it should be within his power to prevent all evil from occurring. Finally, if God is omnibenevolent, then it should be the case that he would not permit the evil that he is capable of preventing. The
a cogent cosmological argument. Aquinas' Third Way is a cosmological argument for the existence of God which "is taken from possibility and necessity." It is surprising therefore that philosophers of religion have not shown much interest in applying modal logic to its analysis. (1) There are a couple of reasons. First, Aquinas does not always use the words 'possibility' and 'necessity' in the same way that they are used in modal logic. Second, cosmological arguments generally purport to build a
phrase “could be created by God” could be retained if we frame the premise in terms of logical possibility P1a – Of anything I clearly and distinctly understand, we can say that it is logically possible that it should exist as I understand it. This seems to have the same effect as P1. Neither version guarantees actual existence, and we do not need to argue about whether God is constrained by logical possibility (as Arnauld s... ... middle of paper ... ...requires the matter (or body) that makes
Non-Spatiotemporality Thesis is not sufficient to abolish the possibility of thinking consistently of space and time as empirical or material. It is also remembered that this point has already been partially envisaged for the first time by H.A. Pistorius (and later by A. Trendelenburg) and raised as the objection of the "third possibility" or "neglected alternative." Furthermore, it is maintained that although Kant tries to eliminate this possibility in the Metaphysical Expositions of Space and Time (but
several possibilities to the causes of this event: interbreeding among Neanderthals and humans, competition for natural resources, and Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest.” What the real cause has been has plagued scientists for years. Now, due to an international research team from Germany, those possibilities have been even further deduced, making it easier to pinpoint the exact reason Homo neandertalensis became extinct. Scientists thought that interbreeding would be a logical assumption
enable me to find a formula for the general case. ARRANGEMENTS IN THE NAME LUCY LUCY UCYL CYUL YCUL LUYC UCYL CYUL YCUL LCUY ULCY CULY YUCL LCYU ULYC CUYL YUCL LYUC UYCL CLYU YLCU LYCU UYLC CLUY YLUC There are 24 different possibilities in this arrangement of 4 letters all different. I have noticed that with Lucy beginning each different letter. For example there are 6 arrangements with LUCY beginning with L, and 6 beginning with u and so on 6*4(the amount of letters) gives
Shakespeare's Rebuttal to Possibilities in Sonnet 96 Shakespeare's apostrophic "Sonnet 96," one of the sonnets written to the blond young man, is arranged similar to a rebuttal in an argument or debate." In the first three quatrains, he describes several possibilities, such as the youth's winning nature and potential for mischief, only to refute them in the couplet." He begins with concise one-line points in the first quatrain, moves to a comparison utilizing the entire quatrain in the
Evil and the Possibility of the Conversion into Good According to Kant, radical evil is the deep inherent blemish of our species that does not spare even the best of people. Despite judging the extirpation of such evil as an impossibility, Kant holds out the possibility of converting evil into good by means of human forces. But how can this be given the radical evil of human nature? I articulate various problems that arise from Kant’s conception of conversion while exploring certain resources
poem "I dwell in Possibility--" (#657) she wrote: I dwell in Possibility -- A fairer House than Prose -- More numerous of Windows -- Superior -- for Door -- . . . (1-4) The use of the word "possibility" illustrates Dickinson's personal awareness of the range of ideas, feelings, and images to be found in the combination of words into phrases and the linking of those phrases into poems. "Possibility is Emily Dickinson's synonym for poetry" and, since the possibilities are endless, Dickinson's
expect children of homosexual parents to be homosexual themselves (Bailey 125). This popular belief has affected many child custody decisions because of the possibility of the parents molesting the children, or the possibility of the children becoming homosexual themselves. Even if the children becoming homosexual is a possibility, why deny custody to a parent based on his or her sexuality? The question has been raised on what can and what can't make a child homosexual. Some
I, however, intend to argue that it is a bad move to allow for the idea of self-ownership (or any sort of ownership of subjects), that it is more likely to perpetuate problems than to solve them to think in this way, and that the belief in the possibility of body/self-ownership is rooted primarily in linguistic ambiguities (“property” vs. “properties”, different senses of “mine”, etc.). Mine We will begin with the seemingly innocuous assertion, “my body is mine”. 1[1]This is a truism only
Finding Yourself Hidden under every cloak, every item of clothing, and all makeup lies a body. Under the skin of a body lies a soul, and a mind of thoughts. Reaching further we search for where the thoughts were born. As an embryo we are brought into this world, and raised by our creators. From them we are taught life. Depending on our parents or whoever is raising us we become a person, with thoughts, feelings, emotions, and ideas. Looking deeper it becomes clear that all idea’s
will also look at what was going on at the time as far as why God wanted to erase all of life. “The story of Noah and the ark is one of the most cherished episodes and the most terrifying.”(Readers Digest) This paper is not going to explore the possibilities of building such an ark, or weather it was sufficient enough to hold all the animals Noah was to board. I will not be comparing different stories of the flood, although that would be interesting as well. I am going to look deeper into the story
Photoreceptor Damage: Causes and Possibilities Over 10,000,000 people around the world suffer from some sort of blindness or handicap due to photoreceptor damage. These effects can be caused by a number of afflictions, including retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and tumors. These illnesses vary in severity from being a mere hindrance to completely blinding the individual. Until recently, those affected were left without hope of a cure or even a treatment that would somewhat improve
visit to Kurtz’ intended and brings these final words of Kurtz with him. When asked to reveal Kurtz’ last declaration, Marlow offers this: “‘The last word he pronounced was – your name.’” (Heart, pg123). He lies. In this situation, with the possibility existing of inflicting severe emotional damage on an already grieving soul, should Marlow have lied? Of course, the answer is neither simple nor short, and depends heavily on who is asked. The most relevant perspective naturally comes from Marlow
The Exciting Possibilities Offered by School Choice We are in the midst of an unprecedented attack on public schools in the United States. What is causing this attack? Since schools are public institutions, they are by their nature subject to close scrutiny in a democratic society such as ours. All would agree that public schools must be willing to change to meet the changing needs of the greater society. It just seems that in the past decade, the mudslinging has gotten out of hand. Only
Imagination is an intrinsic part of the human experience. It has the power to mold reality by defining the limits of possibility and affecting perception. Both Alan White and Irving Singer examine aspects of this power in their respective works The Language of Imagination and Feeling and Imagination. White delineates how imagination is a necessary precursor to possibility (White 179) while Singer primarily illustrates imagination's effect on human relationships, such as love (Singer 29-48). Despite
Lateritic Soils in the Tropics: The Problems and Management Possibilities The soil name "laterite" comes from a Latin word "later" meaning brick. It is an appropriate name, as soils under this classification are characterized by forming hard, impenetrable and often irreversible pans when dried (Soils and Soil Fertility 1993). Lateritic soils are also characterized by their low soil fertility. Due to the high rate of weathering, and resulting low charge minerals, the soil is unable to retain