a) What are the main strengths of your theory on God and religion?
Pascal’s Wager was a major strength of his theory on God and Religion. The argument made in Pascal’s Wager is an example of apologetic philosophy. It was written and published in Pensées by the 17th century French philosopher Blaise Pascal. Pascal’s Wager claims that all humans must bet their lives on whether God exists. He argues that rational people should seek to believe in God. If God does not exist the loss is minimal, but if God does exist there is an infinite gain, eternity in Heaven. It was a ground-breaking theory because it utilized probability theory and formal decision theory. Pascal’s Wager is applicable both to atheists and theists. While other philosophies may
try to convince people that God exists, Pascal does not. He brings up the probability that God exists and gains or losses. His theological argument is derived from reason, not subjective religious beliefs. b) What did you learn about each other (the other fellow philosophers)? Kant: Kant objected to the ontological argument that if there is a great conceivable being, then he exists. But it cannot be concluded from the sheer possibility that such a being exists. The concept of God and God’s existence are only concepts with no evidence or proof outside of conceptualization. St. Anselm: I learned that St. Anselm’s philosophies strongly support the existence of God. He defined God as the greatest conceivable being. He defined God as a being that exists in one’s mind and in reality. His reasoning was that if God is the greatest conceivable being and that God would be greater if God existed in reality and not only in God’s mind, God must exist in reality. St. Thomas Aquinas: St. Thomas Aquinas presented the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument is the argument that the universe is dependent on something else as the cause of its existence. He argued that if there were no ultimate cause of the universe then nothing would have occurred there would be no intelligible reasoning behind anything. Because things do exist he concluded God must exist. c) If you had "switch" thinkers, who would have been instead? Why? If I had to switch thinkers I would have been Hume because I like his criticism of the fallacies used in theological philosophy. He points out that it should not be assumed that everything has a cause or reason for its existence just because some things do. This is the fallacy of composition; the fallacy that a something that is true for a part is true for the whole. He also argues that this does not prove that God is anything other than a cause of things, and God might not care about his creation. He also argues that even the claim that the universe exhibits order is most likely false, and that order has been imposed on t by humans. d) Among the ideas most contrary to what you think about the matter, whose appeal to you the most? Why? Although St. Thomas Aquinas’s beliefs about God are contrary to mine his philosophy most appeals to me. His cosmological argument, even though I may not agree with it, is the most reasonable argument in favor of the existence of God. He theorizes that because there is order to the universe there must be something that causes its existence and has an intelligible plan. Hume’s criticisms of theological theories like this would easily disprove Aquinas though through pointing out the fallacy of composition.
Utopian literature is characterized by being a place where you are free and everyone is free. Most people in a utopia are happy. However, in the story of “The Pedestrian” and “The Lottery,” the rebel rebels against the system and is punished as a result. In both stories, it seems there is a utopia but as the rebels speak out it, it is revealed that the society is, instead, a dystopia.
In the article "Ten Ways We Get the Odds Wrong", author Maia Szalavitz emphasizes "why worrying about risk is itself risky" (255). While behaving riskily can lead to bad outcomes, having anxiety, being worried, or being afraid of the outcome of some risks can be dangerous to your body both physically and mentally. According to Szalavitz, fear can be one of the scariest things out there. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the "only thing to fear is fear itself" (FDR's first inaugural address). Both of these sources let the reader know that fear can affect their body's physical and mental well-being. I can attest to this being true through multiple personal experiences.
Shirley Jackson wrote many books in her life, but she was well known by people for her story “The Lottery” (Hicks). “The Lottery” was published on June 28, 1948, in the New Yorker magazine (Schilb). The story sets in the morning of June 27th in a small town. The townspeople gather in the square to conduct their annual tradition, the Lottery. The winner of the lottery will stoned to death by the society. Although there is no main character in the story, the story develops within other important elements. There are some important elements of the story that develop the theme of the story: narrator and its point of view, symbolism, and main conflict. The story “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, argues practicing a tradition without understanding the meaning of the practice is meaningless and dangerous.
In the story, The Lottery, there are many signs of duality of human nature. Many of the characters appear to be affected by the lottery at first, but towards the end their feelings start to change. Tessie, Mr.Summers, and Mrs.Delacroix all show two sides of humanity and they all generally appear to be good natured people, but are they really?
–since Christianity is the largest religion globally, it has the most people behind it meaning that the probability of God existing is higher with that many people in the religion, and with the belief you gain infinitely if God does exist.
In this paper I will be discussing Pascal’s Wager. What I first plan to do in this paper is explain the argument of Pascal’s Wager. Next I will explain how Pascal tries to convince non-theists why they should believe in God. I will then explain two criticisms in response to Pascal’s argument. Finally, I will discuss whether or not these criticisms show Pascal’s reasoning to be untenable.
The themes of “The Lottery and “The Tell-Tale Heart” have its similarities but minor differences. The stylistic techniques the authors use in each story contribute to their themes. Irony and symbolism help support the 2 different themes of each story. Both stories involve death but are looked at in different ways.
In the year 2012- 2013, though several 3.1 public high school students or 81 percent, graduated on time (Public High School Graduation Rates), how many students in that number truly gain the full education. Nowadays, education is necessary, which becomes a controversial issue between parents and the school. Either Charter or Public school encourages the development or improvement of the educational system to our young, beloved children. There are further charters out there which children can stay home, however, still learn enormous things. “Lottery” documentary film is about the controversy between public and charter schools, which tells the stories of four families who tried to find a better educational
Modern debates over religion, more specifically God, focus primarily on whether or not sufficient evidence exists to either prove or disprove the existence of a God. Disbelievers such as biologist Richard Hawkins tend to point to the indisputable facts of evolution and the abundance of scientific evidence which seem to contradict many aspects of religion. Conversely, believers such as Dr. A. E. Wilder-Smith describe the controversial aspects of science, and how the only possible solution to everything is a supreme being. However, mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal refused to make either type of argument; he believed that it was impossible to determine God’s existence for certainty through reason. Instead, he suggested that rational individuals should wager as though God does indeed exist, because doing so offers these individuals everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Unfortunately, Pascal’s Wager contains numerous fallacies, and in-depth analysis of each one of his arguments proves that Pascal’s Wager is incorrect.
“The Lottery” is a story which shows the complexity and capability of human behavior. Something immoral, like stoning a person to death once a year, is a normal occurrence. The main character, Tessie Hutchinson, is the victim of the lottery. Tessie is a character with a number of seemingly good characteristics, yet her surrounding culture rejects these characteristics. The majority of the people in the village has opposite attitudes and beliefs in comparison to Tessie’s. These attitudes and beliefs reflect her personal desires which quickly struggle against the culture’s expectations. Tessie is unlike the other villagers; she is initially indifferent to the lottery indicating her desires are unrelated to the lottery. Upon winning the lottery, Tessie changes and her personal desires to survive and reject the lottery emerge in her selfishness and outspoken personality. These struggles against the village’s expectations are shown through the culture’s emphasis on tradition and small town ties.
The goal of this paper is to examine John Harris’ experiment of the “Survival Lottery.” Specifically, I want to argue that the lottery makes too high a demand on us to give up our lives. Especially, when I’m pretty sure everyone wants to live. Prior accounts show that Harris proposes that if the argument of the distinction between “killing” and “letting die” is properly contrived, then killing one person to save two could happen on a regular basis. It would be an exception to the obligation not to kill innocent people in regards to the argument that there is a distinction between "killing" and "letting die.” The difference between killing and letting die presents a moral difference. As far as this argument we are obligated not to kill. I
The proof for the existence of God is an issue that may never be resolved. It has caused division among families and friends, nations and society. The answer to the question “does God exist?” is almost an impossible one to give with certainty seeing that there is a variety of people, ideas, cultures and beliefs. So how does one know if one’s actions here on earth could have eternal consequences? What is, if any, a “safe bet” to make? Blaise Pascal was a 15th century philosopher and a mathematician who proposed the idea that although one cannot know for certain that God exists, one can make a “safe bet” that it is far better to believe in God than not to believe in God. This is not a proof for the existence of God but rather an idea that suggest that if there is a God, it is in the person’s benefit to believe rather to disbelieve because the odds are in favor of the believer. This gambler-like idea is better known as “Pascal’s Wager” or “The Gambler’s Argument.” Nevertheless, this sort of play-the-ponies idea is not quite precise. Although Pascal’s Wager serves as a stepping-stone for non-believers, it is a rather vague, faithless and inaccurate argument.
When looking at Pascal’s arguments that emerge in Pensees; the history, ideas, and people that influenced Pascal must be examined. Many of Pascal’s arguments involve the unity of both religion and science. This can be very controversial at a time where an absolute monarch challenges and tries to destroy other faith practices. Along with introducing scientific ideas others may misinterpret as trying to disprove God’s existence. Pascal was heavily influenced by the Christian church and was a firm believer in God. In fact, Pascal’s discoveries and experiments only solidify his faith even more. Pensees is Pascal’s thoughts on God and some other subjects that tie philosophy and the nature of man.
Lottery" was written shortly after World War II, however it is unknown as to when
The Middle Ages saw a period in time that was deeply rooted in Christianity. Almost every aspect of life was monitered and ruled by the Church. This period in time also saw the emergence of men beginning to question whether the existence of God can be proved by faith , reason, or as Thomas Aquinas insists, by both faith and reason. There were differing opinions of this matter in both scholarly and religious circles. Faith is what all believers must have within them, it is a crucial part of man’s relationship with God. On the other hand, reason is a part of science and some believed that matters of The Divine should not be subjected to reason; there should not be a justification for God.