Existence College Essays Samples For Students

It appears that McCloskey is trying to support and substantiate his case for atheism by adopting a very narrow and objective approach. The usage of terms like “proof” for different school of arguments indicates that McCloskey is keen to give a sense of finality to a very complex question by attempting to debunk the thought process behind the arguments that has been labeled as proof. Human mind has its own limitations. This universe is very complex and infinite. There are a lot of things which are beyond the comprehension of human mind. The question of existence of god is Continue reading...

It is a common norm for scientists to use “proofs” to describe the reasoning for various things. Scientists make use of these proofs to explain why something happens. For instance, geologists believe that the earth possesses an electromagnetic field that acts as a protector against destructive solar winds. These geologists have never really witnessed or seen this field, yet they strongly believe it to be the most plausible explanation of why the earth is protected from destructive solar winds. This analogy is comparable to the use of ‘proofs” by Christians to make strong arguments about God’s existence. When Continue reading...

Since the beginning of time, people constantly look for ways of justifying their religions. The most basic justification would be the presence of God. For this reason, many religions look for ways of proving that God Exists. Cosmological arguments are those that seek to show either the presence or the absence of God in the universe (Hume, 59). In the cosmological argument, one looks at one factor about the world. Such factors include the fact that the earth has materials that cause others to exist. The cosmological argument has two parts. The first part seeks to proof the existence Continue reading...

Rabbi Maimonides is a medieval Jewish philosopher who wields considerable influence on Jewish thought and on philosophy in general. He also contributed significantly to the codification of the Jewish law. His writings and views hold a prominent place in Jewish intellectual history. In the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides explores the concept of God and explains the plausible description of God according to Torah. Maimonides also spends significant amount of time in trying to understand the structure and characteristics of the universe. To this point, it becomes important that Maimonides wrote the book before scientific discoveries, so he draws Continue reading...

Several theories and arguments have been put forth about the existence of God. There are arguments that try to prove the fact that God exists and there are those that disregard his existence. Some of those arguments include the ontological, cosmological and teleological. This essay will explore and analyze arguments concerning the existence of God using the ontological argument as propagated by Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury. According to this argument, it is self contradictory to deny the fact that there exists a greater being. The truth is, according to the argument, that the greater being exists and the Continue reading...

In our lives we are haunted by several questions that we face concerning the problem of evil. For instance, why does Allah (god) who is all-knowing and all-powerful allow evil to exist in the world? Does god do something about evil? However, we assume that existence that the existence of evil disproves the existence of Allah. In my view I believe that Allah is a god of justice. Therefore this problem of evil in Islamic seems to be complex questions. In the book of Zabur “Evils have encompassed me without number” (Psalm "Zabur” 40:12, RSV)
As we argue Zarathustra Continue reading...

Many people have taken existence of evil and suffering as an ultimate doubt to the existence of God (Oppy & Scott, 4). Oppy and Scott (5) indicates that, it is communicated in terms of repudiation of God’s existence. According to Oppy and Scott (6) sometimes it is communicated in terms of s refutation of the existence of God. In other cases, it is argued as an emotional rejection of a God who let such evil and suffering to people. Oppy and Scott (6) indicates that for many years, many people have tried to rebut the existence of God owing Continue reading...

(Name of Student)

Surprise ending

At the beginning of the reading, Descartes devotes himself to uncovering the truth about himself using any viable means. In search of his answers, Descartes applies known methods. He applies a widely known philosophical adage that ‘I think, so I exist’ (Descartes, 2010). He also tries to pretend that his thoughts are illusions of his dream about his existence. He later found that to think that his thoughts are dreams or illusions justify the philosophy that he thinks, thus, he must exist. All his known methods of getting a solution to explain his existence prove to Continue reading...

Historically, there have been numerous attempts by religious philosophers to explain and prove the existence of God. However, it has attracted numerous attention from scholars, critics and researchers who have contributed significantly in understanding this contentious argument. Therefore, there has been different versions of the argument, which purport and indicate that it is self contradictory, denying that there exists a supreme being. Religious philosophers state that it is a reasonable belief that God exists because anybody purporting that nothing exists would have to exist, and they would be defeating their own argument. People who argue against the existence God Continue reading...

Introduction -

Thomas Aquinas posited five proofs for the existence of God in his Summa Theologica, one of the most influential theological philosophy treatises in history. For Aquinas, one need not look beyond the evidence of the natural world to find reasons to believe in God, a presence without which motion, natural design or physical existence itself would be impossible. Aquinas sought to modify many of the rational systems that had been in place for centuries, such as the arguments attributed to Anselm. In his way, Aquinas tried to resolve the mystery of faith with a growing desire to introduce some Continue reading...

In his treatise entitled “Meta-atheism: Religious Avowal as Self-Deception,” Georges Rey outlines in quite clear terms his rationale for doubting the true existence of theists and of the possibility that thinking, educated people could harbor an innate belief in the existence of God. Rey’s strongest arguments are evidentiary in nature. In other words, the absence of any clear, objective evidence that God exists establishes a strong foundation upon which to base the contention that there is no such being. As such, Rey contends that “the reasons for atheism are obvious, and not dependent on subtle metaphysics or sophisticated Continue reading...

The philosophy on the existence of God is highly visionary, but also one of the most controversial. In most cases, philosophers argue that a deity and controls all beings. However, no one establishes specifically where the being resided and the true nature of the being. In his meditations, Rene Descartes tries to prove to the philosophy world that God exists. He laid forward a number of arguments o show that God truly exists and demystified most of the views that God did not exist. This paper analyzes the statements and arguments by Rene Descartes in support of the view Continue reading...

In his “Third Meditation,” Descartes puts forward two arguments for the existence of God. They are the ‘Proof of God’ argument and the ‘Human Error’ argument. It is interesting that he felt the need for two arguments to prove the existence of God. The main difference appears to be that the first argument is suitable for people who are already believers of God. If, however, an individual is not a believer, the second argument may be more relevant to them.
Descartes claimed that there are three types of ideas. These are Innate, Factitious, and Adventitious (Meditation). Innate ideas, he Continue reading...

Everyone one of us will one day die, and even without us, the world will still go on. Samuel Scheffler in his greatly original book “Death and Afterlife” tackles the various ways the values in our lives are obliviously but powerfully affected by these facts, as well as the motives that define them. The afterlife he discusses is not the personal afterlife in which an individual continues to exist in some form after dying. According to Scheffler, a personal afterlife does not exist, and he poses a question regarding how we should perceive our individual mortality, in case our Continue reading...

Absurdism as a worldview theory is a part of the philosophy of existentialism; and as the fundamental philosophical concept it was firstly developed in the work of Albert Camus “The Myth of Sisyphus”. As a system of philosophical views, it claims the lack of meaning of human life (the absurdity of life existence). According to the absurdism, people have been trying to find the meaning of existence throughout their history. Traditionally, these attempts have ended in one of two ways: man has come to the conclusion that all life is senseless or he has started to understand that everything Continue reading...

There are quite a number of arguments on the existence of God. First is the ontological argument that seeks to prove that God exists based on reason. It argues that one does not necessarily have to prove any evidence to justify God’s existence. This in my opinion is the paramount argument, as the existence of God seems to be too obvious to doubt. The fact that there is a God makes sense to most people.

The first cause argument is also used to argue a case for God’s existence. Here, God is presumed to exist given the Continue reading...

The aim of this essay is to present you with the reflections drawn upon the reading of the poem ‘A dialogue between the Soul and the Body’ which was written by Andrew Marvell and published after his death in 1681. Andrew Marvell is considered to be one of the representative poets of Metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poetry which arose within the 17th century is a field of poetry which is characterized by specific characteristics of a so-called metaphysical nature. Poets focus on using symbols and conceits in order to approach issues and questions related to the metaphysical nature of human Continue reading...

Critical Commentary On Anselm’s Ontological “Proof” For The Existence Of God

In this commentary, I shall offer a philosophical analysis of Anselm of Canterbury’s work The Proslogion, paying special attention to his “ontological argument” for the existence of God. I will refer to the text as reprinted in the anthology Readings in Christian Thought (Second Edition) edited by Hugh T. Kerr. All quotes are primary source citations from Anselm and refer to the translation prepared by Eugene R. Fairweather, reprinted in Kerr’s edition.
As Kerr points out in his brief introduction to the “Ontological Argument” excerpt from The Proslogion, the original subtitle of the text is “Faith Seeking Continue reading...

Radical skepticism was just a tool in the rationalist philosophy of Rene Descartes, since he wanted to establish clear and distinct proof for the existence of minds and bodies, and found that ultimately he was unable to doubt his own existence. From this he derived the fundamental precept of Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I exist) and from this went on to affirm the existence of God and the physical universe. No sane or rational person could seriously doubt their own existence or the reality of physical objects outside of themselves, no matter how flawed or imperfect human Continue reading...

One has to comprehend that the question of realism comes into play in regard to the domains of aesthetics, ethics, causation, science, modality, semantics, mathematics, and also the everyday world of human existence. Philosophers across the globe are either realists or non-realists regarding various topics. As such, many of the philosophers are realists about the realm of macroscopic objects and also the properties that they entail. However, it can be so that there is no straightforward choice between being a proponent of realism or non-realism. It has to be reckoned that the very question of the plausibility and nature Continue reading...

Philosophy

- The propositions differ with regard to the opinions and views held by different individuals. They do not belong to the foundation because they do not exist on their own but are derived from other factors. The doubt inherent in this regard is that a human could possibly be wrong and therefore should not necessarily form the standard for reference formulated them. We hold different beliefs, which may be contrary to propositions that others make. As such, while one thing may appear to be sensible to one person, it may be very different as per another person’s view. Continue reading...

I THINK, THEREFORE I AM
"I think; therefore I am" was a seventeenth century statement that Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, used and philosophically proved it beyond doubt. Descartes was initially in the process of figuring out his real nature using reasoning as opposed to experience that many philosophers of his time used. He is considered one of the first philosophers to explore human as more than flesh and blood (Weate, 1998, pp. 34-45). He believed that the processes and means through which individuals judged their environments as well as formed their opinions justified their existence (Weissman, 2006, pp. Continue reading...

In this paper I summarize, analyze, and critique "Can science prove that God does not exist.", by Theodore Schick Jr, on pages 484 to 487, a contemporary issue in Chapter 5 of the textbook. I discuss it with references to the chapter in MLA format. A short summary of the argument is provided, and then analysis is conducted on two underlying assumptions. Analysis of the assumptions is the type of analysis that is necessary to understand philosophy in these different contemporary issues. Often the actual logic used is sound; however, the underlying assumptions for the logic are typically not Continue reading...

Many people believe that God exist and through him. They will have the “eternal salvation” (THB KJV Mat 25.46). This is also the chief reason of different religions in humankind. They come up with different interpretations, ideas, and analysis of the scriptures that they believe it is the hand-written of God. On the other hand, some also deem the inexistence of Holy one. Is it because they suffer long enough from poverty, brutality, and failures in life; or, they already reach the optimum level of human intelligence. If there is a God, then why is there Evil? Why we Continue reading...

Abstract

The subject of evolution is one that finds substantial amount of conflict from various fronts. Much of this conflict comes from theological stance where the story of creation is consistently quoted as the viable source that defines the origin of living and non-living things. However, the creation story lacks tangible evidence as compared to the story of the evolution. There is an overwhelming body of research works and evidence that clarify this. However, despite all the evidences provided, there exists some confusion as to the origin of the earth. A quick look at various academic books used especially in Continue reading...

More than often, language has been considered as the most obvious form of human communication. This is because, the use of either oral, written or non-verbal - language in each and every society remain as the most refined and fundamental form of communication among individuals. In most cases, the use of language is wide as it fulfills a wide range of functions that are of high critical importance to both individual and social life (Tollefson 3). As a result, in all human ventures there exists a correlation between language as a tool used to negotiate, to articulate and create Continue reading...

Across centuries and different generations, different people have held different views on what constitutes the world. Whereas some people hold the opinion that the world is what happens around us in our day to day lives and activities, others hold to the view that the world is what exists even when we the human beings are absent and have been pulled away from the physical world. This statement and argument has led to various philosophers and thinkers having a crash of opinions, leading to many questions concerning the world and humanity (Weston 27).
Many philosophers across the world have Continue reading...

Most folks in the world are disheartened by the bitter fact that evil happens. People are astonishment as to why God can exist and at the same time allow the evil we see and experience each and every day in our environs to prevail (Braine 1-10). They fail to fathom the reason why a capable God would by genuine reasons agree to the notion that the power of choice should be bestowed in humans. They claim that if God is a loving God, he ought to allow his creations to decide if he really hopes to see a world Continue reading...

Introduction

Is there a life after death? This is one of the questions that most people in the world have been asking themselves for years. The survival of consciousness after death is a very complex situation for most people in the world. This is the reason why it has been discussed by many philosophers as well as other people in the world. According to the researches that have been conducted by the scientist is that, they believe that the consciousness and the mind are connected in that the they functioning of how the brain works even after death (Stanislav Grof & Continue reading...

Absurdity of human existence is a hard philosophical question. The problem of absurdity of human existence arises from the point of view that the universe is meaningless and there is nothing in the world worth living. According to existentialism the tragedy of human existence is that people are like abandoned in the world of physical pleasures. They don't know how to live in the world, aware of the impermanence of existence.
In this essay I would like to highlight Albert Camus’, Richard Taylor’s and Thomas Nagel’s points of view on absurdity of human existence.
Even though the Continue reading...

1. What is Descartes’ argument for the “real distinction” between mind and body? Does his argument succeed? Why or why not?
According to Descartes (“Synopsis,” p. 1), “the mind is thus enabled easily to distinguish what pertains to itself, that is, to the intellectual nature, from what is referred to the body.” This means that Descartes recognized the irreconcilable nature of the mind and the body and that sometimes the body has its own peculiar and natural tendencies. Hence, he concluded that the mind is distinct from the body. There is the crucial battle between the desires of the Continue reading...

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the aspect of realism in religion. This paper appreciates the coexistence of realists and non realists with respect to their entitled views. However, this tries to examine the aspects of religion that makes it real. These aspects are explained in a way to help one understand the realism in religion. Therefore, this paper in its findings tries to answer the question: Should we be realists or non-realists about religious claims?
This paper is guided by the following questions: does realism in religion exist? How can we prove that realism exists in religion? Why should we accept Continue reading...

Since time exceeding back memory, people have had different views in as far as the existence of God and the universe are concerned. Theist believe that God exists and He is the creator of the universe while atheists, such as Stephen Hawking, are of the opinion that the existence of God is simply a delusion and that the universe is simply as a result of evolution through forces of nature. Each of these two opposing sides has come up with its own theories and arguments to support its view. These contrasting beliefs have had a significant impact on people’ Continue reading...

Descarte's Ontological arguments focus on the reality about the existence of God. On the other hand, Ahuangzi's arguments focus on the reality about life and knowledge. Despite the fact that there are various philosophers who have criticized these works, there are various reasons to support them.
Secondly, in his fifth ontological argument, Descartes holds a strong belief that God is a supremely perfect being. This means that God has all the positive attributes that entail a perfect human being. Such attributes includes omnipotence, honesty, existence and benevolence. However, Descartes makes refutable conclusion that God’s perfection is dependent on Continue reading...

White Privilege in America

Despite it being an apparent long-standing marvel to individuals of color and as well white individuals, most people stereotypically and strongly oppose the issue of white privilege. Many a times, the situation becomes difficult when it involves individuals holding divergent views that are diametrically opposed to one party. Picture a situation where the individual or individuals in the discussion oppose even the most rudimentary elements of the discussion. At this moment, it is emphatically crucial to acknowledge that the theory of white privilege is indeed practical in the United States. Even at the best of Continue reading...

Racial and ethnic differences have for a long time been blamed for the existence of social and economic discrimination and inequalities in the United States. This is especially prevalent as a result of a belief that the white Americans enjoy more social and economic privileges and benefits as compared to the people from colored ethnic groups. The existence of such ethnic inequalities in the American history has resulted to aggression and hatred between people from different racial and ethnic identities. It has also increased perceptions that some ethnic groups are more superior as compared to other ethnic groups. This Continue reading...

Religion and science are more connected than people in general actually think they are. In the Middle Eve Galileo Galilei was accused to be a heretic because of his assertion that the earth is not the center of the universe, as it moves around the orbit of the sun (Eppur, si mueve) (Galilei in Gibbons 109), later on his heresy was proved scientifically correct. The eternal being that Clarke’s Cosmological Argument is founded on has also been explained scientifically as the Big Bang theory, the beginning of everything. From that primordial explosion star dust spread and it continues Continue reading...

Rene Descartes was known as the leading contemporary scientist of Europe. During his lifetime, he was famous for the mathematical and mechanistic accounts that explored the fields of physics, cosmology, optics, physiology and biology. But merely a few decades after he passed away, his scientific systems were completely forgotten. But despite all this, Descartes still remains one of the widely read personalities of his age; the reason being not his scientific legacy but the developments of philosophy by him (Descartes). Yet the most significant works of Descartes include his proves about the existence of God and further study on Continue reading...

Philosophy

Introduction
In many ancient civilizations, it was a firm belief that the sun revolves round the earth and nobody dare to doubt the belief for centuries until Nicolaus Copernicus, an astronomer of the Renaissance period doubted on this age old belief and put forward his revolutionary work stating that it is the earth that revolves round the sun. Lawhead has rightly stated that “Doubt stimulates us to action and seeks its own elimination by means of inquiry, which is a process of finding the way to a new and more adequate belief” (p.495). Actually, people refrain from doubting landmark Continue reading...

Greatest being

The fact that it is impossible to think of something greater than that which is thought to be the greatest places the existence of God as the most powerful and greatest being ever thought. Since nothing else greater than that which is thought to be the greatest thought of; then God (the greatest) exists in reality as well as in understanding. This aspect in Anselm's ideas is the most important because it proves the undeniable evidence of the existence of God (who fits the description of the greatest being ever thought of) to both atheists and believers of God. Continue reading...