Homo Religiosus Analysis

Decent Essays
This world, and the possible worlds surrounding us, are filled with mysterious and constantly evolving concepts. And though we can never fully understand what lies beyond the limits of the human eye, we continue to question. Karen Armstrong, Robert Thurman, and Sherry Turkle all understand the significance of the unknown, and the important role it plays in society. Throughout her text “Homo Religiosus,” Armstrong discusses abstract theories that deal with the driving power of life, an idea humankind will never completely understand. Thurman’s “Wisdom” however, examines the idea of the self, or the lack thereof, and how panicked one becomes when trying to accept a new and unexplored lifestyle. Turkle analyzes technology and the evolving relationships …show more content…
They were not focused on themselves, rather they looked above themselves and used rituals, religion, and art to find their unknown. In other words, Armstrong argued that one can experience their unknown through ritual and art. More specifically, she claims that “people felt a yearning for the absolute, intuited its presence all around them, and went to great lengths to cultivate their sense of this transcendence in creative rituals” (Armstrong, 10). For instance, the animal sacrifice ritual was a way for the hunters to transcend the human world and attempt to reach out to whatever lies beyond it. These rituals were ways to try and understand what is impossible to understand. But as Armstrong points out, “the desire to cultivate a sense of the transcendent may be the defining human characteristic” (Armstrong, 7). Religion helps one ignore their daily struggles and look ahead and above to the unknown future; art can play a similar role. More specifically, Armstrong claims that “a poem, a play, or indeed, a great painting, has the power to change our perception in ways that we may not be able to explain logically but that seem incontestably true” (Armstrong, 5). Having blind faith and trusting in one’s religion, causes one to accept concepts and ideas that cannot be logically explained, but are accepted because of one’s faith and hope. And this faith allowed one to forget about …show more content…
And like Armstrong, Thurman argues that we must go beyond our desires and needs to focus on others around us. In doing so, one may acknowledge the mysterious characteristics regarding oneself and the possibility of relationships. Throughout his essay, Thurman constantly discusses the significance of rejecting the idea of having a self, but rather become selfless. And once that happens, one enters the void, an unknown and unexplainable concept. Rather one must experience it for themselves. But, as one accepts their selflessness and reaches this mysterious state of mind, they become compassionate and gain a new outward perspective on life. This allows one to create relationships with others and even create a new lifestyle. In this lifestyle, “ you are part of everyone and they are part of you” (Thurman, 444). So in other words, acknowledging one’s selflessness, though scary and unexplored, opens one up to a new web of

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