Metaphysics

Zachary Burnham Philosophy 220 Professor: John Shea September 24, 2015 First Exam The ontological argument for existence of God was introduced by a monk named Anslem. St. Anslem explains his argument for existence of God by saying, “The fool said in his heart, ‘There is no God,’ but certainly that same fool having heard just what I said, “Something greater than which cannot be thought,” understands what he heard. What he understands is in his thought, but it cannot exist only in thought, for…

In this essay, I will defend for the existence of God. First I will present Anselm’s ontological argument for the existence of God on the claim that he is the greatest conceivable being, then I will present Gaunilo’s objection for the unsoundness of Anselm’s argument on the claim of which there are no set limitations for the characteristic of the greatness, which I think fails. I will show that Anselm’s ontological argument can withstand Gaunilo’s objection by emphasizing the maximal…

As humans, we make choices every single day from the moment we wake up each morning. Some of these choices do not seem to affect our lives with much significance, such as what we choose to eat for breakfast. On the other hand, some may change our lives forever, like deciding where to attend college. The choices we make lead to the experiences we have. The texts of Antigone, Saint Augustine: Of Choice and Free Will and Into the Wild contain instances of decisions that led to experiences, which…

It is always interesting to begin a new course by reading about someone that is as determined as you. Determined meaning, someone that doesn’t give up on what and who they believe in. I have found the Greek philosopher Socrates to be one of the brightest thinkers of all times. Socrates focused on being righteous to God before following the people of his country. He stood up for his belief in being a good man within his inner self and not materialistic objects. Socrates continued to be…

Thus, his job is the “cataract” that disables him from truly living, and keeps him from establishing relationships with those around him and wholly expressing his creativity. Gabriel Conroy experiences similar feelings of disillusionment in James Joyce’s The Dead. Gabriel lives in a “cloud” of misperceptions, and constantly suffers from obsessive misinterpretations of how others perceive him. As a result, Gabriel possesses a close-minded and defensive attitude, which affects his ability to…

The question concerning what makes up the self is an ancient one. From Early philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, to modern philosophers such as Rene´ Descartes and David Hume as well as many others, that question is fundamental. Though several theories of what makes up the self exist, we find that one heavily argued theory is dualism. Hence, I will against Aristotle’s point of view of the self and dualism. TERMS First, however, it is important to establish certain terms and their meaning…

1. The conflicting conditions of human life A hero “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NIV) Every story has a main character. The troubles the main character goes through constitute the plot of the story. He, the hero, will eventually solve the conflict the story centers upon. The main character of many of Jesus’ teachings is the human soul. The existence of the immortal soul is…

In John Perry’s A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality, Perry discusses both the possibility of immortality (the ability to survive after death) and the question of personal identity. In the process, he proposes three theories as to what could account for personal identity: soul theory, memory theory, and body theory. First, however, it is necessary to discuss what the question of personal identity is. Personal identity refers to a human being’s numerical identity over time. Thus, the…

In Michael Huemer’s essay, “The Lure of Radical Skepticism,” he expands on the idea that ‘we cannot know anything,’ by outlining four different arguments supporting the claim. (Huemer 47-57) René Descartes holds the opposite opinion, which he discusses in ‘Meditations One and Two.’ While there is validity to both sides of the argument, Huemer’s essay proves to be more reliable after dissecting Descartes’ concepts of existence. Huemer proposes that no one can know anything about the external…

Based on a Metaphysical World There are a plethora of religions worldwide many of which subscribe to the existence of a higher power. However, Christianity is one of the major religions who have spread worldwide. There is great discussion of whether the God of Christianity actually exist and can be proven by evidence scientifically and philosophically. However, although I believe the God does exist, I do not believe there is satisfactory evidence for nonbelievers without taking the step to…