Descartes Existence of God Essay Example for Free

Descartes Existence of God Essay The existence of God has been a question since the idea of God was conceived. Descartes tries to prove Gods existence, to disprove his Evil demon theory, and to show that there is without a doubt something external to ones own existence. He is looking for a definite certainty, a foundation for which he can base all of his beliefs and know for a fact that they are true. Descartes overall project is to find a definite certainty on which he can base all his knowledge and beliefs. A foundation that he will be able to prove without a doubt. To find a definite certainty he uses a methodical doubt, this states that anything that could be doubted must be taken as false. This is done to find an absolute certainty for which to base all knowledge. Descartes develops his Evil Genius theory to bring doubt to all senses and hence making them false. The theory says that it is possible that there is someone (an evil genius) who is controlling our mind. If so we wouldnt be sure whether or not what we see was real or just a dream, therefore all of our senses would be doubtable and thus taken as false. This theory proves that nothing external is certain and must be proven false to continue his quest for truth and certainty. Descartes second meditation gives a definite certainty for which to use as his foundation to build his beliefs. Then his third meditation proves the existence of God and the external world, while disproving the evil genius theory. That definite certainty that cannot be doubted, is the fact that I exist. Whenever I utter or think I am I know this to be absolutely true, without doubt. From this definite foundation Descartes tries to prove that there is something external to the mind. So he states the law of casualty. This basically says that nothing can be created from nothing, and that the less perfect can not create something more perfect or better than itself. Then if there is an idea in our minds that we didnt create, something else created it. If God is more perfect than us, then we could not have created God but God created us. Descartes then wrote about the idea of God. He said that God is infinite and could not have been created by us because God is more perfect than us thus undoubtable and certain. The idea that God exists disproves the Evil Genius theory therefore proves the existence of an external world. Anslem and Descartes theories both prove that there is a God and they both use some similar ideas in their premises. For instance, they both rely on the faith that there is an idea of God; he is perfect and self evident. God could not have been conceived if there wasnt a God. Though, Descartes says that the less perfect can not create something more perfect or better than itself, and that we are less perfect than God therefore we could not have created God. So, this proves the existence of God and an external world. On the other hand, Anslem says Existence is greater than conception and nothing greater can be conceived then God. Therefore God must exist. In my opinion descatres has successfully proven the existence of God as well as one can because he started from the beginning and logically found a true foundation of beliefs and from there proved the existence of God and an external world. consequently making our senses less doubtable, and more certain.

Perspectivism and Truth in Nietzsche’s Philosophy: A Critical Look at

Perspectivism and Truth in Nietzsche’s Philosophy: A Critical Look at the Apparent Contradiction â€Å"There are no truths,† states one. â€Å"Well, if so, then is your statement true?† asks another. This statement and following question go a long way in demonstrating the crucial problem that any investigator of Nietzsche’s conceptions of perspectivism and truth encounters. How can one who believes that one’s conception of truth depends on the perspective from which one writes (as Nietzsche seems to believe) also posit anything resembling a universal truth (as Nietzsche seems to present the will to power, eternal recurrence, and the ÃÅ"bermensch)? Given this idea that there is no truth outside of a perspective, a transcendent truth, how can a philosopher make any claims at all which are valid outside his personal perspective? This is the question that Maudemarie Clark declares Nietzsche commentators from Heidegger and Kaufmann to Derrida and even herself have been trying to answer. The sheer amount of material that has been written a nd continues to be written on this conundrum demonstrates that this question will not be satisfactorily resolved here, but I will try to show that a resolution can be found. And this resolution need not sacrifice Nietzsche’s idea of perspectivism for finding some â€Å"truth† in his philosophy, or vice versa. One, however, ought to look at Nietzsche’s philosophical â€Å"truths† not in a metaphysical manner but as, when taken collectively, the best way to live one’s life in the absence of an absolute truth. By looking at one of Nietzsche’s specific postulations of perspectivism, we can get a better idea of precisely how this term applies to his philosophy and how it relates to the â€Å"tru... ...’s lack of a direct response to this apparent contradiction ensures that this matter will continue to be hotly debated well into the future. For this seemingly simple contradiction of positing truths when one has denied all absolute truths, Nietzsche gives a very complex and personal answer. Bibliography PRIMARY TEXTS Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, trans. R. J. Hollingdale (London: Penguin Books, 1990). Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power, trans. Walter Kaufmann and R. J. Hollingdale, ed. Walter Kaufmann (New York: Random House, 1967). SECONDARY TEXTS Clark, Maudemarie, Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990). Solomon, Robert C., ‘Nietzsche ad hominem: Perspectivism, personality, and ressentiment,' in The Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), 180-222.

My Favourite Character

This Essay is about my favourite character in â€Å"To Kill a Mocking Bird. † She is one of the biggest, most important characters; she is considered the main character. She is very important for she helps narrate this story. She helps with the story by describing her thoughts and feelings that is one of the main reasons why I like her. She also helps to develop the plot, themes, and helps to emphasize some of the symbolism. Her name is Jean-Louis, but we all know her as Scout. Scout is a daughter, a sister and a friend.She is a huge tomboy; and she likes to prove it to every one. She prefers to hang out boys rather than girls, and so she does, she spends most of her time with her brother Jem, and in the summers, her cousin; Dill. In the beginning of the book Scout is only a young age of 9, throughout the novel she gets older just like the rest of the characters, and also matures along with her older brother Jem. Although Scout isn’t going through the same stages as Jem she matures just as much.Jem’s turning into a teenager, while Scout is getting older, and is discovering how the world works. The era of this book is set back to around the years 1861 to 1865; this was when the civil war was happening, along with the discrimination of African Americans. Racism is a huge theme in â€Å"To Kill a Mocking Bird. † Scout doesn’t really under stand that racism isn’t good, but it’s not her fault, because she has lived with it and doesn’t know any different.In that time â€Å"blacks† were known as lesser human beings. The â€Å"whites† were known to be greater than any other race; Scout didn’t know that this was wrong, so she went with it. During the trail, one of the biggest parts of this novel, Scout discovers a little bit about racism. The trial is about how an African American is being accused for the rape of a Caucasian woman, during the trial a lot of discrimination happens to the defenda nt, this is when Scout discovers racism.

Roman Empire And The Han Dynasty Contrast - 912 Words

Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty Contrast Rise of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire is still known today as one of history’s most powerful period. Rome government had stick rules and policies. The Roman government at this point was known as the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was controlled by the roar Rome. Bureaucracy was ran throughout the region, but Rome did not want this nor could they afford it. However, they did allow small cities to run a lower level of government. The exercise of indirect rule thus became a basic principle of imperial government. The business of local administration and jurisdiction was delegated to the existing communities of city or tribe. This type of structure was deemed to be a weakness to some historians because of the consequences. Consequences that allow a third level government to enforce the emperor’s rules. Because of the expansion of the territory, this was the only reasonable way for it to function normally. The empire was a commonwealth of cities which acted as economic and cultural of the Roman world and were integrated into the administrative system as local foci of government. This imperial ruling was first implemented by Rome. It came about because of social trends and not the Roman strategic policies that was often changed by Romanized upper class citizens. These upper classman brought about firmness throughout the land with their strategic and educated planning.Show MoreRelatedHan Dynasty and Roman Empire (Compare and Contrast)988 Words   |  4 Pages The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire vary in their political development and achievements. The Roman’s developed two different codes of law, one that applied to citizens and another that applied to non-citizens. Rome’s trade routes were built using stone, which made it very easy for merchants to travel from one city to another over a vast amount of land. China, however, used a single code of law for all their citizens and conquered peoples, and used a long and treacherous trail in their trade; thatRead MoreThe Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesTHE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE HAN DYNASTY The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty Imagine being the head of government in one or two of the most famously remembered governments in the world’s history! The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty are two of the most famous governments in history. The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty were governed in very different ways, however both contributed greatly to Western civilization. The Roman Empire was in power between 1,000 and 1,200 years. The Han Dynasty was inRead MoreRoman Empire Vs. Han Dynasty939 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and Contrast Essay Roman Empire vs. Han Dynasty Bethany Corl HIEU 201-B11 September 29, 2014 Compare and Contrast Essay The Roman and Han empires flourished in culture, wealth, and technological advances at their pinnacle, leading not to future stability, but to greed, corruption, and ultimately their downfall. The Roman and Han empires were different with respect to how each came to gaining their power. However, each held several similarities within their governmentsRead MoreDifferences Between The Roman And Han Dynasty1289 Words   |  6 PagesThesis: Due to a better centralized and staffed bureaucracy based on a common political philosophy the Han dynasty was able to more cohesively integrate the regions it ruled over, and because of this they were able to have a longer lasting influence. One necessary part of any large empire like the Roman empire or the Han dynasty is an organized power structure. Both the Romans and the Han had similar power structures in some functions, but they differed in ideologies and emphasis on roles ofRead MoreComparative Look At The Roman Empire And Han Dynasty Economies Essay1409 Words   |  6 Pages A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND HAN DYNASTY ECONOMIES Scott Hosier History 111: World Civilization Before 1650 December 27, 2016 â€Æ' The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty had simple economies--when compared to current global economies--founded on agriculture, mining, trade, and taxation. Although those economies were straightforward it allowed civilizations to grow and eventually collapse. However, the two civilizations had drastically different methodologies on the exchange ofRead MoreDifferences Of The Han Dynasty And The Roman Empire1036 Words   |  5 Pagestheir locations. In this essay I will compare and contrast the civilizations of the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire. These empires are in many was similar to each other being they both rose to power around the same time in history. In roughly 202 B.C Liu Bang wins post-Qin civil wars, and becomes first emperor of Han dynasty. The Han Dynasty rose last from 202 B.C to 220 C.E, it is the second longest ruling dynasty. The government of the Han Dynasty was a monarchy ruled by a singular ruler who hadRead MoreSimilarities Between Rome And Han China990 Words   |  4 Pages During the Classical Era, the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty emerged as two formidable forces in a world of conquest and empire-building. While Rome and Han China had similar methods of imperial consolidation concerning their patriarchal societies and upper-classes, the two differed greatly in their bureaucracies, policies regarding conquered peoples, and labor systems. Patriarchy was a prominent aspect of the societies of both empires. The family unit in Rome was ruled by paterfamilias, the maleRead MoreEngineer Wonders of the Qin and Han Dynasties to The Roman Empire851 Words   |  3 Pagesas the day it was constructed. This engineering, of the Qin dynasty was truly an amazing feat. I will examine some key elements, while comparing the Qin, and Han dynasties, to The Roman Empire. Both cultures had implemented an impressive, society by introducing engineering wonders, an extensive political system that managed vast amounts of people, and a military to rule over their territories. While looking at the Han, Qin, and Roman structures, one interesting tidbit of information was thatRead MoreAlexander, Han Dynasty, Roman Empire, Hinduism, Islam1179 Words   |  5 Pagesand those of his successors, bring together various worlds? Zoom -middle-east to goods of Mediterranean, money based economy, and greek ideas -plunder made economic expansion in med. -Selecus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, Lysimachus, and others divided empire -syria(selucids), Macedonia(Antigonids), Egypt(Ptolemies) -fierce competition through international relations          Hide Insert Card 2 Zoom       Describe the influence of Hellenism on societies outside Greek homeland during this time periodRead MoreThe Three Major Empires Essay examples1016 Words   |  5 PagesThe Three Major Empires The first empires began in Mesopotamia, the Nile valley, and the Yellow River valley. Empires often are not created. In some cases empires are formed then a transition from one ruler to another over the same region is made. For example the Persian Empire came from the conquering and incorporation of the Egyptian, Medes, Babylonian, and Lydian kingdoms that made up western Asia. Then the Persians were defeated by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, taking western Asia