Son of a former slave, farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author Benjamin Banneker in his letter to Thomas Jefferson, a mournful way to declare his knowledge towards the slaves in the United States. Banneker’s purpose is to justify the ways of living of the slaves. He adopts an aggravated tone in order to forebode in his letter. Banneker achieves his tone through the use of selection of details and syntax.…
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century, received a letter from Phyllis Wright in 1936. In this letter, Phyllis asks Einstein whether or not scientists pray. In his response, Einstein's purpose was not only to answer Phyllis' question, but he wanted to express to the public that everyone has a belief in the unknown, whether it be religion or scientific knowledge. Einstein uses words which mirror those used in religion and a neutral diction, and he structures his letter in a way that makes the reader have to think about the answer for themselves in order to achieve his purpose effectively…
Albert Einstein considered the greatest scientist of the 20th century hopes to accurately respond to Phyllis’s letter that asked him whether scientists prayed and if they did what did they pray about. Einstein’s response is rhetorically accurate in the fact that he lets Phyllis know the answer to her question in an understandable manner and is not abrupt. Einstein’s audience is a sixth-grade student so he answered his question by saying “no” in a kind way. The writer Einstein uses pathos and logos to allow his point to clearly shine; he also uses simplistic diction to recreate his audiences understanding.…
The article claims that by nature, it is impossible for science and religion to conflict primarily because their individual concerns are entirely distinct. This, however, brings about the debate of the role of both religion and science in our society. Religion I mainly faith based and is illogical, that does not require evidence. Science, on the other hand, is logical and is purely based on actual evidence. Many have criticized this idea on nonoverlapping magisteria claiming it holds no basis. For instance, given that both science and religion has different stories on how the earth came to exist, are they both teaching different domains? The debate lies on whether or not science and religion can co-exist without overlapping or…
In a letter that Albert Einstein writes, he uses ethos and logos to effectively answer Phyllis Wright’s question on whether scientists pray. In order to achieve this, Einstein first utilizes ethos to give credibility to the answer. He explicitly states that the response is his own opinion by saying “my answer” in the first sentence. This man is considered to be the greatest scientist of the twentieth century and if it is his answer, Wright will be convinced with his response. Also, Wright specifically wrote to him and so when he responds personally, Wright will trust the response because she respects Einstein enough to write to him. Additionally, Einstein successfully employs logos to assist in his purpose to answer the question. For example,…
One of the world's greatest scientists to have ever lived, Albert Einstein, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Already famous and a household name, he wrote a letter replying to a sixth-grade student named Phyllis Wright in January of 1936. This context made Albert Einstein the speaker, Phyllis Wright the audience, and the question and the answer to it, the subject. She had originially asked him if scientists pray and if they do, what for. Einstein responded saying, that it is tough to pray for something science related when science is based on laws of nature. However he continues saying, not all of those laws are set in cement and that believing in their existence takes some what of a faith. Next he describes that many dedicated scientists believe that there is something bigger than human kind that is responsible for the laws of the universe; but that that religious thought is much different than that of a younger person's, like Phyllis herself.…
Imagine if you got lost in a town, you would use a GPS to help you. But if Einstein never found out Relativity, then you would have a hard time finding your destination. Einstein’s Relativity changed the world because his equations and theories help make nuclear power plants and the GPS. Relativity is not only used in daily life, but also used extensively by aero-space-scientists. For example, The Precession of Mercury’s orbit can only be accurately predicted by Einstein’s Relativity and not the Newton’s law (General Relativity). Einstein’s Relativity is not only a more accurate way to describe the physical world than Newton’s law, but also have a daily impact on life.…
Sixth graders, generally curious people, learn about so many new things and attempt to make sense of it all. They may notice the overlap of religion and science and have many questions pertaining to these two areas. Phyllis noticed this and began to question how faith and science go together, or if they do at all. Particularly, she was curious if scientists pray, and if so, what for. In order to attempt to find an answer for Phyllis, Einstein shared some of his past experiences and knowledge, along with his own view on the situation. Einstein answered her in a letter by telling her scientists don’t pray but instead believe in the laws of nature based on a sort of faith.…
Einstein himself, who is generally revered as one of the greatest scientists in the scientific pantheon, had even remained uncertain of his own theory until it was proven empirically correct. And Barry likewise makes it clear to his readers that to believe exclusively in the “process of inquiry” is, above all else, a prerequisite for…
Young Albert tried to imagine the mysterious force that caused the compass needle to move, and the experience awakened a sense of wonder that stayed with him for life. Understanding the universe became an "eternal riddle" for Einstein, a quest for scientific enlightenment. "The road to this paradise was not as comfortable and alluring as the road to the religious paradise," he wrote, "but it has proved itself as trustworthy, and I have never regretted having chosen it."- www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/life/ Albert Einstein was a poor student and although he did not earn top grades in every subject, he excelled at math and science. "It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle," he wrote, "that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry." Schilpp, 1970. p. 17. Being fiercely independent, even as a young boy, Albert had already developed a deep distrust of authority. He challenged not only his teachers but also long-standing mathematical and scientific "givens," such as ancient Greek rules of geometry and laws of physics established by other scientists. Ironically, Einstein's questioning and resulting breakthroughs eventually turned him into an authority…
When Albert Einstein, also known as the greatest scientist of the twentieth century, and a Nobel-prize winner, receives a letter from a sixth-grade girl named Phyllis Wright questioning if scientists pray, - and if so, what do they pray for - Einstein simultaneously uses various rhetoric methods such as SOAPS, ethos, logos, and pathos to respond to Wright’s question in the simplest form possible, and in doing so, Einstein created a rhetorically effective response. Einstein’s rhetorical purpose was to elaborate how scientists perceive scientific and religious elucidations.…
On January 24, 1936 a response letter was written to a little girl named Phyllis written a letter asking "Do scientist pray, and if so, what they pray for." At the end of the paper, it seems that Einstein himself never answers Phyllis’s question definitely, never really leaning either way, but by using rhetorical writing he doesn’t really have to. By giving rational exchange of viewpoints, he gives the reader the choice to answer her on question. Albert Einstein is rhetorically effective to help Phyllis to her answer by using context and purpose; subject, speaker, and audience, and appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos,…
In the early 1700's, a constructive debate on the true nature of light led to various arguments and theories. The "corpuscular" theory, which was more religious based, depicted light being tiny particles that were transferred from a source like the Sun to a destination. A more scientific theory suggested that light was a wave phenomenon where the energy was carried by a wave motion and not by movement of actual particles. In the early 1900's, Albert Einstein discovered that light was both a wave and it was composed of tiny particles. He felt that both sides were right all along and both contributed to finding out the true nature of light. With this discovery, he felt that there was a strong link between science and religion. "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" Albert Einstein. Saying this, he believed strongly in the fact that religion and science were compatible.…
Vasant Natarajan We analyze Einstein’s views on God and religion, and his views on Quantum Mechanics. One of Albert Einstein’s most famous statements is “God does not play dice with the universe”. The common interpretation of this statement contains two myths (or perhaps misunderstandings) that I wish to correct in this article. The first is that his use of the word ‘God’ implies that he was a religious person who believed in the existence of God. Nothing could be further from the truth; indeed, Einstein can be described more accurately as an outright atheist. Although his early upbringing was in a highly religious Jewish environment, he soon realized that many of the things described in the Old Testament were not consistent with physical laws. His great contributions to physics came from his belief in precise mathematical laws that govern the natural world. This rational approach is antithetical to the common religious notion of a supernatural God with powers that can overcome natural laws. We can go as far as saying that, deep down, every person (and certainly every practising scientist) must have this rational streak. You cannot do good science if you do not believe in fundamental immutable laws that govern Nature. Tomorrow, if your computer breaks down, you know it is because some part of the system failed. You call a technician hoping he/she will find out what is wrong and fix it; you certainly don’t pray to a God or go to a temple to get it fixed (though you might pray to God that the technician comes quickly!). It is interesting that we are born with this rational bent of mind; in fact, our very survival in the natural world depends on forming a rational picture of what we see, with no room for supernatural or magical events. Experiments have…
Very few paid attention to science. There was only a change when two influential theologians and philosophers: Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas urged that knowledge can be obtained through two distinct channels of faith and natural reason, which have led into the complete separation of science and theology.…