Are miracles real? The concept of miracles is a topic which is frequently brought up in discussions about the nature of the world. The issue is‚ however‚ that many people are simply observing coincidences and then calling them miracles. In order to deal with this issue it is important that we define what a miracle is‚ explore the different interpretations of what miracles are and are not‚ and then reach a conclusion about whether miracles can exist in our world. There is no standard definition about
Premium Religion Metaphysics Reality
Descartes views in the Second Meditation is that he tries to clarify the nature of the human mind and how it is better known than the body. He has this theory of we’re just “existing” as in we’re just dreaming or being deceived by an evil demon of some sort. With that happening‚ he still concludes that we can imagine‚ hear‚ and see things. Although our sensory perceptions can be false‚ they’re still a part of our mind and our thinking. Descartes believes we should doubt our senses because they cannot
Premium Mind Metaphysics Epistemology
Descartes now that he has found knowledge that he exists as a thinking thing‚ he starts looking around for more of these things called self-evident truths. He tries to unravel the facts of nature in his mind by trying to find a solution and proving the existence of God. By proving that God is the one that gives us a clear and different perception which means‚ that God is perfect in every way and the he does not deceive anyone. Because of this he is able to secure a sense of certainty for these clear
Premium Epistemology Metaphysics Ontology
The main topic of the Meditation Three discusses the concept of God and the proof of His existence. Descartes begins with the assertion that he is a ’thinking thing’ and therefore‚ he exists. Next‚ he further questions the source of his thoughts and certainty of anything else‚ because there are things that he previously admitted as certain and evident that later discovered to be doubtful (P.70). Therefore‚ Descartes concluded he has to find out whether there is God and that He is not a deceiver‚
Premium Metaphysics Ontology Epistemology
One of the most interesting arguments for the Existence of God comes from Anselm and the Ontological argument. According to the Ontological argument‚ there is no reason to go out and look for physical evidence of God’s existence. The ontological argument is based completely on reason and comes from the concept of a “being than which no greater can be conceived.” Anselm suggested that if such a “being” does not truly exist then a greater being can be conceived. But how does this make any sense? Nothing
Premium Ontology Metaphysics Existence
The world is dominated by technology; it has integrated itself into every aspect of our lives. This digital technology is referred to as ’simulations’ by the French philosopher Baudrillard‚ and in turn‚ these simulations within every day life have come to be known as ’Hyperrealism’. This is the inability of consciousness to distinguish between the reality of a simulation and reality itself. This is particularly relevant in advanced post modern societies. It is seen as a condition in which the real
Premium Reality Simulated reality Ontology
Four Realms of Causality The diagram above shows the four realms of causality. The outer ring involves the physical real—the realm of science or the karma of nature. Inside that is the realm of social dynamics—politics‚ group psychology‚ cultural forces and so on. Inside that we find the causal dynamics of the individual mind‚ their developmental history and internal workings of their personality. Usually the task of explanation stops there‚ but inside this‚ at the very core we find the spirit or
Premium Metaphysics Ontology Mind
Descartes Principle In the Third Meditation‚ Descartes believes that he is was created by God and God is an infinite being. He mentions as one of his proofs that “there must be at least as much formal reality in the cause of an idea as there is objective reality in the idea itself.” Many people would not know what this means. It means that anything that causes an idea must be at least as actual as what the idea is about. For example‚ if i have an idea that my house is red‚ the cause of my idea would
Premium Metaphysics Ontology Existence
Something I found very interesting about Alston’s essay on “Perceiving God” was their notion of how one’s experience of God‚ and their beliefs about the being which they call God‚ play a tremendous role in one’s understanding of God. In short‚ it seems that Alston’s views one’s religious experiences as being validated‚ and given context‚ through the context of religious beliefs they share in their culture. Thus‚ the phenomenon of belief in a religion‚ says Alston‚ has to be predicated on the phenomenon
Premium Religion Metaphysics Philosophy
720444421 Against Objects In arguing against the endurantist’s theory of reality—that is‚ the idea that objects are wholly present and only present in the ‘now’—a bold conclusion is made: that the endurantist contradicts himself in believing an object that has changed is identical to itself in a time before it had changed. The argument is this: endurantists believe that every object is numerically identical to (is the same as) itself at every point in time during its ‘object-hood’ or lifespan. For
Premium Ontology Truth Metaphysics