Philosophical view about notions about humans and the vast universe that we live in - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Conceding to the fact that religion is only created by a human being, say Paul the Apostle for Roman Catholicism, I joined with Sigmund Freud in believing that yes, religion drives people into wishful thinking. Freud, as a staunch critic of religion and in fact an atheist himself, had somehow influenced the way I view the world and religion. I believed in self-determination that our selves are only to be blamed for our fate, and our success is credited for our wholehearted efforts. However, Freud is situated on the radical side while I start to realize that Blaise Pascal must be right. His point made sense in my own discernment when he said that there is truth in believing that something or someone exists without actually proving scientifically that it or he exists.  Pascal’s Pensees is one of the readings that challenged, changed, and expanded my worldview. My previous worldview and religious philosophy are characterized by selfish reasons and responsibility on my part alone that myself is the only one I can turn to and rely on whatever pursuits. Pascal has quite disproved my beliefs. “The things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal,” the apostle Paul was quoted uttering these words (Dawson 10). Pensees reminds me of an example about numbers like how can anyone postulate that 1 plus 1 is really equal to two while other great thinkers have already disproved the end. We believe because there is an unexplainable faith beyond seen objects....
Pensees reminds me of an example about numbers like how can anyone postulate that 1 plus 1 is really equal to two while other great thinkers have already disproved the end. We believe because there is an unexplainable faith beyond seen objects. As Beck calls it, we have this so-called “worldview defense” when questions from an existential point of view threat us (143). Beck characterized this kind of defense as destructive, such as when we are confronted with death and end up becoming selfish in order to escape from it (143). I believe that my worldview centers on the fact that our spirituality is able to discern right and wrong things from each other. Our religious beliefs fuel goodness, selflessness, and other altruistic acts. In fact, our spiritual being is the one responsible for seeking morally upright actions and work to do. Furthermore, Clive Staples Lewis’ transition from being an atheist to a Christian has also influenced my worldview. Nicholi narrates Lewis’ thoughts regarding the Christian faith, which state that “There is one God... Jesus Christ is His only Son” (39). Lewis is a contemporary philosopher in the truest sense, but relied on Immanuel Kant’s idea that we can view the world in “the starry heavens above and the moral law within” (Nicholi 37). This, too, has expanded my view regarding religion, life, and intelligence. There is a supreme force that governs the world and everything in it, and that the existence of God is not a mere figment of imagination as what Freud believes. Metaphysics The field of metaphysics, pioneered by Aristotle, serves as a guide in developing my worldview. Basically, it ...Download file to see next pagesRead More