LUCKY SHOT.
I sit in my room with a gun on my left and pills on my right. I sit and think – is it worth living another day? It’s a difficult question, which I think about every night. I look to my left, then to my right. I should have gone to sleep I tell myself, and hope tomorrow will be different. It’s time just to give up! I try to think about something positive in my life but there’s nothing to think of. Maybe the years I don’t remember were good, but I doubt that. I turn to my left again and stair at the gun. The gun isn’t loaded yet but I have one bullet sitting on the table waiting for this special occasion. Maybe it would be easier to take the pills. It’s much quieter and clearer that way. But maybe I should leave ‘HELL’ with a bang? But then again it’s not my style. My whole life I was quiet; I think that the suffering should end – yes! I grab the bottle and open the lid. For some reason I pour the pills on the bed and begin to count them. Twenty-one. That should do it. I grab one pill and carry it towards my mouth, but I am unable to put it in. I place the pill back on the bed. I look up at the ceiling thinking. My neck begins to hurt, but it doesn’t bother me – I’ll be dead soon. I start to wonder if my life would have been any different if God was a part of it. My neck begins to hurt more so I bring my head down and stare at the wall. As I’m staring at the wall, I try to build up confidence to end it all. I never had any confidence. My misery will soon end. Why can’t I just do it? The world will be better off with out me, one less useless person in the world. Hell can’t be worse then this.
Our senses can sometimes be deceiving, and Descartes immediately comes to the conclusions that our senses cannot be a claim for knowledge. We have no proof that what we experience with our senses is true. Descartes says that we cannot truly...
Waiting, suffering, pain, and death. These words constantly flow through the minds of people lying on their death beds. Some have cancer or life threatening diseases while others just wish they were not alive and want their lives to end. In today’s world, too many people encounter these life or death situations. Because of this, a controversy over assisted suicide has grown all over the United States. Assisted suicide, the “termination of one’s own life by the administration of a lethal substance” with the help of a physician, has been passed and made legal in a few states such as California and Oregon; however, other states are weary and unsure about passing such a disputed issue. While some people
Medical science has made great strides to allow us to save more lives than ever before. Through modern medicine, procedures, and technology we have the power to cure or reduce the suffering of people with conditions and diseases that were once thought to be fatal. We have discovered or much rather, we have created the so-called “fountain-of-youth”. Even so, modern medicine cannot treat all forms of pain and suffering. This technology that is seemingly beneficial for us today is also bringing about pain and distress to those who wish to end their prolonged life. One of the most controversial topics discussed this past decade has been that of assisted suicide.
Pain is universal. In life, everyone will feel pain; it is inevitable and cruel. Physical or emotional, insignificant or severe, it is there. The pain continues mounting into an unbearable amount of suffering. Suffering that blots out everything of worth, such as family, love, aspirations, and optimism. Hopelessness seizes any will to endure. With no way to subside or control the pain, often one will go to extremes in order to be free of it. Many take their life, in order to escape the horror. Committing suicide is a traumatizing experience for any and all involved. Life is precious. The chance to live is only given once, and cannot be taken for granted. Preventing even a single life from ending early is imperative and obligatory to everyone. Suicide can never be an option. Why then is it acceptable as an alternative treatment for dire medical conditions? Physician-Assisted Suicides have a negative impact on those involved and is unethical.
The question now is how are we to doubt everything? Descartes claims that we are fooled by our minds, meaning we do not really know what is false or not. For instance, one a hot day you look at a the ground at a distance and think you see water, but in reality the heat rising from the ground which from a certain angle looks like water but then when you get closer you see the ground not water. In addition, Descartes que...
He has just been diagnosed with depression and given antidepressants. Before his medications could take effect George has a heart attack. His heart and kidney are affected so that blood cannot be pumped to his kidneys. He is put on renal dialysis until he could recover. But it is not clear if the treatment will prove effective. George, unable to endure the reality of his illness and other detrimental issues, requests to discontinue treatment and be allowed to die.
Some regard the atomic bomb as “the thank God for the atom bomb”. This places God on the U.S. side and regards the bombs as our saving grace. This bomb forced the Japanese to surrender which in turn proved the U.S. to be the heroes who saved the American’s lives.1 The Americans intended on ending the war but did not expect to end it with such a large number of casualties. The results of the atomic bomb and how it effected the Japanese people both emotionally and physically will be addressed. “The bombs marked both an end and a beginning—the end of an appalling global conflagration in which more than 50 million people were killed and the beginning of the nuclear arms race and a new world in which security was forever a step away and enormous resources had to be diverted to military pursuits”.2
Michaelson, Peter. “A Hidden Reason for Suicidal Thoughts”(2013). Why We Suffer. n.pag. Web. 2 Apr. 2014
He says that things far from him, in the distance, give him reason to doubt their certainty, while things that are close to him are indubitable and he is clear about their certainty. However, Descartes realizes that dreams pose an obstacle to his beliefs. Even up close, dreams can be indubitable. Descartes believes that if a person has had a dream that was so intense that the person could not determine it form reality, then they have reason to doubt objects that are close to us and appear to be indubitable. In order to resolve this problem, Descartes suggests that one must examine whether they are dreaming or not.
One thing that we often hear is that “death is just a part of life.” So often in our day and age do we hear people utter these words. However, death is far more significant and impactful than some would allege. True death is not merely a time when we cease to exist; it is an entombment, a mindset in which we are dead to this world. Throughout our lives, it is true that we can all be dead in one way or another, but it does not have to be that way. When we have our eyes opened to what death actually is, it is far easier to grasp what the true meaning of life is, and to embrace it. Often, we will come across individuals who are enveloped in death and others who are immersed in true life. The shadow of death and entombment lies upon some, encompassing
Descartes’ first two Meditations are arguably the most widely known philosophical works. Because of this, one can make the error of assuming that Descartes’ method of doubt is self-evident and that its philosophical implications are relatively minor. However, to assume this would be a grave mistake. In this paper, I hope to spread light on exactly what Descartes’ method of doubt is, and how, though it furnishes challenges for the acceptance of the reality of the external world, it nonetheless does not lead to external world skepticism.
Albert Camus posed the question, "Should I kill myself, or have a cup of coffee?" It was in this question that my intellectual curiosity was truly awoken as a tenth grader. My fascination stemmed both from the absurdity of the question and upon further insight from the absurdist interpretation. If everything results in death what is the meaning in our daily actions? My response to this question changed twice before I came to a personal conclusion to Camus' seemingly rhetorical question. At first I conveniently believed that having a cup of coffee was the correct answer. However, after exploring absurdism I began to understand Camus' viewpoint and quickly switched to having no response, because even though I began to comprehend the 'meaninglessness'
Some of the first major philosophical works that I read were Descartes’ Meditations. In his first Meditation, Descartes writes about the idea of skepticism. This is when I was exposed to the topic of skepticism and I found myself interested in the idea right from the start. Skepticism is one of the most popular topics in epistemology. It is also not a topic that only appeals to philosophers. Skepticism is a topic that draws many people’s attention because it is an idea that rocks the cores of many of the beliefs that are closest to us. After all, some of the concepts that follow from the idea of skepticism are ones such as we might not actually have any knowledge of the world or the world, as we know it, might not actually be real. Skeptical scenarios prove to be both intriguing and intimidating. Responses to skepticism usually turn out to be satisfying in some ways but carry unwanted baggage in other ways. Overall, skepticism is a topic that much thought has been dedicated to and one that has led to many philosophical developments. In this paper, I will touch upon
...er continue living in an unjust and cruel world, even though they are capable of taking the easy way out. He brings the question of the afterlife for the main reason why humans don’t commit suicide.
Descartes sought to establish some truths in the world that would never be proven false through his Meditations. In order to do so, Descartes said that he had to call everything into question of which he thought was true, because building truths on other truths that are not absolutely true allows for error, and many years of scientific thought wasted if it was spent using false information. Therefore, Descartes begins by doubting everything and slowly works his way through overcoming doubt with certainty in order to contribute and make more efficient the scientific community. This even came down to God, the existence of the physical world, and himself.