Beliefs unlike our knowledge of things have the quality of either being true or false. Like with all information of things, persons, places or objects we either know of their existence or we do not. There does not exist a state of mind where there exists truth or falsehood associated with something that is known by the existence of that thing. We could be wrong about the knowledge we have of things but that knowledge could not be deceptive in nature, you either know of the existence of a thing or you do not. This means that while belief can be true or false knowledge of things does not have this property. Conversely we know that beliefs can both be true or false as many people can have widely varying opinions on the same subject that contradict …show more content…
So that there can be falsehood a relation must involve someone judging or believing. Russell uses Othello as an example in this relation "Desdemona 's love for Cassio" this does not truly exist, what does exist is the relation of Othello 's mind with the objects in the belief which are Desdemona, loving, Cassio and Othello, this is a relation of four terms. Belief is the relation that Othello has to all of these terms, his act of believing unites all of these terms into a complex whole. Belief is what relates the objects or "constituents" Cassio, Desdemona and loving together with the judge or object Othello. There is also a direction or order in which the objects are placed this is acknowledge by "Cassio loves Desdemona" being a different statement then "Desdemona loves Cassio." Within the statement "Othello believes that Desdemona loves Cassio," It is not loving which forms the complex but how the object relates to the subjects that creates the complex unity in this case it is Othello 's act of believing that cements the relation between the subject and objects. This leads Russell to the conclusion that beliefs are true when correspond to an associated complex and false they aren 't. This is the nature of truth. The constituents are put in an order that are united by a relation which in the case of Othello is "Loving" which are also the objects of the belief. This complex unity is referred to as the " fact corresponding to the belief" meaning that statements are true when and if there are existing corresponding
Iago asserts that sense and reason cooperate as if they were on a balance, and that if sense were not governed by reason “our natures would conduct us to the most preposterous conclusions”(1.3.324–25), so, by this view, when one focuses on sense more than reason, their lusts will cause them to do terrible things. Iago does not see any drawbacks from uncontrolled reason, and he does not believe that love is more than “a lust of the blood and a permission of the will” (1.3.329), but in the play the opposite seems to be true. Reason does not tempers sense, but instead sense must set the foundation for reasonable conclusions, or they will lose unity with reality, so reason causes Othello to come to “preposterous conclusions” by relying only on rational thoughts to found his suspicion about Desdemona. Neither reason nor sense are invalid, but one must rely on both to get the most sure truth he or she can, and reason must not take priority to what the senses can clearly perceive, so by separating Othello’s reasonable mind from his senses, Iago can control him with false logic.
He claims that knowledge is the most essential mental state which therefore cannot be reduced to basic mental states such as belief and justification. This argument is supported by the idea that knowledge is the basis of what we perceive. This is validated by the fact that false knowledge cannot exist, whereas false belief can. Williamson provides an example of this through the idea of the Earth being flat. Those who believed the Earth was flat had believed falsely that they knew the Earth was flat. False knowledge cannot exist because it would require the Earth to be
Beliefs are imprinted in our consciousness that alters our perceptions, attitudes and how we react towards situations and moments of decisions, they perceive our realities. Everyone has a different imprints and perceive their beliefs from their personal experiences. Beliefs dictate how we react to life. Our beliefs can be altered and changed throughout the course of our lifetime
During the 1600’s (Elizabethan), in which Othello was published, the philosophies of religion were a dominant feature in literature. Religion was also a highly domineering facet of Elizabethan Literature, due to the influence of the protestant church and reigning monarch at the time. Religion is arguably explored as being painful and harrowing, which is debatably exemplified in Othello during his tribulations. Furthermore “The Monk”, being written in 1796, the ideology of religion was a reoccurring aspect of literature. However, Lewis adds elements of Eros and lust, entwining it with the concept of romanticism, arguably challenging the capability of man in maintaining the dogma of Christianity. More on, “Oranges aren’t the only fruit”, which was written during the contemporary period, arguably challenges the ideology of Christianity in its entirety. It can be regarded as exploring human natures inability in conforming to religion, therefore resulting in sense of oppression and arguably failure of self.
In Act three, Scene three, Desdemona agrees to speak to Othello in Cassio’s behalf) As Desdemona and Cassio discuss Cassio’s loss of rank and trust in Othello’s eyes. Iago brings to Othello’s attention the discussion taking place between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago knowing full well why the discussion is happening. Iago hints the pair seems to be spending a lot of time together. Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind Othello begins to ponder the idea of whether Iago suspicions are true.
Othello, through Iago’s manipulation and Desdemona’s compliments to Cassio, starts to mistrust his wife because he is convinced she is having an affair and becomes convinced to the point he can not believe his wife’s faithfulness. Iago’s disrespect and cruel views towards women enables him to manipulate Othello because he does not care about the fates of women and would rather not deal with them. Also, Iago hurting his wife both mentally and physically illustrates his mistrust towards his wife because he does not believe his wife is faithful and he hurts her, in efforts to prove his superiority. Lack of communication between spouses in relationships can bring many arguments because they are unwilling to admit their mistakes or admit something bothering them and once it all these emotions boil up inside it can lead to the argument becoming worse. These intense arguments can lead to spouses acting upon emotions, which they will later regret their actions during these fight, but in the moment they are too blinded by emotions realize their mistakes. Miscommunication can also lead to others being labeled based on other’s perspective of the person, which is bad because they might not act that way, but if the person does not confront them then they will always assume the other person’s view of a person is correct, instead of learning the truth by meeting the
The Importance of Language in Othello In the extract being analysed there are numerous instances where
The Tragedy of Othello William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, from the sixteenth century is an excellent example of Renaissance humanism. “A poet of unparalleled genius, Shakespeare emerged during the golden age of England under the rule of Elizabeth I.”(Fiero 3:98) He produced comedies, tragedies, romances and histories. According to Webster’s pocket dictionary, a tragedy is defined as a form of drama in which the protagonist comes to a disaster, as through a flaw in character, and in which the ending is usually marked by pity or sorrow. I would like to concentrate on the character Iago and the theme of deceit.
Humanity and Reason in Othello In Othello Shakespeare probes deeply into the human condition by creating characters, who, by their inability to think rationally, surrender what sets them above animals. Before he succumbs to Iago's poisonous innuendoes, Othello himself expresses his clear understanding of this role of the human intellect. He initially refuses to listen to Iago's suggestions that Desdemona cannot be trusted, "Exchange me for a goat/When I shall turn the business of my soul/To such exsufflicate and blown surmises" (3.3.194-96). Othello feels that he would be acting like an animal if he became irrationally jealous because someone would say "my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company" (3.3.198).
Shakespeare is a play writer that many people study in school, but why? Shakespeare’s plays give may reasons to study it, reasons include how he is able to capture many emotions which help engage the audience. It also educates us of problems that are still happening today such as patriarchy and racial discrimination. The purpose of his plays such as Othello is to entertain as it is a play but inside most of his plays there is meaning such as, as mentioned above racial discrimination and patriarchy. 400 years ago many problems in today’s society were not considered problems back then. This meant that u could say anything about black people and it was allowed hence why they called Othello a moor.
Europe in the middle Ages was threatened by the Islamic fighters from the east whom they saw as antithetical to their professed Christianity. As the dominant religion, those who professed this faith were seen to be superior to those who did not and as such religious minorities likely suffer discrimination and persecution at the hands of their Christian neighbors which would have necessarily shaped their world view and behavior.
Reflect on the theme of agency in the three plays we have studied in this course. What is agency? How do characters lose or gain it? What role does it play in the structure and thematic layering of each play? If you wish, you may want to discuss its relevance to your own life (although this personal note is not required)
Whether someone's belief is true is not a prerequisite for belief. On the other hand, if something is actually known, then it categorically cannot be false. For example, if a person believes that a bridge is safe enough to support him, and attempts to cross it, but the bridge then collapses under his weight, it could be said that he believed that the bridge was safe but that his belief was mistaken. It would not be accurate to say that he knew that the bridge was safe, because plainly it was not. By contrast, if the bridge actually supported his weight, then he might say that he had believed that the bridge was safe, whereas now, after proving it to himself, he knows it was
A depraved soul would generate chaos, inflict pain, and stir up trouble for its own satisfaction. Iago undoubtedly fits this description seeing that he is a sadist who attains power by annihilating others. In The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice, he is a sinister force steering virtuous people towards their gruesome deaths. Furthermore, he is the core focus of this academic essay.
In its simplest sense, belief is an acceptance of the existence or the truth of a statement, something, or someone. As human beings, we are all predisposed to believe. For instance, humans are inclined to believe that there is a purpose in life and everything that exists must have an origin. But, these beliefs on purpose and existence must stem out from a greater belief. This is the belief that there is an intelligent being beyond existence that gave us purpose and created all that exists—God.