Due to the fact that humans have developed a considerable dominion over the earth and its other inhabitants, we are often inclined to be anthropocentric. Backed up by cultural and religious tradition, we tend to subscribe to the theory that we are distinct among earth's creatures and that this affords us a certain right in how we interact with and use the others. Even champions of animal rights, such as J.M. Coetzee's fictional novelist Elizabeth Costello, tend to subscribe to this mentality of speciesism, albeit to a different end. Costello depicts human development as a war with the other animals that was, “won […] definitively only a few hundred years ago, when we invented guns. It is only since victory became absolute that we have been able to afford to cultivate compassion” (The Lives of Animals 59). While she believes our dominance should be used to spearhead the movement of sympathetic relations with other species rather than their exploitation, the fact remains that she views us as dominant, as having won the war. Perhaps there is a good case for human ascendency: we have clearly built complex civilizations, often at the expense of other creatures and habitats, and are able, through the various technologies Costello alludes to when she says we invented guns, to subjugate other animals to our needs and fancies. The crux of the matter, however, is not so much whether we are more powerful, more abundant, or more successfully manipulative than other animals, but whether or not these qualities indicate that we are distinct in any way. Do humans form a separate, higher form of existence than other animals or, like the lion that is able to capture and control the antelope, are we merely a more powerful predator of the same mold?
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...ry nature of evolution.
The implications of our close relationship with earth's other creatures are not as clear. The argument is there for Elizabeth Costello, perhaps even more than she realized, that we should act compassionately towards other creatures because we are inexplicably similar in our existences. But then again, these similarities also beg the question of why we should be held to a moral standard that other animals don't always keep to in their relations with us. Ultimately, like all other “human” questions, the answers cannot be found in biology alone. Carroll quotes the psychologist Erich Fromm who said, “Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem he has to solve” (250). Understanding how we developed to our current form is not the end of questions of existence, and as such, is not the end of the implications and duties thereof.
always been a different integration consisting of the believers and the non-believers of God. There are many skeptics trying to find the existence of God, they try to seek the answers through scientific methods. Even as of today with all the modern technologies and the development of sciences, there are still questions about whether God does exist and how do we know for a fact that God does exist. Throughout the Bible, we have read stories after stories about God and what he can do. About how he shows
PLATO’S AND SARTRE’S VIEWS ON EXISTENCE Introduction In order to understand the meaning of existence in relation to philosophy, we need to discuss its ordinary meaning and the various levels of existence. The Chambers Concise Dictionary (1992, 362) defines ‘exist’ as having an actual being; to live; to occur; to continue to live’ and it defines existence as ‘the state of existing or being’. In other words, the Dictionary does not make a distinction between existence and living. However, philosophically
made a good point of how in the past before we know what caused things like lightning or wind, we would just simply say it was God, also with horrific events it was the mystery of the way God works. But today we have many scientists working on many different hypotheses to figure out more and more on how everything in existence works, thus leaving God more out of any equation of why things do what they do or why they are here. Wouldn’t God want us to not question his existence and to be able to prove
The big question: Why the world Exists Jim Holt likes asking questions, rather big ones. In the book, 'Why does the world exist?', he takes on one of the biggest questions in his conversation with scientists and theologists. Jim Holt raises the central question Why is there something rather than nothing. He questions the origin of everything in this book. In the book, Jim Holt, himself wants to know how nothingness, a state in which nothing exists, gives rise to the universe in which all things
Through out history there have been questions of where we come from and how we got here. It all comes down to the question of God’s existence. God’s existence has never been questioned during the times of when Christianity, Judaism and Islam were born. The question of God’s existence comes from our new way of thinking after these religions. Science has made us think of how things work in our world and brings Gods existence into question. There were no scientific studies done during the days of Jesus
God’s Existence God's existence is a very intense argument topic. Whether God exists or not is a question thousand of people have been asking themselves and have been searching for proof whether to believe in his existence or not. Philosophers have tried to provide rational proof of God's existence that go beyond opinionated declaration. I personally decisively believe in his existence. I chose this topic based on five questions; Firstly, everyone asks themselves whether something exists or not
for the better. Descarte begins the Meditations on First Philosophy, by how he has questioned what has been deemed to be true by questioning the basic foundations these beliefs were built upon, because surely they were not true if certainty did not exist like that in certain disciplines; arithmetic, geometry, and similar disciplines. Descarte continues by telling us about his procrastination period hence leaving the question whether his basic beliefs which are the foundation to many other are indeed
And hence studying how does the existence of consciousness occur in reality and how can it be predicted becomes an important question. Study of the state of consciousness of mind has been the center of philosophical questions.
In The Controversy over the Existence of Ordinary Objects, Amie L. Thomasson discusses controversy surrounding whether atoms exist, or ordinary objects exist. The idea mentions only atoms exist and therefore, ordinary objects do not exist. Thomasson rejects the claim that only atoms or ordinary objects can exist; Both cannot exist. Thus, Thomasson defends the existence of ordinary objects by discrediting arguments to vagueness and misuses of language. I agree that ordinary objects exist. In Section
universe is infinite. He talks about how there are different meaning to words that can be used to describe things. In the Selections from Summa Theologica it says, “whose power is to signify his meaning, not by words only (as man also can do), but also by things themselves.” Aquinas is trying to explain that the universe offers us multiple ways on putting meanings to words. I understood that the universe allows us to have different words that can have different meanings to them. In addition, the
Exploring Evidence to Prove the Existence of God There are many arguments that Christians could put forward to prove or question the existence of God. Why are we here? What is the purpose of our existence? Thomas Aquinas, who was a catholic theologian. Argued that the universe is so complex and well designed, it couldn't possibly of appeared by chance. Nature is very complicated but all fits together so well there must be a creator. But if this creator so many believe in is intangible
of the human mind is to be inquisitive, to constantly ask questions about our surroundings. Both these facets are shown by the main character, "Cutie," in Asimov's "Reason." This thought-provoking story uses Cutie, a robot, as a metaphor of the human mind, and on a larger scale, humanity itself. Closer analysis of "Reason" will allow an indepth understanding of :- (1) how the reasoning process is used to formulate a belief by Cutie, (2) how the human mind uses reason to deal with that which is unknown
Life is a basic human right that we have, so where does it begins, Through Existence or Through Being. Being is the state of existing, and having awareness of existence, so you need Being to realize the awareness of Existence. On the other hand, Existence has no meaning if it is not realized. Existence is conceptually different from Being. The Being and Existence process are unique, because there is a possibility to stop the Being process, and this is where the fetus comes in. Many people claim that
Essay 3 There are many questions that face human existence. Questions that we ask others and ourselves, while we try to find meaning. When there seems to be no clear or true answer then this puzzles humanity as we have a longing to understand and a longing for clarity. There are tons of philosophical questions one can think of or ask but they all seem to boil down to one single question. Does life have meaning? This question has been pondered over since human existence. After searching this
“The Existence of God” People all over the world have different religions that believe in there is an almighty being. This means that they believe and worship the almighty being. However, there are people who have questioned whether such a being exists. The question has raised several arguments from different philosophers. Each of them came up with their different views about the controversy surrounding the question. God’s ‘existence’ is one of the widely discussed topics over the years. The question