Infinite Truth Essay Example for Free

Infinite Truth Essay Since the dawn of philosophical thought there has been a desire to find truth. Now exactly what truth is depends upon whom you ask. Philosophers have been searching for truth in various forms for at least as far back as Aristotle in the first century B. C. all the way up to Carl Hempel in the 20th century A. D. To Aristotle and Plato truth was reality; To Descartes truth was found in God; To Hempel truth was found in explanation. None of these are accurate and yet all of them point toward the same truth. Reality, as defined by Plato and Aristotle, God, as proved be Descartes and ideal explanation as modeled by Hempel, all allude to the same thing. They point out that mankind is a finite being and that truth is only attainable in infinite understanding, an impossibility of man at our current stage of development. Two of the earliest known men to approach the study of reality, or metaphysics were Plato and his student/rival Aristotle. These two inquisitors of reality looked at it from opposite schools of thought. Plato sought after answers by looking at the world with an outside/in point of view. Meaning he used what he perceived in the world to draw conclusions. Aristotle on the other hand approached the world from an inside/out perspective. He applied his thoughts and beliefs to the world. Aristotles beliefs lead to him seeing only one level of reality. He felt there was only one imminent world and that forms existed within particular things. Aristotle held that form had no solitary existence and existed in matter. In order to explain that form is an inherent trait of matter he quotes Antiphon and points out that if you planted a bed and the rotting wood acquired the power of sending up a shoot, it would not be a bed that came up, but wood. (Matthews, pg. 9) To Aristotle the form of the matter was wood and form is the unchanging reality. Platos view of metaphysics shows two realms to our reality: there is the realm of changing, sense-perceptible, becoming things and a realm of forms; eternal, fixed, and perfect. The realm of form was the source of all reality and of all true knowledge. Both Plato and Aristotle use form to describe reality, which to them is truth, as being eternal in nature. So truth is eternal, or infinite in nature, but what of Platos other realm, the realm of perception. Plato, in the republic, gives an in depth explanation of how he views this sense-perceptible realm. He uses his allegory of the cave. In the allegory, Plato compares people, unlearned in his theory of forms, to prisoners chained in a cave. They are unable to turn their heads. All they can see is the wall of the cave and behind them burns a fire. Between the fire and the prisoners there is a parapet, along which puppeteers can walk. The puppeteers, who are behind the prisoners, hold up puppets that cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these puppets, the real objects that pass behind them. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see. Such prisoners would mistake appearance for reality. They would think the things they see on the wall were real. They would know nothing of the real causes of the shadows. So if the prisoners were to talk to one another about a passing object and called it a doll they would think they are talking about a doll, but they are really talking about a shadow. (Plato, Book VII) Plato portrays in his allegory of the cave a dualistic view of truth. He speaks of the eternal properties of form as Aristotle does, but he also adds his insight into mankinds finitude and inability to perceive the realm of forms completely. The fact that people take as truth what they perceive will plague philosophers into the modern era. Much later, in the 17th century A. D., in his Third Meditation Descartes proves the existence of God. He builds his entire argument upon his proof in the previous meditation that in order for him to think, he must exist. From this single observation, Descartes notices that the idea of his existence is very clear and distinct in his mind; based upon this clarity and the fact that he has just determined his own existence, he deduces a rule. All the things that he sees as very clear and very distinct are all true. He then explains that he knows that he is imperfect due to the fact that he has doubts. Clearly, knowing is more perfect than doubting. From this notion, he realizes that within him lies this idea of a perfect being and that he is incapable of producing this idea alone. Descartes also determines several qualities that God possesses merely by observing himself. Descartes thought that whatever ideas he himself had, if they contained perfections, then God would possess them. If the ideas were in any way imperfect, then God would not possess them. The attributes of God that Descartes came up with are that He is infinite, independent, supremely intelligent, supremely powerful, and which created myself and everything else (Descartes, Pg.45). Descartes then makes the point that he has the idea of infinite describing God. At the same time, Descartes is a finite being. Since it has already been established that this more perfect idea of infiniteness cannot come from the less perfect idea of finiteness, the idea could not have originated from Descartes alone. Therefore, Descartes concludes that God necessarily exists and in so doing is infinite. In his Principles on Philosophy Descartes describes how God is the primary cause of motion; and that he always maintains an equal quantity of it in the universe. (Matthews, pg. 99) To Descartes God is the infinite cause and balance in the universe. Descartes states in the beginning of his proof that all things clear and distinct are true. That is no more accurate than saying that all ideas that are ambiguous to someone are unconditionally untrue. He also states, the existence of God depends on the clarity and distinctness with which we perceive the idea of God. Therefore, if to me, it was not clear and distinct then it would not necessarily be true. But the clarity and distinctness of our thoughts depends on the existence of God. This seems to be a very circular argument and is dependent on the existence of God to prove the existence of God. Again human perception falls short of truth. Do people understand truth more in more modern settings? Over the course of the 20th century Carl Hempel came up with two models of human explanation that he organized as ideals. Bas Van Fraassen puts forth a few problems with the models. The problems he states are; asymmetry, relevance, low probability, and legality. These are not the problems with the models. The real problems come from, as Hempel puts it, the universal laws invoked?can have only been established on the basis of a finite body of evidence, which surely affords no exhaustive verification. (Balashov, pg. 51) He also says that because of this all the laws used in the deductive-nomological method of explanation are all only probabilistic. This means that the only method that Hempel actually explains is his probabilistic method. Since all laws have been shown to be probabilistic the problem falls back to the fact that they been established on the basis of a finite body of evidence and therefore causes an epistemological problem. We cant define to what degree our laws are true. We cant know the probability of these laws on an infinite scale. Hempels models should be taken as models for ideal situations, for if we had the knowledge of infinity then the laws needed would be defined and all of the infinite variables could be accounted for. So true explanation can only be attained with infinite understanding. The search for truth is as old as man himself. The world in which we live seems as true to us as anything. We see, feel, smell and touch what is around us and yet we cannot accept that that is all there is. Man instinctively has a need to organize, order and explain the universe. We have concepts like reality, God and perfection, all of which we cannot completely grasp. We are not perfect and we are not sure what it means to be real, for we know only what we can sense and yet we know our senses can fool us or be wrong. If our senses and thoughts are the only way for us to interpret the universe and they can be fooled then we cannot know what is real. We cannot fully explain anything. And yet we have a need, a desire for a force that is infinite and true. We name that force God. For in God is explanation and truth and the infinite understanding that we lack. God is what we use to explain Platos form and we are the shackled prisoners in a cave of illusion. Work Cited Balashov, Yuri and Rosenberg, Alex. Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. NY  ©2002 Descartes. God and Human Nature: Third Meditation Matthews, Michael. The Scientific Background to Modern Philosophy. Hackett Publishing Co. Indianapolis  ©1989 only probabilistic. This means that the only method that Hempel actually explains is his probabilistic method. Since all laws have been shown to be probabilistic the problem falls back to the fact that they been established on the basis of a finite body of evidence and therefore causes an epistemological problem. We cant define to what degree our laws are true. We cant know the probability of these laws on an infinite scale. Hempels models should be taken as models for ideal situations, for if we had the knowledge of infinity then the laws needed would be defined and all of the infinite variables could be accounted for. So true explanation can only be attained with infinite understanding. The search for truth is as old as man himself. The world in which we live seems as true to us as anything. We see, feel, smell and touch what is around us and yet we cannot accept that that is all there is. Man instinctively has a need to organize, order and explain the universe. We have concepts like reality, God and perfection, all of which we cannot completely grasp. We are not perfect and we are not sure what it means to be real, for we know only what we can sense and yet we know our senses can fool us or be wrong. If our senses and thoughts are the only way for us to interpret the universe and they can be fooled then we cannot know what is real. We cannot fully explain anything. And yet we have a need, a desire for a force that is infinite and true. We name that force God. For in God is explanation and truth and the infinite understanding that we lack. God is what we use to explain Platos form and we are the shackled prisoners in a cave of illusion. Work Cited Balashov, Yuri and Rosenberg, Alex. Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. NY  ©2002 Descartes. God and Human Nature: Third Meditation Matthews, Michael. The Scientific Background to Modern Philosophy. Hackett Publishing Co. Indianapolis  ©1989.

Terrorism and Patriotism :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Terrorism and Patriotism The connection between war and patriotism-or better yet, between war and the making of patriots-is evident, maybe even self-evident. But, is a war really required? The answer is no, not as long as we remember past wars, and use those memories to meet current challenges. To help us remember, we have a Memorial Day (Decoration Day when I was young), and the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, and (eventually) World War II memorials. To the same end, we have national cemeteries filled with the graves of patriots, and a national anthem composed during a long-past war. This nation was born in a war, and Abraham Lincoln referred to those who fought it as "the patriots of '76." We were "one people" then-we said so. We were made one because King George III and "our British bretheren [were] deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity." What those foes did to rally patriotism in 1776, the terrorists did on Sept. 11. The signs of this upsurge are everywhere. The grass-roots response of the American people has been phenomenal, a display of bottom-up public patriotism unseen in this nation in at least half a century, slicing across boundaries of race, class, age, and gender. American flags fly from the antennas of battered pickup trucks, from stately Victorian porches, from office windows. An Indiana flag company reports it has never had this many orders, 25 times the norm, in its century-long existence. The flag is everywhere, and so is the need of the people to display their love of country. It was only a few years ago that the US Supreme Court ruled that Americans were entitled to burn the flag, that they had a constitutional right to do so. Of course, the ruling did not deny Americans their constitutional right to fly the flag, and millions of people proceeded to do so. Those who did not own a flag rushed out to buy one, in such numbers that supplies were soon exhausted. Americans are flying the flag again, and they are showing their patriotism in other ways. Told that blood was in short supply, they rushed to give their own; volunteers from around the country raced to the scene of devastation in New York with food, blankets, gas masks, whatever they thought was needed. Americans grieved for the dead there, in Washington, and in Pennsylvania as their own, and prayed for the bereaved left behind.

Army Physical Fitness Training Standards

Marc Smurr English 101 January 28, 2011 Responding to Another’s Voice New Army Physical Fitness Training Standards The United States Army Physical Fitness test, or Pt test consist of a two mile run, push ups and sit ups, each event is graded based on age, and sex. There is a simple pass or fail in each category and this is based on how many repetitions, whether it being sit-ups or pushed up, the person can complete in a two minute time period. The two mile run is based on age, sex, and time, how long it takes the person to run the two mile long distance. Many soldiers are faced with the grueling problem of not passing this test based on their previous injuries from being deployed, or that they can not meet the fitness demands of the physical test. I myself have struggled with the physical training test over the last year and I have watched many of my battle buddies struggle as well. It is a kind of stigma that makes the soldier feel worthless. The Army’s consequence for failure of the PT test could be loss of rank and pay, a kind of military probation, where the soldier can not advance or be promoted to the next rank, the solider may be made to do extra physical training. If the soldier continues to fail the PT test, they can be dishonorably discharged from the Army, or can be barred from re-enlistments. In 2003 the Army began launching a brand new physical fitness program for basic-training units at Fort Bliss, Texas; the program has now started rolling out across the Army worldwide. The program is design to better prepare soldiers for combat, it emphasis on a full-body workout. The program was made to limit injuries and increase deployment readiness. One of the most popular drills is the 300-yard shuttle run, Soldier runs to one end of the field and touches the ground with their left hand, then come back touch the ground with their right hand. Soldiers will find the program is designed to improve their PT scores instead of hurt them. The program consists of many sprinting exercises to help with longer running routes, like the wo-miles run. The other training that the soldier is going to have to do during the physical training test is going to be more obstacles. With this it helps soldiers to be able to maneuver around obstacles, over obstacles and under obstacles. With this training it with help soldiers with the terrain that is overseas. With my experience of being overseas and what I have seen there are a lot of obstacles that soldiers have to cross everyday. When a soldier is at basic training they are trained on three to five second rushes. The three to five second rushes consist of running for three to five seconds and then dropping to the ground. This is good for when a unit over seas is under fire and they are out on a walking patrol. It helps get people back to a safe position and when you get down it helps conceal the soldier from the opposing force that is firing on them. The other training that is involved will be a lot of core training. With this training it will make the upper body of the soldier stronger and the lower body. This helps with the gear that the soldier would have to carry when they are deployed. The gear will consist of the body armor, the ammo, the weapon, the helmet, and sometimes the ruck sack. With all of this together it could weigh around 50 to 100 pounds or even more depending on the job that the soldier has. I am a military police officer so my gear consisted of all of those things. It’s a tough journey but with the right training and exercise the soldier is able to carry the gear with out any problems. I agree with the physical fitness that is coming out for the army. The new one helps the soldiers be more prepared than the old one. The old on consisted on push ups, sit ups and a 2 mile run. In combat there will never be a time that you would have to run 2 miles. The most you will ever run is maybe 30 meters. With the push ups and sit ups that just help to get your body in shape but do not get your body to the place where you need it to be to carry all of your gear. The new physical fitness will be a lot better than the old one because it will help out a lot of people with the physical requirements that are meant for overseas.

Desire Nature s Forbidden Fruit Essay - 1749 Words

Desire: Nature’s Forbidden Fruit Desire is a powerful force that shapes the choices and actions people make every day. It is a concept that humanity is infatuated with, a puzzle to be deciphered on whether it is a truly good force or something that will only lead to a person’s own self destruction. Both the Bhagavad-Gita and Genesis, cornerstones of literature with their fascinating views of humanity, warn that the path down desire is a crooked one that will only lead to misery. The shrewd wisdom these books are infused with is how desire will lead to one’s downfall and ultimately leave a person feeling unfulfilled after having a bite. It may be nature’s forbidden fruit, but it is so for a sane reason. The Gita is a book of things one must do in order to live a prosperous and righteous life as dictated by Krishna. It acts as an advice book from an all-powerful god speaking to Arjuna, who represents the human soul and someone the reader can identify with. The importance of this is so the story is not some fairy tale of an incomprehensible, almost godlike man seeking advice form an even higher deity. Instead, it is an everyday man who needs help and guidance from someone wiser than him which is a much more relatable picture that the reader can identify with and in doing so, take the advice Krishna is giving and apply it to their own life. Throughout all his teachings, one of the basic guidelines Krishna emphasizes is this concept of desire. Desire is characterized as aShow MoreRelatedThe Fantasy Of The Garden Of Eden : The Erotic Nature Of Man1282 Words   |  6 PagesKristin Rajan Class: World Literature Date: December 5, 2014 The Serpent in the Garden of Eden: The Erotic Nature of Man The book of Genesis chronicles the process of Creation and highlights the story of the first man and woman who lived in God s paradise or the Garden of Eden. 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