| Home | Community | Message Board |
|
You are not signed in. Sign In New Account | Forum Index Search Posts Trusted Vendors Highlights Galleries FAQ User List Chat Store Random Growery » |
This site includes paid links. Please support our sponsors.
|
Threaded
Previous
Index
NextShop:  Golden Teacher Liquid Culture For Sale  Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order |
| |||||||
 wyldeman007 Student    Registered: 06/03/06 Posts: 309 Loc: Los Angeles, CA Last seen: 6 months, 18 days |
| ||||||
|
I've just finished a lengthy argumentative essay for my English composition class. Would one or more of you fine patrons review it?
I'm pretty satisfied with the content as far as warrant and substantiation goes, I'm really concerned with reader clarity and the implications or "what's at stake if people don't accept my position?" Any help is greatly appreciated as tomorrow, I'm bringing this on a flash drive, and am turning it in hot off the press! Let's see, I guess I got about 8 hours or so.. thanks guys... -------------------------------- CONCERNING THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF ALBERT EINSTEIN “After we die, where will we go?” “Is there a higher power?” These are perhaps humanity’s greatest questions. Many seek, and attain their answers through introspection; building an identity that is one of a kind. If you died tomorrow, how would others relay your existence? Regardless of your convictions, I assume that you want to be remembered for the unique individual that you are, not a mere approximation. Take for example, our premier scientist of the twentieth century: Albert Einstein. He was an unusually illustrious man, whose contributions ring clear to this day. Revered as Einstein was, I find it crucial that we construe his nature for who and what he was; an unapologetic atheist through and through. This may be the only contextual primer to his many quotations; providing him the concise, accurate, acknowledgment we all long for. Many hastily designate him as a man of God, I however, do not. The notion of a god who exists outside the thrall of nature was not plausible in Einstein’s mind. In fact, he rejects all supernatural explanations. A belief system acknowledging disembodied souls are privy to the theistic outlook on life. There was no retribution of justice after death to aspire toward in the life of Albert Einstein. In his essay “The world as I see it” he described a lack of belief in the afterlife:”I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither can I nor would I want to conceive of an individual that survives his physical death…” (Einstein, Albert “The World as I See It”, Ideas and Opinions, based on Mein Weltbild, edited by Carl Seelig, New York: Bonzana Books, 1954, pp. 8-11). In 1911 Einstein relocated to Czechoslovakia in order to accept a position at the University of Prague. Upon entrance of the country, he was required to state and observe a specific religion. Einstein was no doubt a cultural Jew and even a prominent member of the Zionist movement, however, he didn’t take the dogma literally. During the end of his childhood, he promised that he would never set foot in a synagogue again. Max Talmey fueled his angst inadvertently while opening young Einstein’s eyes to science. Skepticism and an undying lust for scientific inquiry marked the beginning of his golden years(Fox, Karen C. "THE JEW and THE GENIUS." Science & Spirit 16.6 (Nov. 2005): 30-35. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Century College, White Bear Lake, MN. 29 Sep. 2008. 29 Sep. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com.cen Einstein’s view with respect to that of a living god may be interpreted as apophatic (of or relating to the belief that God can be known to humans only in terms of what He is not [such as 'God is unknowable']). Professor John Hedley Brooke provides an excellent argument for this claim. He states that Einstein never viewed himself as an atheist, and that the scientist was displeased with the fact insisted he was one. Brooke feels that Einstein simply refused to be designated as a specific breed of believer. According to Professor Brooke: “He was his own man with his own god”, someone who could literally see God in nature (Brooke, John Hedley. "“IF I WERE GOD”: EINSTEIN AND RELIGION." Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science 41.4 (Dec. 2006): 941-954. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Century College, White Bear Lake, MN. 1 Oct. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com.cenp The word “God” is used by naturalistic pantheists, including Einstein, as nomenclature for “universe” or “nature”. He viewed “God” as the unexplainable territory beyond our current understanding. In his readings, Einstein used metaphorical applications of the word “God” such as: “God does not play dice” and “God is cunning but He is not malicious”. By this he’s referring to the apparent order and harmony of the universe, not a divine creator. All in all, Albert Einstein explored language through the use of a playful prose in an anthropomorphic context. “Pantheism is sexed up atheism” (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion). Rather than being a gleeful atheist, Einstein chose to apply a poetic touch to his writing. Many people assume that his articulate use of the word “God”, illustrated a personal relationship with a heavenly father. This explanation is destructive to the overall legacy of Einstein’s image, as it lacks a reasonable portrayal to which the man was intimately involved (Gilmore, Michael R. "Einstein's God. (Cover story)." Skeptic 5.2 (Mar. 1997): 62. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Century College, White Bear Lake, MN 1 Oct. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com.cenp Proponents of Einstein’s theism have an alternate view on who Einstein’s god was. They offer us the outlook that Einstein was a subtle yet distinguished believer of a higher order. John Brooke conveys the notion that Einstein was deist, who believed in a god who didn’t concern himself with the musings of man. In rejecting Jewish faith, Einstein described God as beyond human understanding, eluding explanation. Brooke trusts that Einstein refused to put an Earthly label on the divine mastermind of creation. The professor is encouraged by the reasoning that: “To renounce a personal, anthropomorphic deity is not necessarily to abandon all thought of transcendence…”; a perfect approach maintaining that Einstein was impartial to the supernatural, whilst debunking the scientist’s pantheism. Professor John Hedley Brooke insists that Einstein’s use of the word “God” wasn’t a simple matter of synonymy; it curtailed a deeper meaning, what Einstein experienced as the “cosmic religion”. (Brooke, John Hedley. “IF I WERE GOD”: EINSTEIN AND RELIGION" Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science 41.4 (Dec. 2006): 941-954. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Century College, White Bear Lake, MN. 29 Sep. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com.cenp Brooke is absolutely right; Einstein’s god was a highly personal and important part of the scientist’s philosophy; however, it had nothing to do with a creator. Einstein was a very spiritual man indeed, but his religion was of this world. He was an influential humanist, who promoted civil rights and liberty. He was concerned with the events relative to his life, not what might be after it. Among his many scientific achievements, Einstein assumed the responsibility of his celebrity status. He realized that he was the face of the public interest in science. Beside the fact that he was a busy man, frantically working towards a better understanding of the universe, Einstein found time to contemplate the complexity and overall beauty of nature (Gilmore, Michael R. "Einstein's God. (Cover story)." Skeptic 5.2 (Mar. 1997): 62. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 1 Oct. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com.cenp Many would prefer that religion and science remain adversaries. The view brought forth by philosopher and theologian Paul Tillich speaks to this need. Not only does Dr. Tillich follow the provisions of theology, he believes Einstein too embraces them as well. Tillich understands that a literal god in nature would contradict science. In order to avoid a possible contradiction, he declares science and religion two different “dimensions”; not very closely tied (you should not talk about one while talking about the other). In hopes of keeping Einstein under the umbrella of his faith, Tillich must acclimate Einstein’s meaning of “personal god” to his own denomination. He ensures us that Einstein only dismissed the notion of a personal god for reasons of logical deviance (God cannot be personal and perfect). The core of his argument is that theology shouldn’t try and answer for science, just as the empirical agents of science shouldn’t attempt to solve religious problems (DeLashmutt, Michael W. "SYNCRETISM OR CORRELATION: TEILHARD AND TILLICH'S CONTRASTING METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY." Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science 40.3 (Sep. 2005): 739-750. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Century College, White Bear Lake, MN. 1 Oct. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com.cenp Does Dr. Tillich grant Einstein’s exposé the clarity it deserves? May we trust that John Brooke will deliver us our intellectual hero without sense of disingenuity? Before you answer, I caution that you ask yourself this: What is more important; the truth or your comfort? During Dr. Albert Einstein’s maverick years, he would use the word “God” to emphasize his astonishment in nature, despite his implicit atheism. Exploration of Spinoza’s god later in life, led him down “the garden path” to his cherished “cosmic religion”. Through empiricism and devout appreciation of the order and harmony that exists all around, Einstein opened the doors to the stars. I encourage you to explore the idea that he wasn’t just an atheist; a dull nonbeliever. He was a man who found his religion in nature, who recognized his one life as an opportunity; a gift. If you, dear reader, find yourself at the dichotomy of truth vs. comfort: I only ask that you treasure Einstein as the precious historical inheritance that he is. I hope you regard him analogous to the way you want to be remembered: exactly as you are. Please consider this and secure objectivity as a virtue. -------------------- 
"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here." - Richard Dawkins
| |||||||
|
jenns_hot Hungry   Registered: 12/30/06 Posts: 3,459 Loc: East Coast 
Last seen: 4 years, 9 months |
| ||||||
|
I skimmed it, and it looks very good. It's well written; good intro, body, and closing and a clear argument. Very nice - not pushy, or overbearing at all, as religious writings often are.
-------------------- "Fear makes the wolf look bigger" 
| |||||||
|
jeep Stranger Registered: 07/16/08 Posts: 1,034 Last seen: 17 years, 10 months |
| ||||||
| |||||||
 antiPock fighting entropy  Registered: 07/09/07 Posts: 2,509 Loc: Sol 3 |
| ||||||
|
I skimmed it (hey Im drunk) but if you are in a typical undergrad program this is better written than the vast majority of what profs see. Good job I say; maybe I'll read it for content and argument coherency after a smoke,. (I fell off the no smoking wagon
 : )
| |||||||
| |||||||
Edit 
Reply 
| Shop: Golden Teacher Liquid Culture For Sale Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order |
|
| Similar Threads | Poster | Views | Replies | Last post | ||
 |
 |
Autistic boy,12, with higher IQ than Einstein develops his own theory of relativity (  1 2 3 all ) |
 RonaldFuckingPaul |
4,505 | 40 | 03/25/11 09:14 PM by Janamil |
|
 |
Einstein |  gotcha420haha |
1,074 | 15 | 02/27/06 07:48 AM by Konnrade |
|
|
Einstein: Religion is childish ( 1 2 all ) |
 downforpot |
3,845 | 31 | 05/18/08 03:10 AM by DieCommie |
|
|
Letter From LSD-Inventor Albert Hofmann to Apple CEO Steve Jobs | c0sm0nautt |
2,187 | 14 | 06/08/11 01:04 PM by cbhead23 |
|
 |
Albert Einstein's speculation if Bee's disappeared like they are currently doing....... ( 1 2 3 all ) |
Rahie |
4,558 | 54 | 04/09/07 02:33 PM by Gr33nTree73 |
|
|
Should I post an Albert Einstein poster up in my room? ( 1 2 3 all ) |
 Rainman420 |
3,612 | 44 | 12/18/09 10:20 AM by fee |
|
|
My 12,001 post at the Shroomery.: Albert Hofmann Melts ( 1 2 all ) |
mjshroomer |
4,004 | 29 | 03/17/06 12:00 AM by mjshroomer |
|
|
Autistic boy,12, with higher IQ than Einstein develops his own theory of relativity |  The Whale |
968 | 4 | 03/27/11 04:04 AM by Cherk |
| Extra information | ||
| You cannot start new topics / You cannot reply to topics HTML is disabled / BBCode is enabled Moderator: Entire Staff 572 topic views. 1 members, 156 guests and 154 web crawlers are browsing this forum. [ Show Images Only | Sort by Score | Print Topic ] | ||