What Can I Know Essay, Research Paper
?What Can I Know??
Over history, the human race has striven for truth and understanding logic. When trying to understand this, a person approaches the philosophical question, ?What can I know?? With this philosophical question comes the epic battle between whether or not a person should base an opinion on empicism or rationalism. I believe that I need to be shown facts and logic to understand something, however I also rely on my senses to strengthen my self. First of all empicism is when a person bases what they have seen on pure senses, or when a person just relies on their five senses to explain what they see around them. However, if a person relies on logic and fact, that person is a rationalist. I believe that a person should use facts and logic to explain events, simply because basing something on sight alone is not reliable, and there is nothing to back up ones theory. There are many instances that support my reason to choose rationalism over empiricism. Take the apparent sightings of UFO?s (undefined flying object) people have claimed to see these objects, yet there is little evidence that proves their claim. The question arises how can a person prove this? The answer is they cannot because there are not facts or logic that back it up? Nevertheless, there are the evident sightings of the ?lock ness monster,? which again is only based on empiciam. Since all of sighting are based on a person?s senses. Then, there is the major question of the existence of god. I firmly believe that there is a holy God, and this supernatural being is involved in our every day life. This God is holy and will punish the people that wrong the society, and will praise the goodness. I also believe that this God was the creator of the universe, and the reality that we live in today.
Thesis: I believe that rational and logical thinking should be used to solve problems, because 1) Rationalism better explains problems then empiricism, 2) That miracles have reasons and can be explained, in spite of 1) If God is holy then why is there suffering, 2) What evidence proves the existences of God.
The holy God can explain miracles and other phenomenal events, because everything has a reason. Miracles happen to praise the good and helps destroy the bad. When a person looks closely at the Bible they may see many stories that involve phenomenal events. With this God have miracles take place for a purpose, in order for the suffering and the bad to be destroyed. Take for example, Moses parting the Red Sea, in this phenomenal event he allowed his people to walk through the parted Sea. When doing this Moses cleared away the water in order for his people to get to the other side, clearly this is a miracle. The story about the parting of the Red Sea has several different versions, but is generally the same. With this God seems to have miracles happen for a purpose to help the good. In conclusion to this thought I believe that God is the creator of miracles and phenomenal events.
I believe that I am a rationalist and a person should only rely on logic and facts to understand problems. I believe that when a person thinks with a rational mind they are able to comprehend better. Using an empirical mind a person is just focused on their senses and then that person is limited to just their senses. With this a person cannot use their logical mind. Therefore that person is unable to make an accurate assumption. In conclusion a person should use logical reasoning to solve problems, because logic can be more accurate then a persons senses.
An opponent might question how can God be holy and yet have all the sufferings in today?s society. My reason to this objection is that God works in mysterious ways and by having suffering now may save people in the long run. For instances if God kills a person now, maybe in a couple years that person took the suffering away from many others. Also, there is another reason why God would have suffering, is to punish another person for wrongdoing. God creates sufferings in his world, in order to help people realize their mistakes so they do not make the same mistakes twice. As a holy God he must punish people for sinning, to help praise the ?good? citizens as well.
Also, another question an opponent might suggest is that how do you know there is a God? The Bible is a written document that states the there is a God, and it helps better understand the existences of the Supreme Being. Also, going back to the thought of miracles, science cannot explain miracles. Furthermore there has to be a Supreme Being creating these miracles. With these examples, I firmly believe that there is a God, and this being is the creator of the universe.