Volitional Determinism
Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.
- René Descartes (1596–1650)
Circular Reasoning
Volitional Determinism
Inspired by René Descartes (1596–1650)’s quote, “Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power”. The titled responsion is…
Volitional Determinism inspired by Renard Descartes is a book that has been around since he wrote his essay on free will. Now, one could ask why this book wasn’t written a few decades ago, because we have so much more information about free will than we once did. The reason I say this is that the philosophy of determinism is not new; and in fact it has been around since Descartes published his first book, the Meditations. His argument was that all events that take place in the world are predetermined by God, and we are the ones that are responsible for these events that occur in the world. So if God is the creator of everything then you aren’t really in control of anything that takes place in the world, and so you won’t be able to be at fault for anything that happens.
If you want to understand why Volitional Determinism is inspired by Renard Descartes, and what it means to you as an individual, then you need to take a look at his first book, which I highly recommend that you read. It’s called Reasons and Persons, and it is actually a work of brilliance. If you want to read another work of genius, then I suggest you start reading his Essays. It’s a must-read for any philosophy buff or enthusiast.
Reading While Dancing Is Hard to Do
Inspired by Voltaire (1694–1778)’s quote, “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world”. The titled responsion is…
Playfully, the combination of the two (reading and dancing) can be hazardous to your house. Hold off from combining the two, circle around and pay your debts, philosophically this is a more than a life worth living, it’s the healing forme of health. “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius; pay it and don’t forget.”
François-Marie Aruet, also known by his nom du plume Voltaire, is a French Enlightenment scholar, writer, and writer known for his criticism of Catholicism, his skepticism about religion, his support of free speech, and his liberal outlook. His life has been a long and interesting one. Born in France to an upper class family, Voltaire was educated at the prestigious University of Louvain, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in 1670. From there, he moved to the Netherlands where he earned a Master’s degree in philosophy in 1680. Upon returning to France, he took a professorship at the University of Louvain where he continued his academic studies until he was sixty-three years old.
In addition to his academic writing, Voltaire published several pamphlets, tracts, novels, and dramas. His first novel was The Man Who Invented Atheism. It was a very popular book, and he continued to write throughout his lifetime. He wrote about religion, politics, art, literature, and much more. One of the most fascinating books written by Voltaire is Candide. It tells the story of the unhappy and misfortunate character of Voltaire, which is an anti-clerical work. Candide is a satire on Christianity and its teachings.
Among his most popular Voltaire poems is “Candide”La Mort aux Champs.” Both of these poems deal with morality and justice. One of Voltaire’s most popular works, “Les Miserables,” was written in response to the tragedy that befell the poor people of France during the Reign of Terror. It was written after his death but remains his most popular book. In the midst of a world in turmoil and chaos, Voltaire still felt hope and faith in humanity’s potential for greatness.
Circular Reasoning
Inspired by Winston Churchill (1874–1965)’s quote, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. The titled responsion is…
When you read that Winston Churchill said, “Farther Backward You Can Look,” it means something. The farther back you are going to look, the more forward you are going to see. Winston Churchill said, “The further back you can look, the further forward you will be able to see.” This statement is a quote that has stuck with me for many years and the reason I love it so much is because it is so true.
Many of us, most especially those of us who live within the United States or the world are concerned with the direction our country is moving in, we are concerned about the direction our future will be, and we want to be the change we wish to see in this country. Unfortunately, a lot of us live in a time period where change can sometimes seem scary. Change is what makes America great, right? We are always changing and that makes us feel good about ourselves. But what if that change is being pushed a little too far back? You might be starting to see the problem.
Farther back you go, the further you are going to see the problem. Winston Churchill said, “the farther back you can look, then the further forward you will be able to see.” That is exactly what is happening to our country right now. Our government wants us to move forward and it does not like any of us to be too far back. They want to make us believe that we cannot take a step without them coming along. It’s a lie; it’s the old bait and switch; and it’s time you caught on to it and began to think for yourself.
Round and Round we go…
Inspired by Niels Bohr (1885–1962)’s quote, “How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress”. The titled responsion is…
When a man and his father meet, it’s not easy to find a story about Niels Bohr’s life that is both interesting and relevant. He was born in 1920 to a wealthy family who had been prominent figures in the nuclear energy business and were prominent in physics research and developments. After graduating from university, he worked as an apprentice of his grandfather, leading him into much research and development. He was also a member of the council of professors at the University of Cambridge, and he worked with his father’s research team, which consisted of Niels Bohr’s brother-in-law, Peter Higgs and Alexander Pierce. This gave him a very deep understanding of nuclear physics, and he later went on to become a research professor at Oxford University.
The best way to explain Niels Bohr’s importance and significance in the history of science is to say that there are three stages in the process. The first stage was theoretical. It wasn’t until the second stage, that Bohr was able to experimentally test the theories. The third stage was experimental, and Bohr is credited for the development of the first atomic bomb. The Bohr radius was a physical concept that allowed Bohr to develop the theory of relativity. He was a major player in the development of quantum mechanics. Quantum physics is very complicated, and Bohr developed the quantum theory and formulated a set of rules that allow for the experiments to be conducted, and thus allowed for the discovery of particles and forces.
In addition to these accomplishments, Bohr was also an important figure in the creation of the atom. During World War II, Bohr and other scientists helped to develop an atomic bomb, which eventually fell onto the Japanese. Bohr was responsible for the design of the device, and he became one of the most important figures in the field of atomic energy. After his death, Bohr’s name became synonymous with genius and inventiveness.
What’s Your Reason for Saying Such a Thing?
Inspired by Martin Heidegger (1889–1976)’s quote, “Thinking begins only when we have come to know that reason, glorified for centuries, is the stiff-necked adversary of thought”. The titled responsion is…
Interchanging Reason with reason is a circular proposition and a justification of sorts. According to Heidegger, the act of asking questions is futile simply because our reason centre is where the questions originate. As language animals we tend to overcompensate taking the value of reason too far yet this does not negate three things; (1), that some people are better at reasoning than other and we can only validate this claims with other people that are good at reasoning, (2), instinct and passions play out to our revolutionary (and evolutionary) disadvantage.
Gun Möbius or Merry-Go-Round?
Inspired by Inspector Harry Callahan’s quote, “I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it”. The titled responsion is…
A hands-on solipsist view of gun control is a defensive position. From the wild west to the California coast and back east again, the baseline is a Constitution worth revising. Bearing arms implies training in the Militia, has anyone thought of this?
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