God vs. Ethics In Soren Kierkegaards Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard uses the example of Abraham and his son Isaac to illustrate what Kirkegaard terms the teleological suspension of the ethical: Abraham acted in accordance to no imaginable ethical standard by acting according to Gods commands, and by doing so, he suspended his ethical judgment for no reason other than faith. In this essay, I will examine the ramifications of the aforementioned suspension of the ethical, attempt to identify circumstances in which divine will pre-empts ethical considerations, and examine the conflict of God and ethical frameworks, with particular mind to the views
The Audacity of Hope In Barack Obamas 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address, The Audacity of Hope, Obama invoked passion for the American way of life to persuade his audience that John Kerry and John Edwards were the best candidates for the 2004 Presidential election. In my analysis, I intend to show that his specific purpose was to convince his audience that Kerry and Edwards were the best choice, to show that he successfully associated Kerry and Edwards with American values and electability, and to show that his use of repetition conveyed sincerity and accessibility. In the body of Obamas speech, he dedicated time to desc
On Education in Utopias In my last essay, I examined the role of art in a utopia, and concluded that in individualistic societies, it flourishes; and that in holistic societies, it is suppressed. Similarly, the role of education seems to be divided along these lines: In the civilizations dedicated to stability, education becomes a matter of suppression of thought and the exposition of the bare minimum of knowledge required to function; in civilizations dedicated to individual expression, education becomes a matter of encouraging intellectual acumen and broadening knowledge. Today, I shall examine two societies so differentiated: That of Aldous Huxleys Brave Ne
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Man has a choice.... I chose the impossible....