Monday, December 30, 2019

Essay on Quest For Certainty - 843 Words

â€Å"The Quest for Certainty† The Seven Storey Mountain By Thomas Merton nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton explains how he sought to find certainty in his life through religion. Merton began the book by giving an overview of his early childhood. His father was from New Zealand and his mother was an American who lived in France. Both his father and mother were artists and did not earn much money. When his parents needed extra money, Merton’s father would do various jobs in order for the family to survive. For example, he would garden occasionally and he even played the organ at the local Episcopalian church for a short period of time. This church was the first that Merton†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the turning points in Merton’s life was his discovery of the book, The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy, by Etienne Gilson. Before reading this book, Merton said that, â€Å"while I admired the Catholic culture, I had always been afraid of the Catholic Churchâ₠¬  (p.172). Merton still read the book and he discovered some concepts that revolutionized his entire life. He learned the transliteration of God and that â€Å"faith was something that had a very definite meaning and was a most cogent necessity† (p.175). Shortly after reading the book, Merton had the sudden urge to go to Mass. He was astounded by the congregation of people that were intimately familiar with the Scripture of God’s word. Although he felt a little out of place, he yearned to understand and to be a part of something so wonderful. Merton did not stay throughout the entire Mass. Reflecting upon his visit, he wondered whether his life would have been different if he had known God’s grace as a child. Especially when he viewed the mosaics in the Roman Churches, perhaps they would have had more spiritual meaning to him had he known what he did then. On November 16th, 1938, Merton was baptized into the Catholic faith. He described the event as an â€Å" exorcism† of the previous years of blackness. Finally, he proclaimed that he wanted to be a priest.Show MoreRelated Descartes Existence Of God Essay588 Words   |  3 Pagesfor a definite certainty, a foundation for which he can base all of his beliefs and know for a fact that they are true. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Descartes overall project is to find a definite certainty on which he can base all his knowledge and beliefs. A foundation that he will be able to prove without a doubt. To find a definite certainty he uses a methodical doubt, this states that anything that could be doubted must be taken as false. This is done to find an absolute certainty for which toRead MoreEssay on Hazel Motes Spiritual Struggle1351 Words   |  6 Pagesones of conversion (Wood, 217), and Wise Blood is no exception. The central spiritual struggle of the book is that of the character Hazel Motes. The protagonist goes through not simply one but several conversions throughout the book. His spiritual quest is his realization of the Church Without Jesus, and his search for a new jesus. As analysis in this paper will elucidate, Hazel spiritual arc is a critique of approaches to knowing God. The first such method, nihilism, is a belief in nothing. ThisRead MoreArcadia by Tom Stoppard Shows The Dangers and Chaos and Absolute Knowledge 713 Words   |  3 PagesMuch of what occurs in Acadia relates to the article The Dangers of Certainty: A Lesson From Auschwitz written Simon Critchley. In today’s modern society, Stoppard’s play is about why scientists proceed in researching concepts that yield nothing; it is about why people associate themselves with endearment in face of the disruption that it can cause. The characters in the play struggle, and often fail in their attempts for certainty, falling into irritation with others. Humans, by nature, are constantlyRead MoreThe Process Of Interpersonal Communication994 Words   |  4 Pagesmay have turned off by not using provisionalism. In open mindness a person will listen to another opinion even though they have already made up their mind. When using Provisionalism you create a more positive conversation by avoiding statements of certainty. Both parties will usually be more apt to continue conversation and are more likely to consider another’s point of view. Gibb notes: One reduces the defensiveness of the listener when one communicates that one is willing to experiment with one sRead MoreImpossibility of Certainty in Hamlet1296 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impossibility of Certainty in Hamlet â€Å"Doubt is that state of mind where the questioner faces no single answer nor the lack of one, but rather a choice between a pair of alternatives.† – Harry Levin in The Question of Hamlet It is appropriate that William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is regarded as the Bard’s greatest dramatic enigma, for misunderstanding is the unavoidable condition of Hamlet’s quest for certainties. Not only is Hamlet bewildered by puzzling visions and by commands seeminglyRead MoreThe Riddle os the Fourth Gospel by Poul Anderson746 Words   |  3 Pagesautonomy to uncover the ramifications of giving the Fourth Gospel due attention in regard to christology, the historical quest for Jesus, and ecclesiology. Here Anderson illustrates using the Fourth Gospel to augment interpretation of the Synoptic Gospels. By applying John to the quest for the historical Jesus Anderson reveals the potential need for what he calls a â€Å"fourth quest for Jesus.† Anderson unveils the demand for a reexamination of the deficit of respect traditionally associated with theRead More A Glimpse Into Robert Frosts for Once, Then Something Essay720 Words   |  3 Pagespersona, wanting to s ee something, often goes to the well and looks down at the water to see it. This certain search below the waters surface can be compared to mans search beneath the human experience for meaning, for certainty. But the more man looks for this meaning, this certainty, the more it becomes obscure for him, because he looks for it in the wrong way, just like the persona who is always wrong to the light, and therefore can not see what he is looking for. He is then taunted for hisRead More The Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy1462 Words   |  6 PagesThe Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy In order to embark on his quest for truth, Descartes first devises his four rules which should serve as a solid foundation for all else that he comes to understand. Those rules are here evaluated in terms of what they fail to take into consideration. The rules are examined individually and consecutively, and are therefore also reiterated in order to be clear about them. Furthermore, the approach of usingRead More Analysis of Hamlet Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it becomes relevant to him that the king murdered his father for the queen and the throne, he becomes even more angered with his father‘s lost. The question of how to act is affected not only by reasonable considerations, such as the need for certainty, but also by emotional, ethical, and psychological factors. Hamlet himself appears to distrust the idea that it’s even possible to act in a controlled, purposeful way. When he does act, he prefers to do it recklessly and violently. This is a flawRead M oreHuman Needs In Kate Chopins The Awakening1711 Words   |  7 Pagesmust do so through a meaningful narrative. The â€Å"universal interests† are synonymous with the basic needs of a human; Anthony Robbins, an American author, philanthropist, and life coach, defines the basic human needs with six terms: contribution, certainty, growth, variety, significance, and love. Throughout Kate Chopin’s novella The Awakening, the main protagonist, Edna, experiences -- albeit at differing levels -- all six of the basic needs. Thus, The Awakening qualifies as a piece of literary work

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.