Week 7 -- Dostoevsky

Reason vs. Logic

I like the group’s definition of this difference mostly because it’s a better version of my own definition. Logic in a way is the strict tools of how you set up a problem, what you look at in a problem, and how you pick a problem. If logic is the how, however, then reason would be the why. Why you set up the problem in that way, why you looked at what you looked at, etc. etc.

Free Will Thru Revolt

I think you could make a comparison here between the Underground Man and Meursault in The Stranger – in the end, they both revolted against the social norms by doing things with which we cannot understand since we were not in their position. I feel as though I can empathize with these characters solely because I can appreciate how high they hold their own values, even if their values are not exactly something I personally can understand.

Taking the Easy Way Out

Alright, I admit it. I’m a business major. I take GPA Boosters. I don’t take GPA Boosting classes because I don’t care about learning, however; in fact, its quite the opposite. If GPA is a statistic my employer looks at, and I take hard classes that I enjoy, which lowers my GPA, it ends up harming me in the end, as it makes a statistic on my resume look worse than the actual value of it is. So, rather, I study relatively “difficult” concepts outside of the classroom, since it helps hedge against the lowering of GPA. Taking it back to the topic, I feel sometimes that “taking the easy way out” is a strategic decision rather than one made out of pure laziness.

Free Will vs. God Taking Control

Perhaps this is not the most appropriate analogy, but when I heard this the most immediate thing that came to my mind is capitalism versus communism. Stay with me here; in a capitalist economy, you have more of an ability to reach higher, gain more wealth, and create a name, but at the same time you can fall lower, as well as be stunted by those who did reach wealth before you. In communism (at least on paper), everyone is at the same level, which is hopefully relatively good. The problem here however does not arise that people cannot become poor, but rather people cannot become rich. With this in mind, I feel like we have a similar set of pros and cons for free will and god’s control: in free will, we have more ability to do what we want even though this could lead to a greater detriment, however if jesus takes the wheel then we can’t necessarily reach the top of our potential as that would mean that others would have to do worse than us.

Purpose of Religion

I definitely believe the purpose of religion is multifaceted, and can have both its strengths and its weaknesses. As I believe I’ve addressed in a previous blogpost, I think people find closure and solace in the idea of God, and that is how it finds its way into the heart of people. I also believe that, when approached correctly, organized religion can have strengths as well – the most notable strength of organized religion is that it fosters community. Many people’s circle of friends are almost if not all fellow members of their church. However, at the same time, there are some obvious weak points in this; when people become to reliant on religion, and on god, they can become weaker and more mendable to the will of the church and of others who claim to have a deeper connection with god than them themselves.