“Windows To Spirituality”
Argument From Reason The argument from reason is an argument against metaphysical naturalism and for the existence of God (or at least a supernatural being that is the source of human reason). The best-known defender of the argument is C. S. Lewis. Lewis first defended the argument at length in his 1947 book, Miracles: A Preliminary Study. In the second...
Objectivism Objectivism is a philosophical system developed by Russian-American writer Ayn Rand. Rand first expressed Objectivism in her fiction, most notably The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957), and later in non-fiction essays and books. Leonard Peikoff, a professional philosopher and Rand’s designated intellectual heir, later gave it a more formal structure....
Humanistic Naturalism Humanistic naturalism is the branch of philosophical naturalism wherein human beings are best able to control and understand the world through use of the scientific method, combined with the social and ethical values of humanism. Concepts of spirituality, intuition, and metaphysics are considered subjectively valuable only, primarily because they are unfalsifiable, and therefore can never...
Religious Naturalism Religious naturalism (RN) combines a naturalist worldview with perceptions and values commonly associated with religions. In this, “religious” is understood in general terms, separate from established traditions, in designating feelings and concerns (e.g. gratitude, wonder, humility, compassion) that are often described as spiritual or religious. Naturalism refers to a...
Ethical Naturalism Ethical naturalism (also called moral naturalism or naturalistic cognitivistic definism) is the meta-ethical view which claims that: Ethical sentences express propositions. Some such propositions are true. Those propositions are made true by objective features of the world, independent of human opinion. These moral features of the world are reducible to some set of non-moral features Overview It is important to...
Violence Violence is “the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy.” Less conventional definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization‘s definition of violence as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community,...
What Is Superstition? Superstition is any belief or practice that is considered irrational or Supernatural: for example, if it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices...
Antireligion Antireligion is opposition to religion of any kind. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious practices or religious institutions. The term antireligion has also been used to describe opposition to specific forms of supernatural worship or practice, whether organized or not. Opposition to religion also goes beyond the misotheistic...
Logos In Islam This article covers logos in Islam. Throughout Islamic history, there have existed several different metaphysical concepts that have been understood to correspond “in many respects” to the logos Christology of Christianity and to the use of the term logos in late Greek philosophy. Main articles: Is The Holy Book Word Of God? and The...
Logos Logos (λόγος, lógos; ”I say”) is a term in Western philosophy, psychology, rhetoric, and religion derived from a Greek word variously meaning “ground”, “plea”, “opinion”, “expectation”, “word”, “speech“, “account”, “reason“, “proportion”, and “discourse”. It became a technical term in Western Philosophy beginning with Heraclitus (c. 535 – c. 475...
Sloth (Deadly Sin) Sloth is one of the seven capital sins in Christian teachings. It is the most difficult sin to define and credit as sin since it refers to a jumble of notions, dating from antiquity and including mental, spiritual, pathological, and physical states. One definition is a habitual disinclination to...
Anger In Judaism Anger in Judaism is treated as a negative trait to be avoided whenever possible. The subject of anger is treated in a range of Jewish sources, from the Bible and Talmud, to Halacha, Kabbalah, Hasidism, and contemporary Jewish sources. Main articles: Sin and What Is Sin? In Tanach In the Book of Genesis, Jacob condemned...
Anger Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and hostile response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. See Anger And Virtue, and Virtue A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels...
Acedia This article covers the definition of acedia. Acedia (accidie or accedie, from Latin acedĭa, negligence, lack of care) has been variously defined as a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one’s position or condition in the world. In ancient Greece akidía literally...
What Is Greed? Greed (or avarice) is an uncontrolled longing for an increase in the acquisition or use: of material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions); or social value, such as status, or power. Greed has been identified an as undesirable behavior throughout known human history. Main articles: Sin,...
Envy Envy (from Latin invidia) is an emotion which “occurs when a person lacks another’s superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it”. Aristotle defined envy as pain at the sight of another’s good fortune, stirred by “those who have what we ought to...
Gluttony Gluttony (Latin: gula, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning “to gulp down or swallow”) means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items, particularly as status symbols. In Christianity, it is considered a sin if the excessive desire for food causes it to be withheld from the needy. Some Christian denominations consider gluttony one of the Seven Deadly Sins....
Lust Lust is a psychological force producing an intense desire for an object, or circumstance fulfilling the emotion while already having a significant other or amount of the desired object. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality, love, money, or power. It can take such mundane...
Pride Pride is an emotional state deriving positive affect from the perceived value of a person or thing with which the subject has an intimate connection. It may be inwardly or outwardly directed. With a negative connotation pride refers to a foolishly and irrationally corrupt sense of one’s personal value, status or accomplishments, used synonymously with hubris. With a positive connotation, pride refers to a content...
Seven Social Sins Seven Social Sins is a list that was first uttered in a sermon delivered in Westminster Abbey on March 20, 1925, by an Anglican priest named Frederick Lewis Donaldson. He originally referred to it as the “7 Deadly Social Evils“. It is a common misconception that Mohandas Karamchand...
