Existence Of God Essays (1729 words) - Philosophy Of Religion, God

Existence Of God For being accustomed in all other things to make a distinction between existence and essence, I easily persuade myself that existence may perhaps be separated from the essence of God, and thus God might be conceived as not existent actually. PROP. XI. God, or substance, consisting, of infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality, necessarily exists. Proof.--If this be denied, conceive, if possible, that God does not exist: then his essence does not involve existence. --Of everything whatsoever a cause or reason must be assigned, either for its existence, or for its non-existence --e. g., if a triangle exist, a reason or cause must be granted for its existence; if, on the contrary, it does not exist, a cause must also be granted, which prevents it from existing, or annuls its existence. If, then, no cause or reason can be given, which prevents the existence of God, or which destroys his existence, we must certainly conclude that he necessarily does exist. For if it were of the same nature, God, by that very fact, would be admitted to exist. But substance of another nature could have nothing in common with God (by Prop. ii.), and therefore would be unable either to cause or to destroy his existence. As, then, a reason or cause which would annul the divine existence cannot be drawn from anything external to the divine nature, such cause must perforce, if God does not exist, be drawn from God's own nature, which would involve a contradiction. To make such an affirmation about a being absolutely infinite and supremely perfect, is absurd; therefore, neither in the nature of God, nor externally to his nature, can a cause or reason be assigned which would annul his existence. Therefore, God necessarily exists. --The potentiality of non-existence is a negation of power, and contrariwise the potentiality of existence is a power, as is obvious. --In this last proof, I have purposely shown God's existence a posteriori, so that the proof might be more easily followed, not because, from the same premises, God's existence does not follow a priori. Imperfection, on the other hand, does annul it; therefore we cannot be more certain of the existence of anything, than of the existence of a being absolutely infinite or perfect --that is, of God. Our idea of a most perfect being, not the sole proof of a God. --How far the idea of a most perfect being which a man may frame in his mind, does or does not prove the existence of a God, I will not here examine. See now how existence follows from this notion. To exist is something more than not to exist, or rather, existence adds a degree to grandeur and perfection, and as Descartes states it, existence is itself a perfection. KANT The proposition, God is almighty, contains two concepts, each having its object, namely, God and almightiness. If, then, I take the subject (God) with all its predicates (including that of almightiness), and say, God is, or there is a God, I do not put a new predicate to the concept of God, but I only put the subject by itself, with all its predicates, in relation to my concept, as its object. If we were concerned with an object of our senses, I could not mistake the existence of a thing for the mere concept of it; for by the concept the object is thought as only in harmony with the general conditions of a possible empirical knowledge, while by its existence it is thought as contained in the whole content of experience. Then we have the question coming in, Does God exist? The ontological proof, which is the first properly metaphysical proof of the existence of God, consequently came to mean that God as the Idea of existence which unites all reality in itself, also has the reality of existence within Himself; this proof thus follows from the Notion of God, that He is the universal essence of all essence. For if it is accepted as in thought alone, we may go on farther to accept it as existent; that, however, is something greater' than what is merely thought. 'Thus were that beyond

Die Lorelei by German Poet Heinrich Heine

Die Lorelei by German Poet Heinrich Heine Heinrich Heine was born in Dà ¼sseldorf, Germany. He was known as Harry  until he converted to Christianity when he was in his 20s. His father was a successful textile merchant and Heine followed in his fathers footsteps by studying business. He soon realized he did not have much aptitude for business and switched over to law. While at the university, he became known for his poetry. His first book was a collection of his travel memoirs called Reisebilder (Travel Pictures) in 1826. Heine was one of the most influential German poets in the 19th century, and German authorities tried to suppress him because of his radical political views. He was also known for his lyrical prose, which was set to music by classical greats, such as Schumann, Schubert, and Mendelssohn. The Lorelei One of Heines famous poems, Die Lorelei, is based on a German legend of an enchanting, seducing mermaid who lures seamen to their death. It has been set to music by numerous composers, such as Friedrich Silcher and Franz Liszt.   Here is Heines poem:   Ich weiss nicht, was soll es bedeuten,Dass ich so traurig bin;Ein Mrchen aus alten Zeiten,Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.Die Luft ist kà ¼hl, und es dunkelt,Und ruhig fliesst der Rhein;Der Gipfel des Berges funkeltIm Abendsonnenschein.Die schà ¶nste Jungfrau sitzetDort oben wunderbar,Ihr goldenes Geschmeide blitzet, Sie kmmt ihr goldenes Haar.Sie kmmt es mit goldenem KammeUnd singt ein Lied dabei;Das hat eine wundersame,Gewaltige Melodei.Den Schiffer im kleinen SchiffeErgreift es mit wildem Weh;Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,Er schat nur hinauf in die Hà ¶h.Ich glaube, die Welllen verschlingenAm Ende Schiffer und Kahn;Und das hat mit ihrem SingenDie Lorelei getan. English translation (not always translated literally): I dont know what it meansThat I am so sadA legend of  bygone daysThat I cannot keep out of my mind. The air is cool and night is coming.The calm Rhine courses its way.The peak of the mountain dazzlesWith evenings final ray.The fairest of maidens is sittingUp there, a beautiful delight,Her golden jewels are shining,Shes combing her golden hair.She holds a golden comb,Singing along, as wellAn enthrallingAnd spellbinding melody.In his little boat, the boatmanIs seized by it with a savage woe.He does not look upon the rocky ledgeBut rather high up into the heavens.I think that the waves will devourThe boatman and boat in the endAnd this by her songs sheer powerFair Loreley has done. Heines Later Writings In Heines later writings, readers will note an increased measure of irony, sarcasm, and wit. He often ridiculed sappy romanticism and over exuberant portrayals of nature. Though Heine loved his German roots, he often critiqued Germanys contrasting sense of nationalism.  Eventually, Heine left Germany, tired of its harsh censorship, and lived in France for the last 25 years of his life. A decade before he died, Heine became ill and never recovered. Though he was bedridden for the next 10 years, he still produced a fair amount of work, including work in Romanzero und Gedichte and Lutezia, a collection of political articles. Heine did not have any children. When he died in 1856, he left behind his much younger French wife. The cause of his death is believed to be from chronic lead poisoning.