Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The following is my latest philosophy response assignment, with the first paragraph of my essay.
Some people argue that only something eternal like God or religious ideals can satisfy the human heart. "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee," wrote St. Augustine. Do you agree with this? Explain your answer.
Conceptions of a deity and religious ideals constitute a frame around which many people base their lives. However, if viewed as a societal construct akin to marriage or burial customs (which themselves generally occur within a religious context), the knowledge of religion "satisfies" humans in general no more than Mick Jagger's knowledge of beautiful women has seemed to satisfy him. "Girly action" represensts that end goal, the only fulfillment, which might be attained through various means but cannot itself be realized in any other form. Religion (hereafter, Christianity, in response to St. Augustine and Soren Kierkegaard) likewise supposedly exists as the boundary for human meaning, but if, whether objectively or subjectively, the restless heart finds repose, the question then becomes: What afterward? His meaningfulness purportedly achieved, why does Mick Jagger continue to write songs, tour, pose for Mercedes Benz newspaper ads, or drink cherry red sodas?
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 9:27 AM]