Summary:
This newspaper article written by Robert C. Cowen talks about how scientists think that theological thoughts are deforming scientific philosophy. But, Cowen believes otherwise. He believes it is the goodness of the religion that is at risk. In a section of the article, Cowen mentions that scientists separate fact from fantasy. People have been basing their beliefs off of scientific knowledge, but that is very unreliable seeing as it is changing everyday. Mixing science and religion is a horrible idea that can really affect the world in a bad way.

Analysis:
"Scientists, he notes, use intellectual tools to separate fact from fantasy" said Cowen (third paragraph). From this, I would like to know what tools are used to separate the two? "Yet science and religion are different realms of human thought, he claims" said Cowen (fourth paragraph). How can Goldberg justify that these two concepts are a part of human thought?


Citation:
Cowen, Robert C. "Should Science Discover Evidence of Things Not Seen?." Christian Science Monitor. 08 Jul 1999: n.p. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 26 Feb 2012.

Summary:
To summarize this article, Christian Wertenbaker speaks of the connection between the inner and outer worlds. Without the outer world, the inner world would not be able to sustain itself and would merely be a fantasy. On the other hand, without thought, the outer world would be nothing. For instance, as Wertenbaker stated, "A house cannot exist without building materials, but it also cannot exist without the imagination of its creators." Thus, the inner and outer worlds depend on each other for survival.

Analysis:

There are two ways to view life, from the outside, or the inner mind. "From the point of view of the outer world, I am nothing, one of six billion little human specks on a tiny planet in a remote corner of a galaxy, which is itself one of billions. But from the point of view of my inner world, I am everything..." stated Wertenbaker. What's interesting about both worlds is that the inner life feeds on the outer world. It cannot exist without influence from the outside world or it's resources. "Thought by itself easily slips away from reality into fantasy, but when it is blended with sensation and feeling, we can enter into the magical present moment, no longer infinitesimal, but all-encompassing." says Wertenbaker. Fairly speaking, am I a product of the outside world, or my inner world? This elusive question will always puzzle philosophers and will most likely not have an answer.

Reflection Questions:

The questions that remain after reading this article are; is the inner world justified? How can one justify the thoughts of others in which they cannot prove exist?

Citation:

Wertenbaker, Christian. "One and One Make One." Parabola Vol. XXV, No. 2. Summer 2000: 6-12. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 19 Feb 2012.

I chose to study epistemology (the study of knowledge and justified belief) because it fascinates me how the mind works and how everyday beliefs arise. It is a branch of philosophy that I plan on studying further in the future. Philosophical skepticism (both a school of thought and a method that crosses disciplines and cultures) also comes into play with epistemology. Epistemology covers the justification of true beliefs, not religious beliefs. I myself, do not practice any religion because I can't bring myself to believe in any "god".

To what extent is a justified belief justified?


New Essential Question:
How can one justify the thoughts of others?