What is Philosophy

Posted: August 14th, 2013

What is Philosophy?

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What is Philosophy?

Indeed, numerous human beliefs or views are influenced or are informed by philosophy. One personal view that is influenced by this aspect revolves around religion. In this regard, my religious view lingers on common question whether God exists, and if He does, how is he like and how this means to human existence. Society views on this matter are different, but my stand holds that God exists. The laws that revolve around the human race and the universe cosmos are reasons that suggest a powerful authority exists, even though no proof can verify this view (Rohrbaugh, 2003).

The ethical normativity fact is the start of my argument behind the existence of God. Humans have the awareness of right and wrong actions. This awareness instills in us governing laws such as the law of existence. We all know that everything has a beginning, and nothing comes from nothing. In this case, we can support the existence of God since the universe exists. At a certain time in the distant past, the universe became existent, and it is a law that something had to bring it into existence. Hence, taking from this argument there is a Creator beyond the universe that exists. God in this case has no beginning or end and transcends time.

I base my second reason for my religious view on the aspect of design. This reason supports the existence of God from the laws and order that govern the universe. From its inception, the universe may have been different in many ways. For instance, it could have had different star and planet arrangement or different physics laws. The numerous possibilities that could have taken place would not have supported life, as we know. An atheist my take this aspect as a matter of chance or luck (Swinburne, 2005). Nevertheless, my view that God exists serves as an explanation for the harmonious order of the universe. Because God had humans and other forms of life in mind, he created the universe with these laws.

Another reason in support of my view is the existence of moral laws. Moral laws have an association with command forms. They are responsible for telling us how we should conduct ourselves morally. In this regard, these laws base their origin from a supreme commander, and God is this supreme commander. Take for instance the difference between humans and animals of the wild. Even though the difference in intellect is large, the fact that we cover ourselves in clothing and animals do not serves testament to a moral mind. God instilled in us a moral mind.

Thomas Aquinas is one figure from the history of philosophy whose view is similar to mine. According to Copleston (2006), Aquinas held the belief that God had to exist since he thought that God is the cause for the universe since all things have a cause. God is the first cause for everything. I decided to choose Thomas Aquinas because he is among the greatest Christianity philosophers to have lived. His status is supported by his famous and revered works. These include the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theoligiae on Christian philosophy. In Conclusion, the arguments above serve testament to the existence of a necessary, transcendent, and perfect being that is responsible for creating the universe, takes an interest in His creation and exercises authority over it.