The Obligation to Believe

1982 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Brinton

Do we ever have an obligation to choose to hold beliefs, religious or otherwise? The relations between belief, volition and moral responsibility are the subject of William James' widely discussed essay ‘The Will to Believe’. James first takes up the relationship between volition and belief: Does it make sense to speak of choosing to believe a proposition? His answer is that it does, in the sense that we can choose to act in ways which encourage the production of a believing attitude in ourself. For example, we can be selective in attending to evidence, and we can incline ourselves toward belief by acting as though we already believe. By avoiding certain influences and subjecting ourself to others, we can encourage the development of belief. In so doing, we in effect treat ourself as a third person, and our behaviour is analogous to what we might engage in when encouraging others toward favourable evidence. The question of moral responsibility then becomes appropriate in our own case in a way analogous to that in which it does with respect to our belief-producing actions toward others. Just as the deception of others raises moral questions, so does the deception of ourselves.

Author(s):  
В.Р. Аминева

На материале произведений современной татарской писательницы Р. Габдулхаковой выявляются конститутивные черты жанра парча в современной татарской литературе. Охарактеризованы жанровые разновидности парчи в творчестве Р. Габдулхаковой, которые соответствуют двум направлениям сюжетного движения: от внешнего к внутреннему или от единичного к универсальному и двум типам повествования - от 1-го или от 3-го лица. Художественное завершение в парчах первого типа определяется постижением некой нравственной истины, вытекающей из лично пережитой лирическим субъектом ситуации, в парчах второго типа оно создается переходом от отдельных явлений к их суммирующему итогу. Сделан вывод о том, что внутреннюю меру жанра определяет характер соотношения повествовательной фабулы и обобщающей ее «концовки». Описаны свойственные этому жанру пространственно-временные отношения и принципы организации субъектной сферы. Структурообразующая роль в парчах Р. Габдулхаковой отводится субъективно-лирическому началу в повествовании. В произведениях писательницы проявились как особенности ее творческой индивидуальности, так и типологические черты женской прозы в целом с ее повышенной эмоциональностью, автобиографичностью и проникновенностью. Большинство миниатюр Р. Габдулхаковой написаны от первого лица и представляют сознание женщины, сосредоточенной на переживании своего одиночества и «холода жизни», безответной любви и позднего раскаяния, боли утраты, преследующей каждого человека после ухода матери. Парчи, написанные от третьего лица, раскрывают сознание человека, знающего о существовании объективных закономерностей и пытающегося найти личный выход из безнадежных ситуаций. В творчестве Р. Габдулхаковой парча функционирует как синтетический жанр, вбирающий в себя элементы других жанровых форм. On the material of works of the modern Tatar writer R. Gabdulhakova the constitutive features of the genre of the parcha are revealed. Genre varieties of parcha in the work of R. Gabdulkhakova are characterized, which correspond to two directions of plot movement: from the external to the internal or from the individual to the universal, and two types of narrative-from 1 or 3 persons. Artistic completion in the parcha of the first type is determined by the realization of a certain moral truth arising from the situation personally experienced by the lyrical subject, in the parcha of the second type it is created by the transition from individual phenomena to their summing result. It is concluded that the internal measure of the genre determines the nature of the relationship between the narrative plot and its generalizing "ending". Space-time relations and principles of organization of the subject sphere peculiar to this genre are described. The structure-forming role in the parcha of R. Gabdulkhakova is assigned to the subjective-lyrical beginning in the narrative. The works of the writer manifested both the features of her creative individuality and the typological features of female prose in general with its increased emotionality, autobiography and penetration. Most of R. Gabdulhakova’s miniatures are written in the first person and represent the consciousness of a woman focused on experiencing her loneliness and “cold life”, unrequited love and late repentance, the pain of loss that haunts every person after leaving her mother. Рarcha written in the third person reveal the consciousness of a person who knows about the existence of objective laws and tries to find a personal way out of hopeless situations. Allegorical or symbolic imagery at the same time turns a personal scenario - into a typical, universal human one. In the work of R. Gabdulhakova parcha functions as a synthetic genre, incorporating elements of other genre forms.


1954 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. C. Frend

Two generations of lawyers and historians of the early Church have worked over the scanty evidence bearing on the legal and political relations between the first Christian communities and the Roman Empire. It is not the intention of the present writer to add to the enormous volume of work on the subject. The results of their battles have been ably summarised by A. N. Sherwin-White, and with his conclusions the legal problem may be allowed to rest until new evidence is forthcoming. The object of this paper is to look at the question from another point of view, and to ask who were the sufferers, and in particular, who were martyred in the period before the first general persecution under Decius. Were Polycarp, Justin, Blandina and the rest chance victims of private denunciation and the fury of the mob, or did they represent a tradition of belief in which martyrdom became the climax of earthly life? And what of those who obeyed the precept to flee during persecution? Was their action due to cowardice, or was it the belief that martyrdom was not the will of God? Can we see in the controversy over martyrdom which engaged so much of Tertullian's energies, one more phase in the strife between the orthodox and gnostic concepts of Christianity, on the outcome of which so much in the future of the Church depended? What, in fact, was the relationship between the Gnostics and the Roman authorities?


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-130
Author(s):  
Julia Knap ◽  
Robert Piłat

In this article we present an analysis of attitudes towards the future as they are presented in memoirs of unemployed persons, who participated a contest announced by Institute of Social Economy at Warsaw School of Economics by sending their memoirs of their experiences in the years 1999 to 2001. Our analysis encompasses such attitudes as wishes, planning, predicting, hope, dreams, fear of the future, pure endurance, and expectations of help. Our departure point is an observation that the future rarely becomes a topic of reflection in the entries submitted by the authors. The authors seek the explanation of this by analysing the cognitive, imaginary, emotional and social dimensions of the authors’ prospective attitudes, the will to survive and tendency for hope. Examination of the future through the eyes of those finding themselves in lasting difficult economic and social conditions sheds light on the nature of behaviour toward and attitudes to the future in general, demonstrating the most fragile and at the same time most essential elements of these behaviours and attitudes. In this way, this study constitutes a contribution to general philosophical reflections on the subject of the relationship of man to the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 957-993
Author(s):  
Adis Poljić

The subject of the paper refers to the analysis of the exercise of the will of the contracting parties regarding the jurisdiction of the court in the law of the Hague Conference and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The exercise of the will of the contracting parties may be limited by the institute of lis pendens, which makes it impossible to conduct two proceedings between the same parties simultaneously for the same claim based on the same facts, giving priority to the first one, regardless of agreed-upon international jurisdiction. By agreeing on the jurisdiction, the contracting parties decide which court will resolve their dispute, which is extremely important for them. Based on the analysis of the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, it is concluded that preference is given to proceedings before the chosen court, with certain exceptions when the agreement of the parties will not apply. The law of Bosnia and Herzegovina applies the rules of lis pendens which may prevent the application of the agreement of the parties.


Kalbotyra ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (69) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Chojnicka

The paper offers a functional analysis of three Latvian verbs of speaking used in their indicative third person forms – saka, runā and stāsta ‘say(s), speak(s) and talk(s)’ – based on the Latvian language corpus online (www.korpuss.lv) and, additionally, on examples excerpted from Internet discourse. The article discusses semantic and syntactic similarities and differences between these words, the functions of particular constructions distinguished according to specific syntactic criteria (presence vs. absence of a subject), and the use of these verbs in combination with the Latvian verb form traditionally associated with (potential) evidential meanings, the oblique (atstāstījuma izteiksme). While the use of verbs of speaking for introducing reported speech is seen as unproblematic, the relationship between verba dicendi and evidentiality requires more attention and remains in focus throughout this study. In order to offer an in-depth overview of the nature of this relationship, the relations between reported speech and evidentiality, as well as the oblique and evidentiality, are also briefly considered. The paper concludes that the possibility of the three verbs functioning as evidential markers depends on considerations of theoretical/terminological nature (how to define evidentiality, should reported speech be considered part of it, etc.) and also, to some extent, on the way the subject is realized in verba dicendi constructions (specific human agent vs. non-specific empty subject and absent or zero subject).


Paleobiology ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 6 (02) ◽  
pp. 146-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Oliver

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic coral Order Scleractinia has been suggested to have originated or evolved (1) by direct descent from the Paleozoic Order Rugosa or (2) by the development of a skeleton in members of one of the anemone groups that probably have existed throughout Phanerozoic time. In spite of much work on the subject, advocates of the direct descent hypothesis have failed to find convincing evidence of this relationship. Critical points are:(1) Rugosan septal insertion is serial; Scleractinian insertion is cyclic; no intermediate stages have been demonstrated. Apparent intermediates are Scleractinia having bilateral cyclic insertion or teratological Rugosa.(2) There is convincing evidence that the skeletons of many Rugosa were calcitic and none are known to be or to have been aragonitic. In contrast, the skeletons of all living Scleractinia are aragonitic and there is evidence that fossil Scleractinia were aragonitic also. The mineralogic difference is almost certainly due to intrinsic biologic factors.(3) No early Triassic corals of either group are known. This fact is not compelling (by itself) but is important in connection with points 1 and 2, because, given direct descent, both changes took place during this only stage in the history of the two groups in which there are no known corals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (01) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Dian Saputra

This study aims to find out the relationship between learning style and students’ knowledge aspect on Computer System Subject at SMK IT Rahmatan Karimah of  Central Bengkulu, the type of research is quantitative and the subject of research is grade X in SMK IT Rahmatan Karimah of  Central Bengkulu. Data collection techniques using observation, Questionnaire and documentation. Data analysis techniques used were Descriptive Analysis, and inferential Statistical Analysis. The results of visual learning style post-test were 11 people with a mean of 76.36, an auditory learning style of 8 people at a mean of 62.14, a kinesthetic learning style of 3 people at a mean of 50.33, apart from that (r x y = 2.35) and the magnitude of r is reflected in the table (r table = 0.4132). Then rxy > r table ie = 2.35> 0.4132. In other words, Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. It has a significant relationship between the learning styles of students and students’ knowledge aspect on Computer System Subject of grade X TKJ in SMK IT Rahmatan Karimah of  Central Bengkulu


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-48
Author(s):  
Warren Swain

Intoxication as a ground to set aside a contract is not something that has proved to be easy for the law to regulate. This is perhaps not very surprising. Intoxication is a temporary condition of varying degrees of magnitude. Its presence does however raise questions of contractual autonomy and individual responsibility. Alcohol consumption is a common social activity and perceptions of intoxication and especially alcoholism have changed over time. Roman law is surprisingly quiet on the subject. In modern times the rules about intoxicated contracting in Scottish and English law is very similar. Rather more interestingly the law in these two jurisdictions has reached the current position in slightly different ways. This history can be traced through English Equity, the works of the Scottish Institutional writers, the rise of the Will Theory, and all leavened with a dose of judicial pragmatism.


2018 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
SangDong Lee

Queen Margaret (1070–93) has been the subject of much historical research. Previous studies of the queen and later saint have been undertaken from several different perspectives, including the biographical, institutional and hagiographical. In addition, some scholars have focused on her piety and later cult. Although a saint's miracles were one of the significant elements affecting the development of a cult, far less interest has been shown in the geopolitical importance of the miracles attributed to St Margaret and the relationship between the miracles and the saint's cult. The intention of this paper is to examine the miracles attributed to St Margaret and to identify their characteristics within the context of their contribution to, and influence in, the development of her cult.


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