Life Worth Living By William James - 994 Words

Term Paper There are many philosophers who have views supporting or like William James’. However, there are other concepts holding positions that are in opposition to what James has to say. In this paper, I will answer James’ question in his essay, Is Life Worth Living, by arguing affirmatively that life is worth living. Premises The main argument that William James provides in his essay is that life is worth living. The main supports for this argument are religion, belief, and faith. Another defense James offers is optimism, although he knows this cannot be true for everyone. According to James, optimism is the way of approaching his question. He states that there would be no need to ask questions such as this one if optimism were true†¦show more content†¦The first principle is that when people make decisions they are to be ethical and to consider both the consequences and the intentions of our actions. With Kant, the take away is that individuals are to be concerned with the right intentions as well as the right principles. Kant also describes that â€Å"Everything in nature works according to laws† (Twenty Questions, page 595). The Utilitarian Argument poses that there are for steps: â€Å"recognize the problem, consider options and consequences, and select the outcome† (TJ Consequ ences Outline, 2017). In Kant’s Utilitarian View individuals are to add up the good and bad consequences and subtract the bad consequences from the good consequences. This will then lead to an overall choice. After reading the article â€Å"Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals,† I find that Immanuel Kant suggests that people should be treated as â€Å"ends† rather than â€Å"means.† People deserve respect and everyone has value therefore life is worth living. Kant’s prospective is widely based on practical reason rather than the focus of feelings. From what I understand from Kant, life is worth living but it is widely based on the aspect that everything is based on a fundamental law. Objections Some individuals believe that there is more meaning and promise in their death than the life that they are currently living on earth. Many religions, Christianity included, believe in eternal life. No one except for Christ (i.e. God) knowsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of William James829 Words   |  4 Pages William James was an American philosopher and psychologist who specialized in Pragmatism and philosophy related to such. He led a philosophical revolution in the USA and would make the philosophy known as  ¨Pragmatism very well known. In his book  ¨The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, William explains different philosophical beliefs while also challenging them and supporting the right to believe in a religion or even life itself. William James style of writing is moreRead MoreMovie Analysis : Hurt Locker 1231 Words   |  5 Pagesis a drug.† This quote comes from the book ‘War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning,’ by Chris Hedges, a r eporter for The New York Times. I believe this message is the main theme of this movie as depict through the character Sergeant First Class William James played by Jeremy Renner. The focus of this film established its ability to emulate the truth about the chaos and catastrophic events of not only war but also the addition to war. The dirty truth of this statement echoes throughout the movie. MostRead MoreThe Hurt Locker By Film Maker Kathryn Bigelow1273 Words   |  6 Pagesof battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† (Hedges) The film s greatest achievement is its ability to communicate the underlying truth of this quote consistently throughout the movie. Sergeant First Class William James, played by James Renner, captures this message through his job description, dialogue, and demeanor, which is presented his obstinate/erratic behaviors. The creative selective style of slow motion effects, instability of camera movement, and the intenseRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Hurt Locker 1344 Words   |  6 Pagesrush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† (Hedges)The film s greatest achievement is its ability to communicate the underlying truth of this quote consistently throughout the movie. Sergeant First Class William James, played by James Renner, captures this message through his job description, dialogue, and demeanor, as well as his obstinate/erratic behaviors. The creative selective style of slow motion effects, instability of camera movement, and the intense sound/visualRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book A Hitchhikers Guide On The Galaxy 1463 Words   |  6 PagesThe meaning of life is a question that people have been asking for decades. Some believe that the meaning of life comes from a variety of reasons, such as religion, hope, or simply just living life. In the book, A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy , this famous question is posed, and many wait for thousands of years in order to find the answer, which turned out to be â€Å"42†. For some, this may be a disappointing answer but for others it may be relieving. People have been struggling with this questionRead MoreWilliam Clifford s Ethics Of Belief Essay1451 Words   |  6 PagesBorn in 1845, William Clifford was a mathematician and philosopher famed for his philosophy of science and quest for answering ethical questions through scientific evidence (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). Clifford recognized several difficulties in Emmanuel Kant’s argument related to philosophy, which inspired him to begin a search for answers related to innate belief, personal responsibility of guilt, and overall creation. In the Ethics of Belief, Clifford asserts that it is always wrong to believeRead MoreEssay about Hoarding: Attempt of Affluence, Reality of Affliction 1300 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam James, known as the â€Å"phil osopher of America† (Kaila Kovailanen, 2011), had his own perspective on ownership. In 1918 he described acquisitiveness as â€Å"an instinct, something that is part of human nature, present at birth and with us throughout life. This instinct contributes to our sense of self. What is ‘me’ fuses with what is ‘mine,’ and our ‘self’ consists of what we possess† (Frost and Steketee, pp. 48). It seems that even this brilliant mind, who has been considered the father ofRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The United States1650 Words   |  7 PagesLife: Twenty Years Later In 2026, life in Dimock, Pennsylvania was a lot different than how it was twenty years ago. This is evident by all the new advances in technology within the two decades. However, what changed the town the most was the hydraulic fracturing boom back in the mid-2000s. The town has experienced many ups and downs because of all the gas companies coming in to extract the natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, that lies underneath the land. Dimock had received a lot of attentionRead MorePsychology, Religion, And Religion1397 Words   |  6 Pages as Camus proposes, the meaning of life is the only thing stopping you from committing suicide right now, then religion serves a psychologically useful role in providing meaning and relieving anxiety. This view is reflected by William James in his Varieties of Religious Experiences. James is largely pragmatic in his attitude towards religious experiences. Whereas Freud considered religious experience merely an illusion and not independently verifiable, James considers religious experience realRead MoreFigurative Language in Do No Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Tomas772 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam James, an American philosopher and psychologist once said â€Å"believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.† Life, regardless of how close it lies to death, is worth keeping. The poem â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night†, by Dylan Thomas is a son’s appeal to a fading father. He shows his father that men from all walks of life confront death, however, they still war against it. Thomas uses figurative language to classify men into four different categories to