The paradox of omnipotence, and Mackie`s solution Essay Example for Free

The paradox of omnipotence, and Mackie`s solution Essay Omnipotence is inexhaustible, unlimited power. The attribute of omnipotence (being all powerful) is generally a quality of the God of monotheistic religions. There exists an argument, however, that the concept of an omnipotent being is paradoxical, meaning that it is logically impossible that an omnipotent being can exist. One of the more well-known renderings of this paradox goes: Can God create a rock that would be too heavy for him to lift? What this question is asking is essentially â€Å"can God can create something that he cannot subsequently control? This question presents a dilemma. If the answer is yes (because God can do anything, after all), it would mean that he is not actually omnipotent, for how could there exist something that an omnipotent being cannot control? If the answer is no (because how could God not be able to lift a stone—he’s supposed to be all-powerful), then he is not actually omnipotent, because here is something he cannot do after all (he cannot create something that he cannot control). Thus, with either answer, the conclusion is that God is not omnipotent. In his answer to this problem, John L. Mackie says that if an omnipotent being creates an uncontrollable thing, then controlling this thing would mean controlling an â€Å"omnipotently-made-uncontrollable† thing, which is logically impossible. Thus even the omnipotent being will not be able to control it, and his failure to control it would actually be an affirmation rather than a refutation of the his omnipotence. Rigid designator and non-rigid designators The concept of rigid and non-rigid designators is somewhat akin to the concept of proper nouns and common nouns. A rigid designator is a term in philosophy that â€Å"designates [or defines] the same object in all possible worlds in which that object exists and never designates anything else† (LaPorte, 2006). Inversely, a non-rigid (or flaccid) designator is a term that does not refer to the same object in all possible worlds. For example, the sentence â€Å"Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon† contains both a rigid designator (Neil Armstorng) and a non-rigid designator (first man on the moon). If events had been different, Neil Armstrong might not have been the first man on the moon, but Neil Armstrong (not just as a name, but as it refers to the man himself) will always be who he is.

Rose’s Breast Cancer in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Rose’s Breast Cancer in A Thousand Acres Pete, representing erratic male rage in the novel, has a history of abusing Rose. This climaxes when he breaks her arm. It follows a terrible logic that since male rage hurts her body, so does her own, the impetus of which is provided by the patriarchal system. Ginny's description of Pete fits Rose equally well, with an anger that "would be quiet, but corrosive, erupting at odd times" (31). Rose's breast cancer symbolizes the way she is literally consumed with anger (the cancer eats at her flesh, consuming her body). Anger is the only way she knows to deal with her father, her husband, men and the system they represent: "We're not going to be sad. We're going to be angry until we die. It's the only hope."(354) She doesn't see that anger is destructive, that anger is in fact why things have turned out the way they have. She is continually reminded of the toll her anger takes on her body, as her arm unconsciously strays to the lost muscles under her other arm, by the lost breast. Nevertheless, she ignores the signs, anger has become a part of her body. The fact that this act resembles a posture signifying an attempt to contain her heart -her overflowing anger- suggests this, as does the fact that she especially does this when she is angry: "She pushed her hair back with her hand, then put her fist on her hip, defiant. Except that on the way down, her fingers fluttered over the vanished breast, the vanished muscles." (151) Her body, then, enacts her strategy. If you can't beat them, join them. If the system is based on egocentricity, cruelty, coldness and rage, then those will be her weapons. When Jess backs out of farming their land, she says: "When it came right down to building on something that we had, it scared him to build on death and bad luck and anger and destruction" (352). The underlying assumption of her statement is that it is impossible to challenge all the death and destruction, so one might as well turn it to one's own advantage. This strategy, ironically, turns her into what the patriarchy has accused hers and Ginny's intertextual counterparts -Regan and Goneril- of; an inhuman half-man. When she reigns supreme over the thousand acres, she has turned into her own worst nightmare: her father.

Film Review Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam Essay

â€Å"Brazil† is set in a dystopian future, where society is closely monitored and its freedoms infringed upon by the Ministry of Information. The film is a humorous approach to the dystopia genre, which isn’t surprising given that the film is directed and co-written by Terry Gilliam (the creator of Monty Python). The film is the story of Sam Lowry, who has a boring life working for the Ministry of Information until it changes through a strange events, which shows us ministry as a bureaucratic jail. The sets, costumes and props in â€Å"Brazil† create a dazzling and interesting world to see. The film features colourful and fantastic dream sequences which provide an escape from Sam’s dull life. Despite the simplicity of the main plot, the movie is full of subtexts and images carrying a message which you may not see them on the first viewing. In one scene, a man is buying â€Å"clean air† from a vending machine on the street. The sides of the streets are walls of billboards which keeps the environment hidden from people’s eyes. In a holiday-decorated store a small child tells Santa she wants a credit card as a present for Christmas. The film is much more difficult, this may turn some people off. Makers had so many things to say in one movie. First of all this is a film about systems breaking down: a dead fly drops into a printer, causing a misprint which leads to a man’s death penalty (Just because of misprint! ); heating systems break down, and they cannot repair them because the support system is overstretched. It is also a film about systems destroying humanity. With everyone having their own defined role in the heavyweight system that control every part of the life, nobody has to take personal responsibility for common problems; mistakes are almost somebody else’s problem, and nobody really feels they have do something to change the situation. ‘Brazil’ is simply unlike anything you have ever seen before. The ending to the film is particularly powerful, with Gilliam offering us a typical happily-ever-after ending, and then breaking in the final seconds. After all, in such a dystopian society, a happy ending is not only unlikely, but it is near impossible.

Cuban Economics Essay - 4542 Words

Introduction Modern Cuba is a country born of struggle. The revolutionary movement that formed the modern day government has remained in power for more than forty years. Indeed, the Cuban government is perhaps one of the most stable governments in the region. This fact is made even more evident by the recent fall of democracy in Haiti. However, the past ten years has seen a marked change in Cuban economic policy. Ostracized from the international community and faced with an embargo imposed by the United States, Cuba has turned to various sources of economic reform in order to survive in a global market. Background (1959 – 1991) During the early period after the revolution, Cuba’s primary economic base was based upon one†¦show more content†¦187, 210). During this time period, Cuba depended on the Soviet Union for 98 percent of its oil and seventy-five percent of its total energy needs (Theirot, pgs. 258). Despite Cuban economic woes, the Cubans did enjoy some success in other areas. First, the redistribution of wealth was responsible for reducing malnutrition. Second, the Cuban government established a national health care system that rivaled even developed countries. Third, the Cuban government developed a multilevel educational system that resulted in the near complete elimination of illiteracy. And fourth, the Cuban population was infused with a strong sense of nationalistic pride (Theirot, pgs. 257-258). At the social level, the Cubans managed to address some of the basic problems plaguing other Third-World countries such as hunger, health, and education. However, at the economic level, Cuba still had a long way to go and the need to address economic issues became urgent on the eve of the fall of the Soviet Union. It is this environment of economic decline and political uncertainty that greeted the Cuban Fourth Party Congress in 1991. Transition Point – Fourth Party Congress (1991) Since the 1975, the Cuban Communist Party (Partido Comunista de Cuba, PCC) held a series of meetings known as the Party Congresses. These meetings generally served to celebrate Cuba’s participation in a revolution againstShow MoreRelatedThe Crisis Of The United States1271 Words   |  6 Pagesthat a country economic standing relies heavily on its literacy rate and vice versa, but one country that has proved that wrong is Cuba. Although Cuba currently holds a reputable global standing as one of the best educational systems in the world, this didn t come about without its fair share of struggles resulting from its diplomatic crisis with the United States. The US-Cuba relations is one that statistically should have resulted in the collapse of the Cuban social and economic systems unlessRead MoreShould the U.S. Government Drop Its Sanctions against Cuba?1676 Words   |  7 Pagesbegin falling apart. Cuba lost its international allies and became helpless both economically and p olitically in the international seen, and it is no longer a threat to US interests. In spite of this, in 1992 the US congress passed the so called the â€Å"Cuban Democracy Act†. The sanctions against Cuba strengthened, and the objectives of the sanctions are also transformed from containing communism to bringing freedom and democracy to the people of Cuba. Still, the multifaceted and half a century old sanctionsRead MoreThe Cross Pollination Religious Customs And Material Culture921 Words   |  4 PagesThe cross-pollination religious customs and material culture in the Cuban Diaspora has provided a wealth of indigenous and assimilative sources (Gordon, 2014: 53), and this has afforded Mendive a rich abundance of inherited iconography of fauna, flora and otherworldly phenomena to consume and use in the process of creating his artworks. 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Now capitalism is, â€Å"An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market â€Å"– Merriam Webster dictionary. Capitalism was founded by Adam Smith. Smith believed that the world of economics fell under â€Å"natural laws†, and that government involvement wouldRead MoreThe Cuban Revolution And Its Effect On Identity1723 Words   |  7 PagesDreaming in Cuban is a novel by Cuban American author Cristina Garcia. This essay focuses on the impact of the Cuban revolution and its effect on identity within the Cuban diaspora. This essay argues that Dreaming in Cuban illustrates the impact of the Cuban revolution on women and how it has affected their identities as Cuban women. Therefore, this essay will assess the structure of the novel, it will identify key historical, and geographical contexts in which these events took place. The essayRead MoreThe Tampa Museum Of Art1308 Words   |  6 Pageswhat was on exhibit. After which, I will choose two works of art and preform an analysis on them. I will employ the formal elements and the principles of design to engage the first piece, â€Å"The Great Journey†. With my second choice â€Å"A Group of Cubans who left Manzanillo are Rescued at Sea†, I will discuss how a pplying an alternative contextual analysis would help in understanding the meaning behind the painting more. The museum was celebrating â€Å"Family Day† as well as Hispanic Heritage Month