More recent stuff Is God a mere metaphor? Is Atheism a Religion? Gay/Lesbian Marriage article Thoughts on Atheism Secular Morality Graduate School Work Read my weekly columnfrom WCU's Quad: Fall '02, Spring '03 Academic work: First Semester (Spring '02) Three Papers from my Process philosophy class: This one is a discussion about the development of the psyche or mind, a thought I have been playing with for a while, using terminology and ideas employed by Alfred North Whitehead in his important (yet often dense) work Process and Reality. Of course, I also emply Hume and Kant to some degree, as they where influential upon Whitehead. If you are not familiar with Whitehead or his terminology, it may be very confusing to read, but you are welcome to read it anyway: -rough draft (slightly longer, with more--but less developed--ideas) -updated edited version (perhaps better...perhaps...) Here is another one that I just completed about panexperientialism (otherwise known as panpsychism). If you are familiar with the rantings on this site that I call "recent thoughts," then you are aware that I have been playing with the idea of the monism/dualism debate, which plays right into the panexperientialist's hands. In this paper, I critique the solution to the problem proposed by David Ray Griffin, a process theist, in his 1998 book entitled Unsnarling the World Knot. My solution is essentially the same as it was when I ranted about this subject nearly a year ago (see the "recent thoughts" archives) Searching for an Adequate Place for God in Process Theism How about religious experience? For the process theist, God is immanent. If this is so, should not all religious experience be a matter of introspection? If God is within my being (or process) then if I can figure out that process, I am communicating with God, right? Well, if you want to hear the whole argument, read my third process. Experiencing God through Self-Knowledge This next one is my term paper for Ethics. I challenge the classical principles in metaethics for a new way at looking at relativism. We Americans love our freedom right? Take a look. Relativism Revisited Second Semester (Fall '02)--three term papers My Existentialism term paper is a panexperientialist critique of Sartre's treatment of relations with Others. The appropriately titled Panexperiential Existentialism My paper for Philoosphy of Science was a treatment of the debate between Realism and anti-Realism. I ultimately side with the anti-Realist on this issue, but like all dichotomies, it's never that simple. The Wittgenstein seminar was my favorite course of my graduate school experience (thanks to Dr. Streveler, who unfortunately just retired). In my term paper I address Wittgenstein's idea of a "language game" by asking how these games come to be. Evolution of Language Games Last Semester (Spring '03) My Masters Thesis. Dualism, monism, metaphysicalization, oh my! My term paper for my Nietzsche seminar. I discuss Nietzsche's perspectivism and how it effects the relationship between the philosopher and the common person. Essentially, I agree with Nietzsche that philosophers know solitude better than other people. Nietzsche's Solitude. Undergraduate work Of course, having earned a BA in Religious Anthropology, I must have written something worthy of posting, right? Here are some of my essays, enjoy and feel free to send me any critiques, suggestions, etc. My Independent Study: A very long essay about the influencse of Greco-Roman culture on the development of the Catholic Church, its philosophy, doctrine, etc. Take some time with this one, you might want to go to the bathroom before reading it. A term paper from my Ancient History class senior year. This is an exploration of the causes of Christianity's triumph over the Roman attempts to eradicate it. It explores sociological, religious, and political contributions into this process. Take a look, it is not too long. Mayans and Aztecs and Incas, oh my!. From the Mayan Calendar to the origins of the Aztec empire and the Inka, their mythology and history, these three are interesting to anyone interested in Mesoamerican studies. When I took Biblical history, I was not surprised to find a variety of points of view on the Bible. Mine, being more secular, will be demonstrated here. I have a couple moderately good papers on the book of Jonah, as well as the letter of James. I will add more as I write them... bring on the PhD program... |
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