Logan Correll
The Big Questions
Beginning of semester
At the beginning of the semester, we were tasked with answering 3 of life's biggest questions. The following is my initial response to each.
What do you think explains the order of the universe?
I believe we do not fully or maybe even partially understand the order of the universe. The greatest extent that we can know is from the experiences we live and the guidance we oddly receive. To me, the only thing that truly explains the order of the universe is my faith in this Guidance or my faith in the Lord.
Once again, the only truth about the world is conveyed through our experiences. Many people's experiences tell them right and wrong through different factors. Sometimes it's more clear that something is good and another things bad and sometimes only a higher power can know the difference.
The difference between knowing and believing is faith. Often, things I know are facts rooted in truth. On the other side, believing requires faith or trust in something that you cannot know for sure.
End of Semester
For our final project, we answered the 3 questions again with new knowledge, language, and skills in Philosophy. The following are my new and revised answeres.
I believe that we explain the order of the universe. I also believe that there is structure given to how we live, affecting what the universe means. "I think therefore I am" is the foundation of my philosophy. No human understands why we are here, what we are meant to do, or what gives meaning to life. But, we all in some way attempt to define these answers. We do not create meaning through understanding what the universe is but rather through defining it with our lives.
There is a "natural law" that is inadvertently engrained in who we are. Humans, without intention, understand that some things are evil and some good. We know that harming those who treat you kindly is bad while returning favors to a friend is good. There are discrepancies in ethics between certain people, but those differences are all aimed at the same goal of achieving good. A man only betrays a friend to gain or preserve himself. Caring about oneself is in-of-itself a good thing. It is the method and priority of it that is twisted.
Something that is believed is something you need faith for. Something you believe takes trust despite not knowing. We truly cannot know anything of this world but we can believe.
What makes something good versus evil?
What is the difference between something you think you know and something you believe?
Final Reflection
Looking back at my previous answers demonstrates my personal growth. Many of my beliefs were similar from the beginning to the end but more detailed. I initially talk about how humanity does not understand the universe and therefore we are guided by our experiences. I believe this today but more specifically. I believe in Neoplatonism and absolute truth, but I also believe we can never understand it. The experiences we encounter are reflections of other people's ideas of what the universe means. Experiences and interactions with the world only demonstrate the idea that everyone explains the universe differently. I also developed my understanding of faith. In a world where we can not "know" anything with absolute certainty, it is vital to believe in something that cannot be proved. To have faith is to attempt to find meaning in this world. Finding meaning is the only thing we can do to explain a world in which we do not know.