Premium Essay

Critically Asses, with Reference to William James, the Arguments from Religious Experience.

In: Philosophy and Psychology

Submitted By fredeade
Words 1684
Pages 7
In the book ‘the varieties of religious experience’, James concluded that religious experience testifies that “we can experience union with something larger than ourselves and in that union find our greatest peace”. He defined such experiences as “experiences of the divine” and believed that religious experience was at the heart of religion. For James, religious teachings, practices and attitudes are second hand religion, which later develop as individuals reflect on their common experience. It is the actual experiences that directly point to God. However this theory does little to prove religious experiences simply because many of his claims do not stand up to critical analysis.
James looked at a variety of religious experiences, particularly mystical experiences. This refers to experiences where God is revealed directly and there is a sense of oneness with the divine. James claimed that there are four criteria which are all characteristics of mystical experiences. Firstly an experience has to be ineffable, in that it is beyond proper description as it cannot adequately be described in words. It must also be noetic. James said that mystical states are not just feelings, but rather the experience gives the mystic a deep and direct knowledge of God. Another criteria of mystical experiences is that it must be transient. Although the experiences effects may last a long time, the experience is temporary and cannot be sustained. Lastly, it must be passive, meaning the experience is not initiated by the individual but they have a sense that something is acting upon them instead.
James accepted that religious experiences are psychological phenomena that occur in our brains. However, for a number of reasons, James argued that these experiences may well have a supernatural element as well as a physical element. Firstly, he believed that the sheer volume of his case

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Harold Bloom

...the metaphysical poets John milton Jonathan Swift mark Twain mary Shelley Nathaniel hawthorne Oscar Wilde percy Shelley ralph Waldo emerson robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge Stephen Crane Walt Whitman William Blake William Shakespeare William Wordsworth Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Edited and with an Introduction by Sterling professor of the humanities Yale University harold Bloom Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: William Shakespeare Copyright © 2010 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2010 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data William Shakespeare / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom : Neil Heims, volume editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60413-723-1 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4381-3425-3 (e-book) 1. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616—Criticism and interpretation. I. Bloom, Harold. II. Heims, Neil. PR2976.W5352 2010 822.3'3—dc22 2010010067 Bloom’s Literary Criticism books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk...

Words: 239932 - Pages: 960

Premium Essay

Game Change

...GAME CHANGE OBAMA AND THE CLINTONS, MCCAIN AND PALIN, AND THE RACE OF A LIFETIME JOHN HEILEMANN AND MARK HALPERIN FOR DIANA AND KAREN Contents Cover Title Page Prologue Part I Chapter One – Her Time Chapter Two – The Alternative Chapter Three – The Ground Beneath Her Feet Chapter Four – Getting to Yes Chapter Five – The Inevitables Chapter Six – Barack in a Box Chapter Seven – “They Looooove Me!” Chapter Eight – The Turning Point Chapter Nine – The Fun Part Chapter Ten – Two For the Price of One Chapter Eleven – Fear and Loathing in the Lizard’s Thicket Chapter Twelve – Pulling Away and Falling Apart Chapter Thirteen – Obama Agonistes Chapter Fourteen – The Bitter End Game Part II Chapter Fifteen – The Maverick and His Meltdown Chapter Sixteen – Running Unopposed Chapter Seventeen – Slipping Nooses, Slaying Demons Part III Chapter Eighteen – Paris and Berlin Chapter Nineteen – The Mile-High Club Chapter Twenty – Sarahcuda Chapter Twenty-One – September Surprise Chapter Twenty-Two – Seconds in Command Chapter Twenty-Three – The Finish Line Epilogue – Together at Last Index Author’s Notes About the Authors Copyright About the Publisher Prologue BARACK OBAMA JERKED BOLT upright in bed at three o’clock in the morning. Darkness enveloped his low-rent room at the Des Moines Hampton Inn; the airport across the street was quiet in the hours before dawn. It was very late December 2007, a few days ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Obama had been sprinting flat out...

Words: 160589 - Pages: 643

Free Essay

Case Study

...for pushing and challenging us throughout this project. We thank the women who facilitated focus groups and helped us contact the women in this study. Finally, this report would not be possible without the contributions of the women who told us about their experiences. © 2004 Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children ISBN# 0-9688655-3-4 1 “To understand violence, we have to examine both the personal experience and the terrain of that experience.” Dr. Yasmin Jiawani This report is built on the personal experiences of women who have experienced workplace harassment, but their stories are also about the “terrain” or the context of those experiences. In drawing out the commonalities of their experiences, we have begun to shed light on the terrain. We must transform the terrain if women are to have equality and safety in their workplaces. 2 We dedicate this report to Theresa Vince whose death in 1996 changed the views of many people in Ontario about sexual and workplace harassment. Her tragic and untimely death showed us that workplace harassment can no longer be easily dismissed as a trivial problem. Fundamentally, the goal of this report is to prevent any other woman from losing her life and to stop the...

Words: 63386 - Pages: 254

Premium Essay

Educationa Research

...describe the scope of Educational Research 3 To state the purpose of Educational Research 4 To explain what is scientific enquiry. 5 To explain importance of theory development. 6 To explain relationship among science, education and educational research. 7 To Identity fundamental research 8 To Identity applied research 9 To Identify action research 10 To Differentiate between fundamental, applied, and action research 11 To Identify different paradigms of research 2 1.1 INTRODUCTION : Research purifies human life. It improves its quality. It is search for knowledge. If shows how to Solve any problem scientifically. It is a careful enquiry through search for any kind of Knowledge. It is a journey from known to unknown. It is a systematic effort to gain new knowledge in any kind of discipline. When it Seeks a solution of any educational problem it leads to educational research. Curiosity, inquisitiveness are natural gifts secured by a man. They inspire him to quest, increase his thirst for knowledge / truth. After trial and error, he worked systematically in the direction of the desired goal. His adjustment and coping with situation makes him successful in his task. Thereby he learns something‘s, becomes wise and prepares his own scientific procedure while...

Words: 78659 - Pages: 315

Premium Essay

Gooh

...XXX10.1177/1529100612436522Finkel et al.Online Dating 2012 Research Article Online Dating: A Critical Analysis From the Perspective of Psychological Science Psychological Science in the Public Interest 13(1) 3–66 © The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1529100612436522 http://pspi.sagepub.com Eli J. Finkel1, Paul W. Eastwick2, Benjamin R. Karney3, Harry T. Reis4, and Susan Sprecher5 1 Northwestern University; 2Texas A&M University; 3University of California, Los Angeles; University of Rochester; and 5Illinois State University 4 Summary Online dating sites frequently claim that they have fundamentally altered the dating landscape for the better. This article employs psychological science to examine (a) whether online dating is fundamentally different from conventional offline dating and (b) whether online dating promotes better romantic outcomes than conventional offline dating. The answer to the first question (uniqueness) is yes, and the answer to the second question (superiority) is yes and no. To understand how online dating fundamentally differs from conventional offline dating and the circumstances under which online dating promotes better romantic outcomes than conventional offline dating, we consider the three major services online dating sites offer: access, communication, and matching. Access refers to users’ exposure to and opportunity to evaluate potential romantic...

Words: 59050 - Pages: 237

Premium Essay

Quality Managment

...______________________________________________________________ 7 TQM and its Implementation in Higher Education of Iran _________________________ S.A. Siadat _____________________________________________________________________ M. Mokhtaripour _________________________________________________________________ R. Hoveida _____________________________________________________________________ 8 8 8 8 Quality: From Where to Where? ___________________________________________ 12 Alan Brown ___________________________________________________________________ 12 The Impact of Educational Quality Models on Schools’ Performance in Dubai ________ 20 Kalthoom Al Balooshi ____________________________________________________________ 20 Wafi Dawood __________________________________________________________________ 20 Management Education and Development in the United Kingdom _________________ 25 Daniel O' Hare _________________________________________________________________ 25 Global Quality Management Systems and the Impact on Service Quality and Brand ___ 35 Jonathan M. A. Ward ____________________________________________________________ 35 Resilience: From Product to Corporate Strategy _______________________________ 42 Mehran Sepehri...

Words: 137918 - Pages: 552

Premium Essay

Marketing

...Qklhokn 1 Accounting Theory Paper-8 M. Com. (Final) Directorate of Distance Education Maharshi Dayanand University ROHTAK – 124 001 2 jktuhfr foKku Copyright © 2004, Maharshi Dayanand University, ROHTAK All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Maharshi Dayanand University ROHTAK – 124 001 Developed & Produced by EXCEL BOOKS PVT. LTD., A-45 Naraina, Phase 1, New Delhi-110028 Qklhokn 3 Contents Chapter 1 Accounting-An Intoduction Chapter 2 The History and Evolution of Accounting Thoughts 23 Chapter 3 Approaches to Accounting Theory 56 Chapter 4 Accounting Postulates, Concepts and Principles 88 Chapter 5 Income Concepts 107 Chapter 6 Revenues, Expenses, Gains and Losses 139 Chapter 7 Valuation of Assets 158 Chapter 8 Liabilities and Equity 177 Chapter 9 Depreciation Accounting and Policy 192 Chapter 10 Inventories and their Valuation 238 Chapter 11 Financial Reporting 277 Chapter 12 Specific Issues in Corporate Reporting 302 Chapter 13 Harmonization of Financial Reporting 323 Chapter 14 Accounting for Price Level Changes 339 Chapter 15 Human Resource Accounting 397 Chapter 16 Financial Engineering:...

Words: 237072 - Pages: 949