sábado, 19 de febrero de 2011

God wins every time...

So after last Monday when my logic instructor with much politeness and tact exemplified alethic relativism by asking me "If I believe you were Hitler's mistress in 1930 would that make it true?". To which I answered, YES. I'm being forced to read his collection of arguments for the existence of God.

This example came to be, after at least five heated minutes of God-talk that started when he refused to explain what the difference between Santa Claus and God was, and simply saying "there are logical ways to prove the existence of God." I among other students demanded an explanation and he either ignored or avoided us.

Most honestly and respectfully, I don't think a college Logic professor should be teaching use formulas for argument analysis, say things such as "the wage gap between men and women is a fallacy", and fail to add a logical explanation to a statement as big as "God's existence can be proven logically," and leave at that.

I asked one more time, and BOOM. He shot the Hitler's question at me.

And now after everyone, or almost everyone, forgot what was said that day, out of ego-pain he is forcing us to read this awfully biased compilation of arguments for the existence of God.

Oh my God!

After reading the argument of contingency, he adds one paragraph on a counter argument and then a couple of paragraphs to counter the later. As dry, repetitive and painful to read it is now our required reading for the final exam. His excuse: we are going to be able to put all of this logic formulas into action to have a philosophical debate.

This sounds wonderful, my only concern is when the only information most students are being provided with is his conservative-christian digested version of arguments and counter arguments. Not all students have the balls to look at a teacher and question him and his arguments, not all students think of the possibility of a teacher possibly being wrong, many of them memorize the textbook and completely ignore the interesting debates that arise in class.

So I can't help but fear this "required reading", and of course the test. Should I just desist and stop questioning?
So I guess no matter what happens God will be coming back, and not just any God, but the God this teacher can so tangibly explain, and logically present with God-like premises and conclusions.

1 comentario:

Alden dijo...

An interesting and funny analysis of the use of Hitler references in an argument: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

Although the theory does refer to online discussions-- I think it's universal to all arguments.