The Universe in Essays

“Consciousness” writes J. P. Moreland, “is among the most mystifying features of the cosmos” (“The Argument from Consciousness” 119). Consciousness mystifies us because it is at once incomprehensible and deeply familiar. I identify with it and live within it, but if you ask me to define it, I cannot. The apparent identity of myself and consciousness gives questions of the mind a level of significance that is hard to beat. If I am nothing other than my brain, then when my body dies, so do I. If I am something more, then perhaps I continue even when my body ends. My focus is on an argument from philosopher Alvin Plantinga for the soul’s existence. His claim is that material things cannot think, and because I clearly can think, I am not a material thing. After examining the argument on its own terms and then in the light of recent neuroscientific evidence, I conclude two things: (i) that Plantinga does not succeed in giving sufficient evidence for the soul, but also (ii) that m

There are two general positions one can take about the relationship between science and religion: (1) the conflict thesis and (2) the concord thesis. I do not know which one is correct, but I do have a few things to say about one argument sometimes marshaled on behalf of (1): the Catholic Church’s opposition to Galileo and his model of the universe.

About two years ago, researchers announced that one can potentially save a child from blood problems, cystic fibrosis, and certain forms of cancer by changing their genes in embryo (Gallager). Sounds great! No one ought to object, right? The issue is that these changes involve altering the germline, that part of the genetic code that we pass on to the next generation. It’s that element of permanece that many people think puts humanity in a role that belongs to God alone. What, then, is the ethical status of germline therapy?

In the aftermath of the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus in a tomb, the disciples went home, and the world went on — for three days, that is. I will try to find out whether evidence can establish that following Jesus’ death, women found his tomb empty. Notice that an empty tomb by itself does not entail Jesus’ resurrection; a number of naturalistic explanations are available (e.g., the women went to the wrong tomb, Jesus did not really die, tomb raiders stole his body, etc.). However, an occupied tomb does entail that Jesus did not bodily rise from the dead. So the task at hand is fairly significant.

Topic: The role of animal behavior in developing a theme of amorality in Emile Zola’s  Thérèse  Raquin . We wage war against what is evil and go to the gallows for the conviction that our cause is good. But ultimately, does morality exist? Emile Zola addresses this question in his novel, Thérèse Raquin , within which he traces the fate of two murderers as they seek peace from the ghost of their victim, Camille. Zola uses Thérèse, Laurent, Camille, the absence of guilt, and the lack of free will in the text to suggest that humans are nothing more than animals, and therefore morality does not apply to them.

On the third of October, the Catholic Church relieved Vatican priest Krzysztof Charamsa of his post. The decision came after a news conference during which the former priest informed the public of his relationship with another man. The Church explicitly bars any man with deep-seated homosexual attractions from being a priest and requires all priests to live a celibate life, making Charamsa a dual violation of Church teaching. After being notified of the Church’s decision, the former priest wrote a passionate letter to Pope Francis within which he condemned the Catholic Church and its treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Specifically, the Church is “frequently violently homophobic” and that it causes “immeasurable suffering” to homosexual Catholics. The Pope has yet to issue a response.