The Universe in Essays

Abstract: This is the second installment of my commentary on The Grapes of Wrath. I touch on the question of where intolerance truly springs from, and the proper way of overcoming it. Religion is brought into the discussion as an application of the conclusion reached. Written: April 20th, 2015. Pages: 151-152.

Abstract:  This is the first installment of several literary commentaries I've written on Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath . It explores the long-term consequences of refusing to help others when they need it most. The conclusion is reached that even from a self-centered point of view, it is in one's best interests to help others (for whatever that's worth). Written: April 19th, 2015. Pages: 86-87.

Background Information - Philosopher William Lane Craig has developed and defended an argument for the existence of God based on moral considerations. He argues that God is the best explanation for objective moral values and duties. To say that some value or duty is objective  is to say that it is valid and binding whether or not anyone believes it to be so. For example, to say that murder is objectively wrong is to say that it is wrong to murder someone, whether or not anyone actually thinks that it is; the wrongness of murder is independent of opinion. Craig maintains that if God does not exist, moral values and duties cannot be objective in this sense. If we think that there are objective values and duties, then we will conclude that God exists.

Written: April 1st, 2015. Abstract: Having recently written an extensive essay where I argue that all world religions cannot be true [1], my good friend Bruce interacted with the arguments therein and provided me the opportunity to expand my thoughts and augment the essay with considerations about Eastern religions in particular, and how they relate to Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) more generally. Below is an edited transcript of our dialogue (originally in text message format, believe it or not). I end with a reflection on the quality of our discussion.

Written: March 29th, 2015. Abstract: Were the earliest Christians liars and deceivers? Did they dupe the whole world into believing something they knew was false? In any case, can this suggestion be disproven? Herein I address the so-called conspiracy hypothesis: roughly, the idea that early Christians made everything up (out of thin air, presumably) about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. I argue that not only is there no evidence for this claim, but there are many and varied reasons to reject it.

Written: March 2015 Prompt: Please select 2-3 International Baccalaureate Learning Profile Traits that you think are the most important for students to exhibit. Discuss why you believe those traits are most important and create a plan for how we can better foster the development of those particular traits as a school. Too many people go through life day after day, their only concern making it to the next day. They survive; they do not live. It is the pride of International Baccalaureate schools that they aim to produce students who do not merely survive, but truly live. They do this through the IB learner profile, a series of characteristics that represent the ideal life-long learner. By cultivating these traits, one moves beyond the daily grind of survival into real meaning. One need only list those attributes to be convinced: inquirer, knowledgeable, communicator, open-minded, caring, and so forth. While the above is not a controversial thesis, it is a matter of debate whic...

Written: February 12th, 2015; revised March 1st, 2015. Prompt: In what ways does Sophocles' Oedipus the King represent the perfect tragedy, as understood by Aristotle? While perfection cannot be tragic, tragedies can be perfect. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is the perfect tragedy. In it, he outlines the events surrounding and befalling the great king of Thebes, Oedipus. Oedipus the King exemplifies at least three features of Aristotle’s perfect tragedy: plot, characterization, and diction.