| Cunha 01 | | | | lives to accept superior energies exist? William |
| Clifford’s discussion starts with a | | | | James as Burr reports, argues that belief without |
| metaphorical example of a shipowner who was about | | | | evidence is sometimes justified (Burr 119). A good |
| to send to sea an emigrant ship. He knew about the | | | | example is the fact that took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, |
| several limitations of that ship, becoming unhappy, | | | | some days ago. Thousands of people adored an |
| because he could refit it, but he would certainly expend | | | | image that appeared in a piece of glass from a |
| a lot. After all, he thought about the builders of the | | | | window of a very simple house. Everybody believed |
| ship and the vessels, watching her departure with a | | | | that it was the Virgin Saint Mary in one apparition. |
| light heart, and benevolent wishes for the success of | | | | Scientists were asked to come an explain, why the |
| the exiles of this strange new home that was to be, | | | | image did not disappear even if the glass was cleaned. |
| getting his insurance money when she went down in | | | | But even with scientific explanations, people still |
| midocean and told no tales (Clifford 170). This short plot | | | | believed it was the Mother Saint Mary, trying to send a |
| will help us to illustrate the subject as we analyze and | | | | message, standing in front of the house for hours, |
| comment in the following paragraphs, starting with the | | | | during so many days. |
| answer of the author’s question: “What shall we | | | | Cunha 05 |
| say of him”(170)? | | | | Clifford argues that it is always |
| 1. Firstly, there’s a possibility to find several | | | | wrong to believe anything without evidence since such |
| answers, because personal judgement depends on | | | | a belief could either produce some harm or lead the |
| people’s personal beliefs, but, as society is the | | | | holder to accept too readily other unsupported and |
| amount of individual consciousness, we easily conclude | | | | potentially harmful beliefs (Burr 119). If, for any reason |
| that the theory of result is the best one to be put in | | | | people believe in apparitions of Saints and religious |
| focus. If for any reason any of us | | | | myths, there are also those ones who believe the devil |
| Cunha 02 | | | | can appear. By searching on line pictures about the |
| 1. But this is not the case here. Financial interest was | | | | tragedy of September 11th, in the USA, the face of the |
| over anyone’s interest to use such a service, | | | | devil was shown, coming from the fire. So, what is |
| and the owner did not think seriously about the result | | | | truth if not what I want to see? The relevance of |
| even being sane. As Clifford passes a judgement: | | | | belief should be considered mainly because of the |
| “He had no right to believe on such evidence as | | | | results of successive actions coming from a certain |
| was before him”(170). | | | | evidence in accordance with the interpretation people |
| The second position is the | | | | can express based on their point of view, in a |
| hypothesis that “the ship was not unsound after all: | | | | certain moment and time, and how this belief will be |
| that she made her voyage safely, and many others | | | | accepted by the others, provoking a chain of decisions, |
| after it”(171). And the question is if that condition | | | | sometimes taken deliberately. That’s what Burr, is |
| would diminish the guilt of the owner, what Clifford | | | | suggesting, if there are any areas outside of religion |
| answers negatively justifying his answer by saying | | | | where one should believe without evidence. Sure, there |
| that “when an action is once done, it is right or | | | | is. Destiny. We all have to behave normally causing no |
| wrong forever: no accidental failure of its good or evil | | | | pain, no hurt, no sadness, and no harm to anyone. |
| fruits can possibly alter that”(171). It depends on | | | | Behaviorism is a vast area of studies so that life in this |
| personal belief. | | | | planet should be much more just and calm. The |
| Then, Clifford reports another story | | | | problem of humans’ dissatisfaction, and crescent |
| that is concerned about a certain religion that did not | | | | desire of development have put us in a condition of |
| teach the doctrine of original sin nor of eternal | | | | slavery of our own ideas, and necessities, by the |
| punishment. Some people got injured with the fact and | | | | controlling ideologies of groups, States, religious, and |
| asked a commission to investigate that community, | | | | speeches. The guidance of our actions depends on a |
| and the story ends with the assumption that they | | | | global conscious of serious miserable conditions of |
| were all innocent. And Clifford’s judgement is that | | | | humans, while too much money is being put in |
| “...they had no right to believe on such evidence as | | | | “extravaganzas”. And the language of money is |
| was before them, and their mistake was to listen to | | | | imposing cruelty rather than rights. We can only do, |
| the voice of prejudice and passion” (171). He | | | | what our money let us doing. And for a packet of |
| suggests us to imagine that the commission had | | | | cigarettes someone kills another. This horror is worst |
| considered the community, guilt. And then, the | | | | than D’day. What belief are we talking about? |
| conclusion that he had nourished a belief, when he had | | | | When is God called to help? In the middle of a |
| no right to believe on such evidence as was before | | | | war? In the middle of the streets of any |
| him; and therein he would know that he had done a | | | | megalopolis? If, for any reason, belief is necessary, |
| wrong thing. Evidence is necessary, before anyone | | | | why not start to develop a basic lesson in this attempt, |
| attacks people based on personal convictions. | | | | which is confidence. |
| Cunha 03 | | | | |
| His suggestion is that we have to | | | | Cunha 06 |
| analyze things by seeing both sides, so that we can | | | | The relativity of evidences |
| make some justice. As he comments: | | | | sometimes makes people taking wrong decisions and |
| “No man holding a strong belief on one side of a | | | | being cruel with the others. Have you ever heard any |
| question or even wishing to hold a belief on one side, | | | | of these statements? You’re good, but not good |
| can investigate it with such fairness and completeness | | | | enough! There’s someone better than you are! |
| as if he werereally in doubt and unbiased; so that the | | | | You are not making justice to what you are being |
| existence of a belief not found on fair inquiry unfits a | | | | given. This is not good for you! Or, This is good for |
| man for performance of this necessary duty”(172). | | | | you! Why not good for us? Good for the humanity. |
| His discussion that if we don’t | | | | Why everybody has to pass their judgements so fast |
| solve questions by establishing a belief, we always | | | | about facts they do not know about, even when they |
| have a second moment for that, and it gets | | | | are not asked to? Or when they are asked, they do |
| aggregated, and ““... every new addition modifies | | | | not say what we want to listen. People give opinions |
| the structure of the whole”. His most beautiful | | | | based on self-evidences, on self-beliefs. Individuality is |
| conclusion is that ... “for good or ill, is woven every | | | | over any other question a milestone of character and |
| belief of every man who has speech of his fellows. | | | | personality, but it’s not possible to think about a |
| An awful privilege, and an awful responsibility, that we | | | | body without starting with the cell, a society, without |
| should help to create the world in which posterity will | | | | one individual person. It takes time for a little |
| live”” (172). | | | | spermatozoid, to find his /her rote in order to find the |
| The main reason pointed by the | | | | ovule, but this miracle is the most beautiful evidence |
| author is that... “The belief held by one man, | | | | one can face. That the Genesis of life took a long time |
| however seemingly trivial the belief, and however | | | | to be objectively understood and seen to the point of |
| obscure the believer, is ever actually insignificant or | | | | clone, no matter life has been a belief for centuries, is a |
| without its effect on the fate of mankind, we have no | | | | good example that truth depends on evidences and |
| choice but to extend our judgement to all cases of | | | | clarifications. And individually, life is limited by the |
| belief whatever. One should ask how our thoughts are | | | | condition of time, but not of a whole society, a whole |
| organized in order to have faculties. Belief, that sacred | | | | planet, which was chosen in the Universe, with the |
| faculty which prompts the decisions of our will, and | | | | miracle of life, even if this evidence took centuries to |
| knits into harmonious working all the compacted | | | | be accepted. Life has been the greatest challenge for |
| energies of our being, is ours not for ourselves, but for | | | | all of us. And unhappy, it becomes evident by so many |
| humanity. If we have supposed ourselves to know all | | | | ones, who die everyday. That’s something to think |
| about anything, and to be capable of doing what is fit in | | | | about while we have the time. Better than having |
| regard to it, we naturally do not like to find that we are | | | | nothing to think about, even having a long time to do |
| really ignorant and powerless, that we have to begin | | | | so. That’s the reason we all should live for. Take |
| again at the beginning and try to learn what the thing is | | | | our time, to understand the reasons we’re here, |
| and how it is to be dealt with - - if indeed anything | | | | in such a blessed condition of a human creature, |
| can be learned about it. It is the sense of power | | | | and how the world gets different with our limited |
| attached to a sense of knowledge that makes men | | | | presence. We will all leave it! With debits, or credits? |
| desirous of believing, and afraid of doubting” (173). | | | | |
| Cunha 04 | | | | Cunha 07 |
| The key word for this study is | | | | Gods and religious are, but any of them |
| investigation. “It is not the risk only, which has to be | | | | will exist after the passage. So, what are they all for? |
| considered; for a bad action is always bad at the time | | | | This question is a good reason for |
| when it is done, no matter what happens afterwards. | | | | any of us live the whole life. Maybe, no answer will be |
| Every time we let ourselves believe for unworthy | | | | found. The other side of life remains in secret. This is |
| reasons, we weaken our power of self-control, of | | | | the other “half” of the enigma. We hope not |
| doubting, of judicially and fairly weighing evidence” | | | | forever. Maybe a new direction for the planet can be |
| (174). | | | | given if the answer is found. For instance, we are not |
| “What hurts society is not that it | | | | so far anymore. As Nagel comments: “If life is not |
| should lose its property, but that it should become a | | | | real, life is not earnest, and the grave is its goal, |
| den of thieves; for then it must cease to be | | | | perhaps it’s ridiculous to take ourselves so |
| society”(174). “What I believe leads to habitual | | | | seriously”(Nagel 101). |
| want of care in others about the truth in my mind | | | | 1. Maybe, it is about to come a new one. Another |
| when I myself am careless about it, when I believe | | | | reason to live in peace. No religious will teach the |
| things because I want to believe them, and because | | | | opposite, or else it’s not religious. Something to |
| they are comforting and pleasant” (174)? | | | | believe, until we prove the opposite. My last reason |
| “It is wrong always, everywhere, | | | | before finishing such a relevant reflection, but not the |
| and for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient | | | | least. Ethic, isn’t |
| evidence” (175). The problem one could | | | | |
| suggest to be analyzed is the “horror of doubt” | | | | |
| (175). Inquiry is the way, no matter it can be insufficient | | | | |
| (175). The author finishes his analysis by commenting a | | | | Works Cited |
| businessman’s behavior - - I have no time to think | | | | |
| about it. - - Then, he shall have no time to believe...(175) | | | | Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of |
| All this discussion and evidences | | | | Research Papers, New York: |
| make us emerging to deep reflection, but there’s | | | | Modern Language Association, USA, 1988. |
| nothing more obvious than the desire to prove the | | | | Goldinger, Milton. Philosophy and Contemporary |
| existence of God. There’s a moment in | | | | Issues. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, |
| everyone’s life where his presence is noticed, no | | | | 1999. |
| matter how atheist anyone can be. And where are | | | | Nagel, Thomas. What does it all mean? , Oxford |
| the evidences? Is it necessary to discuss about it? Or | | | | University Press, New York, USA, 1987. |
| do we all need the “epiphany” moment in our | | | | |