Questions on James and Nietzsche Dissertation Example

Free Questions on James and Nietzsche Dissertation Example

Why James Discusses God or Providence in the Dilemma of Determinism In the “dilemma of determinism," James discusses God (Providence) from a perspective of questioning his existence. He makes a statement that believing in free will discounts the belief in the existence of God. If there is a free will and that people have the freedom to who whatever they desire, then it follows that there cannot be a being who is controlling their actions and decisions. The two do not agree, at least, in the ideas that James presents. In allowing the Providence to offer possibilities, it means that there is nothing such as free will (James, n.d). He discusses the topic to make his arguments on determinism more concrete. However, this is not for him to suggest that God does not exist, but to instill in the minds of his audience something to think critically about. It is up to the audience to decide where the truth lies. Considering the time when he wrote this work, the information plays a critical role in the psyche of the recipient and in his developing an alternative framework. He sought to make more people align with the perspectives by showing them that Providence is not discordant with indeterminism. He further explains the framework by showing the God who understands and is in control of all the moves that humans are about to make (James, n.d). The idea of discussing God in his work is to make his arguments stronger and to bring them closer home to his audience. After all, he assumes a conventional view of God the creator and sustenance of the universe, which the people are familiar with. Given that he tries to make the audience to think about his ideas, he does not appear to take a stand on the potential of chance that people choose or the working of God through the process. Nietzsche's Position on Causality The philosopher is one of the leading critics of the idea of free will. He adds that just like there is nothing like free will, the reverse should also apply. H...