Ad Hominem Argument Circumstantial

Windows: Ronda, Italy

Ad Hominem Argument Circumstantial

I previously documented a related Pirie entry:

October 16 2015

PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London.

Ad Hominem/Against the Man 

'If you cannot attack the argument, attack the arguer.' Pirie (2006)(2015: 122).

The author states that an insult in itself is not fallacious, (122) but ad hominem is used in a way to attempt to undermine an opponent's argument. (122).

Yes, I have been reviewing the Pirie text this long!

Once I have completed the Pirie and Langer philosophy text reviews, I have several other new academic texts awaiting possible review. I do reason it very important to provide Biblical Studies entries, but as my PhD is in Theology and Philosophy of Religion, I also need to research and provide entries within those academic fields as well. I have employment at present, but wish to promote myself in all areas of possible work.

I realize that the Langer, Symbolic Logic text reviews can be very tedious, but in my reasoning, it is required reading for my work. This is a reason I provide various types of entries. I also provide Satire Und Theology entries which are hopefully, short and sweet.

Ad Hominem Argument Circumstantial

With this fallacy 'the appeal is to the special circumstances of the person with whom one is arguing. Instead of trying to prove the contention true of false on the evidence, its acceptance is urged because of the position and interests of those appealed to.' (124).

Cited

'You can't accept the legitimacy of lending for profit. You are a Christian, and Christ drove out the money lenders from the temple.' (124).

Pirie explains that the Christian is invited to agree because of Christian convictions. (124).

I agree that this would be fallacious argumentation. Jesus Christ in the biblical context is removing the business of moneychanging and related banking from the temple. This should not be expanded to Christian theology and philosophy where all moneychanging, money lending and banking is therefore considered, sinful, immoral and unethical. In other words, banking outside of the temple, or in our modern context, the Christian Church, is not necessarily sinful, immoral and unethical.

Interestingly, the British author also documents the example of nominal Christians that in reality do not follow biblical views in their personal lives. The nominal Christian could then be 'forced into a reluctant and resentful acquiescence you could never have gained otherwise.' (125).

Problematically, many nominal Christians are biblically illiterate to the point where he/she may very well be unaware whether Jesus Christ's actions of removing moneychanging and banking from the temple, in the New Testament Gospels, would therefore require a modern-day Christian theology and philosophy that is anti-lending and anti-banking.

Context is extremely important within Biblical Studies.

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This article was used in part for a larger article on academia.edu

Feminism & The Problem of Evil, Revisited

Feminism & The Problem of Evil, Revisited

Preface

Question 25 image

Questionnaire data from my PhD, from a slightly revised Blogger article, 20170403, for an entry on academia.edu, 20250223. My work on feminism was strongly suggested by my tutors for my research in the context of the secular, British University, I was attending.

PhD/MPhil full versions

MPhil, Bangor University, 2003: The Problem of Evil: Baptist and Anglican Perspectives.

PhD, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology.

Questions and graphs from the PhD

Question 25: Scripture describes women as more evil than men

One hundred and thirty-four (62.9%) respondents selected ‘DS’ and fifty-one (23.9%) chose ‘D’. So 86.8% of completed questionnaires contain the view that Scripture does not describe women as more evil than men.

This proposition was soundly rejected. Only 11 (5.2%) persons chose ‘AS/A’. Gebara offers a different perspective stating that within Christian tradition, only male sacrifice is valuable. She also notes that women symbolically have often been represented as weak and ‘evil.’ Biblically, although Christ was male, he died for both genders within Christian tradition. Additionally, within Gebara’s own Roman Catholic tradition, Mary is known as the ‘Mother of God.’ Within this view, Mary is recognized and praised as Jesus was born of a truly ‘human mother.’ This is a key example of a woman being highly esteemed within Gebara’s tradition, and therefore, although I do not dismiss her comments, they should be considered cautiously.

Question 29: God desires that women’s sufferings be understood

Many respondents, 140 (65.7%) supported this idea while only 16 (7.5%) opposed it with a choice of ‘D/DS’. Fifty-seven (26.7%) were ‘NC’. Gebara writes that Biblical Scripture, which emphasizes differences between male and female, has led to a ‘hierarchical dualism’ that is used to exclude women. Gebara reasons evils experienced by women are often linked with the idea they are considered a second, less valuable sex. Gebara’s comments demonstrate that her particular feminist views are not supported by the majority of my respondents.

Question 33: God desires women to have influence in the Church

One hundred and ninety-five (91.6%) persons supported this proposition; 101 (47.4%) agreed strongly with the question. This question was not dealing with thorny issues of women leadership such as being elders and pastors, but was simply dealing with the broader idea of general influence. Therefore, in my estimation, this strong support for the proposition is because the idea of female influence will not cause disagreement between conservative and liberal wings in the Christian Church.

Mennonite New Testament scholar, Willard M. Swartley (1983) reasons ‘the concept of equality’ for women is present in the New Testament, but he asks what these concepts mean in regard to ‘social, political and economic’ contexts. Swartley also ponders on what equality for women means within the Biblical ancient texts, and what it should mean today. Individual churches need to consider concepts of equality for women with men, when deciding where women should have greater influence.

Question 37: God dislikes women being viewed as sex objects

One hundred and eighty-nine (88.7%) respondents supported this proposition; 136 (63.8%) chose ‘AS’. Only 8 (3.8%) persons, four from each category, disagreed. Gebara notes some women have high value as objects of ‘enjoyment’ and ‘pleasure’ or on the flip side, ‘revenge’ and ‘hate.’ She lists prostitution as an example of women being viewed as ‘merchandise.’

Question 41: Christian thought has been dominated by men

One hundred and forty-four (67.6%) respondents chose ‘AS/A’, 44 (20.7%) persons chose ‘D/DS’. This question can be related back to my earlier comments regarding how difficult it is for women to become senior pastors. The concept of ‘Christian thought’ within this question is not necessarily regarding professional leadership alone, but is presented in the context of both professional leadership and lay teaching.

Question 45: Women need freedom from male authority

Seventy-one (33.3%) persons chose ‘AS/A’, while over twenty percent of respondents were ‘NC’ (21.2%). Over forty-five percent (45.5%) of persons were not in support of this idea. Admittedly, this is a strongly worded statement, but two denominations were in support of this idea with a majority. Anglican respondents with 10 out of 18 (55.5%) supported it, as did United Church of Canada respondents with 8 out of 8 (100%). Twenty-nine of forty-eight persons (60.4%) surveyed in my non-denominational group choose ‘D/DS’ for this question. As alluded to earlier, this non-denominational group is not an actual denomination, but some of these persons were from independent, fundamentalist Baptist churches in the United States that have very conservative views that would minimally preclude women from elder and clergy positions. 

Question 52: Churches should assist exploited women

One hundred and forty-one (66.2%) chose ‘5’ as an option. With adding another 36 (16.9%) that chose ‘4’, this brings the total to 177 persons (83%) that supported this idea. Gebara explains that the Church should understand the physical, psychological, and social suffering of women in regard to the cross. The community suffering of women needs to be understood, and this obviously should include those persons that need extra assistance.

Question 25

Question 29

Question 33

Question 37

Question 41

Question 45

Question 52

ANDERSON, RAY S. (2001) The Shape of Practical Theology, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

BLOESCH, DONALD G. (1987) Freedom for Obedience, San Francisco, Harper and Rowe Publishers. 

BRYMAN, ALAN (2004) Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

CHOPP, REBECCA S. (1995) Saving Work, Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox Press. 

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

GEBARA, IVONE (2002) Out of the Depths, Translated by Ann Patrick Ware, Minneapolis, Fortress Press. 

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York. (Philosophy). 

PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London. 

SWARTLEY, WILLARD M. (1983) Slavery Sabbath War Women, Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania. 

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.

In Three Minutes: The Bible

Reasons to Believe

Reasons to Believe: Newsletter (2017), March/April, Reasons to Believe, Covina, California.

Encountering The New Testament

Greek Manuscripts, Part or All of the New Testament.

Page 10.

Papyri Cataloged 127
Uncial Mss. Cataloged 318
Minuscule Mss. Cataloged 2, 880
Lectionaries Cataloged 2, 436
Total 5, 761 (Numbers in all categories inch up periodically with new discoveries) German numbers from 1994 and 2011 are accessed.

ELWELL, WALTER AND YARBROUGH, ROBERT W., Third Edition (2013) Encountering The New Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic.

Corporate sole v Corporate soul

Ronda, Italy: Window 10

Corporate sole v Corporate soul

Preface

A short article from 20170330 from my review of the Langer text. A play on words...

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York.

Corporate sole

A unit class is a class which only has one member in it. (119). In symbolic logic, class, as in unit class, is not 'individuals in a group.' (119). Class offers no process of collecting individuals. (119). A propositional form might only have a single application. (119). Its variable might only have a single value for a proposition. (119).

A committee of one is a unit class. (120). This is true, even as the committee only has one member. Another author provided example is that of 'corporate sole.' (120). A corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single incorporated office. A sole.

Author's propositional example:

(∃x) : x ε  A (120).

There exists x: x is/a A.

ε is epsilon from the Greek alphabet meaning is, a. This ε symbol, according to Langer is specifically meant as a symbol for is, a, in contrast with any symbol for is.

The city-states of Greece are used as an example. (121).

x ε city-state of Greece. (121).

The city-states of Greece refers to all members of the class of city-states of Greece. (121). Therefore, it can be propositionally presented as city-state of Greece.

My examples:

A=Athens
S=Sparta
G=City-state of Greece.

A ε G

Athens is a city-state of Greece.

S ε G

Sparta is a city-state of Greece.

Ancient Greece in context.

A ∃ G

Athens exists as a city-state of Greece.

A ∃ G ⊃ S ∃ G

Athens exists as a city-state of Greece the same as Sparta exists as a city-state of Greece.

⊃=Same as.

Corporate soul

Theologically, corporate sole is not to be confused with any concept of corporate soul. A human being has one soul (Genesis 2: 7). Those in Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection and their justification and sanctification, being indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would divinely influence and sanctify human beings; the infinite Holy Spirit, influencing and sanctifying the finite human spirit. Demonic possession or harassment would consist of the finite demonic spirit influencing the finite human spirit.

There is not a ontological fusion of soul or spirit as in a finite human soul or spirit becoming divine.
A critic of Christianity and theism can make the claim that there is no good reason to believe in the existence of the human soul/spirit as it cannot be shown to exist empirically (with the five senses). According to John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger there exists a debate within the scientific community on whether or not human beings are entirely physical, or if they could have an immaterial nature. Burr and Goldinger (1976: 319). The existence of the human spirit is not empirically verifiable, and its existence from a Christian perspective would primarily rely on Scripture. Thiessen (1956: 227). 

Richard Taylor writes that the idea of an immortal soul cannot be seen as necessarily false. Taylor (1969)(1976: 334). However, he reasons that if there is difficulty explaining how the body can do certain things, it would be no less difficult explaining how a soul could do certain things. Taylor (1969)(1976: 336). For Clarence Darrow the immaterial soul does not exist and cannot be reasonably conceived. Darrow (1928)(1973: 261). Jesus stated that God is spirit in John 4:24 and therefore I reason God is not of a material nature and cannot be proven by the use of matter or scientific experiment. 

M.E. Osterhaven explains that in the Hebrew Bible, spirit is at times the Hebrew word ‘ruah’ and means breath of air or wind. This breath gives human beings life and rationality. Osterhaven (1996: 1041). He writes that in the New Testament sometimes the terms spirit and soul are used synonymously, at times the spirit is viewed as spiritual and the soul is understood as natural. Osterhaven (1996: 1041). Osterhaven explains that the idea of soul can be used for a living being, person or spiritual nature, and although the term can be used interchangeably with spirit some difference in explaining the two have occurred in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Osterhaven (1996: 1036). Thiessen provides a possible explanation that the soul would feature human imagination, memory and understanding, while the spirit features the reason, conscience, and will. Thiessen (1956: 227). This is speculation of course, but I am not convinced that there is definitive difference between the human soul and spirit.

For Strong. the most often documented word used for spirit in the Hebrew Bible is ‘ruwach’ roo’-akh. Strong (1986: 142). The most common word used in the Hebrew Bible for soul is ‘nephesh’ neh’-fesh. Strong (1986: 105). The most used word for spirit in the New Testament is ‘pneuma’ pnyoo’mah. Strong (1986: 78). The most common world for soul is ‘psuche’ psoo-khay. Strong (1986: 106). As with a belief in God, who is spirit, a Judeo-Christian belief in the soul/spirit is not based in empiricism or scientific explanation, but in the religious philosophy and faith presented by God through numerous scribes, prophets and apostles, and Jesus Christ himself. The existence of God as the ultimate spirit was revealed and the fact that persons are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27) means that human beings as well share this spiritual nature, although finite in comparison to God’s infinite nature. To insist that only empirical knowledge is true knowledge is to abandon all supernatural revelation that claims that there is a spiritual reality. 

Although I reason that much of ancient religion is mythology, and much of what in modern times is claimed to be spiritual is natural and not supernatural, I do not reason that all supernatural occurrences in human history are mythology and/or fraudulent. There is a historical consistency of the Biblical message and actual historically documented persons provided information that supported the notion of a spiritual realm and the existence of the human soul/spirit. As well, I reason that since the Bible discusses the supernatural powers of darkness, that some assumed supernatural occurrences within the occult, Hinduism and other non-Christian religions are indeed of a spiritual nature, although from Satanic forces and not God. 

BURR JOHN, R AND MILTON GOLDINGER (1976) (eds), Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, London, Collier Macmillan Publishers. 

DARROW, CLARENCE (1928)(1973) ‘The Myth of the Soul’ in The Forum, October, in Paul Edwards and Arthur Pap (eds), A Modern Introduction To Philosophy, New York, The Free Press.

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York.

OSTERHAVEN, M.E. (1996) ‘Soul’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

OSTERHAVEN, M.E. (1996) ‘Spirit’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

STRONG, J. (1986) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company. 

TAYLOR, RICHARD (1969)(1976) ‘How to Bury the Mind-Body Problem’, in American Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 6, Number 2, April, in John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger (eds), in Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, London, Collier Macmillan Publishers.