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Questions and Answers
What term describes individuals who tend to view all things positively and exclude evil from their perceptions?
What term describes individuals who tend to view all things positively and exclude evil from their perceptions?
Which of the following concepts refers to the feeling of being in a wider life and believing in an ideal power?
Which of the following concepts refers to the feeling of being in a wider life and believing in an ideal power?
What is the process called by which a divided self becomes unified through religious experiences?
What is the process called by which a divided self becomes unified through religious experiences?
Which of the following explains the need for a supernatural remedy for those with a sick soul?
Which of the following explains the need for a supernatural remedy for those with a sick soul?
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What lifestyle is described as one of self-denial and abstinence from earthly pleasures?
What lifestyle is described as one of self-denial and abstinence from earthly pleasures?
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According to the explanation of complete religion, what is the significant transformation experienced by individuals?
According to the explanation of complete religion, what is the significant transformation experienced by individuals?
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How does healthy mindedness relate to the experience of evil?
How does healthy mindedness relate to the experience of evil?
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What best describes the emotional shift that occurs as the old sick soul fades away in saintliness?
What best describes the emotional shift that occurs as the old sick soul fades away in saintliness?
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What does the term 'ineffable' refer to in the context of mysticism?
What does the term 'ineffable' refer to in the context of mysticism?
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Which statement best defines pragmatism in relation to religious beliefs?
Which statement best defines pragmatism in relation to religious beliefs?
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According to the functional definition of religion, what is its primary role in society?
According to the functional definition of religion, what is its primary role in society?
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What is meant by the term 'transient' in the context of mystical experiences?
What is meant by the term 'transient' in the context of mystical experiences?
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What does noetic experience indicate in the context of spiritual understanding?
What does noetic experience indicate in the context of spiritual understanding?
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In the critique of religion, how is it characterized from a critical viewpoint?
In the critique of religion, how is it characterized from a critical viewpoint?
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What is the significance of totemism within religious practices?
What is the significance of totemism within religious practices?
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How does the focus on the individual shape the understanding of religion?
How does the focus on the individual shape the understanding of religion?
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Study Notes
William James - Religion and Pragmatism
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Religion: Feelings, acts, and experiences of individuals concerning their relationship with the divine, as perceived.
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Temperaments:
- Healthy-Minded: Optimistic individuals, tending to view all as good, excluding evil.
- Sick-Soul: Feel uneasiness or anxiety, perceiving a fundamental wrongness in human existence.
- Disconnection: Recognizing a gap between extremes; healthy-mindedness limits but rebounds, while sick-souls need supernatural intervention.
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Complete Religion: The transformative effect of religion on the sick-soul, leading to a healthier perspective.
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Conversion: The process of unification of a divided self through religious influence.
- Religious ideas become central to personal energy.
- Can be instantaneous or gradual.
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Saintliness:
- Core Condition: Feeling connected to a larger life/ideal power (God or abstract moral idea), belief in benevolent continuity in human lives, and surrender to this power.
- Emotional and Intellectual Dimensions.
- Joy, freedom, and shift towards loving others.
- Practical Consequences: Asceticism, strength of soul, purity, charity.
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Mysticism:
- Gaining spiritual/religious knowledge through merging with a higher power.
- Ineffable: Experiences are indescribable, not a claim to absolute religious truth.
- Noetic: Experiencing genuine, unmediated insight.
- Transient: Short-lived, not ongoing.
- Passive: Experience is entirely controlled by a higher power.
- Applicability across belief systems.
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Pragmatism:
- Religious beliefs judged by usefulness.
- Functional ideas replace absolute ideas.
- Truth assessed by value/usefulness to believers.
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William James vs. Durkheim:
- Substantive: Religion's role in understanding personal thought/place in the world.
- Functional: Role in creating unified beliefs and practices in society.
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Psychological Approach: Health/morbid mindedness as a mental explanation for good/evil.
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Physical Approach: Totemism as tangible practices explaining group identities.
Rudolf Otto - Phenomenology of Religious Experience
- Phenomenologist: Interested in people's religious experiences.
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Description
Explore William James's insights on religion and its role in transforming the human experience. This quiz delves into concepts such as healthy-mindedness, sick-soul, and the significance of conversion in achieving a complete religious experience. Test your understanding of how these ideas interconnect in James's philosophy.
