Is there really a God, and if so, what is God actually like? Is there an afterlife, and if so, is there such a thing as eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners, as many orthodox Christians and Muslims believe? And is it really true that our unconscious minds are connected to a higher spiritual reality, and if so, could this higher spiritual reality be the very same thing that religionists call "God"? In his latest book, Raymond M. Smullyan invites the reader to explore some beautiful and some horrible ideas related to religious and mystical thought. In Part One, Smullyan uses the writings on religion by fellow polymath Martin Gardner as the starting point for some inspired ideas about religion and belief. Part Two focuses on the doctrine of Hell and its justification, with Smullyan presenting powerful arguments on both sides of the controversy. "If God asked you to vote on the retention or abolition of Hell," he asks, "how would you vote?" Smullyan has posed this question to many believers and received some surprising answers. In the last part of his treasurable triptych, Smullyan takes up the "beautiful and inspiring" ideas of Richard Bucke and Edward Carpenter on Cosmic Consciousness. Readers will delight in Smullyan's observations on religion and in his clear-eyed presentation of many new and startling ideas about this most wonderful product of human consciousness.
Who Knows? - A Study of Religious Consciousness
Raymond Smullyan
Indiana University Press
2003
160 páginas
5h 20m
ISBN-13: 9780253215741
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Raymond Merrill Smullyan
Although he was born, raised and educated in the West, an examination of Raymond's life, philosophy and works embody the essence and meaning of the term, “Zen Master.” Raymond has had a remarkably diverse sequence of careers. Fellow polymath Martin Gardner, former editor of Scientific American, has aptly described him as a “unique set of personalities that includes a philosopher, logician, mathematician, musician, writer and maker of marvelous puzzles.” Born in 1919 in Far Rockaway, New York, Raymond’s first love was music. After winning the gold medal for the piano in the 1931 New York Music Week Association competition, he decided to make the piano his principal instrument. Raymond's first teaching position was at Roosevelt College in Chicago, where he taught piano. At about that time he unfortunately developed tendonitis in his right arm forcing him to abandon piano performances as his primary career. As a result of this he turned his attention to mathematics, which he equally loved. He had learned most of this on his own, with very little formal education at the time. He then took a few advanced courses at the University of Chicago, and supported himself at the time as a professional magician! Curiously enough, before he had a college degree, or even a high school diploma, he received an appointment as a mathematics instructor at Dartmouth College on the basis of some brilliant papers he had written on mathematical logic. After teaching at Dartmouth College for two years, the University of Chicago gave him a Bachelor of Arts degree, based partly on courses he had never taken, but had successfully taught. He then went to Princeton University for his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1959. Raymond is now internationally known as a mathematical logician, having published six books and over forty research papers in the field. He is equally well known worldwide as a writer, having authored over twenty books, many of which have been translated into seventeen languages. His writings cover an amazing variety of subjects: Chinese Taoism; the psychology of religious and mystical consciousness; philosophical fantasies; recreational logic puzzles designed to introduce the general reader to deep results in mathematics; retrograde chess problems encapsulated into Sherlock Holmes and Arabian Nights stories; stereo photography; and, essays on various aspects of life. Now retired as a distinguished professor of philosophy from Indiana University, Raymond resides in the beautiful upper region of the Catskill Mountains and has returned to music as one of his principal activities. Raymond truly has the wisdom of a Zen Master and sage; the artistry and finesse of a musician and magician; the heart, creativity and eloquence of a poet; the insight and analytical skills of a logician and mathematician; and the wonder of a wizard. (http://www.zenfortherestofus.com/index.html)
10 Livros
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Nova York, Estados Unidos