WEEK 7
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Mercer University *
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110
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Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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3
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WEEK 7 1.
According to Martin, what are the three main types of authority? Make sure to discuss each individually. 1. Religious figures or social positions: Martin gives several examples of religious leaders from around the world that are posed as the “superior power”
. This authoriative figure has a sacred status over all the residents, in which they must respect and follow by the figure’s commands. 2. Authoritative things (texts, practices,rituals): Martin makes a few references of sacred/important texts from various religious cultures. Not only that, but he made reference to the U.S. constitution, which poses as a set of moral codes or texts that we follow by, several other cultures have moral texts like this. Absent authority figures: This authority figure is seen as most important, these absent characters are normally a divine or dead figure. This can include any “God”(depending on the religion at hand)or
figure of higher power that is worshipped and not present. These authority figures do not have to be Gods, they can be any individual that have contributed to a respected text and is no longer living. 2.
How, according to Martin, does a “return to origins” narrative function? Why does Martin say that appeals to authority reflect more about us rather than the authorities themselves? This process involves the placement of an individual's opinion of a pure “
origin "of a religious tradition while exposing the opposing side as “corrupt”. This can be broken down into simpler terms to mean that a specific religion will see their religious traditions /messages as the correct form of their cultural origins, while an opposing religion will “flip the script "and distort their traditions/messages into how they best see fit. 3.
What, according to Martin, is projection? How do certain religious texts, or parts of them, ostensibly resist such projection? Martin is explaining projection to be a practitioner's point of view on an absent authoritative figure/ authoritative text. The absent figure is not preset to contradict anything the practitioner has to say , thus giving them more authority. 4.
What, according to Martin, are the different ways to challenge authority? Make sure to give relevant examples.1. Internal critique:
Every message has a hidden meaning, one can also challenge authority by identifying any inconsistencies within the text/message and criticizing it . This type of challenge is one that can be used over a variety of sacred texts. I the bible there are contradictions as if they ever seen god 2. challenge authority:
Martin brings philosopher jean rousseau’s theory of some of the challenges faced when appealing to authority, for example a follower of a specific religion would trust the corresponding text for religious traditions. : External critique: instead of comparing one patrt of the text
to another,looking to something outside the text and comparig provides an external critique.
5.
According to Martin, what are the ways in which religious practioners often respond to critiques of authority? One could resort to “wishful thinking”, the practitioner cans resolve the contradiction by believing the conflicting stories did not contradict one another
, if that doesn’t work they can resort to “partial rejection "where the practioner will accept some but not all their religious traditions. 6.
Why does Martin say that almost every group that identifies as Christian uses different criteria for membership? What does this say about the nature of religious identity? There are several groups that self-identify as Christians but each group has varying opinions when it comes down to the religious traditions they will practice. A stipulative decision helps to narrow down each of these groups by thinning out complicated data. This definition can be useful to the outsider's perspective, but then again identifying a member of any religion can be problematic, not all Christians share the same views not all go to church every Sunday and read a scripture every day. 7.
How do “power pays” establish
special authority to one’s own group and distance others from group identity? Special authority is divided into two separate things. A group can have special authority over themselves by asserting their superiority over members who do not agree with them. They claim they're a good group with the correct interpretations and right truth, while any other group that challenges them are wrong and corrupt. 8.
Discuss the different ways in which different groups have identified themselves as Christians? What role does the Bible play in such identifications? You have Christan's that believe Jesus resurrection was him rising from the dead , while others did not feel that way, they took his resurrection as something more symbolic. It relates to him being crucified on the cross as well while some felt he was incapable of ever feeling pain and suffering some felt that he suffered and was resurrected, some feel that God is a male and some feel that God is a woman 9.
9. Why does Martin say that there is no such thing as a unified Hindu identity? How does the example of Hinduism show the difficulty in establishing general definitions of religious identity? the historical and archeological evidence goes to show there is a wide variety of cultural groups in india , there was a rise in the spread of the Hindu identity many wanting Muslims to be exiled from the country. T
hey argued that Muslims was “infecting” the purity of india and they were
n’
t direct descendants of the land , 10.
What is the relationship between authenticity and essentialism? Why does Martin say that it seems that religions contain more variety than similarity? There is no such thing as “ true Christianity "The essences of Christianity are invisible and there isn't one defining thing to categorize it under , different groups have
dissimilar things in common , christianity is always evolving and changing with time, 11.
hy does Martin say that we should replace questions of authenticity with investigations into the process of identification? When we replace the questions of authenticity to identify something, there are four elements that take place . What matters is not what an individual is, but who identifies him as what and with what effects .who claims identities for themselves or others , who recognizes those identities and what nbenefits, consequences follow from identification.
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