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Essay / The role of emotions in the knowledge of the transcendent
Emotions undoubtedly play a huge role in the development of understanding of the transcendent. Without the emotional aspect, the notion of belief in the unprovable existence of a divine being would be left to fools. The main reason for this is that belief in a deity requires faith in its existence. Whenever someone has faith in a deity, they have no outside evidence that the decision is purely based on the individual. If we take William James' approach and divide it into three parts, is the option forced? Is the option alive? Is the option essential? We can address the belief of a deity. First, the question must be forced, leaving the individual with limited options, removing their objectivity. By making it a forced option, it forces everyone to take a stand by choosing one option over the other, it forces them to give more importance to one over the other. Unlike a scientific test whose outcome is not in the hands of the individual but in the physical reality of the world, a forced option is one that the individual must choose because they think it is the most correct. S...