Journal 13

My philosophy is called religionist selfism, and is based off the belief that whether subconsciously or consciously, every action done is purely for the benefit of one's self.  That being said, people can still choose to pursue beneficial outcomes for themselves that can in turn also be for the betterment of those around them.

1. The advancement and development of human, animal, and nature is by process of evolution.  This also shows (because evolution takes place for efficiency of survival) that most actions and reactions are based off of survival instincts, tying back to the idea of selfism.  The reason I accept the theory of evolution is that there is simply too much reoccurring evidence throughout the entire universe to disregard it.  This is important because it explains how we can expect the universe to advance, and the vast possibilities it is capable of.
2. There is a God, who works through the "holy trinity", and is involved in the universe it created.  Woah!  Evolution and religion in the same philosophy?  Yes.  I accept (in a very generalized description) God to be the why, and evolution to be the how. I think this because while evolution is a pretty concrete theory, that needs to be viewed as valid, the chances that it would occur with no outside influence, are bluntly astronomical.  That being said, if the cells were not to change and mutate by only their own cause, obviously the chances would look much better.  This is important because it justifies my belief in evolution and further advancement.
3. The devotion in humans to a God, is caused by a selfism base.  The reason that humans are drawn to god, is that they are getting something out of the relationship in every way possible way.  The whole idea behind prayer is having an influence on something one would otherwise have none over.  The reason people attend church and give money, is in hopes of future salvation.  I believe this because after attending church regularly, I have noticed that not only withing myself, but also others, the motivation of all actions is future salvation (why religion is synonymous with faith).  This idea has also stuck true to every preacher's sermon I have ever seen.  This is important because it explains why humans actively pursue religion.              
4. Morality is caused by exposure.  I believe that morals are not just established by upbringing, but also how the brain interprets things in general.  If two people are given the same exact situations, they will still get different things out of each one.  People weigh importance on things in sometimes not just different but opposing ways.  I believe this because I've seen people raised in different and similar ways, all with extremely different views on what is "right".  But generally, morals will be derived from something that turned out well for the person.  This is important because it helps describe how societies think and why.
5. If not for society, and groups of people, the world would be in wreckage.  If not for the "teaming up for the general good of humanity", advancement would be very slow.  The interesting part of how my belief fits into this, is that while this is true, the only reason people "team up" is not for humanity, but for their own benefit. The benefit?  Recognition, heroism, heightened standard of living, etc.  The importance of this is that it shows that while people may team up, and find success for all, it is really only for the success of the self.
6. Everyone deserves equal opportunity, to an extent.  I believe that regardless of race, sex, or any sort of differing factor someone is born with,  everyone should have an equal starting point.  this means I think that in a perfect and just world, parents would not get to choose the route their kids take.  Everyone would have the same exposure to religion, education, and the same starting economic status.  That way, the only reason one would have of why they did not amount to as much as their fellow person would be that they misused their opportunity.  But, as America has unsuccessfully tried to simulate this, it only works in a world where selfism is not the base of all action.  I think this is important because it creates a fair life, with less blame being placed.
7. Nothing can be accepted as fully true, as there is always a theoretical case to disprove anything.  This is where my philosophy would probably come under the most speculation.  I think that being that the universe was created by some omniscient being (God), we can't ever say that something is the way it is, or that any predictions for the future are 100% true.  I also think it is kind of cool, living in a universe of uncertainty.  This concept is up to interpretation, as it is a generalized statement that could be taken many different ways.  For instance, if you drop a ball (without air resistance), it will fall down at a constant rate.  Think of all the scenarios and exceptions that would negate that statement.  Any example of a "law" of nature has at least one instance where it is not true.  This is important because it shows just where we are on the scale of things.  That we can never actually have any true knowledge, and we can't even have a complete concept of having that knowledge!

Woah!