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Religion : Lucretius And Religion

Decent Essays

Lucretius argues that nature and her laws solve the unknowns to which humans seek answers, not religion. He seeks out signs that the world has to offer, proving his point and attacking the fallacies Religion bestows upon man. He uses this analogy to make his point: "This terror and darkness of the mind, not by the suns rays nor the bright shaft of day, must be dispersed, as is most necessary, but the face of nature and her laws." One finds answers, by looking at the world carefully, rather than from heaven. With this one can discover the origins and ends of life and not have to live in fear.
Lucretius believed that religion is a fraud and cannot explain the unknown. One finds that Humans are fearful of the unknown which leads them to search for answers. When one cannot find answers, they will turn elsewhere-- like from religion. Religion offers explanations for the unknown and priests use this to claim power. Lucretius had an amazing scientific passion. He wanted to find answers to the unanswerable. Clyde makes Lucretius stand out, "for the union of high speculative power, deep moral earnestness, and imagination that rises to the loftiest reaches of awe and grandeur" (2). Lucretius fought for the idea that anything cannot become nothing and vice versa. In the book On the Nature of The Universe, Lucretius further solidifies his stance against religion saying, "so great the power religion had for evil" (1.101). Lucretius believes that religion was used as a social control to

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