Explain what type of matter which makes the universe, choose on type to exlpore more.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The universe is composed of various types of matter, primarily classified into three main categories: ordinary (baryonic) matter, dark matter, and dark energy.
1. Ordinary Matter: This is the matter that makes up stars, planets, living organisms, and everything we can see and touch. It consists of atoms, which are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Ordinary matter accounts for about 5% of the total mass-energy content of the universe.
2. Dark Matter: This type of matter does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark matter is believed to make up about 27% of the universe. Its existence is inferred from the motion of galaxies and the structure of the universe.
3. Dark Energy: This mysterious form of energy makes up about 68% of the universe and is thought to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe. Unlike matter, dark energy is uniformly distributed and does not clump together.
Exploring Dark Matter
Among these types, dark matter is particularly intriguing due to its elusive nature and significant role in the universe’s structure and evolution.
Thesis Statement
Dark matter, despite being invisible and undetectable through traditional means, plays a crucial role in the formation and stability of galaxies, fundamentally shaping the architecture of the universe.
The Role of Dark Matter in the Universe
1. Galactic Formation: Dark matter is believed to provide the necessary gravitational pull that allows galaxies to form and hold together. Without dark matter, galaxies would not have enough mass to prevent their stars from flying apart due to their high velocities.
2. Gravitational Lensing: Although dark matter cannot be seen directly, its presence can be inferred through gravitational lensing—where light from distant objects is bent around massive objects (like clusters of galaxies) containing dark matter. This phenomenon allows astronomers to map the distribution of dark matter in the universe.
3. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation provide insights into the early universe’s structure. Analyzing the CMB has helped cosmologists understand the density fluctuations that led to galaxy formation, where dark matter played a vital role.
4. Current Research and Theories: Scientists are actively researching dark matter through various experimental approaches, including direct detection experiments (searching for weakly interacting massive particles or WIMPs), observations of galaxy rotation curves, and simulations of cosmic structure formation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while ordinary matter constitutes the tangible universe we experience daily, dark matter remains a fundamental yet mysterious component that significantly influences cosmic structures and dynamics. Understanding dark matter not only helps explain the formation and behavior of galaxies but also opens new avenues for exploring the fundamental laws governing our universe. Continued research in this field may eventually unveil the secrets of dark matter and its profound implications for our understanding of existence itself.
