Mercy Case
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I find Einsteins response purely rhetorical. He explains the main view of how scientists, like himself, view religion and science. Before the letter even begins we understand that he was considered the greatest scientist of the twentieth century and won the Nobel Prize in 1921. This appeals to ethos because it gives him strong credibility that what he says is a strong point worth noting. Phyllis has a good reason to listen to what Einstein has to say just because of his reputation, knowledge, and experience.
Einstein also appeals to logos by offering a counterargument that contradicts his principles. Einstein writes, “every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe – a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers feel humble.” He is saying that he is open to new ideas. He agrees that his answer by saying ” here is my answer “. Einstein made it simple and clear for the reader, because he understood that shes only a six grader. If he was writing this to an English major, he would had worded his response differently. On his second paragraph, he started off by stating what scientific research is based on, and why scientist shouldnt depend on prayer. However, on the following paragraph, he stated that ” Nature also rests on a sort of faith”. So as human, its natural for scientists to have faith and hope. This makes reader question whether religion has an impact on a scientists life. On the third paragraph; however, Einstein replied that the “pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naïve”. This sentence makes me feel that Einstein has a negative perspective towards religious ideas. After rereading the response, I noticed that he referred to a prayer as simply a wish addressed towards God, which he calls a “supernatural being”.