Question
What is it to be tempted? It is to be placed in a situation where ethics are suspended. The ethical is the universal, [71] but as such, it is the expression of the divine; it is the presence of the eternal. Every individual, after all, is tempted to place themselves above the universal, tempted to assert that their personal relation to the absolute [72] are superior to their ethical obligations.
The story of Abraham teaches us this: he was required to sacrifice Isaac, his son, the very promise of his future. If Abraham had doubted, had he been tempted to question whether the command was truly from God, he would have fallen into sin. Instead, Abraham acted with faith, and his action transcended the universal ethical requirement. [73]
He became a knight of faith.
Herein lies the paradox of faith. Abraham did not act in accordance with the universal; he acted on a direct command from the absolute. His action [74] is not guided by reason or ethics, but by an absurd trust in the infinite. He was prepared to commit what, by any ethical standard, is murder, and yet he
did so as an act of faith. This paradox cannot be mediated by ethics. For the knight of faith, there is no justification that can be understood in universal terms. The individual [75] stands’ alone before the absolute, isolated from the ethical community. This is the leap of faith, the moment when the finite and the infinite intersect. It is a test of whether the individual can relinquish everything for the sake of God, while simultaneously trusting that everything will be restored.
[76] Who among us dares to take such a fearless leap into the unknown? To sacrifice what is most dear, not for a universal good but for a solitary and incomprehensible relationship with the absolute? This is the terror of the story of Abraham. [77] It confronts us with the limits of human understanding and the boundless demands of faith.
The tragic hero resigns [78] itself to the ethical; their sacrifice is understood and admired by all. But Abraham’s sacrifice was different—it was silent, it was misunderstood, and it placed him in complete isolation. He could not explain his actions, not even to Isaac. To act with faith is to embrace the absurd, to trust in the impossible. [79] This notion, when considered from multiple perspectives, opens the door to a vast array of philosophical interpretations that may or may not align with traditional views on sacrifice.
Faith is not a compromise with the ethical, nor is it a rejection of it. It is something higher, something that requires the individual to go beyond the ethical into the absolute. [80] This is the greatness and the fear of faith—it demands everything but it also promises everything.
This passage has been excerpted and adapted from the original, including minor punctuation changes, spelling changes, and other modifications that have not substantially changed content or intent.
Question
is not guided
Responses
A
had not been guided
had not been guided
B
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
C
was not guided
was not guided
D
will not be guided
The story of Abraham teaches us this: he was required to sacrifice Isaac, his son, the very promise of his future. If Abraham had doubted, had he been tempted to question whether the command was truly from God, he would have fallen into sin. Instead, Abraham acted with faith, and his action transcended the universal ethical requirement. [73]
He became a knight of faith.
Herein lies the paradox of faith. Abraham did not act in accordance with the universal; he acted on a direct command from the absolute. His action [74] is not guided by reason or ethics, but by an absurd trust in the infinite. He was prepared to commit what, by any ethical standard, is murder, and yet he
did so as an act of faith. This paradox cannot be mediated by ethics. For the knight of faith, there is no justification that can be understood in universal terms. The individual [75] stands’ alone before the absolute, isolated from the ethical community. This is the leap of faith, the moment when the finite and the infinite intersect. It is a test of whether the individual can relinquish everything for the sake of God, while simultaneously trusting that everything will be restored.
[76] Who among us dares to take such a fearless leap into the unknown? To sacrifice what is most dear, not for a universal good but for a solitary and incomprehensible relationship with the absolute? This is the terror of the story of Abraham. [77] It confronts us with the limits of human understanding and the boundless demands of faith.
The tragic hero resigns [78] itself to the ethical; their sacrifice is understood and admired by all. But Abraham’s sacrifice was different—it was silent, it was misunderstood, and it placed him in complete isolation. He could not explain his actions, not even to Isaac. To act with faith is to embrace the absurd, to trust in the impossible. [79] This notion, when considered from multiple perspectives, opens the door to a vast array of philosophical interpretations that may or may not align with traditional views on sacrifice.
Faith is not a compromise with the ethical, nor is it a rejection of it. It is something higher, something that requires the individual to go beyond the ethical into the absolute. [80] This is the greatness and the fear of faith—it demands everything but it also promises everything.
This passage has been excerpted and adapted from the original, including minor punctuation changes, spelling changes, and other modifications that have not substantially changed content or intent.
Question
is not guided
Responses
A
had not been guided
had not been guided
B
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
C
was not guided
was not guided
D
will not be guided
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **C**: "was not guided."
This option accurately fits the context of the passage, discussing Abraham's action as a reflection of a past event—his leap of faith—rather than a future intention or a hypothetical situation. Therefore, "was not guided" aligns with the verb tenses used throughout the surrounding text.
This option accurately fits the context of the passage, discussing Abraham's action as a reflection of a past event—his leap of faith—rather than a future intention or a hypothetical situation. Therefore, "was not guided" aligns with the verb tenses used throughout the surrounding text.