Influence of Religious Beliefs when Doing Philosophy
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Re: Influence of Religious Beliefs when Doing Philosophy
Obviousy at the lowest level you have much as you described, religious belief as a cultural norm, with little if any thought given to it. Atheism slots quite nicely into that framework.
At the next level up you have something you've examined briefly to see if it fits into your framework of existing beliefs. You're still not really challenging it, but glaring inconsistencies may raise some questions, although you're as likely to alter your other beliefs as this one. Again, atheism slots fine into this.
At the next level up there's something that you rely on as a set of principles. There will be some poking around the edges of your belief from the effect of applying them to other contexts, but again no serious challenge to the core beliefs. Again, atheism fits here.
And then finally there is the full philsophical scepticism of rationally trying to work out what principles can be derived from what you know and what are merely held a priori (assumptions). This is the bit where religion tends to veer off, and atheists tend to follow religion's pattern in this case also. There are exceptions on all sides of course, from Descartes writings on god and faith, to some philosophers who apply scepticism to the kinds of reductionism that deny the validity of religion, but they aren't typical.
As such, when people talk about religion's 'irrationality', what they too often mean is that they assume a very different set of principles to be true than religious people do, rather than having a different process of reasoning to reach their conclusions. Calling something irrational can be just a useful means of labelling an idea as something that doesn't need to be considered.
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Re: Influence of Religious Beliefs when Doing Philosophy
I agree with the reservation that any worthy literature will read you. In other words worthy literature means something to you and furthers your learning or understanding."The Bible: a book which either reads you or is worthless." ~ Chazal
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Re: Influence of Religious Beliefs when Doing Philosophy
I'm not quite following your meaning. Are you saying that if you apply logic, reason and the scientific method to a question then you are being religious? That's not my definition of religion.And then finally there is the full philsophical scepticism of rationally trying to work out what principles can be derived from what you know and what are merely held a priori (assumptions). This is the bit where religion tends to veer off, and atheists tend to follow religion's pattern in this case also. There are exceptions on all sides of course, from Descartes writings on god and faith, to some philosophers who apply scepticism to the kinds of reductionism that deny the validity of religion, but they aren't typical.
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Re: Influence of Religious Beliefs when Doing Philosophy
2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023