RE: Is the Atheism/Theism belief/disbelief a false dichotomy? are there other options?
October 4, 2015 at 12:27 am
(This post was last modified: October 4, 2015 at 12:35 am by Alex K.)
@Psychonaut, that's what I meant...
@Pyrrho, how does one conceptualize degrees of certainty properly in a philosophical argument? Does one always have to have an opinion on something or can't one be legitimately undecided between the logical alternatives theist and (not theist), and withhold judgment? Is that what you call not knowing what one is?
My impression is that whether one calls oneself atheist or theist may be more a matter of self-image and habit than is usually admitted, and that yes/no beliefs are generally not so much unique binary flags in the brain and rather situation dependent. I may act as if there was a God in some instances, and as if there was none in others. If I am fairly certain, it can go one way so often that one can get the impression of a binary opinion. The more I think about it, the less the "yes/no belief" as an well defined state of mind seems real to me, as opposed to individual decisions to act in certain situations. What you say when asked may be just one of many decisions one makes to position oneself.
Maybe this is just sleep deprived me talking here...
@Pyrrho, how does one conceptualize degrees of certainty properly in a philosophical argument? Does one always have to have an opinion on something or can't one be legitimately undecided between the logical alternatives theist and (not theist), and withhold judgment? Is that what you call not knowing what one is?
My impression is that whether one calls oneself atheist or theist may be more a matter of self-image and habit than is usually admitted, and that yes/no beliefs are generally not so much unique binary flags in the brain and rather situation dependent. I may act as if there was a God in some instances, and as if there was none in others. If I am fairly certain, it can go one way so often that one can get the impression of a binary opinion. The more I think about it, the less the "yes/no belief" as an well defined state of mind seems real to me, as opposed to individual decisions to act in certain situations. What you say when asked may be just one of many decisions one makes to position oneself.
Maybe this is just sleep deprived me talking here...
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
