(September 17, 2016 at 12:19 am)Mudhammam Wrote: Are there any areas in a human being's epistemic life that require a certain leap of faith and does such a pragmatic approach include any religious propositions? It seems like there are an infinity of questions--aye, the infinite itself--that lie beyond our ken; does all the benefit lie in a suspension of judgement where we are ignorant, or does belief allow us to move forward in ways that skepticism doesn't permit, and where should the lines be drawn with regards to one's cautious assent to unverified or unverifiable notions? Wherein does verification ultimately lie? Is it not as dependent upon our passions as it is on our reasons?
I'd argue that ANY major philosophical assumption I make is intrinsically an act of faith. I choose to believe in the existence of others, and then that belief becomes firmly entrenched as I attach my experiences to it in formation of a world view.
Certainly, my faith in the existence of an objective world outside myself allows me to take comfort in my life, and make some sense of it. I wake up, plan how I'm going to interact with people and things, and live out my day with purpose.
Some people go to another level of narrative beyond that-- they see a GIVEN purpose, beyond just the ability to interact with stuff.
