[lit-ideas] Re: Censorship
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 11:53:15 -0400
Andy Amago wrote:
"If a belief is based in [X, here, faitih] and an individual has that
belief, that individual is based in [X, here, faith]."
Oh my.
That leap from belief to individual is a curious one. Is my right hand
based in faith? And what if I lose my faith? (That's for Mike.)
Being generous, perhaps what is meant is that all of the beliefs held by
this individual are based in faith. But I also believe that, at sea level,
water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Surely that belief, and its being true,
is independent of my belief in God?
But there is a fundamental problem here. It is accurate to call me a person
of faith. However, I am this person because of the beliefs I hold as
opposed to holding my beliefs because I have faith. That is, I don't know
what it means to have faith except holding particular beliefs. It doesn't
make sense to say that someone holds a set of beliefs because they have
faith since having faith _means_ holding beliefs of a certain kind. It is a
common mistake to take faith as something independent, and usually
foundational, of belief-holding. Not unlike taking the will to be something
independent, and usually foundational, of acting.
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Toronto, ON
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
