Many doctrines expound ideas which require a degree of trust and insist upon our faith in them
One of the most distressing predicaments an earnest, open-minded knowledge seeker may encounter is the sheer difficulty among choosing out of the bewildering diversity of doctrines and fundamentalisms which make claims on our allegiance that are absolute and all-encompassing. People have a tendency to become territorial over their belief systems and adherents of a particular creed are prone to assert that their ideas alone are the “one true way;” they boldly propose that their path alone offers the remedy to all of the worlds problems.
If we could suspend all belief commitments and compare the competing doctrines impartially, submitting them to empirical tests, then we would have a sure-fire method of deciding between, and then our whole ordeal would be over with. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. Many doctrines propose—or presuppose—ideas that we cannot validate by personal experience; they advocate for tenets that require some degree of trust. So, as there tenets clash, we run up against the problem of finding a way to decide between them and negotiate there competing claims of truth.
References
- Bodhi, Bhikkhu. (2005). In the Buddha’s Words An Anthology of Discourses From the Pali Canon Chapter 3. Approaching the Dhamma (Location 1500). Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.
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Type:🔴 Tags: Psychology / Sociology / Philosophy / Epistemology Status:☀️