A few philosophical points:
1.) We apprehend objects according to the constitution of our mind and senses. We do not know for sure that our understanding is comprehensive. There may be more to the cosmos than is strictly empirical and "rational";
2.) Beliefs are not per se irrational, in any case. Most of what we know is a matter of belief, in the sense that we trust our informants to give us correct information, for the most part, without the practical means independently to verify. Furthermore, we are continually challenged to fill in gaps in our knowledge with reasonable surmise;
3.) Morality is "hypothetical", before it is anything else. It assumes that human life and society is meaningful, and tries to uphold the the value of "humanness", for example, by establishing a hierarchy where specifically human qualities, such as the ability to engage in speculative discourse, are extolled. It values social relationships, and says that our participation in communities is important, because it is essential to "being human";
4.) The most momentous question that we face is this: is the universe hospitable to human concerns, or is it ultimately indifferent, and morality merely an attempt to dignify instinct? Most of us find evidence mixed, and are therefore forced to surmise;
5.) Religious people (speaking generically) are those who surmise that the universe is underlyingly hospitable to human concerns, that the "source" or "ground" of the cosmos in some sense cares about such things as justice and compassion;
6.) Religious people are not necessarily better than people with no religion, but they find greater support for their efforts in their conception of the way things are.......... |
