Faith maintains belief in contradiction to reason.
Faith does this by holding
a representation (the article of faith) in
principle exempt from rational
criticism. This is why the faithful can believe
things in contradiction to
evidence and reason.
-Jake
...
Actually, faith is pluralistic*; thus, faith holds MULTIPLE representations. While no represention can be protected from criticism in practice (even if this criticism comes from an outside source)... having multiple self-objects allows a person to re-organize their entire perspective depending on the currently held axiom (which makes faith similar to PCR... though as regards faith, "new" axiomatic foundations are not taken on with an eye toward maintaining logic but for the maintenance of *self*; thus, it differs from PCR in that PCR is self-defeating by nature-- as PCR maintains logic at the cost of a singular summative representation).
As an example: I have "faith" in my ability to cross the street (contrasted from my "trust" that the cars will stop if I fall down). This faith is founded on the axiom "I know how to walk"-- which is accepted as true according to the standard of self-evidence without being open, for all practical purposes, to continued conscious affirmation. On the other hand, If I am trying to swim the english channel, I have faith that I know how to *swim* (walking is no longer an issue).
In PCR, I *imagine* (theorize using symbols) that neither walking nor swimming is foundational proof that I can cross the distance. The hypothetical condition of my not being able to walk forms a system which averages the theoretical existence of walking (as a given) to a symbolic condition in which walking has zero relationship to my being able to cross. However, this conclusion (by prior agreement) is ALSO assumed to be in error to a degree which deviates by chance from this null condition. As such, I MUST be able to make critical decisions at all points between the beginning and ending marks in order to decrease my error (and this necessity is reinforced-- by an infinite regression-- to my continued failure of establishing any of these "points-between" as a base standard for further decisions-- allowing chance correlation to determine the outcome).
*the established standard for "faith" is a human
savior (an external human "object"). The
contradiction of this axiom would be that which is
not humanly possible and/or that which fails to
maintain life as exemplified by a self which is
perpetuated. In contrast, anything which is
humanly possible is adequate proof of the axiom.
All things are thus equally important for
satisfying the condition "Am I being
perpetuated?". The exception to this is
self-as-object... at which point there is no
foundational axiom (there is no reason to
establish a foundation according to the question
"Am I being perpetuated?" nor is there an external
element which requires confirmation).
Brett Lane Robertson, MindRecreation Metaphysical Assn. (c)1998,1999
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...
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