If yes, how is this rational?
If no, how is this irrational?
2007-01-09 10:11:58 · 11 answers · asked by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No. A belief is a belief and can be rational regardless of whether or not it has been confirmed by the scientific method. If it has been confirmed it moves from belief to knowledge, doesn't it? Whether or not it is rational would probably be decided based on whether or not it fits into our understanding of the universe. If it is not in the least bit feasible, then it is irrational.
2007-01-09 10:18:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I can go into a bar believing that I will get lucky. Sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not. In either case, the belief was not rational, it was emotional. Note that this is not the same as irrational.
In the first case, if you think about it (ratiocinate), you will find that the result is contingent upon a number of things, not all of which are controllable by me, but there is at least a theoretical (in the lay sense) possibility that there will be some women with poor enough taste to go home with me.
In the second case, if you think about it, there is no set of circumstances under which it will happen.
Christian beliefs are a combination of once rational beliefs that have been proved wrong (e.g. a flat, round earth surrounded by a firmament), never rational beliefs (e.g. Methuselah lived 969 years), and emotional beliefs (e.g. god). If you want to hang on to your emotional beliefs, I don't have a problem with that. If you cling to irrational beliefs there's a term for that - insane.
2007-01-09 18:30:38 · answer #2 · answered by Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a fairly broad statement. A belief is something that doesn't require factual confirmation, although you can be considered daft if you believe things that defy reason.
Facts should be defensible by evidence, and if you state a fact without evidence, then you are equally daft.
Evidence is gathered and tested via the scientific method, not beliefs. The hypotheses are never beliefs; they're guesses that are either proved, unproved, or the data is inconclusive.
And it is rational to say that if evidence indicates "A" is true and that "not A" is false, then reason indicates that, barring further contradictory evidence, "A" is true.
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2007-01-09 18:19:09 · answer #3 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the belief.
If the belief is that my house will still be where it was when I left for work this morning, that doesn't take much to accept.
If the belief is that rainbows are caused by pots of gold moved around by leprachauns... well you should be able to figure where I am going with this.
A belief is rational or irrational depending on the claims being made.
2007-01-09 18:20:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can not confirm belief. You can only confirm fact. It is irrational to presume that you can prove or disprove a belief as there will in most cases be no evidence for it. However, a lack of proof can in most cases be considered evidence against the existence of said belief.
By the way, the last question of mine you answered...
That was one of the best damned answers I have ever seen on here.
2007-01-09 18:16:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Let me put it this way - I don't think all rational knowledge out there has to be confirmed by the scientific method YET.
Think about human flight took thousands of years to scientifically confirm. That didn't mean it was a false concept thousands of years ago, it just wasn't confirmed yet.
thanks.
2007-01-09 18:17:53 · answer #6 · answered by daisyk 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The problem with science it that it is way too narrow minded. Science is supposed to look objectively at evidence but the problem is there are millions of examples of things on earth that cannot be explained through natural laws. But instead of the scientist saying we need to reevaluate what we believe, they just reject anything that they can't explain like it doesn't exist. Science is uselesss in understanding psychic or spiritual evidence because they just close their eyes to it.
2007-01-09 18:22:30 · answer #7 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I believe my girlfriend will be home before dinner. I don't need an experiment to make it rational.
2007-01-09 18:15:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, and that is the only rational answer to your question.
A belief can be based on faith.
2007-01-09 18:17:01 · answer #9 · answered by The Question Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a discussion of that sitting in my drafts folder! :)
2007-01-09 18:15:33 · answer #10 · answered by STFU Dude 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋