What is FAITH - Robert sapolsky
The article is a theoretical piece.
The article discusses the human ability to find strength and willpower through the belief in things that cannot be proven, using examples such as Kierkegaard and Sister Helen Prejean. The author explores the irrationality of this ability from an atheist perspective and delves into the importance of moral imperatives in human behavior.
Main topics: faith, belief in the unprovable, irrationality, moral imperatives. Secondary topics: religion, philosophy, human behavior.
- Introduction
- Human ability to gain strength from irrefutable evidence
- Religious belief and holding contradictory beliefs
- Sister Helen Prejean's approach towards forgiveness and love
- Human capability to do irrational yet magnificent things
- The moral imperative to make a difference
- The uniqueness of human capability compared to other species
- Cultivating the ability to turn abstractions into powerful metaphors
- Conclusion
Understanding Faith Through Human Abilities
The concept of faith can be summarized as the ability of humans to gain strength and will to do something from the irrefutable evidence that that something cannot be. This belief system is not abstract and can be made clear with an example. Sister Helen Prejean, a nun, has devoted her time to minister to men on death row in a security prison in the South. When asked how she could have spent her time helping the unlovable and unforgivable people on death row, Sister Helen always responds that the less forgivable or lovable someone is, the more we must make means to forgive and love them. This notion strikes Robert Sapolsky, a strident atheist, as one of the most irrationally magnificent things humans can do.
Humans have this unique ability to take abstractions and turn them into metaphors as powerful as visceral sensory effects. In the context of moral imperatives, we are an entirely different planet from other species. We constantly confuse the real with a metaphorical and build entire worlds of good or bad acts out of it. The ability to flip back and forth between abstractions and metaphors and the power to build worlds around it makes us different from other species.
The Realm of Philosophy and Religion and Cultivating Faith
This realm of faith can differ depending on one's taste. It is part of the thinking process when one hears a nun saying that the less lovable someone is, the more they must be loved. It can be framed theologically or not.
Cultivating faith is a complex topic, but Robert Sapolsky suggests that it involves giving tubercular meat to all aggressive males on the planet. This humorous statement highlights the complexity of cultivating faith, but it is clear that having strong moral imperatives to forgive, love, and make a difference despite the impossibility of the situation drives individuals to have faith.
The article about faith and human behavior can have an impact on various areas of knowledge and human life. One area of knowledge that complement this information is psychology. It can help us understand the human mind's behaviors and how beliefs and faith can shape an individual's actions. The article also talks about moral imperatives, which can contribute to the field of ethics and philosophy.
The article misses the importance of reason and logic in shaping an individual's actions and beliefs. It focuses entirely on the emotional and irrational aspects of faith and how it can motivate people. This could lead to overlooking the harmful consequences that can arise from irrational beliefs.
The article does not address the contradiction between faith and reason. It presents faith as an irrational and emotional response to situations, but reason usually operates on evidence and logical arguments. Another contradiction is the idea of forgiveness while holding contradictory beliefs, which can lead to cognitive dissonance.
Question 1: What is the human ability described in the article?
Humans have the ability in some settings to gain the strength and the will to do something from the irrefutable evidence that that something cannot be.
"and it could be summarized here in this way which is this human ability in some settings to gain the strength and the will to do something from the irrefutable evidence that that something cannot be what do I mean by that let me make this a little bit less abstract and instead a quote from Kierkegaard and if you subscribe to this particular type of belief system this notion that what religiosity is often about is the ability to hold two contradictory facts in your head at the same time or two contradictory beliefs."
Question 2: Who is Sister Helen Prejean?
Sister Helen Prejean is a nun who has spent her time ministering to the needs of men on death row in a maximal security prison somewhere down in the South.
"This is a nun who has spent her time ministering to the needs of men on death row in a maximal security prison somewhere down in the South and inevitably she is in asked by all sorts of people when hearing she has spent her life solicing these terrifying evil creatures who are as damaging as any humans can be saying how can you do this how can you have just spent your whole life doing this and she always has the same answer the less forgivable the fact the less forgivable what the person has done the more we must find the means to forgive them the less lovable the person is the more we must find the means to love them."
Question 3: What is the author's opinion on human capabilities described in the article?
The author, as a strident atheist, finds the human capability of finding more motivation to do something that cannot be done as irrational, nutty, and magnificent.
"...this strikes me as one of the most irrational nutty magnificent things we are capable of as a species the more something cannot be the more we have to make sure it is and to finish up here in lots of ways that is the realm where we can do our most uniquely human things built out of the danger of a certain human wisdom."
Question 4: How can the human ability discussed in the article be cultivated?
The author does not know how this human ability can be cultivated.
"well that's I don't know come on I'm just a professor I don't know let's see I think for starters it suggests we should give tubercular meat to all of the aggressive males on this planet."
Summary of the text:
- Humans have the ability to gain strength from the irrefutable evidence that something cannot be done.
- Religiosity involves holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
- Nun Sister Helen Prejean ministers to men on death row and believes in forgiving and loving those who are the least forgivable and lovable.
- Humans have the unique ability to turn abstractions into powerful moral imperatives.
Quiz 1:
- a. Gaining strength from irrefutable evidence.
- b. Holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
- c. Forgiving and loving those who are least forgivable and lovable.
- d. Turning abstractions into powerful moral imperatives. Correct answer: b
Question 1: What is religiosity about?
Quiz 2:
- a. A philosopher.
- b. A nun who ministers to men on death row.
- c. An author who wrote the book, Dead Man Walking.
- d. A therapist who helps people deal with stress. Correct answer: b
Question 1: Who is Sister Helen Prejean?
Quiz 3:
- a. Gaining strength from irrefutable evidence.
- b. Holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
- c. Forgiving and loving those who are least forgivable and lovable.
- d. Turning abstractions into powerful moral imperatives. Correct answer: d
Question 1: What is the unique ability of humans?
- Hold two contradictory beliefs in your head at the same time This tip is based on the religious belief that faith is the ability to accept two contradictory facts or beliefs at the same time. In everyday life, this could mean accepting the good and bad in someone or seeing both sides of an argument.
- Forgive the less forgivable This tip is inspired by Sister Helen Prejean, who says that the more unforgivable someone's actions are, the more we must find a way to forgive them. In everyday life, this could mean forgiving someone who has wronged you deeply and understanding the reasons behind their actions.
- Love the less lovable Similar to the previous tip, this tip encourages us to find love for those who are difficult to love. In everyday life, this could mean showing kindness to someone who is rude to you or trying to see the good in someone who seems unlikeable.
- Motivate yourself to make a difference when it seems hopeless The article suggests that the more we believe we cannot make a difference, the more we must try to make a difference. In everyday life, this could mean working towards a cause that seems beyond our control or taking small steps to make a positive change in the world.
- Understand the power of metaphors and moral abstractions The article emphasizes that humans have a unique ability to turn abstract concepts into powerful motivators for action. In everyday life, this could mean finding meaningful ways to communicate your beliefs and values to others, using metaphors and stories to inspire change.
The best tip to include in daily life would depend on individual beliefs and priorities. However, the tip to motivate yourself to make a difference even when it seems hopeless can be particularly helpful in times of uncertainty or despair. By reminding ourselves that we have the power to make a difference, even when the odds are against us, we can stay motivated and inspired to bring about positive change.