God or Science, whichever you prefer, has placed me squarely into a predicament from which I seem to have no escape. There is only one thing I know with certainty: I am. Everything else is merely assumption based on the perceived qualities of that which I experience. It is my awareness that allows me to experience, and the limitation of that awareness regarding that which I sense and perceive that defines its relativity. As long as my existence is a relative one, there can be no absolutes in terms of ideals or beliefs because there always remains the possibility of new information, new experiences, that prove them wrong or change them in some way. And yet I must face my day to day life pragmatically, I must make choices based on imperfect information, and I must have a basis for right and wrong to help guide me in making those choices. That is the quagmire within which I exist. To live my life I must make decisions and form opinions and take for granted that which I have no knowledge of.
How is it all justified? How can I argue any point, any ideal, any philosophical notion, when the underpinnings of my beliefs say that I know nothing? By making any assertion whatsoever I make a hypocrite of myself. As it is, I often hedge my words with phrases like "Perhaps the truth is.." or adding a flailing "..but I don't know" to the end of my statements. It makes it very difficult to win any debate when I, myself, lack conviction and certainty as to the merits of my argument. It is, perhaps, the reason I so often waffle back on assertions I make in group conversations, or willfully explore the merits of my opponents ideals without friction or animosity. The truth is that in living my day to day life I simply don't think about the conclusions that my deepest, most fundamental philosophical thoughts have lead me to. I just do it. Is that right, is it wrong? I'm not certain.
So you’re saying making an assertion in any fashion potentially makes you a hypocrite? Would it be better if we all stood in the middle, indifferent, making no assertion one way or the other?
ReplyDeleteRefraining from making an assertion, a confidant statement of fact or belief, does not necessarily preclude one from taking a side. One can choose based upon the limited and non-absolute information available while retaining the ability to change their mind in the face of new evidence. Too often, however, we take our assumptions for granted and entrench ourselves in positions thoroughly enough that we become blind to any contrary evidence and unwilling to move.
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