Free Choice is The Basis of Belief

Philosophy of Religion: Can We Prove That God Exists?

Philosophical Category: Pragmatic  (the doctrine that the meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences)

William James (1842-1910)

Pragmatist- expresses his sympathy with Pascal's position by a vigorous defense of our right to believe and freedom to do so, regardless of the logical and scientific objections to believing without "sufficient evidence." 

Religious belief, for James, while not being simply analogous to a game of chance, relies upon human choice more than human rationality.

Free Choice is The Basis of Belief

• James begins with asking his reader to adopt a believing attitude in religious matters, in spit of the fact that merely logical intellect may not have been coerced.
• Give the name hypotheses to anything that may be proposed to our belief; and break (Hypotheses) down into two branches: live or dead hypotheses.
• A Live hypotheses is a hypotheses that appeals as a real possibility to him whom it is proposed; a live hypotheses is anything among the mind's possibilities.
• A dead hypotheses is any notion that fails to connect with one's nature, it refuses to spark any relativity with oneself.

• These two things (dead/live hypotheses) are measured by a person's willingness to act
• Three things that distinguish these two hypotheses are:
1. Living or dead
2. Forced or avoidable
3. Momentous or trivial

• On Pascal, James says if we were to believe based on mechanical calculation like that of chance (like a gaming table); this sort of faith would lack the faith needed in the inner soul… (65)
• Our belief is truth itself, no need to take further logical attempts to prove what one feels to be true (as far as religion)
• As a rule we disbelieve all facts and theories for which we have no use… Evidently, the, our non-intellectual nature does influence our convictions.
• So, Pascal's argument is the last stroke to make our faith in masses and holy water complete (66)
• Pure insight and logic are not the only things that really do produce our creeds.
• It is a matter of fact that at times we find our passional nature influencing our options
• When there is no sensible proof, moral questions then come into play. A moral question is not that of what is sensibly true, but rather it is a question of what is good.
• Science can tell us what exists, but if we what to know the worth of what exists and what does not, we must (as Pascal says) turn to our hearts.
• Moral beliefs are determined by our will. If your heart does not what a moral world, you head will positively not perceive one.
• Adopting religion is a personal passional need of taking the world to be a religiously prophetic and right world