[Avodah] leap of faith

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 11:56:31AM +0300, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
: the Euclidean postulates are based on everyone's daily experience...

I picked the one about parallel lines because no one ever experienced
infinitely long parallel lines. They are based on imagining an
extrapolation from experience.

: we know they are not true in other circumstances (eg on a globe)

Thus my parenthetic remarks about flat space. It also doesn't work
in Einsteinian Spacetime, as space is no longer believed to be flat.

...
: As such the belief in a creator is obvious to one with a religious
: upbringing. For years scientists (and ancient philosophers) believed in an
: infinitely old world. Even today some scientists are attemping to justify a
: big bang without a creator (infinite big bangs , other universes etc.).
: 
: The whole idea of axioms/postulates are that they are not provable.

My point exactly -- there are third options between logical proofs and
leaps of faith. Logical proofs are only one way to justify belief.

The Kuzari points to tradition, which may boil down to
reliabilism. (Something you learned from a source that has a track record
of being reliable.)

I was saying that REW, like R' Aqiva, appealed to the self-evident nature
of the universe having a Designer. Closer to the way we accept our
postulates than a proof. And that this is so obvious look around at
what was created, that belief is the default state for humans.

And then REW continues that it takes an act of will to accept a
counter-proof despite the self-evidence.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 25th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks and 4 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Netzach sheb'Netzach: When is domination or
Fax: (270) 514-1507                          taking control too extreme?