Faith and Hope Are Two Different Philosophical Mindsets | Sam Newlands | Big Think | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Hope plays a crucial role in religious practices, as it can inspire individuals to engage in religious activities and communities, even if they no longer hold the corresponding beliefs.

Key Insights

• 😘 Hope has a low barrier for cognitive consistency, requiring only the absence of belief in impossibility rather than certainty or strong belief in likelihood.
• 🤞 Religious hope can drive individuals to engage in religious practices and communities, even if they no longer fully endorse the corresponding beliefs.
• 🤞 Hope within the religious context doesn't necessarily involve the assessment of odds or probability, unlike faith.
• 🤞 It is possible to hope for religious outcomes without strong belief, as long as the existence of those outcomes is not considered logically impossible.
• 🤞 Individuals can engage in practices and put themselves in situations that cultivate deep and sustaining hopes.
• 🙏 Hope in religious contexts can inspire individuals to pray, even if they don't believe in the existence of God.
• 🤞 Religious hope can motivate individuals to hope for an afterlife or the unity of virtue and happiness, regardless of their current beliefs.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the relationship between hope and faith in religious traditions?

While faith often involves a belief commitment that something will be certain or probable, hope can operate independently of judgments about the evidence. Thus, hope in religious contexts can inspire practices and engagement, even without strong belief or certainty.

Q: Can individuals still hope for religious outcomes even if they no longer believe in them?

Yes, individuals who have become agnostic about certain religious beliefs can still hold on to hope. They can participate in religious practices and communities, hoping for outcomes such as an afterlife or the unity of virtue and happiness.

Q: How does hope in the religious context differ from hope in other areas of life?

Religious hope does not necessarily require the assessment of odds or probability. As long as there is a consistent narrative within a religious tradition and the existence of certain beliefs is not considered logically impossible, hope can motivate religious practices.

Q: Is hope within the volitional control of an individual?

While it may not be possible to immediately generate hope, individuals can put themselves in community contexts and situations that cultivate desires, agency, and urgency over the object of their hopes. By doing so, they can indirectly position themselves to develop deep and sustaining hopes.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hope does not require certainty or strong belief in the likelihood of an outcome; as long as something is not considered impossible, it can be a candidate for hope.

• In religious contexts, hope can motivate individuals to pray, participate in religious practices, and engage with religious communities, even if they no longer fully endorse the corresponding beliefs.

• Hope operates in the space between absolute impossibility and certainty, not necessarily involving an assessment of the odds or probability like faith does.