Outside Reading 5- Buddy Powers

It is important to explore the role faith plays in our lives as believers. Our post-movie discussion of Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind was extremely beneficial in exploring the role faith plays in entering a relationship with someone or God. William James the great American philosopher and psychologist discussed in great length the difference between pragmatism and empiricism, one of his main points came down to his position on faith. The main difference he saw between empiricism and pragmatism is that the latter allows for more than just experiential fact to pursue truth. Rather pragmatism asks, “When you say that a thing is possible, what difference does it make?” This means that from a pragmatic perspective, if there is greater beneficial difference to believing in something like God (very non-empiricist) than pragmatism promotes it. The general temperament of pragmatism is far more accepting than empiricism or rationalism because it is so open to possibilities. While James leans towards an empirical approach to the world, he succeeds, “I deny the right of any pretend logic to veto my own faith.” The mistake that pragmatism may be making as a philosophy is that is assumes that the prospect of benefit is grounds enough for believing in something. Is not actual faith supposed to be in something that is believed to be actually true not just beneficial?