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Single Idea 18976
[filed under theme 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / d. Religious Experience
]
Full Idea
I myself believe that the evidence for God lies primarily in inner personal experience.
Gist of Idea
Private experience is the main evidence for God
Source
William James (Pragmatism - eight lectures [1907], Lec 3)
Book Ref
James,William: 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' [Dover 1995], p.42
A Reaction
There is not much you can say to someone who claims incontrovertible evidence which is utterly private to themselves. Does total absence of private religious experience count as evidence on the subject?
The
47 ideas
from William James
9285
|
'Consciousness' is a nonentity, a mere echo of the disappearing 'soul'
[James]
|
9286
|
Consciousness is not a stuff, but is explained by the relations between experiences
[James]
|
6710
|
You can only define a statement that something is 'true' by referring to its functional possibilities
[James]
|
22305
|
If the hypothesis of God is widely successful, it is true
[James]
|
18972
|
Ideas are true in so far as they co-ordinate our experiences
[James]
|
18973
|
New opinions count as 'true' if they are assimilated to an individual's current beliefs
[James]
|
18974
|
Truth is a species of good, being whatever proves itself good in the way of belief
[James]
|
18971
|
Theories are practical tools for progress, not answers to enigmas
[James]
|
18975
|
We return to experience with concepts, where they show us differences
[James]
|
18976
|
Private experience is the main evidence for God
[James]
|
18978
|
It is hard to grasp a cosmic mind which produces such a mixture of goods and evils
[James]
|
18977
|
The wonderful design of a woodpecker looks diabolical to its victims
[James]
|
18979
|
Things with parts always have some structure, so they always appear to be designed
[James]
|
18980
|
If there is a 'greatest knower', it doesn't follow that they know absolutely everything
[James]
|
18981
|
'Substance' is just a word for groupings and structures in experience
[James]
|
18982
|
Pragmatism says all theories are instrumental - that is, mental modes of adaptation to reality
[James]
|
18985
|
True thoughts are just valuable instruments of action
[James]
|
18984
|
True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, corroborate and verify (and false otherwise)
[James]
|
18986
|
Truth is just a name for verification-processes
[James]
|
18983
|
In many cases there is no obvious way in which ideas can agree with their object
[James]
|
18987
|
A 'thing' is simply carved out of reality for human purposes
[James]
|
18989
|
Pragmatism accepts any hypothesis which has useful consequences
[James]
|
18991
|
If the God hypothesis works well, then it is true
[James]
|
18990
|
Nirvana means safety from sense experience, and hindus and buddhists are just afraid of life
[James]
|
22640
|
We find satisfaction in consistency of all of our beliefs, perceptions and mental connections
[James]
|
22641
|
Realities just are, and beliefs are true of them
[James]
|
22642
|
Man has an intense natural interest in the consistency of his own thinking
[James]
|
22643
|
It seems that we feel rational when we detect no irrationality
[James]
|
22644
|
Our greatest pleasure is the economy of reducing chaotic facts to one single fact
[James]
|
22645
|
Understanding by means of causes is useless if they are not reduced to a minimum number
[James]
|
22646
|
We have a passion for knowing the parts of something, rather than the whole
[James]
|
22647
|
A complete system is just a classification of the whole world's ingredients
[James]
|
22648
|
A single explanation must have a single point of view
[James]
|
22649
|
Classification can only ever be for a particular purpose
[James]
|
22650
|
How can the ground of rationality be itself rational?
[James]
|
22651
|
Dogs' curiosity only concerns what will happen next
[James]
|
22652
|
The mind has evolved entirely for practical interests, seen in our reflex actions
[James]
|
22653
|
Early Christianity says God recognises the neglected weak and tender impulses
[James]
|
22654
|
We can't know if the laws of nature are stable, but we must postulate it or assume it
[James]
|
22656
|
Trying to assess probabilities by mere calculation is absurd and impossible
[James]
|
22655
|
Scientific genius extracts more than other people from the same evidence
[James]
|
22657
|
All good philosophers start from a dumb conviction about which truths can be revealed
[James]
|
22658
|
Experimenters assume the theory is true, and stick to it as long as result don't disappoint
[James]
|
22659
|
It is wisdom to believe what you desire, because belief is needed to achieve it
[James]
|
22660
|
Evolution suggests prevailing or survival as a new criterion of right and wrong
[James]
|
23981
|
Rage is inconceivable without bodily responses; so there are no disembodied emotions
[James]
|
6570
|
Imagine millions made happy on condition that one person suffers endless lonely torture
[James]
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