Reason vs. Mysticism: Truth and Consequences

How do we know what is true or false, good or bad, right or wrong? What is our means of knowledge?Our answers to these questions are the most consequential of all. They underlie and affect everything we think, say, and do. They determine the ideas we accept and reject, the plans we make, the actions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The objective standard 2021-12, Vol.16 (4), p.11
Main Author: Biddle, Craig
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Causality
Clergy
Faith
Knowledge
Mysticism
Rand, Ayn
Rand, Ayn (1905-1982)
Reasoning
Religion
Religious aspects
Rorty, Richard
Spirituality
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Summary:How do we know what is true or false, good or bad, right or wrong? What is our means of knowledge?Our answers to these questions are the most consequential of all. They underlie and affect everything we think, say, and do. They determine the ideas we accept and reject, the plans we make, the actions we take, what we support, and whom we enable. They determine the course of our lives and the course of our culture, for better or worse.Is knowledge a product of reason, observation, and logic? Is it a product of religious faith or social consensus? Is it acquired through a mixture of these—or perhaps some other means?Toward answering these questions, we will look first at reason, its key components, and how they work. Then we will consider two forms of mysticism (i.e., claims to a means of knowledge other than reason) along with arguments in support of each: (1) the claim that religious faith is a means of knowledge, and (2) the claim that social consensus is a means of knowledge.
ISSN:1559-1905
1559-1913