Faith, according to the readings of Clifford and James is a strong belief inscribed in the mind of an individual that that what they think is right. They may be no prior evidence about the same yet the individual beliefs in their feeling. Different situations may lead to such a confidence, most of which are based on past events. Humans have a tendency of developing an attitude towards a situation or an event within their first encounters. It is therefore difficult to prove such an individual otherwise considering their first experiences. Faith may also be birthed and changed by the long-term experiences of an individual (James, 9). This basically means that the human mind is bound to change if continuous experience dictates so. This may however differ from one perspective to another. What may be seen as truth and right about one individual may be the opposite of another individual. This can hence never be a basis of dictating what is right or wrong to a bigger group of people. Every individual has a right to believe that what they prophase and do, is right even if it is viewed differently by another individual.
According to the readings, faith is a voluntary decision that can not be imposed on a person by the other. Even though different beliefs have impacts on their followers, it has not hindered men from developing their own theories. Everyone is looking out for something that will satisfy their understanding and once they get it, it becomes difficult to change their minds on the same. According to the philosophers there is basically no reliable evidence of the beliefs that are adopted by individuals. The tendency of one to trust what the other party is saying is based on their professionalism. For a person to be taken seriously and positively, then what they say should be a clear reflection of their skills and knowledge. This therefore means, however true something maybe, it will not be trusted if it is contrary to their skills and profession. This is the kind of attitude that men have developed towards each other. The desire for people to find facts has made them venture into different fields that tend to satisfy them. Such fields include science, culture and religion.
A weakness that has been displayed in the readings of Clifford and James is that there is no evidence of the beliefs that people prophase. For a person to hold on to a certain ideology especially for a considerable time, then they have some benefits which came through experience. For instance, there is basically nobody who can believe that death is bad unless they have had an experience of the same (Clifford, 6). There is practical evidence that people experience in their walks of life that makes them hold on to a certain belief. Nobody may be able to understand the essence of another person’s belief unless they have had prior experience of the same. Scientists believe in science because they have practiced it for quite some time and have seen truth in it. The same also relates to Christianity and other religions. These are totally different categories of people that cannot understand each other due to unique experiences that they have. Faith is hence a matter of the heart rather than perception. All this is also developed through interest that has to do with one’s background. This is the reason why most people tend to hold on to the practices of their forefathers rather than what they may see or experience.
Works cited
Clifford, K. William. The ethics of belief, New York: Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1998.
James, William. The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2006.