What are your thoughts on this quote?

[andyklein]

I recently came across this. Without assuming anything, what would you say about it?

"Philosophy is radical questioning, but to really question – to push one’s questioning to the brink of the abyss – one must [set aside his/her beliefs] for faith gives answers too soon. … Faith and philosophy are mortal enemies; in fact, ‘faith is so absolutely the mortal enemy that philosophy does not even begin to want in any way to do battle with it.’ ‘the philosopher does not believe’ – she or he cannot believe, because faith is in radical opposition to the very nature of philosophy as questioning.”

Martin HEIDEGGER. The Fall of Interpretation p.108.

 

[andyklein]

It looks like I screwed up the poll. I should have added two more categories. Just disregard it. What was I thinking?

 

[SonofBenedict]

Well, I think it really comes down to what we mean by philosophy and faith, and whether or not that squares with what Heidegger means by the two. Faith is the assent of the intellect to a proposition, this assent being due to the motion of the will, in the absence of evidence for said proposition. Philosophy, however, would seem to be the pursuit of truth and wisdom by the human intellect (I am willing to be corrected on this view). It would seem, therefore, that the two deal with the same end, Truth, but by different means. While the philosophical intellect questions, the faithful intellect assents in light of its own inability to provide or understand evidence for what it seeks.

I would disagree with Heidegger and say that faith and philosophy are actually siblings, both seeking their good by different means. I’d also disagree that faith is the enemy of philosophy- if anything else, it provides new realms for the intellect to breathe and reason. While I cannot reason to the Trinity, when I accept it with faith I can rationally defend the Trinity from falsehood. Contrary to Heidegger, it is actually philosophy that destroys faith, for if I can come to a reasoned knowledge of something, or at least a reasoned opinion, I am no longer in the realm of faith but rather of the informed intellect. Those are my two cents!

In Christ,
Nick

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I recently came across this. Without assuming anything, what would you say about it?

"Philosophy is radical questioning, but to really question – to push one’s questioning to the brink of the abyss – one must [set aside his/her beliefs] for faith gives answers too soon. … Faith and philosophy are mortal enemies; in fact, ‘faith is so absolutely the mortal enemy that philosophy does not even begin to want in any way to do battle with it.’ ‘the philosopher does not believe’ – she or he cannot believe, because faith is in radical opposition to the very nature of philosophy as questioning.”

Martin HEIDEGGER. The Fall of Interpretation p.108.

Thomas Aquinas and most Catholic philosophers would disagree.

Linus2nd

 

[Oreoracle]

“Philosophy” and “faith” are notoriously difficult to define, so you won’t find definitions that please everyone. In my opinion, philosophy basically amounts to critical thinking, and faith is the belief in a proposition without justification. Since critical thinking demands us to have a rationale of some sort for our beliefs, I would concur that faith and philosophy don’t mix. If you have faith, you don’t need justifications, and if you have justifications, you don’t need faith (indeed, you can’t have faith if you know that you’re correct, since faith requires uncertainty)…

 

[PRmerger]

“Philosophy” and “faith” are notoriously difficult to define, so you won’t find definitions that please everyone. In my opinion, philosophy basically amounts to critical thinking, and faith is the belief in a proposition without justification. Since critical thinking demands us to have a rationale of some sort for our beliefs, I would concur that faith and philosophy don’t mix. If you have faith, you don’t need justifications, and if you have justifications, you don’t need faith (indeed, you can’t have faith if you know that you’re correct, since faith requires uncertainty)…

That is not the Catholic position regarding faith and philosophy.

Faith is not “belief in a proposition without justification”. Rather, faith, “is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth himself.”–CCC 1814

Our justification comes from knowing Him and trusting those who speak in authority.

That is, at our origin is an encounter with Him.