An existential faith is a hot, committed view of the world…
““An existential faith is a hot, committed view of the world layered into the affective dispositions, habits and institutional priorities of its confessors. The intensity of commitment to it typically exceeds the power of the arguments and evidence advanced. On my reading, then, each thinker listed above is a carrier of a distinctive existential faith. The faith in which each is invested has not yet been established in a way that rules out of court every perspective except it. It is a contestable faith. This is not to deny that impressive, comparative considerations might be offered on its behalf, or that it might be subjected to critical interrogations that press its advocates to adjust this or that aspect of it. An existential faith is not immune to new argument and evidence, as I will try to show; commitment to it, rather, is seldom exhausted by them.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Existential faith is a deep, affective commitment that can outweigh evidence, yet remains open to critique and new arguments.
In simple terms: Faith driven by feeling, not proof.
Key Takeaway
Balance belief with openness to critique.
Themes
faith
existentialism
commitment
critique
philosophy
Mood
analytical
critical
philosophical
Type
Existential:1
Faith:1
Habits:0
Religion:0
Existential Faith:1
Contestable Faith:1
Distinctive Existential:0
Faith Invested:0
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal belief systems
- policy making
Key Concepts
epistemology
psychology
social theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What commitments shape your worldview?
- How do you test your beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Blind faith can ignore contradictory evidence.