Do you remember, Meir, that epigram quoted in the name of…
““Do you remember, Meir, that epigram quoted in the name of Rabbi Johanan ben Zaccai: 'There is no truth unless there be a faith on which it may rest'? Ironically enough the only sure principle I have achieved is this which I have known almost all my life. And it is so. For all truths rest ultimately on some act of faith, geometry on axioms, the sciences on the assumptions of the objective existence and orderliness of the world of nature. In every realm one must lay down postulates or he shall have nothing at all. So with morality and religion. Faith and reason are not antagonists. On the contrary, salvation is through the commingling of the two, the former to establish first premises, the latter to purify them of confusion and to draw the fullness of their implications. It is not certainty which one acquires so, only plausibility, but that is the best we can hope for.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Faith and reason complement each other; both require foundational assumptions, and together they guide moral and intellectual understanding.
In simple terms: Faith and logic work together.
Key Takeaway
Balance belief with critical thinking.
Themes
faith
reason
philosophy
ethics
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
balanced
Type
theoretical
educational
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal decision making
- ethical dilemmas
- scientific inquiry
Key Concepts
epistemology
metaphysics
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile belief with contradictory evidence?
- When should reason override faith?
A Different Perspective
The view may underplay conflicts when faith and evidence clash.