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Framework for Responsible Beliefs
This MOR resource not an attempt to forward particular
beliefs, but instead is a framework for how to select and
work with beliefs intelligently and responsibly. Different
people and societies all have their own beliefs, myths and
metaphysical systems. Yet as the world grows
sociologically closer together, there are certain ways of
dealing with our inherited and acquired beliefs that can
help us face the challenges of entering the age of a
global society.
This framework can also help us apply what we learn to
what we assume. This helps us adapt to the challenges
that life, science, and our environment present to
humanity, and to personally make sure that we are
becoming the best people we can be.
This MOR resource not an attempt to forward particular
beliefs, but instead is a framework for how to select and
work with beliefs intelligently and responsibly. Different
people and societies all have their own beliefs, myths and
metaphysical systems. Yet as the world grows
sociologically closer together, there are certain ways of
dealing with our inherited and acquired beliefs that can
help us face the challenges of entering the age of a
global society.
This framework can also help us apply what we learn to
what we assume. This helps us adapt to the challenges
that life, science, and our environment present to
humanity, and to personally make sure that we are
becoming the best people we can be.
Knoweldge Over Belief
Belief, from every definition, is something less sure than
knowledge. Therefore, wherever possible we should seek
knowledge instead of belief as the basis of personal
judgment. Even when things have been tested and moved
to knowledge, we must realize that even this is limited and
subject to reevaluation. Belief is the most unsure should be
the most subject to testing and revision. Belief should
always be suspect as the basis for judgment.
Testing of Faith
Testing beliefs reasonably means actively trying to disprove
them and not testing whether we can believe them despite
the evidence and the dissappointing outcomes of holding
particular beliefs. The former tactic offers the opportunity to
grow in understanding and remove invalid assumptions. The
latter demonstrates only stubbornness while flying in the
face of contradicting evidence.
Surety Is Not Reality
belief. Many societies have elaborate metaphysical
believing these things as reality does not help us make clear
believing these things as reality does not help us make clear
judgment about what is real or important.
judgment about what is real or important.
Personal Responsibility for Judgment
Regardless of the metaphysical beliefs, we are in the end
personally responsible for the decisions of our lives.
Quoting beliefs or belief-based authorities does not relieve
us of our personal responsibility to try to understand the
ramifications of our actions.
Personal Use of Belief
Individuals often hold beliefs because it is a cathartic idea
that makes them feel special, protected, and better. They
may profess ideas to maintain allegiance with a group or to
obtain social standing in a community. Long-term for our
society and for us as individuals this is unhealthy because it
prevents us from dealing directly with the social,
environmental, and physical challenges of reality. Only
when we have enough detachment to effectively ask if our
beliefs are true can we responsibly hold them. Fiction can
have a self-nurturing effect without needing to believe it is
real.
Political Use of Belief
Many institutions and individuals will seek unreasonable
advantage by manipulating people through their traditional
beliefs to poor judgment. Acknowledging this allows us to
reflect on the risks of supporting and adhering to specific
beliefs.
Authority is Valueless
Whether self-appointed, metaphysical, or written thousands
of years ago, authorities in and of themselves are of no
significant value when it comes to belief. Ideas and
assertions must demonstrate their own merit before they are
worth believing. That means testing them rigorously. Many
people who represent themselves as authorities are either
uncritically propagating tradition or using the representation
to political advantage.
Honest belief is not something one acquires through
allegiance. It comes from continuous clear headed
research, through the weighing of evidence and argument.
Saying that one believes things that one has been simply
told to believe is the misrepresentation of one's efforts and
understanding. That is not belief, but thoughtless
agreement due to social pressure.
Open Analysis
When testing a belief, either in terms of whether it describes
reality or has positive outcomes, we should do so in an open
way in order to determine our own levels of bias, levels of
surety, and motivations. We should demand no less from
anyone else, especially leaders.
Inviting Criticism
Rather than defending a belief or set of beliefs, the
reasonable person welcomes criticism. Defending a beliefs
as absolute both misrepresents surety and prevents any
potential learning. People who will not rationally reply to
criticism of their beliefs are likely to have unspoken ulterior
motives for professing these beliefs that they cannot openly
justify.
Modularity
It is inappropriate to believe a whole set of assertions simply
because one believes some of the ideas in the set is
inappropriate. This is common in many metaphysical
traditions that mix social wisdom with metaphysical assertions
and ideological demands. Swallowing such packaged
systems whole usually limits opportunities for using personal
judgment, for learning, and for openly communicating in the
future. Instead, it is better to carefully study each assertion
and frankly say whether each assertion is worthwhile or not,
knowable or not, relevant or not, falsifiable or not, and
coherent with scientific understanding or not.
Other’s Beliefs
Human empathy leads us to see the value in respecting
other people. Part of that is being honest with them about
how one see their personal judgment related to their beliefs.
If one assumes that everyone has the right to hold whatever
belief without question, then we must live with their societal
decisions based on unquestioned beliefs. To be a
responsible citizen, we should help others by criticizing poor
management of beliefs. This does not mean dissrespecting
the person. It also does not mean feeding their assumptions
of “right to believe” any unquestioned absurdity that lead to
poor judgment and oppressive political action. IT does
means actively letting them know when we disagree, and
why, in the most polite way possible. When people
stubbornly propagate unfounded beliefs for social control or
self-aggrandizement, it means openly standing up and
disagreeing with them in order to help preserve a
reasonable societal perspective with which to deal with
belief. Without being rationally proactive, we have no right
to demand responsible behavior from our societies with
regard to belief.
Obligation to Act
Many people assume that “When you believe something,
you have an obligation to act on that belief.” They think this
usually about moral beliefs. Yet they are inverting the
meaning of belief and knowledge in order to come to this
conclusion. Belief is the less sure understanding. Because
of this, when it comes to belief, to be prudent, to act with
humility, and to be honest, we are really obliged not to act on
belief alone.
Yet some people intentionally ignore the tentative nature of
belief in order to take their moral beliefs and implement them
politically, imposing their moral assumptions on a diverse
society. In this act, they are avoiding the responsibility of
resolving moral questions and opting to oppress others
unjustifiably. To feel an obligation to act on belief alone is to
be the tyrant.
Many moral beliefs are based on ignorance, unquestioned
allegiance, or denial of the complexity of moral issues in a
diverse society. Sound moral judgment is based on a well-
reasoned analysis of a problem after the effort of achieving
broad awareness and the reduction of personal bias. Denial
of this prerequisite is often prompted by the desire to look
good in the eyes of one’s own dogmatic group. Thus
motivated, people begin to treat conventions as absolutes,
shun their obligation to learn, renounce the need for either
compromise or freedom of choice. This approach destroys
the common ground where reasoning can turn diverse belief
into deeper understanding, a better knowledge of how
morality works. It is only when we refrain from imposing our
habitual or traditional moral assumptions on others that we
can begin to act morally responsible.
Belief, from every definition, is something less sure than
knowledge. Therefore, wherever possible we should seek
knowledge instead of belief as the basis of personal
judgment. Even when things have been tested and moved
to knowledge, we must realize that even this is limited and
subject to reevaluation. Belief is the most unsure should be
the most subject to testing and revision. Belief should
always be suspect as the basis for judgment.
Testing of Faith
Testing beliefs reasonably means actively trying to disprove
them and not testing whether we can believe them despite
the evidence and the dissappointing outcomes of holding
particular beliefs. The former tactic offers the opportunity to
grow in understanding and remove invalid assumptions. The
latter demonstrates only stubbornness while flying in the
face of contradicting evidence.
Surety Is Not Reality
belief. Many societies have elaborate metaphysical
believing these things as reality does not help us make clear
believing these things as reality does not help us make clear
judgment about what is real or important.
judgment about what is real or important.
Personal Responsibility for Judgment
Regardless of the metaphysical beliefs, we are in the end
personally responsible for the decisions of our lives.
Quoting beliefs or belief-based authorities does not relieve
us of our personal responsibility to try to understand the
ramifications of our actions.
Personal Use of Belief
Individuals often hold beliefs because it is a cathartic idea
that makes them feel special, protected, and better. They
may profess ideas to maintain allegiance with a group or to
obtain social standing in a community. Long-term for our
society and for us as individuals this is unhealthy because it
prevents us from dealing directly with the social,
environmental, and physical challenges of reality. Only
when we have enough detachment to effectively ask if our
beliefs are true can we responsibly hold them. Fiction can
have a self-nurturing effect without needing to believe it is
real.
Political Use of Belief
Many institutions and individuals will seek unreasonable
advantage by manipulating people through their traditional
beliefs to poor judgment. Acknowledging this allows us to
reflect on the risks of supporting and adhering to specific
beliefs.
Authority is Valueless
Whether self-appointed, metaphysical, or written thousands
of years ago, authorities in and of themselves are of no
significant value when it comes to belief. Ideas and
assertions must demonstrate their own merit before they are
worth believing. That means testing them rigorously. Many
people who represent themselves as authorities are either
uncritically propagating tradition or using the representation
to political advantage.
Honest belief is not something one acquires through
allegiance. It comes from continuous clear headed
research, through the weighing of evidence and argument.
Saying that one believes things that one has been simply
told to believe is the misrepresentation of one's efforts and
understanding. That is not belief, but thoughtless
agreement due to social pressure.
Open Analysis
When testing a belief, either in terms of whether it describes
reality or has positive outcomes, we should do so in an open
way in order to determine our own levels of bias, levels of
surety, and motivations. We should demand no less from
anyone else, especially leaders.
Inviting Criticism
Rather than defending a belief or set of beliefs, the
reasonable person welcomes criticism. Defending a beliefs
as absolute both misrepresents surety and prevents any
potential learning. People who will not rationally reply to
criticism of their beliefs are likely to have unspoken ulterior
motives for professing these beliefs that they cannot openly
justify.
Modularity
It is inappropriate to believe a whole set of assertions simply
because one believes some of the ideas in the set is
inappropriate. This is common in many metaphysical
traditions that mix social wisdom with metaphysical assertions
and ideological demands. Swallowing such packaged
systems whole usually limits opportunities for using personal
judgment, for learning, and for openly communicating in the
future. Instead, it is better to carefully study each assertion
and frankly say whether each assertion is worthwhile or not,
knowable or not, relevant or not, falsifiable or not, and
coherent with scientific understanding or not.
Other’s Beliefs
Human empathy leads us to see the value in respecting
other people. Part of that is being honest with them about
how one see their personal judgment related to their beliefs.
If one assumes that everyone has the right to hold whatever
belief without question, then we must live with their societal
decisions based on unquestioned beliefs. To be a
responsible citizen, we should help others by criticizing poor
management of beliefs. This does not mean dissrespecting
the person. It also does not mean feeding their assumptions
of “right to believe” any unquestioned absurdity that lead to
poor judgment and oppressive political action. IT does
means actively letting them know when we disagree, and
why, in the most polite way possible. When people
stubbornly propagate unfounded beliefs for social control or
self-aggrandizement, it means openly standing up and
disagreeing with them in order to help preserve a
reasonable societal perspective with which to deal with
belief. Without being rationally proactive, we have no right
to demand responsible behavior from our societies with
regard to belief.
Obligation to Act
Many people assume that “When you believe something,
you have an obligation to act on that belief.” They think this
usually about moral beliefs. Yet they are inverting the
meaning of belief and knowledge in order to come to this
conclusion. Belief is the less sure understanding. Because
of this, when it comes to belief, to be prudent, to act with
humility, and to be honest, we are really obliged not to act on
belief alone.
Yet some people intentionally ignore the tentative nature of
belief in order to take their moral beliefs and implement them
politically, imposing their moral assumptions on a diverse
society. In this act, they are avoiding the responsibility of
resolving moral questions and opting to oppress others
unjustifiably. To feel an obligation to act on belief alone is to
be the tyrant.
Many moral beliefs are based on ignorance, unquestioned
allegiance, or denial of the complexity of moral issues in a
diverse society. Sound moral judgment is based on a well-
reasoned analysis of a problem after the effort of achieving
broad awareness and the reduction of personal bias. Denial
of this prerequisite is often prompted by the desire to look
good in the eyes of one’s own dogmatic group. Thus
motivated, people begin to treat conventions as absolutes,
shun their obligation to learn, renounce the need for either
compromise or freedom of choice. This approach destroys
the common ground where reasoning can turn diverse belief
into deeper understanding, a better knowledge of how
morality works. It is only when we refrain from imposing our
habitual or traditional moral assumptions on others that we
can begin to act morally responsible.
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