Truth as a ‘passionate affirmation of desire’

In William James’ The Will to Believe faith and religion finally move out of the realm of the superstitious and ‘spiritual’ to that of human experience. Religion moves beyond the narrow concept of institutionalized religion, and faith no longer need refer to faith in a supreme being. Truth, knowledge, reality and self are all recognized as being emergent complex culturally constructed notions that are contingent upon their historical and cultural context. There is nothing fixed, static or universal about these ideas. The irrational or ‘non-intellectual’ aspects of our being are acknowledged as being as important (or more so) as our rational side. 

 

Truth exists and is true because “we want to have a truth.” (P 9) James prefaces that comment with the observation that

our belief in truth itself, for instance, that there is a truth, and that our minds and it are made for each other, – what is it but a passionate affirmation of desire, in which our social system backs us up? (P 9)

Science for James is only one manifestation of our desire and search for truth and understanding of our situation in the world. Science, mathematics and logic are part and parcel of our ‘selves’ which also develop belief systems and desires, all of which form a complex web of interactions. He suggests that human nature ‘needs’ all of these mechanisms to continue being. Regarding science he states that 

without an imperious inner demand on our part for ideal logical and mathematical harmonies, we should never have attained to proving that such harmonies lie hidden between all the chinks and interstices of the crude natural world. Hardly a law has been established in science, hardly a fact ascertained, which was not first sought after, often with sweat and blood, to gratify an inner need. (P 55)

So, we are inclined to logical explanations, to empirical observations, to theorizing, to believing, to desiring etc. and therefore find those aspects in things and the world around us. It’s just as destructive to treat science and rationality ‘religiously’ as it is to rely on belief and desire irrationally. Reason and passion, science and art, truth and imagination: these all need to be conjoined rather than treated as either/or polarities. Science to James had become estranged from its own purpose in a way. He suggests that science, through a sort of ‘fear’ of being deceived or mistaken, has developed scientific techniques of verification that have become the real goal of science. Science had come to the point that truth in itself was no longer of paramount importance, but rather that “it is only truth as technically verified that [is of] interest…” (P 21)

 

We must move beyond our intellectual capacities because science can only tell us about things which exist. To be able to decide between the value of things (real or imaginary) requires us to use faculties other than logic, mathematics and science. James says that we need to consult what “…pascal calls our heart.” (P 22) Pascal’s notion of the heart enters into moral and aesthetic territory and acknowledges what I have been repeatedly referring to as the ineffable. Science may show us what things consist of, and how to accomplish certain things, but it will always be incapable of telling us why  and what we should do and to evaluate the inherent value in things. 

 

We believe in certain possibilities and so we pursue those very possibilities. Our opinions can become ‘more true’ by pursuing our interests doggedly with whatever faculties we may have and which may prove to be fruitful. We will recognize even the rationality of something only by “…certain subjective marks…which affects [us].” (P 63) We will recognize when things ‘are right’ because they will feel right and the results will be of value to us. Again we’re back to invoking the ineffable. While James recognizes our propensity to scientific exploration and the simplifying nature of categorization he believes (as do I) that we are only willing to simplify things insofar is that provides us with some particular value or use and, importantly, that we reject ideas when they dissolve away “…their concrete fullness.” (P 66). So, the need for simplicity of explanations must be balanced with the fecundity of experience. We desire both and must have faith that our conceptions of the world will constantly renew that balance. 

 

Explore posts in the same categories: Emotion, Faith, Imagination, James, Knowledge, Logic, LS801 The Limits of Concepts and Reason, Mind/body dualism, Passion, Reason, Religion, Science, Selfhood, Truth