The word "faith" has a variety of meanings, which is important to distinguish. In some contexts it is used as a synonym for "trust"...On other occasions "faith" stands for belief in propositions which we have not had occasion to verify for ourselves, but which we know that we could verify if we had the inclination, the opportunity and the necessary capacities...And finally there is the "faith," which is a belief in propositions which we know we cannot verify, even if we should desire to do so--propositions such as those of the Athanasian Creed or those which constitute the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. This kind of "faith" is defined by the Scholastics as an act of the intellect moved to assent by the will.
...Faith is a pre-condition of all systematic knowing, all purposive doing and all decent living...we find faith lying at the root of all organized thinking.
-From Chapter XVIII of The Perennial Philosophy
4 comments:
A couple students asserted, contrary to Huxley, that "faith" is always synonymous with "trust."
I don't agree. I have several students that I don't trust... students who have stolen from me, carelessly broken things in my room, consistently disrespect others, and/or have been repeatedly caught cheating. I simply don't trust them.
But... I do have faith in them, a faith mingled with hope that they can and will become more than they are, and that the efforts and sacrifices that I make on their behalf are worthwhile. They are worth it.
Isn't that faith aside from trust?
you have faith that you will eventually trust them.
Faith in them is trust in yourself.
It seems like trust to me. for example:
"I have faith that my students will one day be better people."
is exactly like
"I trust that my students will one day be better people."
Or maybe it's not. Regardless if you see it as trust having the same meaning as faith or faith having the same meaning as trust, they both have the same meaning.
Post a Comment