Everything In a Nutshell

By Marilyn Armstrong on 06/20/2013

I like discussing ideas. History, philosophy, religion, the meaning of life are great because there are no right or wrong answers. You can discuss and argue for all eternity without ever running low on arguments.

Not everyone is an enthusiastic participant in these debates, so I do more writing and less talking these days. After more than 50 years, I now hold the same opinions I held when I was 12.

Bottom line, I don’t know anything for sure. And I’m okay with that.

About God

You can believe what you want, but you don’t know any more than I do. We all make a leap of faith when we choose to believe in God — or decide we are atheists.

There is no proof that would stand up in any court. A lack of proof is just what it sounds like: nothing. It’s a guess. Lack of contradictory proof doesn’t prove anything. Pointing out how many people believe something is not proof either. Nor can you disprove anything by showing how many people don’t believe it. Nothing remains nothing, no matter how you present it.

There is no proof God exists.
There is no proof God doesn’t exist.
Faith is not proof. It is opinion dressed in fancy clothing.

The arguments have gone on for thousands of years and may continue for thousands more. Unless a deity drops by and offers up indisputable evidence, it will never end.

Epistemology

Epistemology addresses these questions:

What is knowledge?
How is knowledge acquired?
To what extent can we know a given subject or entity?

Much of the debate in this field involves analyzing the nature of knowledge, how it relates to ideas like truth, belief and justice. One view says there is little or no real knowledge. It’s known as skepticism a view with which I identify. I call it “keeping an open mind.”

Classical Definition of Knowledge

Epistemology is called “the theory of knowledge” and pops up in arguments about God’s existence. So what exactly, is an epistemological study?

It’s a study of study, the study of studying. In other words:

Epistemology doesn’t really mean anything. It’s a noise one scholar makes to impress another.
Epistemology is all-inclusive. So much so that is has no meaning. Anything that means everything means nothing.

Moreover, anything which promises to do (or be) everything cannot do anything well. This includes people, electronic gadgets, and kitchen appliances.

Phenomenology

Phenomenology is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from a first-person viewpoint. The main point of any experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something with an implied intent to gain knowledge.

Phenomenology is human experience. What happened, will happen or is currently happening as experienced by people. Phenomenology is a primary approach to proving the existence of God. If you believe in God, then phenomenologically speaking, all human experience is proof of God. That we exist is proof. However, you can use the same reasoning to prove there is no God. Philosophical concepts are double-edged.

You can actually use phenomenology to prove anything at all, that all things are one thing, all things are God, you are God, I am God. So is my little dog. I am fond of this approach because all you need to prove anything are a few people to testify they’ve experienced something. Voilà, proof.

You can use your experiences and everybody else’s to prove whatever you want.
Whether or not anyone will agree with you is something else.

You can prove anything. Literally. Anyone and everyone is a source, evidence, proof. It doesn’t matter how vague, flimsy or undependable your sources. You can make a case based on something a couple of friends said a long time ago while under the influence of powerful hallucinogenic drugs. You will very likely discover the academic community is underwhelmed by your evidence, but in academia, no one believes anyone else’s research conclusions anyhow. You’ll be in good company.

Faith Versus Fact

No matter what you believe, it doesn’t mean it’s true.
It does not matter how many people believe or disbelieve the same thing. Having a lot of people agreeing with you doesn’t transform faith into fact.

Not only is faith not proof, even facts may not be proof because one man’s fact is another man’s theoretical construct. We’ll leave that conversation for another day. If you believe in God, reject God, or are convinced Aliens walk among us, believing doesn’t make it so, no matter how loudly or often you repeat it.

I spent half a century to circle back to where I began, except now I have a great title for my life’s work:

An Epistemological Analysis of Life Based on Half a Century of Phenomenological Research

by Marilyn Armstrong

I’ll let you know when it comes out in hard-copy. In the meantime, feel free to imagine the contents. Remember: You are your own evidence.