Emotional Epistemology

[Guest]

More often than we would like to admit, we rely on emotion to shape our beliefs. We frequently use our ability to reason in order to justify our already-held emotion-based beliefs, rather than starting without any conclusions and reasoning our way to the best conclusion based on all the available information. We oftentimes decide what to believe based on what “feels” right, rather than following a well thought-out process of reason and logic.

In addition to the way emotion affects how we think, it also influences our beliefs about religious and moral truth. Frequently, people form religious convictions based on their personal emotional experiences with religion rather than using a cohesive, well thought-out approach to doctrines and consequences. Many call this religious emotional experience “the spirit,” or “feeling the spirit.” These feelings are often described as a warm sensation in one’s chest; or a pleasant impression of peace in one’s mind and heart. These strong emotional feelings can cause us to suspend reason and logic by overriding our judgment causing us to believe and behave in ways we normally wouldn’t.

While it would be an impractical expectation to completely strip all emotion and feeling from the decision making process, relying solely on, or weighting these emotional experiences to heavily can cause behavioral inconsistencies, thereby rendering our feelings an unreliable source of truth.

These feelings are a real and powerful motivating force. However, as diverse as the world is there are equally as many factors to consider when interpreting these emotional feelings. Our unique biological and chemical makeup, cultural conditioning along with many other complex mental and psychological factors all contribute to what our emotional responses will be.

Another strong emotional driver in our lives is our need to belong or social acceptance. Humans are social beings that need emotional validation from our peer groups. We do not want to be viewed as a social outcast, the fear of not belonging has a powerful effect on us emotionally and psychologically and frequently causes us to suspend better judgment in our desire for social validation. Regardless of the subject we need our belief system validated and seek for additional converts to validate our ideology. We become entrenched in our convictions when people join us, particularly those who can offer some social credibility such as intellectuals or the rich and famous. You often here the phrase, “smart people inside a church does not make it true just like smart people outside a church does not make it false,” nonetheless social validation seems to be a high priority. (see famous Jehovah Witnesses or famous Mormons).

Another factor in basing truth on feeling is defining and then replicating the process. What may draw out emotion or feeling for one will do little to nothing for another. Inevitably people will experience feelings in their own way for their own reasons; it may be a book, high powered sermon, or meditation that provides the emotional spark. Not only is replicating the process a problem but so is defining outcomes. People have different emotional responses that lead to different outcomes thus creating definition problems. Unavoidably, people will define their emotional responses differently invariably causing others to question the process utilized, you often here from the ardently religious, “surly had you followed the correct process you would have gotten the same response as I.”

When an emotion based system is over emphasized in determining truth, confusion is often the result. This emotional conflict can lead to cognitive breakdown in rational thought creating more anxiety and stress. When a more pragmatic approach is utilized in assessing truth emotion is minimized allowing sound reason to prevail.

It has been my experience when speaking with people who have strong religious convictions, regardless of how irrational there convictions may be, when evidence is laid out before them that may counter their belief system, they can always override the evidence because they have an emotional witness of the truth. It does not matter what you provide for them, they have a "higher" knowledge that Trump's any facts you could show them. This "spiritual witness" allows them to entrench into their position and ignore the realities before them. I find this to be very dangerous, when people allow their emotions to override reason we have a problem, this is when we start to see planes flown into buildings.

This is where the disconnect or breakdown begins when discussing the issues around Mormon history, I see it more pragmatically, they see it emotionally, where I see fraud, my TBM friends see someone trying to overcome human weakness such as Joseph Smith - the list could go on. Essentially the emotional witness has given the true believer an "override" function in their brains allowing them the ability to suspend judgment and defer to this emotional witness as a primary source for truth.

[_moksha]

Emotions enter into everything. They seem to be part and parcel of being a sentient life form. Even Vulcans go into heat every seven years.

[Guest]

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[_Tobin]

Is there an expectation that everyone become a vulcan now?

[_Alfredo]

Is there an expectation that everyone become a vulcan now?

No. It's a matter of admitting that simply accepting the conclusions of your emotions and unexplained "convictions" doesn't make "opening your heart" a wise choice, especially when those ideas fundamentally control your paradigm and the way you approach anything and everything.

Love can be absolutely blind and there's no way to check whether the love that makes up the foundation of the LDS paradigm is a powerfully persuasive delusion. It definitely fits the typical picture of blind love.

[Guest]

...

[_Dcharle]

It has been my experience when speaking with TBM's, no matter what evidence is laid out before them, they can always override the evidence because they have an emotional witness of the truth. It does not matter what you provide for them, they have a "higher" knowledge that Trump's any facts you could show them. This "spiritual witness" allows them to entrench into their position and ignore the realities before them. I find this to be very dangerous, when people allow their emotions to override reason we have a problem, this is when we start to get planes flown into buildings.

This is where we have our biggest breakdown when discussing the issues around Mormon history, I see it more pragmatically, they see it emotionally, when I see fraud, they see someone trying to overcome weakness such as Joseph Smith - the list could go on. Essentially the emotional witness gives us an "override" function in our brains allowing us the ability to suspend judgment and defer to an emotion witness as the source of truth.

[_Dcharle]

Not it at all really ... Emotion does and always will dominate reason when put in this context. For without it we cannot measure the subject matter your attempting to cover here.

Actually I'm not exactly sure what you were saying on the deeper level, I still need more time to digest it. I guess I was just trying to sound smart with that response.

Not nit picking but you had a few errors in the text body (atleast I think so) And in order to really grasp what your saying ... maybe a proof read and edit is in order. I only mention it , because I really think you have something worth saying here. And Ill get back to ya when I reread and ponder it some more.

Yes, I edited the text, try reading it again.

[_Tobin]

Is there an expectation that everyone become a vulcan now?

What would be wrong with aspiring to being a Vulcan? Clearly Humans seek to pull emotion out of judgment.
Although it is wise to judge each case with some amount of compassion ... hence a good thing judges are human and not computers. But we still seek objectivity on any subject for the best results.

Useing my gut feeling Tobin ... I would say your an arsehole ... and I don't care much for your oppinions.

But the better part of judgement tells me I should not solidify that feeling towards you. Who knows , maybe we could be friends and learn something from one another.

Because we aren't vulcans (nor do we live in Star Trek - it's a fiction by the way). And I too feel similarly about you. I really don't think you are very informed about things and bring nothing to the discussion.

[_Tobin]

It has been my experience when speaking with TBM's, no matter what evidence is laid out before them, they can always override the evidence because they have an emotional witness of the truth. It does not matter what you provide for them, they have a "higher" knowledge that Trump's any facts you could show them. This "spiritual witness" allows them to entrench into their position and ignore the realities before them. I find this to be very dangerous, when people allow their emotions to override reason we have a problem, this is when we start to get planes flown into buildings.

This is where we have our biggest breakdown when discussing the issues around Mormon history, I see it more pragmatically, they see it emotionally, when I see fraud, they see someone trying to overcome weakness such as Joseph Smith - the list could go on. Essentially the emotional witness gives us an "override" function in our brains allowing us the ability to suspend judgment and defer to an emotion witness as the source of truth.

It isn't an emotional response. It's a very practical response. If Mormonism is true (ie man can speak with God), then God should be able to respond and answer us. The only reason to believe Mormonism is anything but a fraud and a hoax is IF God tells you it is true. It is based on a God really existing and being able to answer us today as he did with Joseph Smith. This is Moroni's promise by the way. One should seek and speak with God and do what God tells you to do.