Primer: The Search for Foundational Truth

"But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." - Luke 6:49

This passage from the Bible highlights a profound transcendent truth that permeates every academic discipline. Any construction (whether tangible or immaterial), no matter how sound, can be entirely undermined if the foundation is weak. This is illustrated brilliantly in the field of critical thinking, where perfect logic can result in a completely false conclusion if the premise is flawed in any way.

Despite this fact, it has become increasingly apparent that many people hold beliefs (religious, political, or otherwise) which lack a true underlying philosophy. Positions on important issues are generally superficial and spurious. This does not, unfortunately, necessarily equate to a lack of passionate conviction. Late American humorist Arnold Glasow rightly observed, "the fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion." With the world population approaching 7 billion, there is certainly no shortage of opinion out there. Truth is seemingly regarded as little more than a matter of personal preference. Is truth really that ambiguous? The presence of opposing philosophies which are exclusionary in nature (belief in one requires rejection of all others, e.g. monotheistic faiths) inevitably demonstrates that absolute pluralism is an absolute impossibility.

Is it plausible that a reasonable answer can be found? As I will explain in a later entry, it is incumbent upon us as human beings to at least try. Perhaps there is not an answer that is 100% convincing but, as you will see, data can be useful even if it's incomplete. Consider the field of intelligence analysis. At its core, intelligence analysis involves collating an overwhelming amount of information from various sources and extracting useful tidbits. The data is often fragmented and incomplete, and the analyst must make an assessment (i.e. "best guess") about its meaning. Intelligence analysts are trained to focus on empirical data while minimizing the influence of assumptions, emotion, cognitive bias, group think, or peer pressure to conform to certain conclusions. Would it not be prudent to adopt a similar approach in deciding what it is we believe about this life?

It is not my intention to be vague. Stated simply, I plan to use analytic methods and critical thinking to figure out the most reasonable answer to the infamous question, "what is the meaning of life?" It seems that few people take this question seriously, likely on the presupposition that it's impossible to find the solution . I reject that assumption, and I challenge all skeptics to examine the data with me.

I'm certainly no genius. On the contrary, I'm intellectually average by most available measures. As such, I'm subject to the same tendencies as most everyone out there, and must constantly be alert for biases and logical fallacies. My hope is that any readers of this blog will serve as a check and balance against homogenized thinking and ultimately strengthen my argument. I have no agenda to push, nor do I know what will be the end state of this effort. If you continue to read this blog, you will be taking the journey as I take it.

I leave you with the following thoughts:

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Quincy Adams

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence and fulfills the duty to express the results of his thoughts in clear form." - Albert Einstein

"It is impossible to reach good conclusions with bad information ... we're all entitled to our own opinions. But none of us can afford to be wrong in our facts." - Mort Crim

"Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven." - Edward de Bono

"I call that mind free ... which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith..." - Woody Allen