Belief Effects

While answering the TOK survey this morning, I was prompted to write down the most important thing I'd learnt over the past two years of doing the course. Curiously, there was no immediate answer.

Well, actually there was one - smoking. But that's not entirely new, so I didn't want to count that. It's a skill that's been polished and refined over the ages ever since I acquired it during my first day in the institution. But I digress.

Upon grueling reflection, I realised that the no-answer was the answer. Don't be mistaken, I don't mean that I haven't learnt anything from the course; far from it. Rather, I think it was more a matter of learning what the subject couldn't help me with, rather than what it could. It's what I might call 'negative knowledge'.

Essentially, it is the idea that epistemology simply breaks down when we try to get past certain boundaries. I might be being overly simplistic, but I would suppose this to be true of all branches of philosophies as well. For example, the definition of a belief under an epistemological framework still eludes me after two years of crazy thinking. It is peculiar that people can debate viciously at length to validate of their definition of such a thing, when the issue at hand relates to the very nature of the convictions behind the debate itself. And as you probe further, you realise there is an infinite loop. As far as we're concerned in TOK, we don't want to take axiomatic principles for granted. But what shall we do in this case?

So at these junctures, I feel compelled to agree with Alien regarding the limitations of the subject. But I won't be too quick to put it down. It's clearly offered me valuable chances to occupy crossroads, and opportunities to trade, sell and bargain in the marketplace of ideas. Also, as mentioned above, it has surely taught me how to smoke more convincingly and sophisticatedly - an essential life skill. Plus, it's helped me to write this post.

I guess it is also a good thing that the web of TOK extends into other subjects, as it was designed to do. I enjoy it. Teachers allude to philosophical complications in their areas of expertise once in a while, but usually such knowledge is quickly (or perhaps wisely) cast aside by students. Again, as simple as it sounds, moderation is the key. Spend too much time thinking, and changing the world gradually equates to changing your mind. Spend too much time doing and die a tired dog.

Which is probably why it just struck me, quite amazingly, that genuinely holding to conservative theology automatically results in radical living.