ACU Philosophy Seminar Series
Note: room change from last announcement
C Stephen (Steve) Evans
"Kierkegaard on Faith, Doubt, and Uncertainty."
Kierkegaard is frequently described as a thinker who has a
positive view of doubt, or who even maintains that doubt is an essential or
necessary element in faith. In this paper I argue that this is a mistake.
Kierkegaard considers doubt as something (like despair) that must be surmounted
or overcome; it is not virtuous in itself. I argue that the explanation as to
why many get Kierkegaard wrong on this point is that they have confused doubt
with uncertainty. Uncertainty is an essential component in faith because
uncertainty is part of the human condition, at least with respect to beliefs
outside of pure logic and mathematics. Faith and doubt are rival strategies
for dealing with uncertainty, and thus they are incompatible. Kierkegaard's
view of faith/belief turns out to be similar in important ways to that of John
Henry Newman, and very different from the dominant philosophical view of belief
that stems from John Locke.
WHEN: Friday June 10 (tomorrow), 2.30 PM - 4.00 PM
WHERE:
Steve will be speaking in Melbourne.
Videoconference room level 7 (room 3), 250 Victoria Pde (EAST)
(Note special venue due to renovations. Normally it's , St Patrick's Lv 4
(ROOM 4.28))
Talks are videolinked to other campus sites:
Strathfield, MSM VC Room (E2.45 Room)
North Sydney, MacKillop Level 16 TWH Building (8-20 Napier Street N. Syd)
Canberra, Signadou 110
Ballarat Aquinas 503.
Brisbane, McAuley AC.22
Enquiries: Steve Matthews ([email protected])
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